2 Gang Telephone & Cat 5 Data Socket - Ice White

Wired connections still earn their keep, and this plate gathers a telephone connection and an ethernet data socket onto a single ice white face. The plate is flat and screwless, so the front reads as one clean rectangle of moulded ABS with no screw heads interrupting it. It measures 88mm square, the familiar double plate size, and the terminals sit behind it on the low voltage side of things rather than anywhere near mains power. We would pair it with a matching power point on the same wall so the faces line up neatly.

It suits a study or a home office desk where a laptop wants a proper cable rather than a wireless hop, and it is just as useful in a living room behind a television or a media box, or in a bedroom that doubles as a work corner. Anyone running a router in a hallway cupboard and feeding the rooms from there will know the need. We keep it in ice white, and it is the one we suggest when a room already has a phone point but needs a data connection added at the same spot, without another plate crowding the wall.

The moulding is ABS, which gives a smooth hard face that holds its colour, and ice white is a shade cooler and brighter than a creamy white, so it sits happily against fresh emulsion and painted skirting boards. Keep it looking new with an occasional wipe from a cloth barely damp with soapy water, then dry it off. Household sprays, cream cleaners and anything solvent based will dull the surface, so leave those under the sink. It is meant for indoor rooms and data circuits only. It carries a ten year warranty, and because the finish is plain and low key, it disappears into a wall rather than competing with what hangs on it.

What sort of data connection does it provide?

One side is a telephone connection and the other is a Cat 5 ethernet data socket, so you get voice and a wired network link on one plate.

What size is the plate?

It is 88mm by 88mm on the face, the standard double plate footprint, with a 35mm depth behind.

Why is it called screwless?

The visible front cover clips over the inner plate, so the finished face shows no screw heads at all, just the two apertures.

What is the plate made of?

Moulded ABS in an ice white finish, a hard smooth plastic that wipes clean and resists yellowing better than softer plastics.

How should I clean it?

A cloth just damp with mild soapy water, then dried off. Avoid solvents, polish and cream cleaners, as they leave the surface cloudy.

Can it be used in a bathroom or outside?

No. It is rated for dry indoor rooms and low voltage data circuits only, so keep it away from wet areas and anywhere exposed to weather.