Wired up house for ethernet
Discussion
Has anyone here wired up their house for ethernet? I'm aware that WiFi is fine for most but I'm looking to install ethernet into my house. By install, I mean run the flat ethernet cables under the carpet (we're getting new carpets) to the various rooms we need it in.
Has anybody here done this or built it into sockets?
Has anybody here done this or built it into sockets?
Ex and I had network cabling to all rooms. Years it did nothing but then came good when a Control 4 system was installed covering video/audio/heating/lighting etc. That install would have been a lot lot harder had it not been there and cable is more reliable than wifi. I'm away to do up another property and will be running cat cables. For all they cost you might as well I'd say. If they are never used it's not a massive financial loss in the scheme of things. Just my opinion though.
We replaced the flooring with laminate and had matching skirting which came with hollow sections for cables, so I hid CAT6a in it for some rooms. Then we had a extension built and I got the builders to put in same CAT6a cable with proper sockets in every room. So much neater and as I work from home it is also far more stable using Ethernet than WiFi even if I do run a professional Netgear WiFi Router as well.
I've done it before (but under floorboards, to proper wall boxes) and will do it again in new place.
No point doing it to every room though IMO - just to anywhere you'll have fixed equipment that can use it. So office/study, TVs, streaming speakers like Sonos. Think too about wifi - systems like Unifi where you put a few access points around can give a massively better experience but you need to run cable to them for combined network and power. Then you'll have good wifi for phones/ipads etc and the best stable connection for the fixed stuff.
No point doing it to every room though IMO - just to anywhere you'll have fixed equipment that can use it. So office/study, TVs, streaming speakers like Sonos. Think too about wifi - systems like Unifi where you put a few access points around can give a massively better experience but you need to run cable to them for combined network and power. Then you'll have good wifi for phones/ipads etc and the best stable connection for the fixed stuff.
Yes i've laid CAT5e under the floor to proper wall points while renovating/extending my house. As it's mostly got solid walls, WiFi coverage is rather shabby (although i've now installed a couple of Unifi WAP's to keep the mobile users happy.) Cable will always beat radio waves so PC's, TV and Media player are cabled up to network switch/router. I will disclose i'm in the network biz so this is second nature to me though.
I'd urge caution with flat ethernet cables. The cables are designed to be twisted which is not possible with flat cables so you can get less performance with them, no matter what they are rated as. You'll see all the other responses have talked of regular cables and if at all possible I'd urge you to do the same.
BigTZ4M said:
I'd urge caution with flat ethernet cables. The cables are designed to be twisted which is not possible with flat cables so you can get less performance with them, no matter what they are rated as. You'll see all the other responses have talked of regular cables and if at all possible I'd urge you to do the same.
More on the same: use proper solid-core for the runs to the wall sockets and terminate in a patch panel. Flexible patch type cable is not designed for long runsYes I had cat 6 ran when the house was being built.
I have 5 runs...
- 2 in lounge, TV height and Unit height
- 1 in bedroom for TV
- 1 in office that goes to a 8 port POE switch (Upstairs AP and external CCTV come off this switch)
- 1 In garage to data cabinet (Nothing linked to this yet but just to future proof the garage)
These all terminate under my stairs where my router, downstairs AP, phone line, server and storage is located.
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I have 5 runs...
- 2 in lounge, TV height and Unit height
- 1 in bedroom for TV
- 1 in office that goes to a 8 port POE switch (Upstairs AP and external CCTV come off this switch)
- 1 In garage to data cabinet (Nothing linked to this yet but just to future proof the garage)
These all terminate under my stairs where my router, downstairs AP, phone line, server and storage is located.
-
Was it really 6 years ago? Blimey. https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Anyway, still not missed the wired capability.
Anyway, still not missed the wired capability.
Yes, to sockets in all rooms and a Netstreams/Naimnet music system.
Relatively cheap to install when starting from scratch on an extensive refurb but, if I didn't have the Naimnet, I suspect I could get all the functionality I need from a BT router's wifi and a couple of the extender discs without too much performance penalty. Truth be told, most of the sockets are not in use except for the study where connection to the router/NASs etc are rather more crucial. The big Dell switch supporting the network seems quite power hungry, too, and is always on.
Relatively cheap to install when starting from scratch on an extensive refurb but, if I didn't have the Naimnet, I suspect I could get all the functionality I need from a BT router's wifi and a couple of the extender discs without too much performance penalty. Truth be told, most of the sockets are not in use except for the study where connection to the router/NASs etc are rather more crucial. The big Dell switch supporting the network seems quite power hungry, too, and is always on.
Yes, last house wired up. I had boxed off down pipe on both sides of the house which go from ground to loft, it allowed me to run cat5 to all but one bedroom in the house. Switch in the loft, cables just run down the boxed junction between the pipe and the wood.
House before that i wired cat5 up during a renovation to a central point under the stairs.
The biggest pain was to estimate the number of cables needed for future proofing - it has fluctuated as devices became consolidated/converged over the years e.g. media devices built into smart TV. Bluray player disappeared in favour of smart TV / Netflix. etc.
Current house i am having to use powerline adapters until i figure out what to do next.
House before that i wired cat5 up during a renovation to a central point under the stairs.
The biggest pain was to estimate the number of cables needed for future proofing - it has fluctuated as devices became consolidated/converged over the years e.g. media devices built into smart TV. Bluray player disappeared in favour of smart TV / Netflix. etc.
Current house i am having to use powerline adapters until i figure out what to do next.
Yes, 2 drops in every room, office has 4, TV area has 4.
The important bit is the ducting, not the cabling. I can pull the cables out and replace with fibre or whatever when the time comes.
Way better than WIFI for fixed applications, POE is very handy as well.
All goes up to a patch panel in the attic, 48 port POE switch that I can manage remotely (so killing the PlayStation can be done from anywhere in the world).
The important bit is the ducting, not the cabling. I can pull the cables out and replace with fibre or whatever when the time comes.
Way better than WIFI for fixed applications, POE is very handy as well.
All goes up to a patch panel in the attic, 48 port POE switch that I can manage remotely (so killing the PlayStation can be done from anywhere in the world).
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