Cable run in new build

sparkymark75

sparkymark75

sparkymark75

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Scotland
I'm looking to do some ethernet cable runs to deploy Unifi kit in my new build house. The internal walls are timber frame with plasterboard. They appear to be filled with some yellow wool like insulation (discovered this when wall mounting my TV).

I've linked to a couple of floor plan pictures showing where I want things to be placed. The OpenReach fibre ONT is in my lounge (unfortunately). I'm hoping to locate the downstairs AP in the dining room with the upstairs AP on the ceiling on the landing at the top of the stairs.

Ground Floor: https://imgur.com/a/RiW6zLV
First Floor: https://imgur.com/a/VGhgBSH

My original plan was to locate the network gear in the cupboard under the stairs (marked ST on the ground floor) but I don't think that will be practical for running cables. So my plan B is to locate the network gear in bedroom 4 (which is unused) in the area with the orange box.

The orange box in the downstairs WC is a boxed area containing a soil pipe. This has 3 access hatches. Do you think it would be possible to route a cable in this to get it upstairs? I was hoping to run a cable from the ONT in the lounge under the edge of the carpet, through to the WC into the boxed of area. Run it vertically in there and coming out into the storage cupboard upstairs. I can then route this through to bedroom 4. From bedroom 4 run up into the loft and then down to the upstairs AP. The downstairs AP might be trickier as new builds these days don't have floorboards but those giant chipboard sheets, so not sure who to run the cable for this one yet.

My last ditch plan would be to run the cable outside along the wall and then up behind the rain water gutter pipe but that would be a last resort.

Does all this look do-able? Any better ways of doing this?
 
Where's your soil pipe go after it gets to your first floor? It must vent somewhere. Does it carry on up into the loft?
 
Caged said:
Where's your soil pipe go after it gets to your first floor? It must vent somewhere. Does it carry on up into the loft?
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Good question, I'll need to check as there's not a boxed area in bedroom 4, which looking at the floor plans is the room above the soil pipe boxed area.

Another option is to use the network points I already have. These are re-purposed phone extensions which were Cat 6 cable. I just switched out the faceplates. There's one right next to the ONT, this runs to a network point in bedroom 1 to the left of the window (as you look at the plan). I can then run a cable from here into the fitted wardrobe and then up into the loft. Still leaves me with the issue of the best way to run to the downstairs access point.
 
If you have network points already then look at the Unifi AP-AC-IW. You will need to reterminate your cable into an RJ45 and then that plugs into the access point and the access point screws into the back box. It’s a very neat solution and you get 2 gigabit Ethernet connections for each access point as well (off one cable in). And if you’re powering it off PoE, you get one of those RJ45s with PoE passthrough as well which means you can attach another downstream PoE powered switch.
 
bremen1874 said:
For the downstairs access point you want to check which way the beams run. If you can route the cable in the same direction your life will be much easier.

The neat way of getting access is the tool made for the job https://www.screwfix.com/p/erbauer-solid-board-cutter-111mm/80049. Unfortunately it's an expensive option if you only need a single hole.
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Yeah, saw one of those online earlier and thought that looked like it would be just the job, but as you say, bit expensive for a one off. Out of interest, is the cavity between the ground floor ceiling and the first floor likely to be filled with insulation?
 
sparkymark75 said:
Yeah, saw one of those online earlier and thought that looked like it would be just the job, but as you say, bit expensive for a one off. Out of interest, is the cavity between the ground floor ceiling and the first floor likely to be filled with insulation?
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No. Why do you think they’re expensive? Your additional cabling cost will be zero. And they are priced like for like with the US-AC-Pro, which is the same internals as the AP-AC-IW-Pro.

And I’d be EXTREMELY surprised if there is insulation between the floors. You need to leave a big air gap over the insulation or it ‘sweats’.
 
WJA96 said:
No. Why do you think they’re expensive? Your additional cabling cost will be zero. And they are priced like for like with the US-AC-Pro, which is the same internals as the AP-AC-IW-Pro.
Click to expand...

Are you mixing up the reply to my post with one for yours? £40 is quite expensive to cut one hole in a floor.
 
Apologies for any confusion but from the diagram it looks like you are planning on having two ceiling mounted Access Points one almost directly above the other one?

I would install the upstairs one first because I suspect you won’t need the one downstairs. The general rule of thumb is no more than 1 partition wall (or chipboard sheet floor). And I don’t see the rationale for installing them one over the other? Put your house diagram (scaled) onto the UBNT heat map and test the various access points and I think you’ll find it makes no sense to put in more than 1.
 
WJA96 said:
No. Why do you think they’re expensive? Your additional cabling cost will be zero. And they are priced like for like with the US-AC-Pro, which is the same internals as the AP-AC-IW-Pro.

And I’d be EXTREMELY surprised if there is insulation between the floors. You need to leave a big air gap over the insulation or it ‘sweats’.
Click to expand...

The APs I have are the AP-AC-Lite.
 
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