A couple of questions about installing network cabling

I will be completing some significant upgrades throughout my house in stages and this gives me the chance to finally put full network cabling in.

I'll be using this for various devices as we have servers for backup, media and general data, and one of these will also be used for IP CCTV. However a couple of basic questions I keep coming back to are:

• 
  How many connection points to put in general rooms. I will put plenty in my home office and lounge but other rooms I am not so sure. I am thinking two connection points with two connectors each per room but is 4 cables overkill - any thoughts?

• 
  What grade/type of cabling to fit. I appreciate the various speeds/shielding but in practice there will be some tight spaces and corners so having the highest spec but thickest and least flexible cable could make life difficult so what's a good compromise and any recommendations of specific brand?

Any other suggestions from people that have fully network cabled their homes is appreciated!

I've been thinking about this recently, and other than the lounge and my office I am not sure i'd need actual connections, I've been thinking about maybe running wires to all the rooms with a single physical connection and then a wifi booster as well to be make sure wifi coverage is strong.

I was just going to look at standard CAT6 cables to use although not sure on the best way of actually setting the network up. I'd imagine a decent switch would do the job.

It's always going to be easier to run more cable than you need than it will be to run additional ones in the future.

That said, I've been using 1 cable to my lounge with a 4 port switch on the end for years without noticing a problem. In fact my Server is the other end of another single cable with a 4 port switch on the end.

Anywhere you can think you might need ONE, run FOUR. I'm half tempted to run at least two to anywhere I have power, you never know.

So far I've planned to put 36 ports in, but I might round that up to fill a 48 port switch.

paradigm said:

Anywhere you can think you might need ONE, run FOUR. I'm half tempted to run at least two to anywhere I have power, you never know.

So far I've planned to put 36 ports in, but I might round that up to fill a 48 port switch.

Click to expand...

I've worked in offices with less connections than that, what sort of networking are you doing at home?

Our network cabling came down to deciding whether we wanted a single or double gang socket, so 2 or 4 CAT modules respectively. I would always run more than you think you will need.

Networking homes is a ball ache if you wish to do it with minimal redecoration works so run 4 to each room.

I would say run at least twice as many as you think you'll need.
2-4 cables per room, that way you have some redundancy and can give 1-3 devices dedicated runs, but also potentially have one run that can be shared if you need more for lower bandwidth or occasional use devices (gigabit switches are dirt cheap now, and even gigabit equipped wireless routers that can be used as access points are dropping in price).

And try to run them from a central location in the house, it makes it much simpler and shorter runs, for example if you can run from something like a built in cupboard, or wardrobe.

I'm considering rerouting our network so most of the cabling goes from the built in cupboard/wardrobe that is over the the stairwell, as it would mean just 3 cables running to the room where the main switch currently is, and shorter/easier runs to everywhere else.

How hard is it to rewire a house? We've got a raised floor downstairs and I could fit a small system in the cupboard under the stairs, then run cables upstairs and down.

Also, any suggestions on wall sockets to use? any that include a wifi booster?

choose central location wisely.

I gave electrician 2 options when doing ours and I wish I hadn't now.
he chose option 2 which is the 3rd bedroom which is my office but the cabinet takes up loads of space.

Simon42 said:

I will be completing some significant upgrades throughout my house in stages and this gives me the chance to finally put full network cabling in.

I'll be using this for various devices as we have servers for backup, media and general data, and one of these will also be used for IP CCTV. However a couple of basic questions I keep coming back to are:

• 
  How many connection points to put in general rooms. I will put plenty in my home office and lounge but other rooms I am not so sure. I am thinking two connection points with two connectors each per room but is 4 cables overkill - any thoughts?

• 
  What grade/type of cabling to fit. I appreciate the various speeds/shielding but in practice there will be some tight spaces and corners so having the highest spec but thickest and least flexible cable could make life difficult so what's a good compromise and any recommendations of specific brand?

Any other suggestions from people that have fully network cabled their homes is appreciated!

Click to expand...

Firstly try here:
https://forums.overclockers.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?f=6

Lots of threads where people have asked the same thing and got great advice.

- As for how many network points should be in each room then as many as you want depending on the room layout, number of devices, desk positions, potential location of smart TVs, Access Points etc. Cable is so cheap that you may as well go overkill as it doesn't cost too much. Additionally if you don't intend to use all network ports then having redundant cabling behind the wall won't do any harm.

- With regards to cabling CAT5e or CAT6 UTP non Copper Cladded Aluminium is what you want.

Pic stolen from the Networking section.
From left to right: Cat5e>Cat6>Cat6a.

Here's what each cable type is rated for:
Cat5e:
Gigabit Ethernet up to 100 meters
10 Gigabit Ethernet up to 45 meters

Cat6:
Gigabit Ethernet up to 100 meters
10 Gigabit Ethernet up to 55 meters

Cat6a:
Gigabit Ethernet up to 100 meters
10 Gigabit Ethernet up to 100 meters

Click to expand...

http://www.kit-communications.com/FAQCat5evsCat6.htm

As you can see CAT5e is more than sufficient for future proofing as it can carry 10Gbe and is much easier to work with. Go for a large reel from a reputable store that won't sell you CCA (copper cladded aluminium). Netstoredirect is what I have used previously but others may suggest something else. Because there isn't too much a price difference between CAT5e and CAT6 people go for CAT6.

- For your IP CCTV get external grade cable.

Other suggestions would be do you require aerial/satellite feeds to go into each room? If so it's probably worth while getting that done at the same time.

Other things you may need are:
- Patch Panel
- PoE switch for your IP CCTV
- NAS
- Switch
- Power strip
- Wall mounted rack to house everything in
- Access points to have uniform and to extend the wireless coverage around the house

But ask for this thread to be moved in the relevant section and those guys can offer better assistance on what brand stuff to buy.

For IP CCTV check this thread and pick Vime's brains.
https://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18568132&page=29&highlight=cctv

Simon42 said:

• 
  How many connection points to put in general rooms. I will put plenty in my home office and lounge but other rooms I am not so sure. I am thinking two connection points with two connectors each per room but is 4 cables overkill - any thoughts?

Click to expand...

In addition to what others have said, I'd make sure any TV has at least three behind it. Why three?...one for a data connection to a smart TV, and the other two for future use for HDMI (A lot of hdmi over data cable implimentations require two cables) for if you need hdmi down from a matrix. I put a 2 gang 35mm box in and plan to have 3 8p8c modules and one aerial point. Use conduit so that if technologies change that cabling can be renewed. Use different colours of cable so that they may be told apart.

What grade/type of cabling to fit. I appreciate the various speeds/shielding but in practice there will be some tight spaces and corners so having the highest spec but thickest and least flexible cable could make life difficult so what's a good compromise and any recommendations of specific brand?

Click to expand...

I'd just go for cat5e, but decent quality stuff, not CCa (See above). Conterary to above, I'd not worry about using external grade cable for CCTV, I'd just route it so that cable is not exposed externally... or if it is unavoidable, but it in containment. The external stuff is really intended for pulling through underground ducts

Thanks everyone for the replies.

We've got a solid floor downstairs so the cabling will be run from above and chased in as we refurb room to room. Our cellings are a horrible artex pattern and rather than skim downstairs I am going to replace entirely as that also gives the chance to add this cabling (and some wall lights/sockets) for the floor below and above.

I am intending on using the top of a large built in cupboard upstairs which is in my home office so near to my other kit and servers. I've got two fairly simply routes from ground floor to loft and then back down into this cupboard so that should be fine other than the 300m of insulation (including loose fill ) which makes the loft tricky until I do elevated boarding or similar.

With the efficiency and cost of switchs so cheap now it's pretty annoying that we aren't seeing devices with RJ45 loop connections built in!
Would reduce the need for multiple cable runs and/or untidy switch installs in rooms.

As for OP, make sure you run the DATA cables separate from MAINS cables to reduce the possibility of cross-talk.

I think most of what you need is already covered above however I can add an explanation of what I personally went for given that I've just had this done (by an electrician as part of my full house rewire).

- We've ran 24 cables in total which go into 4 port faceplates. We have faceplates in all 3 bedrooms, the dining room/kitchen and two at opposite ends of the living room. This covers all our rooms easily.

- I used Excel Cat6 in White because I got a very good deal from eBay. It was model 100-074. It's unshielded but the cables have been run away from the power cables and for me I can't imagine this being that big an issue. I got 3 boxes although 4 would have been better so that all 4 cables could be pulled off the 4 reels. Didn't really bother me though seeing as it was the electricians doing it. I've got tonnes of cable left.

- Don't be conned into thinking Cat6 or above is too stiff, this is rubbish and our electricians had no problems putting it in a house. If you were running it through conduit that's already in place then *maybe* there would be an issue but if your walls are chased then it's easy.

- All the cables run back to the airing cupboard which is also the same place that I've had tv coax and Virgin Media coax terminated also. Therefore, this will be the central hub of the house.

- I've got a Netgear ProSAFE GS748T 48 port switch and I got 2 x 24 patch panels to run into the back of. I picked up a load of very short patch leads. Having 48 terminals gives me lots of space for extra runs for IP cameras, runs outside, etc in the future.

- Like you, our floors downstairs are solid so they ran them down the walls. I don't think they'd have even gone under the downstairs floor if it had been floorboards. Coming from above seemed very easy.

As already mentioned, run more than you will need to each room of the house.

Terminate them all at a patch panel and connect to a network switch in a convenient, central location.

I'm part way through a rewire. Gone with Cat5a, a TP-Link 24 port switch and a 24 port patch panel; both mounted in a cabinet which will be witted under the stairs.