Ethernet over unused twisted pair?

[gboyce-qL0WqcyiFk9Wk0Htik3J/w at public.gmane.org (Gregory Boyce)]

On Sat, 7 Mar 2009, Scott R. Ehrlich wrote:

> I'm trying to find a way to get an Ethernet connection from a second floor
> room diagonally across the house to the first floor.    There is no plenum
> - no dropped ceiling, and having an electrician do the wiring is too
> expensive.
>
> I _could_ go wireless, but I'd much rather pursue a hardwired option
> first.
>
> So, it occurred to me that DSL is Ethernet than works over a pair of phone
> wire.   Is there any device that could convert the Ethernet signal from my
> Linksys box to something I could plug into a phone jack that is wired with
> the unused phone pair, then run a mating device in first floor's
> corresponding phone jack and get my hardwired network run that way?

Rather than the phone lines, you could use ethernet over the powerlines in 
your house.  A fried of mine has been using it without any issues, 
although he was more concerned about latency than bandwith.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HomePlug_Powerline_Alliance

--
Greg