This Asterisk-shaped wall plate is what you need

From random basement toilets to push-button light switches, old houses can have all sorts of strange and delightful details. Recently, Reddit user @KSI_SpacePeanut noticed one such detail in their new home in Oregon: a wall plate with an asterisk-shaped hole in it. A couple of weeks ago, they posted a photo to the subreddit r/WhatIsThisThing for backup. Here’s what we’ve learned about the handy house hardware, as well as how you can get one for yourself!

What Are Wall Plate Cable Pass Throughs and What Are They Used For?

Other Reddit users quickly and accurately identified the hardware as a wall plate cable pass through. Basically, this special type of wall socket cover does exactly what it sounds like—it allows someone to feed wires through the wall for more sightly cable organization.

The plates themselves are made of flexible rubber to accommodate the wires and typically come in pairs. This allows cables, such as those for Ethernet, audio/visual connections, or video game consoles, to enter one, pass through the wall, and exit the other. Often, at least one wall cable pass through is located next to an electrical outlet, so that the cable can be plugged into power easily.

Where Can I Find Them?

If you would like to install some wall plate cable pass throughs for yourself you can purchase a few different versions on Amazon. For an asterisk-shaped version, as posted on Reddit, try ths one. However, you can also find wire-brush versions like this one to hide the cables, or an even more discrete port like this.

Once you’ve acquired your wall plate cable pass throughs, use our handy guide on fishing wires through walls to install them. Additionally, if you currently have wall plate cable pass throughs in your house or apartment and would prefer not to, you can always replace them with a blank wall plate like this. This can help prevent nosy children or pets from injury if they stick any appendages into the original cable pass through or any unused outlets.