2 Gang Telephone & Cat 5 Data Socket - Platinum Silver

A landline connection and a wired network connection sit side by side on one flat plate, finished in platinum silver with a soft sheen rather than a mirror shine. The telephone side accepts a standard handset lead, while the data side is a Cat 5 Ethernet socket for a patch lead running to a computer, printer, television or games console. The plate is square, at the familiar 88mm face width, and the screwless front leaves nothing on show but the two module openings. It is a low voltage fitting for data and telephone circuits, not a mains one.

We reach for this one behind a desk in a study or a home office, where a handset and a cabled connection are both wanted from the same point on the wall. It also earns its place in a bedroom that doubles as a workroom, in a hallway near a router cupboard, or in a sitting room where a set top box runs better on cable than on wireless. It suits anyone who has had data cable pulled through the house and wants the ends finished properly rather than left hanging from a hole in the wall. Keep it to dry rooms inside the house.

The plate is moulded ABS, which holds the silver colouring evenly and does not mark as readily as a painted finish. Wipe it with a dry cloth, or one barely damp for fingerprints around the openings, and keep cream cleaners, polishes and solvents away from it, as they dull the surface. It carries a ten year warranty. The flat, screwless face is a quiet thing on a wall, which helps where a data point lands close to a light switch or a power point and you would rather the eye passed over the lot. Leads and cable are separate.

What can I connect to it?

One side takes a standard telephone lead for a landline handset or base station. The other is a Cat 5 Ethernet socket, so an RJ45 patch lead will run from it to a computer, printer, television or games console.

How big is the front plate?

It is a square plate measuring 88mm by 88mm, which is the standard two gang face size, and it weighs only 0.065kg.

Does it carry mains power?

No. It is a Class 3 low voltage fitting for telephone and data circuits only, so there is no mains power point on this plate.

Can I use it in a bathroom or outside?

No, it is rated IP20 and intended for dry indoor rooms such as studies, bedrooms, halls and living rooms.

How should I clean the silver finish?

A dry cloth for dust, and a barely damp cloth for fingerprints. Avoid abrasive pads, cream cleaners and any solvent, all of which will take the sheen off the ABS.

Is there a warranty?

Yes, it carries a ten year warranty from the manufacturer.