Wiring my house with CAT.

The size of patch panel will depend on the number of drops you end up installing.

Standard patch panels are designed to fit into 19” cabinets so you may need to factor that cost in as well. Smaller surface/wall mount patch panels are available if you look which may suit you.

For a small domestic install like this it can make more sense to not use a patch panel at all and just install faceplates at both ends of the cables. If you use 4 port faceplates you’d only need two or three. This then keeps everything more-or-less flush to the wall and will blend into the decor more easily.

The 2 port faceplates you linked in the email are just faceplates and will require keystone modules to clip into them.
 
Biz.Kid09 said:
Run the cabling with the electrics but on its own level basically.
Then have the cabling meet in a central place and then wire it into the patch panel and then connect to the router.

What size patch panel will i need?
Click to expand...

I have a 48 port patch panel I believe and if you intend to do HDMI over cat then make sure you use CAT6 shielded, cat5e unshielded running along with power causes interference. Also ensure the patch panel is the same grade as your cabling

You want it looking something like this (less the dust)

IMG_20110919_135133.jpg
 
God i am confused now...
HDMI over CAT? All i want is quick internet tbh

So what do i need to run CAT cabling to get internet in 4 rooms? 2 x 2 ports in each room?
I am completely lost here. I have the guy to do it so its just a matter of getting the bits.

So if someone can email me/post here a list of what i need then i can go hunting :)


bremen1874 said:
The size of patch panel will depend on the number of drops you end up installing.

Standard patch panels are designed to fit into 19” cabinets so you may need to factor that cost in as well. Smaller surface/wall mount patch panels are available if you look which may suit you.

For a small domestic install like this it can make more sense to not use a patch panel at all and just install faceplates at both ends of the cables. If you use 4 port faceplates you’d only need two or three. This then keeps everything more-or-less flush to the wall and will blend into the decor more easily.

The 2 port faceplates you linked in the email are just faceplates and will require keystone modules to clip into them.
Click to expand...
So if i installed a faceplate to each where they finish and where the router is how do i connect them then?

Surely its best to have the cable all meet somewhere, stick some ends on and plug them in a gigabit switch which is plugged in my router?
Ah ok. Thanks
 
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Been networking my own place with Cat 6, been using twin socket faceplates nearly everywhere, decided it gave me a bit of future proofing.

Put a twin oultet by the tv, very useful in my case as my tv as dlna & my sky hd box is also connected.

Found have one outlet in the kitchen handy, for accessing online recipes, worked better than using homeplugs.

As to my router, I ran a single from it to the gigabit switch in the attic, & all drops from there go into cupboard on 1st floor which back on to bedrooms, & then under floor boards to drops to ground floor, by chasing conduit in to the walls.
 
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If you have a guy to do it for you then ask him what sort of faceplates to get. There is some variation between them and he’ll probably have a personal preference. Even better just give him the cash and have him buy the necessary parts.
 
Well he asked i get the parts as he is really busy at the moment and literally just has time to do the cables coming out of the wall into the faceplates and thats it. I/electrician will do the rest.

So if i run the cabling CAT 6 etc to where i need it, buy some faceplates/modules, sort the wires at each "terminal" and then follow them all so i have a big bunch somewhere. I then put normal ends on each one and then put these in a switch which is connected to the router.

Will that work?

If so what size switch should i get? i mean if i have 4 ports in every room x 4 is that 16 individual Ethernet cables? so get a 24 one?
 
The network switch only needs to have enough ports to support the network cables you’re actually using.

You can just put plugs on the end of the cables at the switch end but it’ll be messy. You also need to appreciate that network cable comes in stranded and solid core versions. For the cabling you’re talking about you’ll want solid core cable that’s designed to be punched down into IDC terminals. If you want to put plugs onto the ends of solid core cable you really need to get hold ones specifically designed for it. The normal plugs you can buy are designed to go onto stranded cable.
 
bremen1874 said:
The network switch only needs to have enough ports to support the network cables you’re actually using.

You can just put plugs on the end of the cables at the switch end but it’ll be messy. You also need to appreciate that network cable comes in stranded and solid core versions. For the cabling you’re talking about you’ll want solid core cable that’s designed to be punched down into IDC terminals. If you want to put plugs onto the ends of solid core cable you really need to get hold ones specifically designed for it. The normal plugs you can buy are designed to go onto stranded cable.
Click to expand...
Well how many cables would i have? 16?

Well what alternative is there? there will always be a mass of cables surely?

Do you have a MSN or similar i can chat you on or should i just email? I have found some cabling but i am not sure if its right or not?

Ok i will have a look :)
 
Re your email.

Assuming you want Cat5e not Cat6 the cable you linked is fine, and is at a good price assuming the shipping isn't excessive.

The plugs you linked are also okay if that’s the route you want to go down. IMO it’s much better to terminate both ends of the cables with sockets. Either have faceplates at both ends, or faceplates going back to a patch panel. For small domestic installs I do like faceplates at both ends.

If you have trailing cables at the ‘patch panel’ end they’re always going to be on show even if they aren’t in use. If both ends are terminated then unused cables just leave an unpatched socket.

Don’t forget to put network sockets somewhere near the BT master socket.
 
Ok so if i have faceplates at both ends. Where the cable has ended with a faceplate i have to plug in another ethernet cable to go to the switch/router?

Am i right in saying for a double port faceplate i will need 2 cables running to it or just the one?
 
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Biz.Kid09 said:
Ok so if i have faceplates at both ends. Where the cable has ended with a faceplate i have to plug in another ethernet cable to go to the switch/router?

Am i right in saying for a double port faceplate i will need 2 cables running to it or just the one?
Click to expand...

You will have lots of CAT5 or CAT 6 cables running behind the walls, each one of these cables will be terminated to a port on the faceplate at one end and then to a port on a patch panel at the other. So if you have a 4 port faceplate, there will be 4 cables terminated to it (1 per port) which then run behind your walls and are subsequently terminated on the patch panel (1 cable end per port). You will then run "normal" patch cables (i.e. the cables you're used to using) to the equipment (such as a router or a PC etc) at the faceplate end with another "normal" cable connecting the patch panel port to a switch port.

I have uploaded photos below as follows

1) my network diagram
2) a photo of my 16 port patch panel (top piece of equipment) and 24 port switch (below the patch panel)
3) a photo of the "equipment / wall socket" end. In this case, it's the cables relating to patch panel port 1 and switch port 2

Hope I understood your question, make sense??

networkdiagram.jpg


IMG_0443.jpg


IMG_0446.jpg


Mike
 
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Mike1983 said:
...
Click to expand...
Thanks for that mate.

Ok, so a lot of cable. I am having 2 double sockets in 4 rooms so a total of 16.

Where the cables gather i can terminate all with ethernet ends then plugged to a switch and eventually the router. Correct? I dont really need a patch panel?

What recommendations in terms of 24 port switch? as i may as well have some expansion.

Thanks
 
In your situation the only recommendation for a 24 port is not to bother. You only need as many switch ports as you have active network outlets. How many network connected devices do you imagine ending up with?

Patch panels are relatively cheap. Decent 24 port network switches aren't.
 
bremen1874 said:
In your situation the only recommendation for a 24 port is not to bother. You only need as many switch ports as you have active network outlets. How many network connected devices do you imagine ending up with?

Patch panels are relatively cheap. Decent 24 port network switches aren't.
Click to expand...
Well i may as well get 24 port as i may want to add more ports in the future.

But if i get a patch panel i need a switch anyway? or do all the cables wire to the panel and one lead to the router?
 
Biz.Kid09 said:
Well i may as well get 24 port as i may want to add more ports in the future.

But if i get a patch panel i need a switch anyway? or do all the cables wire to the panel and one lead to the router?
Click to expand...

You install network points around the house. They are placed where you need them now, and also where they might reasonably be needed in the future.

These network points are cabled back to a central point. At the central point they are terminated at a patch panel.

At this point you have cables hidden in the walls with unobtrusive network sockets at both ends.

When you decide to socket is required (and only then) you use network patch cords at both ends to connect to your switch and to the networked device. Unused ports don’t need to be connected to anything at either end.

You buy the switch to match the number of network devices you have, not the number of network sockets.
 
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Thanks Bremen, but i am now completely confused....

So i have 16 cables coming out of the wall with no ends on or anything.

I terminate them to a patch panel. The cables are pushed inside the wall out of the way and the patch panel is left by itself with nothing plugged in.

Say ports 2-6 are for the bedroom if i want them all to have internet avaliable i plug cables in the ports and the other ends into the switch? The switch is then plugged in the router.



Would it not be as easy as terminating the 16 cables with
RJ45ce.jpg


Then plugging them into a switch which is connected to the router?

Does it make any difference either way?
 
If you really want to just stick plugs on the ends of the cables you can. It's a **** way of doing it, but it'll work fine.

If you do this don't buy a massively oversized switch just to have somewhere neat to plug them all into. Buy a switch sized for you actual needs and leave any unused cables tucked neatly out of the way.

In any cabling job like this only a fraction of the sockets may be in use at any one time. Some sockets will be there just in case. You may decide to rearrange the furniture and put the PC into a different corner, if you’ve panned things correctly there’ll be a network socket available that just needs patching in at the switch end.
 
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