Suggestions for running Cat5e/Cat6 to rooms in a new house

[bodean]

I am currently having a house built, and want to get a plan for my networking. I am going to talk to my builder in the coming weeks, and have him run either Cat5e or Cat6 to rooms in my house.

This is a new process to me so I am looking to my network community here for tips/advice. I am having a 1 1/2 story house, so I plan on running the network cables to the upstairs bonus room (where my tv/xbox will be), 3 upstairs bedrooms, downstairs master bedroom, main living room area on main floor (tv), and my office/study.

Is there anything else I should look at doing or explain to the builder / electrician? I've read in some past posts here about running a conduit. Not sure if that is still preferred or not.

My goal is, to have a network jack by each tv, and in the office, so we use wired connection for our gigabit speed whenever possible. We will also run a mesh system (2800 SQ ft house), but to get optimal speeds, I feel running these wires before the walls are put up, are the best option.

Comments?

 

[CaptainSTX]

First you need to determine where your Internet service will enter your home. (Demarc) This will probably be immeadiately adjacent to where your electrical meter will be installed. This is so your electrical and communications network will use the same common ground.

Second you will need to know how your ISP delivers their service. (Coaxial, fiber or phoneline.) You will need the appropriate type of wiring from the demarc to where you are going to locate your network wiring hub.

At the location where your wiring hub is also where you probably want to locate your GPON if you are lucky enough to get fiber, router, switches, Patch panel if you choose to use one, NAS, media servers, etc. You will want to have a rack there and/ or a cabinet for all the gear. Have your electrician install a dedicated electrical circuit for all the hardware to be powered at the hub location. If possible use an ordinary plain circuit breaker for this feed so as to avoid nusiance trips. If code requires a GFI or Arc Fault breaker you can always replace it after final inspection. Also ask the HVAC contractor to use a larger duct to the network hub's location as if it is in a closet or laundry room the heat will build up from all the equipment running 24/7.

Specify the type and brand of cable you want to use exactly. Cat5e, Cat6, etc. Then the gauge of wires, and finally if you want solid copper or if copper clad aluminum.

While conduit would be great the cost will probably be more than you want to pay. Flex duct will also add significantly to the cost. If I had all the options when I built I would instead run one spare cable to each location where I was installing Ethernet and not terminate it, but instead keep it for spare in case a cable fails or you really need another Ethernet drop. Remember you always have the option at a location where you need multiple Ethernet connections to install a $20 unmanaged switch.

Others will probably recommend that you install a minimum of four Ethernet drops to each location. While the labor and materials to rough in the cable won't break the bank the cost of terminating all the cables might.

Also don't forget to put in coaxial for TV locations even if youdon't plan on using them the next owner of your home might want them.

Enjoy your new home.

 

[degrub]

Second the above. With Cat 6a and RG-6 to multiple points in every room or at least to all the more likely use rooms (TV, media center, wireless AP point on extreme distance portions of the house like far corners, work stations, etc.) you should be good to go. Don't forget to wire to multiple points in the kitchen - in or above the upper cabinets is a good place to hide an AP, speakers, etc).
RG-6 to every room will allow both cable video and MOCA2 or 2.5 backbone if you ever need it.

 

[OzarkEdge]

It might be wise to hire a 'data cabling' subcontractor to do that job right... they should know what to do and how to do it... could be money well spent.

OE

 

[username0475]

I am currently having a house built, and want to get a plan for my networking. I am going to talk to my builder in the coming weeks, and have him run either Cat5e or Cat6 to rooms in my house.

This is a new process to me so I am looking to my network community here for tips/advice. I am having a 1 1/2 story house, so I plan on running the network cables to the upstairs bonus room (where my tv/xbox will be), 3 upstairs bedrooms, downstairs master bedroom, main living room area on main floor (tv), and my office/study.

Is there anything else I should look at doing or explain to the builder / electrician? I've read in some past posts here about running a conduit. Not sure if that is still preferred or not.

My goal is, to have a network jack by each tv, and in the office, so we use wired connection for our gigabit speed whenever possible. We will also run a mesh system (2800 SQ ft house), but to get optimal speeds, I feel running these wires before the walls are put up, are the best option.

Comments?

That's what we did 5 years ago - when we build our 1+1.5 story house with simlar sqft.

We did 1 Cat6 (along with coax) to all the rooms where TV's were & Cat6 to the places we thought we would place IP cameras This served 2 original purposes at the time of planning:
1) MoCa for my Tivo to allow independent TV watching &
2) NAS support for streaming movie or doing IPCam internally on my LAN.

Well times have changed & while #1 is still heavily used.
#2 now serves as additional AP connection locations in addition to streaming via LAN or DNLA.

While we had a conduit put in the attic - I am not sure what purpose it served.
If anything I would have thought a conduit would be more valuable for a longer run out to the garage or where outside elements may get to the cables.
Unless, it's for redundancy if one of the Cat6 were to fail & you had spares in there along wioth other networking or A/V cables.


Which brings me to my last thought that some people will encourage you to run more than 1 Cat cable to each destination where you plan to put things.
With the way things are now - ie more data - more hard wires look like a much better solution to Wifi.

 

[coxhaus]

I am old school so I would use CAT5e copper, Belkin and at least 2 drops in case 1 goes bad.

For the equipment you can use a small closet in the hall or garage just to make your wires hot. If you plan to run a server rack or networking equipment then locate according. It is best to center this closet if possible for best wireless strength to keep it to 1 wireless unit.

PS
No conduit is required for CAT5e cable.

You might talk to AT&T to see if they will wire your house as it is being built. You need to be in a AT&T neighborhood.

If you are looking to have 5 GHz every where then disregard about centering 1 router and use wireless APs. You will need 3 or 4 5GHz wireless APs. If you want 5GHz outside you need to plan an outside rated 5 GHz wireless AP. 5GHz will not penetrate outside walls. I have a small window in the back over looking my picnic table where the curtains stay closed so I have a 5GHz AP in the window for my outside.

 

[bodean]

I am in a Comcast / Xfinity area and have gigabit internet service

 

[degrub]

6a and RG-6 then. Wire is cheap when the walls are open. Do more than you think you will need. Then it will be a selling point for the house.

Find a certified CAT 6/7 installer to run the cable and terminate. They can also help you with the wiring cabinet and layout turn key.

 

[Dusky]

The minimal cost of cable makes pulling mutiple cables an easy decision especially if it's new construction. I pulled a minimum of 4 cat6 to every room (1/wall). Media room has 12. In most cases, I pulled all the cables to a room simultaneously in a single pull. We often have multiple wired devices running in a room. In addition to internet, some of the cat6 is for landline phone, access points and securtity cams.

This was my first network wiring attempt and I can now say that most anyone can do it if they have the time/interest. I havent regretted "over-wiring" for a second. I'm certain I would have regretted pulling a single cable per faceplate. I also took the same approach with RG6. I pulled a similar number with half dedicated to cable and the others to OTA antennas. I found this post as I was planning and basically used it as a template:

http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r27549541-Splitting-Coax-F-Type-RG6-16-Way-Preferably-Rack-Mounted-

 

[PolarBear]

If your local building code allows it, I would suggest running one or more 1 inch (25mm) flexible conduits from the location of your switch, to each room in the house.

There is no need to pull ethernet cable through at this stage - just pull Cat6 or Cat6a to the rooms where you will need it in the immediate future. (It would be a waste to wire all rooms, and then a few years later remove the same cable - never having been used - when the next level of technology appears over the horizon.)

In all of the conduits, insert a length of string to make it easier to pull through cable at a later date. If you use a wide tube, pulling additional cables through later will be much easier. There are also spray-on cable lubricants made specifically to make this easier.

Doing it this way minimises the initial cost, but makes it MUCH less time-consuming and expensive to wire up additional rooms in the future, since you will not have to open up your walls.

A problem may be if your local fire regulations demand that the conduits must be sealed where they go through from one floor to another. Ideal would be to build in an access point for the sealing plugs. Then you could remove them temporarily while you pull through additional cables later, and then replace them afterwards.

 

[bodean]

Second the above. With Cat 6a and RG-6 to multiple points in every room or at least to all the more likely use rooms (TV, media center, wireless AP point on extreme distance portions of the house like far corners, work stations, etc.) you should be good to go. Don't forget to wire to multiple points in the kitchen - in or above the upper cabinets is a good place to hide an AP, speakers, etc).
RG-6 to every room will allow both cable video and MOCA2 or 2.5 backbone if you ever need it.

How many different walls do these drops need to be on? I’m hearing some say every wall. Bedroom I can see 2 walls and maybe 1 or 2 in great room. Every wall may be overkill and pricey

 

[sfx2000]

How many different walls do these drops need to be on? I’m hearing some say every wall. Bedroom I can see 2 walls and maybe 1 or 2 in great room. Every wall may be overkill and pricey

When I did a cable pull at the house a couple of years back - one drop for each bedroom, the family room, and the living room, which made sense for the floorplan...

Look at the blue prints - imagine where a TV might be best located, and there's the drop location for new construction...

I did two CAT5e runs, plus one Coax for each drop - left one of the CAT5's pigtailed - mostly for redundancy purposes - and POTS telecom can use that if needed by the next owner.

I started the runs from the common demarcation - cableTV and Electric all come into the house at the same location - keeps it simple, and takes advantage of the house's common ground bonding - was a big win when I installed DirecTV a couple of months after the pull job - and they did their own pull (for free) on the RG6 from the dish to the ground unit in the living room.

 

[bodean]

Thanks for the great replies.

As far as a PoE switch, any recommendations on brands or where to get one at a decent price? Looking for a 20port or slightly larger.

 

[System Error Message]

Thanks for the great replies.

As far as a PoE switch, any recommendations on brands or where to get one at a decent price? Looking for a 20port or slightly larger.

have 4 ports at least per patch per room, you'll thank yourself when you decide to pass video through ethernet using cat 6.

Ubiquiti do have POE switches, netgear prosafes are a candidate too if you're looking at low cost. Never get dumb POE switches. Cisco is a good candidate too,

 

[bodean]

My installer said cat 6 is about 30 more a line and there's about 20 lines so about 600 more to run cat6 over cat 5e. For that price is cat 6 still worth it?


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[coxhaus]

I would do CAT5e or CAT6a. I would not do CAT6. Most houses do not have very long runs of CAT5e.

 

[bodean]

I would do CAT5e or CAT6a. I would not do CAT6. Most houses do not have very long runs of CAT5e.

Maybe I’ll do cat 6a to where the AP’s are, and rest of house in 5e.

 

[coxhaus]

Maybe I’ll do cat 6a to where the AP’s are, and rest of house in 5e.

Or maybe do your longest runs in CAT6a and the rest in CAT5e.

 

[yk101]

I recently redone my network. I used cat7 shielded copper. I know it is an overkill, but the price difference between 100’ terminated cables from Amazon is about $5 per cable. The cost to pull the cable is the same irrelevant of the type you use.
Run a single wire and a snake (nylon pull cord) to each of the rooms. Use rigid conduit to house the runs. In my case I used 1 1/5”, but that is an overkill...
As others mentioned, you can put a cheap switch in the rooms you need to split the cable. I wound up using EnGenius 48 port switch with PoE capability to terminate the wires at the ingress. This also was an overkill, but NEwEgg has it on sale for $149 (really!). Works great for me!


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[Easy Rhino]

If it's the sort of situation where you're not going to want to have to go back and mess with wires in the walls in 8 years, then i'd recommend cat6a. That's the rating that can support 10gbps over its full length.