sponk
join:2005-01-03
Mississauga
 ·Future Nine Corpor..
 ·Rogers Hi-Speed
| New house: cat5e/cat6 type for wiring?
Hello, my new house is currently being built and the walls are still open. I would like to wire all rooms for ethernet; however, I'm quite confused by the different kinds of cables available (i.e. Shielded vs Unshielded, Solid vs Stranded etc..).
What kind of wire do you suggest I use?
For example, at »www.lanshack.com/Cat-5E-Cable-C69.aspx it lists so many different configurations of just cat5e wires. Thanks, appreciate any input!! |
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Speedy Petey
join:2008-01-19 | In a residential setting there is no reason to use shielded cable. It costs more and can be a pain to terminate. Besides, there is no benefit to it in a home.
Just use regular Cat5e unshielded non-plenum cable. |
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ilikeme
I live in a van down by the river.
Premium
join:2002-08-27
Houston, TX
clubs:   | reply to sponk
For typical home use, unshielded non-plenum cat-5 should be fine. |
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ArthurS
Watch Those Blinking Lights
Premium
join:2000-10-28
Hamilton, ON
1 edit | reply to sponk
For permanent installs, use solid CAT5/6 wire. Stranded wire should only be used for patch cables. |
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tschmidt
Premium,MVM
join:2000-11-12
Milford, NH
 ·Hollis Hosting
 ·Verizon Online DSL
·Fairpoint Communic..
| reply to sponk
Unshielded twisted pair is the most common type of wiring in the US. Cat 5e supports up to Gig Ethernet at 100 meters. Cat 6A 10Gig at 100 meters. Unless you think Gig is not fast enough Cat 5e is the sweet spot. PVC insulation is cheaper then Plenum rated cable. Only need Plenum if you are running wire in air handling spaces. That is not common for residential.
No mater how carefully you plan you will find out after you move in that it would be nice to have a phone, Network, or TV drop in an area you did not anticipate. The life expectancy of a typical house is probably a hundred years. It is impossible to anticipate change over that long of a time frame. In addition to running cables install some empty conduits between various locations in the house so if you need to add wiring later it will be easier to do.
Hubbell has a number of technical papers on premise wiring and I've written about my experience setting up a home LAN:
»www.hubbell-premise.com/
»www.tschmidt.com/writings/HomeLAN2009.htm
/tom |
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cdru
Go Colts
Premium,MVM
join:2003-05-14
Fort Wayne, IN
| reply to sponk
If you are running your own lines and not being charged a per-drop fee, I personally would run 2 lines to the middle of every wall, or at least 2 runs per room on opposite walls, plus anywhere else where one might naturally need an network connection (behind entertainment center, at the wall phone, next to the toilet  ). Terminate them all back at a patch panel and then you can only hook up the ones that you need.
Most network jacks can also serve for a 4 or 6-wire telephone cable as well, so you can kill two birds with one stone.
Don't forget about RG-6 too. |
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pokesph
It Is Almost Fast
Premium
join:2001-06-25
Sacramento, CA
clubs:
·Comcast
| said by cdru  :If you are running your own lines and not being charged a per-drop fee, I personally would run 2 lines to the middle of every wall, or at least 2 runs per room on opposite walls, plus anywhere else where one might naturally need an network connection (behind entertainment center, at the wall phone, next to the toilet ). Terminate them all back at a patch panel and then you can only hook up the ones that you need. Most network jacks can also serve for a 4 or 6-wire telephone cable as well, so you can kill two birds with one stone. Don't forget about RG-6 too. agreed, with one small addition..
you might as well do it right the first time and run your phone lines (cat3 is fine) as well..
I also suggest cat6 for the 2 data runs so it's usefulness can extend over a longer period of time.
2 data
1voice
1coax
per drop.
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ex bell
@cgocable.net
| reply to sponk
As I am the guy who shows up months later to add something I would say try to think way ahead.
Like the others said cat. 5 unshielded . Try to cover all bases in each room and imagine trying to get wiring to different areas later.
Run at least two cat. 5s to each location and drop RG6 into all the rooms you can't fish later.
I tell people to go nuts with the drops and if they aren't used you just cap them.
Remember to plan, like someone mentioned, to be able to kick out the backside to another area if needed as this can cut down on the number of drops. |
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sponk
join:2005-01-03
Mississauga
·Future Nine Corpor..
·Rogers Hi-Speed
| reply to sponk
Thanks so much for the replies!!
So I'll go for cat5e unshielded solid cable then.
I am also running a RG6 coax and a cat3 phone line to each room.
As cdru suggested, I will have the wires lead to a patch panel, those then connected to a switch and the switch to the router. Does this sound feasible?
Side question: Do you know of any deals on cat5e cables around Middletown, NJ area? If there's a local supplier, I might pick them up. Alternatively, I can order online but would need it by the end of the week since then the wiring work will commence! |
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sponk
join:2005-01-03
Mississauga | reply to tschmidt
Thanks for the link to the technical papers as well as your own lan setup writeup. I'll give them a read now! |
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GdotMikeL
join:2001-04-23
West Chicago, IL | reply to sponk
Unless you're acting as your own GC you may not be allowed to do this. Many people have tried to prewire their new homes only to find out later that the wire was removed. |
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ArthurS
Watch Those Blinking Lights
Premium
join:2000-10-28
Hamilton, ON
| reply to sponk
said by sponk :I am also running a RG6 coax and a cat3 phone line to each room. Why run CAT3 cable for phone, when the price difference between it and CAT5 is so miniscule (if you can even find CAT3 cable anymore)? Run CAT5 for both phone and network ports, that way in the future if you don't need a phone jack in a certain room, you have an extra network port. |
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sponk
join:2005-01-03
Mississauga
·Future Nine Corpor..
·Rogers Hi-Speed
| reply to sponk
I won't be laying the cables myself. The electrician that the builder hired, he will be installing the RG6, Phone, and Cat5e cables 
I just had a meeting with the electrician today and he said if I buy the Ethernet wire myself, he will pull them and only charge labour... so I saw this golden opportunity hehe! |
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manfmmd
Premium
join:2003-01-14
Earth
clubs:
| reply to ArthurS
said by ArthurS :said by sponk :I am also running a RG6 coax and a cat3 phone line to each room. Why run CAT3 cable for phone, when the price difference between it and CAT5 is so miniscule (if you can even find CAT3 cable anymore)? Run CAT5 for both phone and network ports, that way in the future if you don't need a phone jack in a certain room, you have an extra network port. That's what I did. I have my voice and data terminated on a patch panel and use CAT3 patches with RJ-11 on one end to plug in to the patch panel and I punch down the other end on a 66 block that has dialtone daisy-chained down on 6 sets of terminal posts.
--
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Obama 2008 - Where Transparent = Opaque |
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NormanS
Premium,MVM
join:2001-02-14
San Jose, CA
·Pacific Bell - SBC
| reply to ArthurS
said by ArthurS :Why run CAT3 cable for phone, when the price difference between it and CAT5 is so miniscule (if you can even find CAT3 cable anymore)? CAT 3 is commonly available, here, at places like Fry's Electronics, and Home Depot. In my experience, two-pair CAT 3 is about half the price of CAT 5e. I would expect four-pair CAT 3 is the same price as CAT 5e.
--
Norman
~Oh Lord, why have you come
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DSL Anywhere
@embarqhsd.net | reply to sponk
I'd put some type of chase in for future wiring, especially if it' a 2 story house. It will make things easier in the future if you want to add something. |
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Tursiops_G
Technoid
Premium,MVM
join:2002-02-06
Norwalk, CT
clubs:
·Optimum Online
| reply to sponk
If the wiring is being pulled thru conduit, Have the installer also put in a Pull string, as well... That way, IF you should ever need to install another run (Fiber, etc.), that may make the job much easier...
-Tursiops_G.
--
If You're Unsure, "RTFM"... If You're SURE, "RTFM" Anyway. |
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ex bell
@cgocable.net
| reply to GdotMikeL
said by GdotMikeL :Unless you're acting as your own GC you may not be allowed to do this. Many people have tried to prewire their new homes only to find out later that the wire was removed. The OP is in Ontario and it is perfectly legal here. |
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plk
bo may sleep in loft
Premium
join:2002-04-20
Ogden, IA
| reply to sponk
Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe your suppose to keep your ethernet wire away from electrical the best you can and don't bundle them together. No hard bends in the cable too.
Also, I almost always pull a string along with what ever wires I pull. You could leave some sting in some of your runs. |
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odinb
join:2001-11-26
Frisco, TX
| reply to sponk
I would do CAT6 (I actually already did...) in my house for all connections.
Run 2 per room, one on each side.
You can get the cable at a good price here:
»www.monoprice.com/products/searc···%20cable
Good luck!
--
"It is the first responsibility of every citizen to question authority." - Benjamin Franklin |
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