2 Gang Telephone & Cat 5 Data Socket - Light Grey

A single flat plate brings together a telephone socket and a Cat 5 ethernet data socket, finished in light grey. The screwless front clips over its own frame, so the face reads as a clean square with an unbroken border around the sockets. At 88mm square it keeps to the familiar footprint of a standard double plate, and the light grey moulding sits quietly against pale paint or grey trunking rather than drawing the eye. We keep this one on the shelf for anyone wiring a room for both a phone line and a wired network run.

It earns its place in a study or home office, behind a desk, beside a router shelf, or wherever a television and set top box want a wired connection rather than wi-fi. Because both sockets serve low voltage data circuits, this is a plate for information rather than power, and we would keep a separate socket nearby for anything that needs plugging in. It suits dry indoor rooms: studies, bedrooms and hallways are all comfortable ground, while bathrooms, garages and anywhere damp are not.

The plate and its cover are moulded in ABS, a hard plastic that holds its colour and shrugs off the knock of a hoover or a chair back. Cleaning asks little of you: a barely damp cloth over the face, then dry it off, and keep cream cleaners and solvents well away, as they dull the moulding. Mask it before the paint comes out, since emulsion is stubborn to lift from a grey face. It carries a ten year warranty. Light grey reads well in rooms with grey woodwork or exposed containment, where white plates tend to jump out at you, and it is the finish we would choose for a home office fitted out in greys.

What size is the plate?

The plate measures 88mm by 88mm, so it takes up the same wall space as a standard double plate.

Can I plug an appliance or a lamp into it?

No. Both sockets are for telephone and data connections on low voltage circuits only, so you will still need a nearby 13A socket for anything mains powered.

What can the data side be used for?

It is a Cat 5 ethernet data socket, suited to a wired home network run: a computer, a games console, a smart television or a wireless access point.

Is it suitable for a bathroom or an unheated garage?

It is rated IP20 and intended for indoor use in dry rooms, so bathrooms, garages and outbuildings are not the place for it.

How should I clean the light grey finish?

Wipe the face with a barely damp cloth and dry it straight away. Avoid cream cleaners, solvents and abrasive pads, which will take the sheen off the ABS.

Is there a warranty?

Yes, it carries a ten year warranty.