Cat6 install in a Semi detached 3 bedroom home

Flembot

Flembot

Flembot

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Location
Belfast
We are moving home soon and we know we will need to have an electrician come and install a lot of new electrical sockets in all of the rooms. There is only one double gang socket in each of the bedrooms for example.

As an infrastructure minded type of guy - I’m keen to run cat6 into all the rooms. Maybe two ports per room. Living room I’m not sure how many ports / drops I want in there. Would like two or three runs into the loft too as I will likely add PoE cameras to the side of the house in the future. I may even put the network switch in the loft… either that or in the built in storage in the box room and have the cabling run to there.

I also have a Reolink PoE doorbell (great purchase!) which I’d like to mount on the outer leaf brickwork by the front door and fish the cat6 cable down the wall cavity from the loft. If there is no insulation in the cavity at present - is this a viable possibility with the right fish kit?

I’d like to hear about best practices for how to go about this and what I need to be thinking about.

Wall chases only. No surface mounted stuff. Keep everything as future proof as possible.

Understandably I can’t expect to run cat6 immediately alongside 240v cabling for new electrical outlets - but I could put a cat6 drop in the same corner of the room right?

Bottom line is we are going to need a spark to fit new power outlets for us so I’m thinking of getting the cat6 work carried out as part of the same job.

What do you guys think?
 
Welcome to the forum and congratulations on the new home :).

We did the same thing last year, had a rewire of the house when we bought it and got the sparky to-do LAN alongside (double runs but wish I had done triple now for even more redundancy). And as you have suggested, also got a bunch of runs to our attic for future proofing.

Then either terminate yourself or as we did, get a low voltage technician/network engineer to do it. Recommended Cat6 cable is one with a solid core (Cat6 UTP LSOH Solid Core Cable). Think you've got a solid plan but am sure someone with far more knowledge can offer advice.
 
doodah said:
We did the same thing last year, had a rewire of the house when we bought it and got the sparky to-do LAN alongside (double runs but wish I had done triple now for even more redundancy). And as you have suggested, also got a bunch of runs to our attic for future proofing.
Click to expand...

Interested in this too - what does the topology look like, is there a sort of master faceplate where all cables terminate which can then feed into a switch? and what was the cost for the sparky?
 
Paracelsus said:
is there a sort of master faceplate where all cables terminate which can then feed into a switch?
Click to expand...
You normally use a patch panel to terminate all the in-wall runs in one location.

24 Port Cat6 UTP Elite Patch Panel | Cat6 Patch Panels

Category 6 high density patch panels provide the performance needed for present and next generation data communications networks and applications, including
www.cablemonkey.co.uk www.cablemonkey.co.uk
(or if you want a 10" rack: https://www.cablemonkey.co.uk/10-patch-panels/9512-12-port-cat6-10-utp-patch-panel.html)

You then use small patch leads to connect the ports on the Patch Panel to your network switch or other devices.


If you are doing it yourself, then you can buy Kits with everything you need e.g. :

Cat6 Installation Kit | Cat6 Cabling Kits

This kit supplies all the products required to get an stuctured cabling system installation on the go!Kit Consists
www.cablemonkey.co.uk www.cablemonkey.co.uk

Cat6 Network Contractor Pack | Cat6 Cabling Kits

Our Cat6 Contractor pack includes - 1 x 24 Way Cat6 UTP Patch Panel 12 x Single Gange Faceplate
www.cablemonkey.co.uk www.cablemonkey.co.uk
 
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Paracelsus said:
Interested in this too - what does the topology look like, is there a sort of master faceplate where all cables terminate which can then feed into a switch? and what was the cost for the sparky?
Click to expand...
All terminates under the stairs where I have a UDM SE, a small rack and a patch panel. Haven't even installed/used the patch panel yet :o. But basically a thick bunch of LAN cables, fortunately a good amount snakes in a way where it doesn't get in the way much. We then have double runs to various rooms and front/back of house (CCTV). Unsure about cost as we had a lot of work done anyway but can find out. When I can be bothered and buy the correct tool(s) - going to terminate a rear run myself to install an outdoor AP.

Along with the patch panel, I need to rethink or seal up more of the space under the stairs as it's quite dusty and doubt my UDM SE appreciates that.

Edit - yeah the sparky did well to keep the bundle out of the way. Here's my current janky solution, just haven't got round to sorting it out properly.

20240809-141801.jpg
 
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For the short runs you'll have in a domestic install, running alongside power will be fine. It's only in huge installs where you may have several hundred meters running alongside power that can start to cause interference issues.
 
I'm sure I read somewhere a long time ago the level of power has an effect too. At home your not likely to be running a high load through the power cable, power usage is probably sporadic as well. Unless your growing tomatoes :cry:
 
John24 said:
I'm sure I read somewhere a long time ago the level of power has an effect too. At home your not likely to be running a high load through the power cable, power usage is probably sporadic as well. Unless your growing tomatoes :cry:
Click to expand...
To be honest even at work we have no problem with hundreds of Cat5e runs in a Comms room that has 3 phase electric panels and cabling located very close, as well as refrigeration equipment and various motors etc.

Only time we've had issue was with 10Gb, in which case we absolutely needed to use Cat6A, even for relatively short runs - however for longer runs we use fibre anyway.
 
doodah said:
All terminates under the stairs where I have a UDM SE, a small rack and a patch panel. Haven't even installed/used the patch panel yet :o. But basically a thick bunch of LAN cables, fortunately a good amount snakes in a way where it doesn't get in the way much. We then have double runs to various rooms and front/back of house (CCTV). Unsure about cost as we had a lot of work done anyway but can find out. When I can be bothered and buy the correct tool(s) - going to terminate a rear run myself to install an outdoor AP.

Along with the patch panel, I need to rethink or seal up more of the space under the stairs as it's quite dusty and doubt my UDM SE appreciates that.

Edit - yeah the sparky did well to keep the bundle out of the way. Here's my current janky solution, just haven't got round to sorting it out properly.

20240809-141801.jpg
Click to expand...
Damn that's pretty!

Armageus said:
To be honest even at work we have no problem with hundreds of Cat5e runs in a Comms room that has 3 phase electric panels and cabling located very close, as well as refrigeration equipment and various motors etc.

Only time we've had issue was with 10Gb, in which case we absolutely needed to use Cat6A, even for relatively short runs - however for longer runs we use fibre anyway.
Click to expand...
100%. It is obviously best practice to avoid, but I've ran CAT5 alongside the power cables that run entire music festivals (tier 1 things, not pub shows). When I did my house there are a few instances where it all comes together and I am not banking on any issues.

---

1VSA8pr.jpg

^ mine all comes out the floor back left.

T6XK5Xe.jpg

I also ran coax at the same time, just incase...
 
So, on the question of fitting the Reolink PoE doorbell on the outer leaf brick work and drop a cat6 cable down the wall cavity (not insulated) to connect it.
Is that feasible?

What do I need to help me?

Keen to get this job done before the winter so we can have the wall cavity insulated

Appreciate all the pointers I can get to be honest.
 
Not personally done it so stand to be corrected

I think you'd need a set of cable rods, drill hole from the outside then thread the rods through from the outside and then hopefully will bend and go up the cavity to the loft.
Then tape the cable end to the rods and pull them back out, hopefully pulling the cable back and out the hole
 
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Flembot said:
So, on the question of fitting the Reolink PoE doorbell on the outer leaf brick work and drop a cat6 cable down the wall cavity (not insulated) to connect it.
Is that feasible?

What do I need to help me?
Click to expand...

I've done this many times (100+ probably) over the years for various installs. When I first tried this I used string and little weights and it worked but was slow. These days I use cable rods (Super Rods at present but there are cheaper versions) plus a fancy electronic finder to save time, but a basic set of cable rods and some patience will work (a set with a magnet and a chain to catch with it ideally).

Some cavities are easy but you can encounter excess mortar and wall ties just where you need to go and this means sometimes I drill at a left or right angle from the required external device into the cavity (holes should always be drilled slightly up hill to avoid water ingress). When putting cables in a cavity as there is the possibility to bridge the layers for moisture penetration but I've never had an issue as its probably no worse than brick ties, and I always ensure a loop of excess cable below the external hole so any moisture that may run down the cable won't track through the hole if its not possible to fully seal it.
 
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