Familiarising Yourself with Old Telephone Sockets

In many homes, especially those built or renovated before the 2000s, you may encounter old telephone sockets. These sockets, like the 600-series installed by Telecom/Telstra since the 1960s, are easily recognisable by their distinct design. These sockets typically have:

• Six screw terminals arranged in pairs.
• A cover plate that, when removed, reveals these terminals.

These old sockets were designed for phones with 600-series plugs, which are now largely obsolete. Modern devices use RJ11, RJ12, or RJ45 plugs.

Connecting Modern Devices to Old Sockets

If you have an old 600-series socket but need to connect a modern phone or any devices with an RJ11, RJ12, or RJ45 plug, you can use an adapter.

These adapters are widely available at most electronics and computer stores. They convert the old 600-series socket to a modern RJ socket, allowing you to use newer equipment without the need for extensive rewiring.