How to Use Keystone Surface Mount Boxes?

Haven't found a suitable spot at home or in the office to install an Ethernet wall plate? A keystone surface mount box is an ideal alternative to wall plates, especially in tight places where wall plates may not fit. Available in various port configurations and types, surface mount boxes are designed to meet different network needs. In this article, we will provide you with knowledge about the keystone surface mount box and an installation tutorial to ensure you can install the keystone mount box with confidence.   

What is a Keystone Surface Mount Box?

A keystone surface mount box is used to house different types of keystone jacks, such as RJ45, HDMI, and coaxial keystone jacks. These boxes are designed for surface mounting, which means that they can be attached to walls, desktops, and other flat surface locations if you don’t want to damage walls in the house or office. RJ45 surface mount boxes are compatible with Cat5, Cat5e, and Cat6 keystone jacks, offering an easy and flexible solution for network installation, especially in areas where in-wall installation might not be possible. The box allows you to easily upgrade or change cable types by swapping out different keystone jacks.         

Single-Port vs Multi-Port Boxes

Surface mount boxes can be divided into single-port and multi-port boxes. Single-port boxes are designed to hold only one keystone jack, while multi-port boxes are configured with multiple ports for more than one keystone jack. Single-port surface mount boxes are suitable for tight installation, and multi-port keystone surface mount boxes are ideal for larger network installation.

Unloaded vs Loaded Boxes

Surface mount boxes also come in loaded and unloaded versions. Loaded surface mount boxes come with pre-installed keystone jacks so you just need to wire the cable. They provide T568A or T568B color code for easy identification of the wiring sequence. You can easily connect cables with junction boxes by using an RJ45 110 punch-down tool. In contrast, unloaded surface mount boxes have no keystone jack so you have to install your own jacks. But they offer a flexible option for those who need varied jacks.  

Advantages of Keystone Surface Mount Boxes

Keystone surface mount boxes provide an easy solution for cable management in residential and commercial applications. Here are some of their advantages:

Easy Installation

Unlike traditional in-wall installation, keystone surface mount boxes can be mounted on any flat surface like desks and walls without cutting into drywall. The installation only requires a few minutes to complete by simply opening the cover, snapping into the keystone jack (or terminating the Ethernet cables), and closing the cover. 

Flexible Adjustment

They can be placed on any surface including walls, desktops, ceilings, and other surface locations. The mounting screws or double-stick tapes help you attach the box to the solid surface. When you need to adjust the cabling setup, the boxes can be flexibly removed from one place to another place. These keystone surface mount boxes are perfect for temporary installation to meet your different needs.

Cable Management

Surface mount boxes are also ideal for cable management like wall plates. They come with a single port or multiple ports for centralized management of different cables and connectors. Their modular design makes them easy for cable connection, management, and maintenance. 

Compatibility

In general, unloaded surface mount boxes are designed to hold different types of keystone jacks, including HDMI, Cat5/6, USB and DisplayPort, RG6 coax, banana plug, BNC, and more. They are ideal for homes, offices, schools, and commercial settings.

VCELINK Surface Mount Box

We provide different types of surface mount boxes, including blank surface mount boxes, and loaded keystone surface mount boxes.   

The blank surface mount boxes allow you to upgrade the network by inserting a high-category keystone jack. It is compatible with UTP 90/180 degree RJ45 keystone jacks and Cat6, Cat5e, and Cat5 network cables. In addition, it features a fixed frame in front to insert a keystone jack and a cable tie to secure the cable.

We also offer one-port and two-port loaded surface mount boxes for different needs. These surface mount boxes are designed with pre-installed keystone jacks, eliminating the need to insert them yourself. The box is labeled with T568A and T568B wiring standards and you can use a 110 or Krone punch-down tool to ensure a secure and stable data transmission.

Moreover, all VCELINK RJ45 surface mount boxes are equipped with gold-plated contacts, which ensure the overall performance of the network by providing superior conductivity and reduced signal loss.

How to Install a Loaded Surface Mount Box?

Now let’s explore the step-by-step tutorial of our A170 loaded surface mount box.

Required Materials and Tools

• 110 or Krone Impact Tool
• Surface Mount Box
• Wire Jacket Stripping Tool
• Cable Wire Snips
• Cat6 Cable

Step 1: Strip off the cable jacket to about 5 to 7 cm.

Step 2: Cut off the center spline and rip cord. 

Step 3: Use the cable jacket to separate and straighten eight wires one by one.

Step 4: Gently press both sides of the box to open the cover.

Step 5: Arrange eight wires according to T568A or T568B wiring sequence on the PCB board. T568B is recommended for users in the North America.

Step 6: Put the arranged wires on the metal clip and insert the wires into the slots. Repeat the same process on the other side.

Step 7: Tip: Use a mini wire stripper to press the wires into the slots.  Step 8: Use 110 or Krone punch-down tool to punch down eight wires.

Step 9: Secure the cable to the metal clip by using the cable wire snip.

Step 10: Use a writable label stick for easy identification.

Step 11: Our surface mount boxes can be installed flexibly. You can use the mounting screws for in-wall installation, or use double-sided tape to mount the box on the table or any other flat surface.

Summary

This blog provides you with a detailed guide to our unloaded surface mount box and loaded Cat6 surface mount box. Both of these two types of surface mount boxes are easy to use, and you can choose the suitable one based on your own needs.

For more information on this topic, you can keep up on our blogs. While VCELINK offers general and basic information for our customers and other visitors to the website, it’s not professional advice.