Your Ethernet wall ports might already work, but your builder wired them for phones

Pre-wired homes often hide a nasty surprise: Cat3 telephone cabling behind RJ11 wall plates instead of proper Ethernet. Cat3 is limited to 10Mbps, physically incompatible with RJ45 connectors, and cannot be fixed with adapters alone. The solution is replacing the old cabling with Cat6e, either DIY by using the old wire as a pull string (feasible for small runs) or by hiring a low-voltage professional for larger homes. Routing all new cables to a central patch panel is recommended for future-proofing. Homes with coaxial TV cabling have an alternative option via MoCA adapters.