What Ethernet cable should I pick to hard wire through my house?

NutterzUK · 6 Sep 2017 at 11:46

Hi all,

I'm currently trying to decide what Ethernet cable I should pick as I'm planning to wire up the whole house so pretty much every room has a port. I've estimated needing roughly 300m to make sure I don't run out.

Looking online I found Screwfix seems to have what I need:
Either this Cat 5e - http://www.screwfix.com/p/nexans-cat-5e-f-utp-ethernet-cable-305m-grey/6597t
or this Cat 6 - http://www.screwfix.com/p/nexans-cat-6-f-utp-lszh-ethernet-cable-305m-beige/3763t

I don't know much about the different types so am a bit unsure about whether the Cat 6 will offer me any benefit over the Cat 5e.

Any help and advice would be much appreciate.

Steveocee · 6 Sep 2017 at 12:16

Neither.
Have a look at netstoredirect, commsexpress or cable monkey. Get decent solid core not copper clad and the difference is negligible between them. Whichever is cheapest will still easily do gigabit round the house.

varkanoid · 6 Sep 2017 at 12:48

Cat 6 will future proof you especially if you are feeding it through walls. I just bought 30m Cat6 off Ebay to connect downstairs to upstairs plus it goes outside for about 2-3metres and its been there 10 years. No probs.

NutterzUK · 6 Sep 2017 at 18:43

Cat6 it is. Looks like Cat6a looks unnecessary unless we live in a mansion.

I'd like to future proof it if we are going to be feeding it around the house - I don't fancy having to have the floorboards up and plaster etc more than once

.

Thanks,

mattyfez · 8 Sep 2017 at 20:03

Think I'd go with cat6 for the hell of it, cat5e would probably be plenty for home use but you'd never have to ask yourself if you should have gone with 6

mistersprinkles · 8 Sep 2017 at 21:51

CAT 5e will limit you to gigabit while (IIRC) Cat 6 will allow 10Gb networking once you have the apropriate hardware to facilitate it, making for a screaming fast home network. If you really never want to have to mess with the cabling again, get CAT 6 or better. Also keep in mind that there are limits to cable length after which signal degrades and things get screwy. You would basically need to live in a mansion to hit such limits though. Buy quality solid core cable from a good supplier and use quality wall sockets.

Plec · 8 Sep 2017 at 22:44

NutterzUK said:
I'm currently trying to decide what Ethernet cable I should pick as I'm planning to wire up the whole house so pretty much every room has a port. I've estimated needing roughly 300m to make sure I don't run out.

How are they fitting this - under floor boards inside/outside walls - is it relatively easy?

I ask, as i'm in the middle of a house renovation and considering adding this but i'm already at a stage where i'm fantasising about chucking builders out of windows due to huge delays/mess/****-ups (despite meticulous planning)- so would appreciate any info you have before i broach the subject with my electrician (who at least tries to follow the brief/plan - rather than the 'peeing in the wind approach').

NutterzUK · 19 Sep 2017 at 22:20

Plec said:
How are they fitting this - under floor boards inside/outside walls - is it relatively easy?

I ask, as i'm in the middle of a house renovation and considering adding this but i'm already at a stage where i'm fantasising about chucking builders out of windows due to huge delays/mess/****-ups (despite meticulous planning)- so would appreciate any info you have before i broach the subject with my electrician (who at least tries to follow the brief/plan - rather than the 'peeing in the wind approach').

Hi Plec,

My electrician is doing this within the cost of rewiring the house. We have 4 ethernet ports on the wall in the 'office' where the router is - just near where our Virgin media cable comes in and where the super hub is. We then have the wires going down under the floorboards, alongside (but not through the same holes in the joists) the electric cables. They are then coming down the walls exactly the same as the electric cables into the downstairs rooms separate again to the electric cables (They have their own shielding but they run next to the electric cables; maybe 4 inches between them). They then go to ethernet sockets on the walls which will be next to the power sockets. The ports for the walls I bought from a cheap auction website (They don't sell them here). The cable I bought from the links above.

My only question I have now is what kind of cable I need to go from the router to the wall sockets, and from the wall sockets to our computers. I don't know if I want a patch or crossover (Any help anyone?).

MissChief · 20 Sep 2017 at 00:10

Most, if not all devices will auto switch if you use a crossover or patch these days. AFAIK they haven't been a 'thing' for years?

ubersonic · 20 Sep 2017 at 10:29

If you ever intend to use Power over Ethernet devices make sure to get good solid cable not budget crap, a lot of cheaper cable is just copper coated aluminum which doesn't meet the Cat5 spec nevermind the Cat6 spec.

Glanza · 20 Sep 2017 at 11:04

Any so long as it's proper copper cable and not the cheap alu stuff people seem to be using these days.

moogle · 20 Sep 2017 at 11:19

Does the cable have to be solid core or can it be stranded as long as it's copper? I'm looking to wire up along the skirting boards and hidden paths up the stairs and I only need 15m of cable to reach my PC.

Plec · 20 Sep 2017 at 13:28

NutterzUK said:
Hi Plec,

My electrician is doing this within the cost of rewiring the house. We have 4 ethernet ports on the wall in the 'office' where the router is - just near where our Virgin media cable comes in and where the super hub is. We then have the wires going down under the floorboards, alongside (but not through the same holes in the joists) the electric cables. They are then coming down the walls exactly the same as the electric cables into the downstairs rooms separate again to the electric cables (They have their own shielding but they run next to the electric cables; maybe 4 inches between them). They then go to ethernet sockets on the walls which will be next to the power sockets. The ports for the walls I bought from a cheap auction website (They don't sell them here). The cable I bought from the links above.

Thanks for the comprehensive reply, NutterzUK - appreciated.

mistersprinkles · 20 Sep 2017 at 15:07

moogle said:
Does the cable have to be solid core or can it be stranded as long as it's copper? I'm looking to wire up along the skirting boards and hidden paths up the stairs and I only need 15m of cable to reach my PC.

Stranded is fine for that length (50 feet/15m). Use Cat 6 or better so you are 10Gb networking ready. Use twisted cable, and you should really get something plenum jacketed as opposed to vinyl for fire purposes (plenum isn't as toxic when it burns).