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New home Ethernet wiring
Posted on 6/19/21 at 2:47 pm
Posted on 6/19/21 at 2:47 pm
Getting ready to build a new house and would like to future proof it with Ethernet cable that will be around for awhile without breaking the bank.
Should I look at cat 6, 6A, 7? What about shielded vs unshielded?
Should I look at cat 6, 6A, 7? What about shielded vs unshielded?
7
Posted on 6/19/21 at 3:18 pm to Simon Gruber
I would do 6A. It's a bit more capable than cat6, and the cost difference is negligible at home scale. I'm not sure if cat7 and higher are even finalized standards yet, but I think all cat7 is shielded and I don't think shielding is necessary. It makes the cable thicker and less flexible so it's harder to run, and there's just not enough other cabling around for there to be any benefit.
CAT6A will easily handle your data needs for at least the next decade, and in the event that it doesn't CAT7 isn't any faster anyway. If it comes down to it, you will one day use your CAT6A cable as pull strings for your new CAT8 or higher cable.
Some general advice:
Everywhere you put a drop, pull two cables (not absolutely necessary but can be a huge time saver in the future, feel free to go singles to save cost)
Put a drop in every room, and an additional drop everywhere there will or might be a TV
Put a drop around the eaves at every corner (both inner and outer corners), and anywhere else you will or might put a camera.
Put drops in the ceiling in ideal locations for wifi access points, at least 1 per 1k sqft and preferably more. You don't have to poke them through the ceiling just yet, but at least run the cable
Make sure you have a nice central media closet with good ventilation. Whether your cables enter through the ceiling or down through the wall, put two 2+" conduits in either case. Make sure the attic space where they protrude is nice and accessible, too.
I'm sure I've forgotten some stuff, but that's a good start. Do you need help choosing network gear? Switches, router, rack, patch panel, etc?
CAT6A will easily handle your data needs for at least the next decade, and in the event that it doesn't CAT7 isn't any faster anyway. If it comes down to it, you will one day use your CAT6A cable as pull strings for your new CAT8 or higher cable.
Some general advice:
Everywhere you put a drop, pull two cables (not absolutely necessary but can be a huge time saver in the future, feel free to go singles to save cost)
Put a drop in every room, and an additional drop everywhere there will or might be a TV
Put a drop around the eaves at every corner (both inner and outer corners), and anywhere else you will or might put a camera.
Put drops in the ceiling in ideal locations for wifi access points, at least 1 per 1k sqft and preferably more. You don't have to poke them through the ceiling just yet, but at least run the cable
Make sure you have a nice central media closet with good ventilation. Whether your cables enter through the ceiling or down through the wall, put two 2+" conduits in either case. Make sure the attic space where they protrude is nice and accessible, too.
I'm sure I've forgotten some stuff, but that's a good start. Do you need help choosing network gear? Switches, router, rack, patch panel, etc?
This post was edited on 6/19/21 at 3:26 pm
Posted on 6/19/21 at 4:13 pm to Korkstand
I do have a media closet that will be where all the cables terminate and where the internet modem will be placed. I’m still undecided how much I want to do in this regard. I was thinking a simple switch for now with a good mesh system. No racks or servers at this time.
I thought about talking to some automation companies to give me a quote or maybe make some suggestions on other things I could do like place my Directv genie and Firetv in the media closet and run hdmi to the living room just to keep the entertainment area under the main TV cleaner. I also have a ps5.
I thought about talking to some automation companies to give me a quote or maybe make some suggestions on other things I could do like place my Directv genie and Firetv in the media closet and run hdmi to the living room just to keep the entertainment area under the main TV cleaner. I also have a ps5.
Posted on 6/19/21 at 4:49 pm to Simon Gruber
quote:I will strongly recommend putting in a wall-mount network rack from the start. You will need a modem/router and switch at the minimum, which means you will need a shelf of some sort to put it all on. Might as well make it a shelf in a rack. It will make it easy to hide all your cables and make everything tidy.
I do have a media closet that will be where all the cables terminate and where the internet modem will be placed. I’m still undecided how much I want to do in this regard. I was thinking a simple switch for now with a good mesh system. No racks or servers at this time.
I will also strongly recommend against a mesh system for new construction (well all the time but especially new construction). The only advantage that mesh systems have over standard hard-wired access points is you save the cost of running cable, but if you're running cable anyway then it's a no-brainer to wire up some real access points (preferably on the ceiling).
quote:If you go this route, then you'll need an AV receiver in which case that's all the more reason to install a nice rack to house everything. IMO this is not something you would want to skip at the beginning, especially if your goal is future-proofing. So yeah have a local AV/low voltage company come out to check your setup and recommend some things.
I thought about talking to some automation companies to give me a quote or maybe make some suggestions on other things I could do like place my Directv genie and Firetv in the media closet and run hdmi to the living room just to keep the entertainment area under the main TV cleaner. I also have a ps5.
Posted on 6/19/21 at 4:55 pm to Simon Gruber
Cat6. There is no need to go beyond that in residential use nor is there a need for shielded cable. Waste of the extra expense.
Posted on 6/19/21 at 5:18 pm to Simon Gruber
I disagree with Kork on the wiring. Look at Cat 6 unshielded for home use. Cat 6 supports gigabit ethernet at 100 meters, which is what all consumer network gear uses today. And it supports 10 gigabit ethernet up to 55 meters, which is more than enough for a house.
I agree with Kork on using wired access points over a mesh system. Wired backhaul is far superior to wireless backhaul.
I agree with Kork on using wired access points over a mesh system. Wired backhaul is far superior to wireless backhaul.
Posted on 6/19/21 at 5:39 pm to Simon Gruber
quote:
I do have a media closet that will be where all the cables terminate
awesome
quote:
other things I could do like place my Directv genie and Firetv in the media closet and run hdmi to the living room just to keep the entertainment area under the main TV cleaner. I also have a ps5.
Run extra Cat6 (take into account how many drops)...then use HDMI over ethernet converters...
All else looks good and exciting to hear how it goes...
Posted on 6/19/21 at 6:17 pm to TAMU-93
Are you guys recommending cat6 over 6A for material cost reasons, or installation cost reasons as far as working and terminating due to the added size and stiffness? Or both? Is cat6A u/utp really that much more trouble than cat6? Is u/utp cat6a not "real" cat6a and thus won't support speeds over the same distance? Is the shielding more critical than the added twists?
Asking because I have at least one run of ~150' at my house that I will likely need to be 10gbit in the next 5 years or so. Will my gear reliably negotiate at 10gbit over my existing cat6? Fingers crossed, I guess?
Asking because I have at least one run of ~150' at my house that I will likely need to be 10gbit in the next 5 years or so. Will my gear reliably negotiate at 10gbit over my existing cat6? Fingers crossed, I guess?
Posted on 6/19/21 at 6:35 pm to Korkstand
There simply isn’t a gain in going to CAT6A in residential use. The more important issue it to run the cables to code in regards to the electrical wiring in the house and follow proper bend radius and termination protocol.
Also get poly cable staples and do not hammer them down too far to damage the cabling. Snug is fine. Overly tight is bad.
Also get poly cable staples and do not hammer them down too far to damage the cabling. Snug is fine. Overly tight is bad.
Posted on 6/19/21 at 7:47 pm to Korkstand
If you want to guarantee 10 gig performance then yes, CAT6A would be proper although CAT6 can deliver 10 gig performance at the distance you stated. What are you running that you feel will requre that level of performance in the next 5 years or so?
Posted on 6/19/21 at 8:59 pm to TAMU-93
Couldn’t I use the mesh system like access points by hard wiring them?
Posted on 6/19/21 at 9:04 pm to Simon Gruber
Posted on 6/19/21 at 9:21 pm to VABuckeye
quote:AFAIK cat5e can deliver 10gig nearly as far as cat6 can. The network gear doesn't know what it's plugged into, all it can do is negotiate, try and see if it works. The cat ratings just (supposedly) "guarantee" a minimum level of performance, yes? Can you get 40gbit over cat6a? Cat6? How about 25gbit? I really don't know how bandwidth relates to data speed. Can Cat6A at 500mhz double what's theoretically possible with Cat6 at 250mhz? Do you need larger than 23awg conductors to push past 500mhz?
If you want to guarantee 10 gig performance then yes, CAT6A would be proper although CAT6 can deliver 10 gig performance at the distance you stated.
quote:I have no idea what I will be doing in 5 years, and that's the point I guess. But I do know that wifi6 is here and capable of >gigabit speeds, and wifi7 pushing past 10gbit is maybe less than 5 years away. What's the point if the cabling is the bottleneck? I know our internet connections won't come close to keeping up, but 10gbit NAS etc. is here already, and I'd rather load a video project at 10gbit rather than 1.
What are you running that you feel will requre that level of performance in the next 5 years or so?
And if, in 5 years or so, I put a wifi7 AP at the end of my long cable run, will I get 10gbit out to it and my 2026 model laptop while sitting at the picnic table in my back yard? Will my ~150' cat6 do it, or will I have to pull a cat6A or 7 or whatever? I have no idea. Not a huge deal for me to pull a new cable if I have to, but that day I will still kick myself for not spending a few more bucks to begin with.
Maybe I'm too optimistic, but if the cost increase is less than 30% or so labor and material, seems like it might be well spent. Or maybe it would only take me to year 5 and a half.
Posted on 6/19/21 at 9:26 pm to Simon Gruber
quote:You could, but you would be paying for a mesh feature which would go unused. And I haven't seen any of the popular ones that are PoE, so you'd still be plugging it into a power outlet.
Couldn’t I use the mesh system like access points by hard wiring them?
Posted on 6/19/21 at 10:37 pm to Korkstand
quote:this reminds me of all the time I have thought about, when is coax cable going to be out dated. It was used for shitty tv signal, then shitty internet, then decent internet, now supposedly you can get gig internet over coax. What's it's limit? I have asked this here before with no answer that I remember.
AFAIK cat5e can deliver 10gig nearly as far as cat6 can. The network gear doesn't know what it's plugged into, all it can do is negotiate, try and see if it works. The cat ratings just (supposedly) "guarantee" a minimum level of performance, yes? Can you get 40gbit over cat6a? Cat6? How about 25gbit? I really don't know how bandwidth relates to data speed. Can Cat6A at 500mhz double what's theoretically possible with Cat6 at 250mhz? Do you need larger than 23awg conductors to push past 500mhz?
Posted on 6/19/21 at 10:40 pm to Korkstand
The internet at my house is blazing now! Wifi 6 all over.
Posted on 6/19/21 at 11:24 pm to Korkstand
I’m not as tech savvy as you guys but I love tech and can tell you by experience, I’m 71, that 5 years planning is not the far future. Five years will be here in the blink of an eye and today’s tech will be tripled or better in that time.
That said, you will never keep up to date more than six months. So pick your spot when to pull the trigger on upgrades and improvements and go the max you can afford.
Splurge while you have the opportunity to start with the bare bones build. You won’t have this chance again without going through a ton of future effort and expense. Plus your wife is going to spend more on new furniture and wall decor than you will on cabling.
That said, you will never keep up to date more than six months. So pick your spot when to pull the trigger on upgrades and improvements and go the max you can afford.
Splurge while you have the opportunity to start with the bare bones build. You won’t have this chance again without going through a ton of future effort and expense. Plus your wife is going to spend more on new furniture and wall decor than you will on cabling.
Posted on 6/20/21 at 12:09 am to CarRamrod
quote:There is surely a physical limit, but I don't think we know what it is yet. A lot of the physical coax has been replaced over the years to allow faster and faster speeds. It's the same cable, just with better shielding and whatnot. They've increased speeds by bonding more channels, each channel being something like a 6mhz "slice" of however many hundreds of mhz of total spectrum the cable can carry (think of tuning to 98.1 on the radio, and then merging it with 98.3, 98.5, etc until it can carry video, for example). Some of the channels carry regular cable tv stations, and others are used for internet. Also, being analog signals on the wire, there's a huge variety of modulation schemes that can be used to encode bits per hz. But also being analog signals, they need to be "clean" enough to carry certain frequencies or use certain modulation schemes, so some cable might need to be upgraded. This is one reason why Cox might have gigabit in one area but only 300mbit in another. If they would scrap traditional cable tv channels they could use those for more internet bandwidth.
this reminds me of all the time I have thought about, when is coax cable going to be out dated. It was used for shitty tv signal, then shitty internet, then decent internet, now supposedly you can get gig internet over coax. What's it's limit? I have asked this here before with no answer that I remember.
But the mhz rating on cat cable means something different. Ethernet doesn't send data over analog channels like coax. Instead, the 250mhz, for example, means that's how fast the conductors can change state from 0 to 1. Ethernet uses modulation schemes too so they can fit more than 1 bit per hz per conductor, but in the case of gigabit I think it's 2 bits per "symbol" times 4 pairs of conductors times 125mhz = 1gbps. 10gigabit uses a different scheme but honestly I don't understand any of it. These modulation schemes are just different ways to take advantage of the fact that it's still an analog wave traveling through the physical copper. We don't know the physical limit of this, either, because it will always come down to interference and noise. How closely the signal at one end resembles the signal at the other, and whether it's good enough to put the pieces back together. The ratings on cat cable are based on 100m length, so a shorter length of a given cable can carry higher speeds than it is rated for... there is less signal loss over shorter lengths. The pieces of equipment at either end don't know or care what connects them, they just exchange capabilities and agree on some signaling technicals and then see if it works. If it fails they try something else.
That's my layman's understanding, at least.
Posted on 6/20/21 at 8:10 am to Simon Gruber
I didn't run any ethernet in my home and dont regret it. Wifi has been more than sufficient
Posted on 6/20/21 at 8:39 am to whiskey over ice
As the owner of a company that pulls copper and fiber all day every day I agree. Wifi is at the point where it is caught up with current technology for streaming as long as a person gets gear and an ISP service level that can handle to bandwidth.
By gear I mean a high quality router.
By gear I mean a high quality router.
This post was edited on 6/20/21 at 8:43 am
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