Ethernet house wiring ideas?
Discussion
Hi all.
Get the keys to a new house on Monday and it'll be a bit of a renovation. As part of this, I'd like to run ethernet cabling (cat6) around the house. I'm just hoping get some tips and tricks from others who have done similar, and how many ports they ran.
(Where's that must haves in a new build thread got to!?).
So it's a 6 bed house. We're dropping one bedroom to make it into a home cinema. Another bedroom will probably be a bedroom/ study for the beginning.
2 port each to the bedrooms (TV and an extra?) (10)
For the study/ bedroom I may add another for the printer (1)
Lounge (probably an amp/ soundbar, Kodi front end, smart TV, dvd player, games co sleep maybe!?) (6)
Home cinema - based on the above, (6)
Kitchen??
Outside under cover dining area (1 maybe)
Games room (2)
Garage (2)
How's this sound so far?
Then run these all back to the one point where the NAS and fibre internet are waiting.
I had someone say to me that the router comes with ethernet ports, so he prioritieses these ports. A switch off one, but maybe the pc straight into another, the nas to the router also and possibly the main media centre box? The rest the switch. Does that make the most sense??
I may also run two down the drive for a future electric gate/ intercom.
Am I on the right tracks?
Get the keys to a new house on Monday and it'll be a bit of a renovation. As part of this, I'd like to run ethernet cabling (cat6) around the house. I'm just hoping get some tips and tricks from others who have done similar, and how many ports they ran.
(Where's that must haves in a new build thread got to!?).
So it's a 6 bed house. We're dropping one bedroom to make it into a home cinema. Another bedroom will probably be a bedroom/ study for the beginning.
2 port each to the bedrooms (TV and an extra?) (10)
For the study/ bedroom I may add another for the printer (1)
Lounge (probably an amp/ soundbar, Kodi front end, smart TV, dvd player, games co sleep maybe!?) (6)
Home cinema - based on the above, (6)
Kitchen??
Outside under cover dining area (1 maybe)
Games room (2)
Garage (2)
How's this sound so far?
Then run these all back to the one point where the NAS and fibre internet are waiting.
I had someone say to me that the router comes with ethernet ports, so he prioritieses these ports. A switch off one, but maybe the pc straight into another, the nas to the router also and possibly the main media centre box? The rest the switch. Does that make the most sense??
I may also run two down the drive for a future electric gate/ intercom.
Am I on the right tracks?
I did 18 drops in just my basement - you'd be better advised to double up on everything. You don't need to terminate them if you're concerned about having too many face plates, just hid the cable ends behind the panels so you can use them later. Cable is cheap compared to going back and adding more after everything is done.
What is the reason for running multiple drops to a room, instead of using just one or two and a local switch for the six devices?
I've got one room with half a dozen e-things in it, but use a single drop to the room from the four port router, and a local switch for the six e-things.
All the local stuff after the switch runs at 1 Gb/s, the ADSL router only at 12 Mb/s.
I've got one room with half a dozen e-things in it, but use a single drop to the room from the four port router, and a local switch for the six e-things.
All the local stuff after the switch runs at 1 Gb/s, the ADSL router only at 12 Mb/s.
I ran three cat6 to my primary TV (hardwire TV, nvidia shield & hdmi over cat6), two cat6 to every other TV point (hdmi over cat6, hardwire TV).
I ran three into loft, in case of cctv need to for extra in a bedroom etc etc etc
I ran two to kitchen & left above cabinets, never know future of white goods.
Be fastidious over the labelling of them, where each cable goes. Consider buying different colours.
Use faceplates.
I ran three into loft, in case of cctv need to for extra in a bedroom etc etc etc
I ran two to kitchen & left above cabinets, never know future of white goods.
Be fastidious over the labelling of them, where each cable goes. Consider buying different colours.
Use faceplates.
Gingerbread Man said:
So run all cables back to a central switch if just 2 ports or similar per room, but if for the lounge and home theatre, where I need many ports. Best to use a switch there and then, with just running one cable back to the router.
Terminate all of the cables you run into a patch panel rather than leaving them loose. Install the patch panel within a data cabinet. Most manufacturers make small 10” cabinets to suit domestic rather than the industry standard 19” cabinets. Keeps everything looking tidy and can be hidden away under the stairs, in the attic etc.. Run a length of CW1308 from the BT socket location to the data cabinet and house your router in the cabinet. The WI-FI expanders you will have installed as per a previous post will cover any black spots.
Unmanaged non PoE switches are cheap and are all capable of running speeds higher than you will be receiving anyway (1Gb/s over the 75Mp/s of the incoming internet). I recommend using Dlink GO home office switches.
Also may be worth running a pair to each corner of the house and above entrances etc for IP CCTV?
I did think about possible CCTV in the future. That's typically a cat6 and a power point correct??
It's a rural property and we often go away for a few weeks at a time come holidays.
I'm actually in Australia, but i'm raring to go on this new project and I knew PH would hold the answers.
It's a rural property and we often go away for a few weeks at a time come holidays.
I'm actually in Australia, but i'm raring to go on this new project and I knew PH would hold the answers.
Gingerbread Man said:
I did think about possible CCTV in the future. That's typically a cat6 and a power point correct??
It's a rural property and we often go away for a few weeks at a time come holidays.
I'm actually in Australia, but i'm raring to go on this new project and I knew PH would hold the answers.
A single CAT6 to each camera will be fine. Most IP cameras are PoE now which means they take power from the Switch via the CAT 6 cable. You will need a PoE switch though which cost slightly more or alternatively buy an NVR with PoE outputs built in. You won’t go far wrong with Hikvision, DS-7600 series NVRs come with PoE outputs. It's a rural property and we often go away for a few weeks at a time come holidays.
I'm actually in Australia, but i'm raring to go on this new project and I knew PH would hold the answers.
Conduit is a good idea if there's space, avoid tight bends and remember to leave pull string through it! Leave plenty of extra cable on the end incase you muck up terminating.
Not sure I'd bother personally, modern wifi is so fast and getting faster every year, run a few cables for APs and leave it at that unless you have some specialist need like hard wired cctv or IPtel handsets.
Not sure I'd bother personally, modern wifi is so fast and getting faster every year, run a few cables for APs and leave it at that unless you have some specialist need like hard wired cctv or IPtel handsets.
The house has horrid pine clad walls and ceilings (!), so it's all coming off in favour of plasterboard. So with the walls being open, just seemed cheap and easy to install.
I currently have my main desktop using WiFi to my NAS in a rental and it winds me up no end when transferring files.
I'll mostly concentrate on the lounge, study and media centre, but if easy enough, I'll add a point or two to other rooms.
WiFi is getting better granted, but nothing beats a cable. There will be enough using the WiFi anyhow. But the Kodi setup and NAS setup are my main draws.
I currently have my main desktop using WiFi to my NAS in a rental and it winds me up no end when transferring files.
I'll mostly concentrate on the lounge, study and media centre, but if easy enough, I'll add a point or two to other rooms.
WiFi is getting better granted, but nothing beats a cable. There will be enough using the WiFi anyhow. But the Kodi setup and NAS setup are my main draws.
Gingerbread Man said:
Why 18 to the basement?
It's three rooms. 2 to one 'bedroom', 6 to the 'office', 10 in the main room, at various points to support different media/TV placements.As to why would you put more than a couple in a single location, I wish I'd put more in the office - 2 PCs, a printer, 6 IP phones and I'm already using a separate switch.
You don't need anything more than an un-managed simple switch; I've a dlink 24 port gigabit switch that cost me $90.
The "proper" way to do an installation like this is to terminate all of your infrastructure cables onto a patch panel located at your central point. Something like these:
https://www.comms-express.com/categories/patch-pan...
Your cabling should be solid core CAT5e (6a isn't needed unless you are looking at HDMI over CAT) & needs to be terminated onto a wallplate in the rooms & a jack (the patch panel) in the comms room (fancy name for where the NAS/ADSL/network switch/patch panels live). You cannot/should not try & terminate these infrastructure cables with RJ45 connectors. The main network switch is usually sited just above/below the patch panel & you then use short patch cords (made with flexible cable) to plug each room point into the switch. You can have 100 patch points to give you lots of flexibility but of course you can only plug up as many points as you have switch ports. This is where having remote switches helps as you only tie up one port on the main switch. Don't use CCA (copper clad aluminium) cable.
Generally ignore the Ethernet ports on the ADSL modem/router & just connect it to the main switch together with the NAS.
On a 6 bed house I suggest you also run cables to a number of wireless access points. This is a whole different topic but there is lots of good advice available on here.
You should definately look at installing a PoE switch. This will feed power to the APs & can also be used to connect CCTV cameras to, so run cables to suitable points & maybe leave them in the loft. If the main switch isn't POE then consider having a second smaller one that is to handle the powered devices.
Run cables to anywhere you might have a TV (bedrooms, kitchen etc), CCTV points, front door as others have said.
https://www.comms-express.com/categories/patch-pan...
Your cabling should be solid core CAT5e (6a isn't needed unless you are looking at HDMI over CAT) & needs to be terminated onto a wallplate in the rooms & a jack (the patch panel) in the comms room (fancy name for where the NAS/ADSL/network switch/patch panels live). You cannot/should not try & terminate these infrastructure cables with RJ45 connectors. The main network switch is usually sited just above/below the patch panel & you then use short patch cords (made with flexible cable) to plug each room point into the switch. You can have 100 patch points to give you lots of flexibility but of course you can only plug up as many points as you have switch ports. This is where having remote switches helps as you only tie up one port on the main switch. Don't use CCA (copper clad aluminium) cable.
Generally ignore the Ethernet ports on the ADSL modem/router & just connect it to the main switch together with the NAS.
On a 6 bed house I suggest you also run cables to a number of wireless access points. This is a whole different topic but there is lots of good advice available on here.
You should definately look at installing a PoE switch. This will feed power to the APs & can also be used to connect CCTV cameras to, so run cables to suitable points & maybe leave them in the loft. If the main switch isn't POE then consider having a second smaller one that is to handle the powered devices.
Run cables to anywhere you might have a TV (bedrooms, kitchen etc), CCTV points, front door as others have said.
Suggest you use RJ45 keystones to terminate on the patch panel. The all in one panels where several cable terminate are usually unreliable, don't ask how I know.
As you have a NAS, how valuable is the data on this device? You might consider either double nat'ing or having some kind of security box protecting your network. You do know that ISP's such as BT can 'see' past their router into devices connected to their router.
As you have a NAS, how valuable is the data on this device? You might consider either double nat'ing or having some kind of security box protecting your network. You do know that ISP's such as BT can 'see' past their router into devices connected to their router.
I did this lat year and probably ran in too much. Where I thought TV/media stuff would reside I pulled four cables to the spot. It's great but in hindsight a small switch in each location would be just as good (excepting the small extra power consumption).
I terminated the cabling in a cupboard with RJ45 plugs and used a coupler based patch panel as space was limited in the central location for doing a punchdown termination.
Always run a longer length than you need, unless you are a pro you will screw up some terminations and need to redo them.
I used a simple numbering scheme 1-XX.
PoE switches are fine if you need them but will consume more power and may be noiser due to cooling requirements. If you need PoE for just a few devices you can buy a smaller PoE switch just for them or use PoE injectors for those links.
If you can fit one in the cupboard get a cabinet to rack the patch panels and switch in, it makes everything much neater.
I terminated the cabling in a cupboard with RJ45 plugs and used a coupler based patch panel as space was limited in the central location for doing a punchdown termination.
Always run a longer length than you need, unless you are a pro you will screw up some terminations and need to redo them.
I used a simple numbering scheme 1-XX.
PoE switches are fine if you need them but will consume more power and may be noiser due to cooling requirements. If you need PoE for just a few devices you can buy a smaller PoE switch just for them or use PoE injectors for those links.
If you can fit one in the cupboard get a cabinet to rack the patch panels and switch in, it makes everything much neater.
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