Wiring ethernet through (outside) house - Help required

NeilF

NeilF

NeilF

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OK, I'm considering putting some ethernet lines/sockets around the house.

My ADSL comes into my study, and I'm planning on running a single ethernet line through a wall straight into the (neighbouring) garage to a new switch. And for that switch to then have two lines back through the same wall, through loft space (over single story) down the house, out of the rear wall of the house, down that wall, with one wire going back through the wall into the living room, and the other one into the playroom.

Diagram:-
Image4.png


Cables:-
- The blue cables are regular ethernet cables you use between devices. These are patch cables? ie: Regular Cat5e cables?
- The red cables would be cat5e cable spec'd to be able to go outdoors, and would be connected wall socket to wall socket.

Switches:-
- They will all be gigabit spec! Will Cat5e cable over these lengths be gigabit friendly?

Questions:-
- Any obvious issues with my diagram? ie: Traffic going through 3 switches, and 4 sockets? Using Cat5e cables instead of higher spec?
- Can anyone please recommend nice subtle single socket wall sockets for me to put in the living room/playroom? They will need to be surface mounted and as small/subtle as possible, covering the hole/wire coming in from behind, and ideally down facing (ie: ethernet wire plugs in bottom)?
- Where connecting the ethernet cable (red) from socket to socket, is this easy? ie: Just connecting the correct colours into the correct connectors in each socket?


Any help/advice would be most appreciated!
 
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I would at least run two cables on each run. For redundancy when one breaks etc. Always run more than you need.

Reason for only cat5e? Would make sense to go with Cat6a for future proofing and its not hugely more expensive.

Obviously your link between Study and Garage is going to be the bottleneck as everything (internet wise, and whatever you have attached to the switch in the study) will be going down that pipe.
 
Only really to echo what's been said already;

Good on you for going for outdoor grade cable!
Try and get Cat6 just for peace of mind for future proofing.
If you are planning on running 1 cable, run 2. Chances of cables breaking are slim but you'd kick yourself if you didn't.
 
Have one central switch and multiple cables. Much better way of doing it..

Cat6 internal
http://www.netstoredirect.com/cat6-cable/66-excel-cat6-utp-cable.html

Cat6 external
http://www.netstoredirect.com/cat6-cable/68-excel-cat6-utp-external-cable-ldpe-outer-sheath.html

Cat6 loaded faceplates (loaded means module + faceplate)
http://www.netstoredirect.com/cat6-modules-outlets/286861-cat6-utp-rj45-loaded-faceplates.html


Multiple switches just adds needless points of failure, extra cost and increased power usage.

Get yourself a nice 24 port switch. I went for a Trendnet gigabit websmart switch, lets me have a 4GBps connection to fileserver and 2GBps to Synology and a each machine that has a dual port intel adapter. Switch uses about 15watts :D
 
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bledd. said:
Have one central switch and multiple cables. Much better way of doing it..

Multiple switches just adds needless points of failure, extra cost and increased power usage.

Get yourself a nice 24 port switch. I went for a Trendnet gigabit websmart switch, lets me have a 4GBps connection to fileserver and 2GBps to Synology and a each machine that has a dual port intel adapter. Switch uses about 15watts :D
Click to expand...

I don't think that would make sense in my case?

In the living room there is already a Gb switch with six devices plugged in (TV, streamer, Bluray, Wii, Sky etc).

In the playroom there is already a GB switch with three devices plugged in (Xbox, streamer, Bjuray etc).

That would mean running 9-12 cables around the house and down the outside wall and in through it! :confused::eek:


bledd. said:
Cat6 external
http://www.netstoredirect.com/cat6-cable/68-excel-cat6-utp-external-cable-ldpe-outer-sheath.html
Click to expand...
So that's safe to go outside down a wall? And will be reasonable bendable etc to go around corners etc?


bledd. said:
Cat6 internal
http://www.netstoredirect.com/cat6-cable/66-excel-cat6-utp-cable.html

Cat6 external
http://www.netstoredirect.com/cat6-cable/68-excel-cat6-utp-external-cable-ldpe-outer-sheath.html

Cat6 loaded faceplates (loaded means module + faceplate)
http://www.netstoredirect.com/cat6-modules-outlets/286861-cat6-utp-rj45-loaded-faceplates.html
Click to expand...
Socket wise in the living room and playroom I want something really subtle. I think your one would require a box behind it so lift it right off the wall etc.

I was hoping to put something like this directly over the hole and incoming wire - http://www.leprice.co.uk/comparateu...-Socket-with-2x-RJ-45-Shielded-Contacts-White (only one of the two sockets would be wired in )
 
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hellarda said:
I would at least run two cables on each run. For redundancy when one breaks etc. Always run more than you need.
Click to expand...
Good point - I'd leave a pair of unused cables in the loft ready to replace the ones going out the back.

hellarda said:
Reason for only cat5e? Would make sense to go with Cat6a for future proofing and its not hugely more expensive.
Click to expand...
OK, Cat6 external it is. I believe it wires in exactly the same?

hellarda said:
Obviously your link between Study and Garage is going to be the bottleneck as everything (internet wise, and whatever you have attached to the switch in the study) will be going down that pipe.
Click to expand...
True, but that pipe will be a gigabit pipe. At the moment, those connections are done via homplugs. No real traffic of any significance will go down to the playroom and living room except for:-
1) XBox game playing in the playroom. But that's really just latency!
2) Streaming films from the study to the Living Room or Play Room. A gigabit line will be more than enough for this! Standard 100mbit would be!
 
bremen1874 said:
Why the switch in the garage? Couldn't you just do this...?
nT8dMM9.png
Click to expand...

Nice idea, BUT:-
1) I'd also run two extra cables into the loft to potentially go into other (bed)rooms (all feeding off the garage switch).
2) I have a streamer in the garage I use while exercising :)


Would getting rid of one switch be that worth while? Is this really going to be a problem:-
* Streamer --> Gb switch --> Gb switch --> Gb switch --> NAS
* XBox --> Gb switch --> Gb switch --> Gb switch --> ADSL router

ie: Are three Gb switches going to create any significant lan issues? I'd hope a 100mbit device will see basically no difference going over one switch or three?
 
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bledd. said:
Running 1 cable is the same as running 10 cables.. Cable cost is cheap
Click to expand...

True, but having 10 cables running down an outside wall, and they coming in through a living room wall, isn't quite as subtle/tidy :)

Uber performance isn't the top priority. Just as long as I get above 100mbit performance with NAS-->Gb switch-->Gb switch-->Gb switch-->media player I'll be more than happy! As long as daisy chaining three Gb switches doesn't create any mad latenty issues or the like... it'll be fine!

Basically trying to improve on my AV600 homeplugs...
 
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bledd. said:
Do it properly, once.

The faceplates I linked to can be flush to the wall, you'd need something like this..

http://uk.farnell.com/jsp/displayPr...bXRO7l4WTb_kUUx7kibWXhWu0v2ttbwp4YaAmvI8P8HAQ
Click to expand...

I don't want to re-wallpaper for a single socket :eek:

If/when we do redecorate, a proper socket can be put in, but until then, a sublte wall mounted unit would be fine.
 
You can sink a backing box without damaging the decoration, I've done it on several occasions. The faceplate overlaps the edges of the backing box so there's some room for error. Just cut the paper before you start.
 
bremen1874 said:
You can sink a backing box without damaging the decoration, I've done it on several occasions. The faceplate overlaps the edges of the backing box so there's some room for error. Just cut the paper before you start.
Click to expand...

OK... Point taken. I'll do that! :)

Still be nice to have the lead pointed down though, instead of sticking out :)


My major question still is though, are three daisy chained Gb routers going to cause any lan issues. ie: Will these work happily at (or faster than) 100mbit:-
Playing games: Xbox --> Gb switch --> Gb switch --> Gb switch --> ADSL router
Watching films: Media Streamer --> Gb switch --> Gb switch --> Gb switch --> NAS

///Along with the four wall sockets involved too onroute.
 
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bremen1874 said:
How about http://www.netstoredirect.com/cat5e-modules/289003-cat5e-ccs-4000-series-vertical-outlets.html for the outlets?
Click to expand...
That looks perfect, except I think it's designed to have the wiring coming in (down) through the top. ie: Not from behind like a regular faceplate. I've looked and looked :confused:

This about the only thing I've found so far at 45 degrees - http://www.lelong.com.my/cat6-cat-6...-shutter-limmach-121413242-2013-12-Sale-P.htm

Worse case a regular plate will have to do!





bremen1874 said:
Daisy chaining switches as you describe will be fine. It'll make virtually no difference to having a directly wired connection.
Click to expand...
Perfect... That was my only real worry. I'd hate to go through all this only to find the three daisy chained switches messes the lan up so much it defeats the object of upgrading from homeplugs!
 
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