2 Gang Telephone & Cat 5 Data Socket - Navy Blue

A telephone socket and a Cat 5 data socket share a single flat plate here, with no screw heads showing on the face. The plate is moulded in navy blue, and the square format measures 88mm across, keeping the footprint close to that of a plain single plate. Both connections work at low voltage, so this is a point for the phone line and a wired network run rather than anything on the power side.

It earns its place in a home office or study, where a desk wants a wired connection that will not drop out, and in a sitting room where a television, games console or streaming box is better off on a cable than on wireless. We reach for coloured plates like this one where the walls are a deep shade and a white face would jump out: against navy, ink or charcoal paint, it reads as part of the wall rather than an interruption. It suits anyone tidying a hallway, bedroom or media wall down to one neat point.

The plate and body are moulded in ABS, a tough plastic that holds its colour and shrugs off the small knocks a fitting picks up at desk height. Cleaning asks very little: a dry cloth over the face now and then, and nothing stronger than a barely damp one if a mark appears, as solvents and cream cleaners will dull the surface. It carries a ten year warranty. Keep it to dry indoor rooms and to data circuits, which is what it is designed for. Alongside dark paintwork it looks intended rather than added, and the screwless front keeps the eye on the wall instead of the fitting. Cables and modules for the run itself are a separate matter to the plate.

What size is the plate?

It is a square plate, 88mm by 88mm, with a plate and back box depth of 35mm. That is the standard twin-module format, so it sits alongside other square plates without looking odd.

What can I connect to it?

One aperture is a telephone socket and the other is a Cat 5 Ethernet data socket, so you can take a phone line and a wired network connection from the same plate.

What is it made from?

ABS, moulded and finished in navy blue. It weighs only 65g, and the material keeps its colour rather than yellowing over time.

Can it go in a bathroom or outdoors?

No. It is rated IP20 and intended for indoor use only, so keep it to dry rooms away from splashes and weather.

How should I clean it?

A dry cloth for dust, and a slightly damp one for fingerprints. Avoid solvents, bleach and abrasive creams, which will take the sheen off the navy face.

Is there a warranty?

It carries a ten year warranty.