Connecting DSL rj-11 cable to ethernet port

Help Desk Hardware Help
1

I am aiming to get some type of mini-pc and install some open-source router software on it in the near future to replace the default AT&T router I have now. I have a DSL subscription with AT&T and an rj-11 6P4C cable. Most of the mini-pcs that I have looked at only feature ethernet (rj-45) ports. I have found rj-11 to rj-45 converters online for very low prices.
See:
https://www.amazon.com/FidgetKute-Telephone-Ethernet-Adapter-Converter/dp/B07WD8J32S/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=rj11+6p4c+female+rj45+8p8c+male+adapter+1+pack&qid=1579134438&sr=8-6

Before I shell out roughly $200 for a mini-pc, I want to know:

1.) Is there any reason why one of these converters would not work, or work very poorly?

2.) Is the 8P8C going to be superior to the 8P4C connector?

3.) Could they possibly introduce a bottleneck into my network? I only have a 100mbps connection, and almost never need that much speed. Regular Cat5 cables can handle as much.

4.) Are there any other likely hiccups you can foresee?

Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.

2

Not sure I understand this correctly but if that AT&T thing is a xDSL router/modem that uses the copper(phone line) you can’t just connect that to an ethernet port. You need a modem in front of your firewall/router anyway.
Not sure if there are xDSL cards out there you can use though as I’ve never looked for it.
The few times I’ve dealt with it I have bought a regular xDSL modem (no router crap in them) and just used that as a bridge. Then you get the WAN IP on your own firewall/router and are good to go.
Not all modems supports all the different carrier setups though, like ADSL/2, VDSL etc. but you can usually find the specs on the internet. A couple of Asus modem/routers I’ve used have had autodetection of the settings and they have been working fine here in Norway at least.

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3

Thanks, this is the kind of headache-saving feedback I was hoping for. I’ll make sure to get a modem to bridge the gap.

4

You should be able to put that AT&T device into “bridge mode” so the router you want to have on there is the controlling device, and the old AT&T device just a means to get that DSL signal.

1 Like
5

I’ll look into that, thanks!

7

Hopefully you’ll have good luck with AT&T on this. Been a few years since I had AT&T xDSL (legacy ADSL or the VDSL they use for uVerse). I recall some headaches with some of their technicians not wanting to help you configure bridged mode unless you were paying for business class service. At the end of the day, the best scenario is the AT&T gateway is acting purely as a L2 device allowing your own equipment to negotiate the PPPoE authentication and address assignment.