Question New Build - CAT6 Wiring

Puntoboy

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Edited to add - for those new people coming to this thread. I started this 3 years ago when we moved into our current house. I ended up going with CAT6 cable but didn't do all the runs I wanted. It was just too time consuming and required cutting more holes in the walls that I could be bothered to repair. I started off with the BT HH6 and BT Whole Home Wi-Fi and now are using a Ubiquiti ER-X and 3 UAP-AC-Lites. Really happy with it all.

3 years on and we are moving house. Another new build on the same estate but a fair amount bigger. :) New house means new cabling, but this time I am hoping to get into the house before they finish the walls and get some conduit installed so I can run all my cables once we move in (I'm pushing it with the conduit, I doubt they will let me actually cable the runs as well). The house is currently at concrete slab level.

One little upgrade I would want to make having 6a cable out to the garage, unfortunately it's over 55m and I would like to add 10GB Ethernet for a future project, so I need at least 150m of CAT6a just for that run, I'm thinking that I may as well run 6a everywhere rather than 6. The problem is price as 6a is around twice the price of 6 for 500m. I need to decide if I want to spend that money. I don't have a current need for 10GB elsewhere in the house, only between the central point in the house (where the comms cabinet will be) and the garage so maybe just 6A for that run.

Hi everyone,

We've bought a new build that will be complete in about a month. Unfortunately I could not come to an agreement with the builder to install CAT6 cable for me whilst they were building the house so I'm going to have to do it myself when we move in. I'm used to cabling, I work in IT, so going to be fine doing the work. However I have never wired a house before and it's a bit different to offices. I'm intending to use shielded CAT6 cable.

My intention is to have the following:

Living room - 3 outlets
Bed 1 - 3 outlets
Bed 2 - 3 outlets
Bed 3 (my office) - 4 outlets
Garage - 3 outlets

There is a central cupboard in the house where Openreach will be installing the ONT for FTTP broadband so I'm planning on putting all there other kit in here as well. The garage is detached about about 5 metres from the house, I'm planning on digging a channel, installing a duct (with pull cord) and laying exterior CAT6 cable with a water pipe to the garage (I'm installing the water as well - so it will be deep ~750mm). I'm also planning on running a couple of cables down from the soffits for CCTV.

My questions are:

Where is best to buy the cable? I could buy it through work but weirdly it doesn't seem as well priced are some of the websites I've seen.

Are there any tips and tricks for running cables inside a house? The walls have metal studs and as far as I know there are no horizontal battens.

Do I need a shielded patch panel with the shielded cable? My experience says no but best to check.

Does anything see any problems with that I intend to do?

Thanks :)
 
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Unless you intend to use shielded patch panels, data modules etc then there is no point in using FTP cable as you are not maintains the integrity of the shielding. Best stick to UTP cable and accessories as it will be much easier to terminate correctly and therefore ensure cabling system works as intended.

Don't be surprised if you find decent cable as cheap (if not cheaper) than you find it from internet suppliers - businesses don't always buy from the cheapest supplier. Just avoid copper clad aluminium (CCA) cable and ensure you use solid copper conductors.

Be careful when pulling cable through metal studs unless there is protection on the "holes" in the stud - it will easily strip the insulation from cables as it is pulled through too aggressively or even cut off the cable there are any sharp edges.
 
Great thanks.

Wouldn't shielded be better to prevent the risk of interference? If I need to upgrade the patch panel and faceplates that's fine I just don't want to pull all this cable and get interference then have to do it again.

Sorry I didn't follow your point on cable supplier. I've been looking at solid copper core cable but the prices vary quite a lot.
 
IMHO - it's a waste of time and money using A) cat6 and B) shielded. Cat5e UTP is more than good enough for GBit ethernet to 100m (more if it's good quality, though it's out of spec.) Of course it depends on your use case as there are other uses of UTP that may need the better frequency response of cat6 (e.g. HDMI) but for ethernet, cat6 makes diddly squat difference over cat5e.

Since most DIY'ers don't test their install with the rather expensive test test gear required to certify the install to some given "cat," strictly speaking they aren't "cat" anything. There's more to it that simply buying "catX" bulk cable.

If you are determined to use shielded cat6 (or whatever,) then yes you should be using cat6 shielded patch-cord, patch panels, etc. and ensuring the shields are grounded. You can omit "bits" - but each omission eats into the performance headroom which eventually all adds up.

However, (again in my humble personal opinion) if one really is worried about "interference" "speed" and/or "future proofing" (delete as applicable) then one really ought to be thinking about fiber optic rather than copper.

Whilst chasing in cables to walls etc. be sure you obey the curving radius requirements (no "hammering" cables round 90 degree bends) and if you want cat6 and you need to be paranoid about "nicking" the sheaths on all those metal studs. (You should really be laying cat6+ into "proper" containment and "tray" work.)

If you want to scare yourself silly about how much more "stringent" cat6 is compared to cat5e, check out the following link... Installation Pitfalls in Cat6 Cabling | Automated Home

The price difference you refer to is probably about quality (and warranty) of product, not to mention copper prices have been on the rise for a few years. And of course, there's a "post Brexit pound depreciation" effect to add in of late. (Lot's of commodities are priced in USD.)

One BIG discrepancy you see is with people selling cheap Copper Clad Aluminium (CCA) with assertions such as "CatX equivalent" and "CatX tested" or made up standards such as "cat6e" (no such thing) "cat5a" (no such thing.) The "cat" standards mandate the use of pure copper conductors - CCA ain't allowed, but some snake oil salesmen try to "get away" with it.

I tend to get my cabling done by professional cabling companies and they seem to favour Excel, but I'd look to any of the reputable "big boys" who've been around for a while such as Black Box, BettaBox RS Online, to name just a few.
 
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Thanks for the detailed information.

I want to go with Cat 6 for future proofing as it's not all about Ethernet. It will start off just for that but I will be looking into HDMI extension and who knows what else in the future. Money no object I would put fibre in however it is and Cat 6 will be fine.

So solid core, cat 6 UTP cable will be fine for my needs.
 
...Wouldn't shielded be better to prevent the risk of interference? If I need to upgrade the patch panel and faceplates that's fine I just don't want to pull all this cable and get interference then have to do it again...

The twists (the "T" in "UTP") do much to reject the interference and the "balanced" transmission used by ethernet also helps. Shielded cable is for the uber paranoid. However, (anecdotally I confess) I've had (literally) tens of thousands of UTP cables run in over the last few decades, some of them through very (electrically) noisey environments such as office plant and M&E rooms, as as yet I've never had any problems. I'd be very surprised if a SOHO environment proved to be problematic in comparison.

"Future proofing" - as I'm fond of saying "future proofing against what?" If there's some imminent future product that required cat6, they maybe it's a good bet. But otherwise we're simply guessing. Viz: I could have the gate for my driveway widened to 20 meters width just in case uber wide cars get invented. But right now, it's a waste of land and money. "Future proofing" is about mitigating things we can predict are going to happen, not "guessing" for things we haven't thought of yet. So installing a ductway with a draw string is a good idea. Installing catX cable in the belief that some as-yet-to-be-invented technology might need it, is at best a guess.

But equally, the counter argument is that the price difference between cat6 and cat5e is so small, you "might as well." However, be sure to read the link I cited previously regarding the stringency required for cat6 installs, plus the remarks I made about testing. You simply don't have a cat6 install (come to think of it any "cat") just because you bought cat6 cable.

The good news is that GBit ethernet is pretty forgiving - you have to do a spectacularly bad job of the cabling for it to not avail GBit ethernet (bad termination is the biggest culprit.)
 
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That's fine. But I'm not further proofing for some unknown future requirement. I will be doing some HDMI over Ethernet. I also believe that cat 6 is better, although not required for PoE so it makes sense as the cost isn't that much different.

My intention is to run the cables from the loft down to the central ground floor cupboard. From the loft I can drop down into each room and I think it will be easier than lifting floorboards.

I'll read that guide to ensure it's to spec. Thanks.
 
One additional comment on the whole future proofing discussion, when you are doing this you are best to try and run conduit tubing to protect the cabling, sounds like the horse has already bolted for you on that one.

On the topic of Fibre, what would that look like in a home environment? Short of ISPs and Storage devices I'm not familiar with other uses, esp in domestic installs.
 
Yes conduit might be a problem now. Although it could work for the main drop from the loft to the ground floor cupboard as this is though the airing cupboard so having this exposed isn't an issue. Just need to make sure I don't hit any pipes.
 
Been thinking about this some more. I'm going to look to run a 40mm conduit from the loft to the ground floor cupboard. This should make running and replacing the cables easier. It will also mean I don't need to secure the cables together, they can be left loose in the conduit. Where this exits in the loft space I will also add trays to run the cables across the loft space to where they will drop. Again this will allow the cables to remain loose and not bundled together which makes them easier to replace if needs be. It will also protect them from getting damaged in the loft. I'll also consider if it's possible to run conduit in the partitions where I'm dropping the cables but this will depend on the wall construction and space.

The wiring requirements for Cat 6 don't see too bad, now I've read the above linked article I'm confident I shouldn't have any problems and if I do, with the additional conduit, they should be easy to replace. Even running cables out to the garage shouldn't be a problem.
 
I will be doing some HDMI over Ethernet.
You may feel I'm being pedantic, but this is no reason to use Cat6 as it's all based on Ethernet, e.g. 1Gbps networking. If you mean HDMI over CatX then yep, Cat6 is better than Cat5E.

Advice from the retailers/manufacturers of the baluns/converters say that for HDMI over CatX is to not terminate the cable into the patch panel/module but terminate direct to a plug at each end to minimise any joints.

I also believe that cat 6 is better, although not required for PoE

I've not heard that before. POE is fine over Cat5E afaik.

I'm going to look to run a 40mm conduit from the loft to the ground floor cupboard

Use as large a size as you can get away with :). You don't say it you mean round or rectangular but at first it'll look massive until you try to poke cables down it.

I've done this a few times in houses and it's easier at build/renovation time, much more difficult once walls are plastered etc. Also done it for years at work...

As above, UTP will be fine at home. I've used cablemonkey for cables before. Do you have enough cables planned if you're going to be using HDMI converters? Do you have enough in the living room? There's plenty of possible network attached devices around a TV (TV, amp, DVD player, streamer (e.g. KODI on a Pi), games console etc).
 
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Sorry yes I mean HDMI over Catx.

I have read from several sources that whilst CAT5e is fine for PoE, there is more power loss than with CAT6. It's not a huge amount but means any switches will need to work slightly harder to deliver the voltage.

I was thinking 40mm round but it doesn't make much of a difference to me. I think it might be slightly easier to install than square.

I wish I could have put this all in at build time but the developer wanted £860 for 6 cables (the minimum I wanted). That's a crazy amount and I think they just wanted to put me off the idea so they didn't have to do it.

I think I have enough, they'll be four in total for the living room as one is installed by the developer and I'm adding three. AV receiver, Xbox One and Sky Q leaving one spare. Shouldn't need any HDMI to the living room but I could add a couple more if I need them.

In our current house everything is in two places, the living room and my office. I have a 24 port switch in my office for all my computer equipment and a single CAT5e cable running down the stairs to the router. In the new house my servers will go out to the garage as they are noisy, my NAS will go into the ground floor cupboard and everything else will stay in the rooms they are in now. He different being I want to extend the HDMI output of the Sky mini box to the second bedroom.

At the moment I can't see any reason why I wouldn't choose CAT6 cable.

I'm also toying with the idea about having a speakers in the ensuite playing audio from the TV and installing the same cable in the walls in the living room for surround sound but at the moment these are just ideas.
 
I've got a mix of Cat5E and Cat6 at home as I did it in stages as we decorated rooms (I chased out walls.) If you don't mind spending that bit of extra cash then I can't see why not to go for Cat6, but as Mick says above, what are you future proofing for... (rhetorical). From a networking pov, Cat6 will give you 10Gb Ethernet to 35m or 55m, according to the specs and it's better for HDMI stuff. As people say, "you pays your money and take your choice..." :)

Regarding your HDMI, would you want to be sending it from your sources, e.g. amp or sky box, and therefore need more cable? I guess Sky Q might make that moot though nowadays.

That price from your building is impressive, for the wrong reasons! Have fun with it... :)
 
I have a couple of more standard networking questions.

We'll be getting 300mbps BT FTTP broadband and the ONT will be placed in the central ground floor cupboard. The builders have installed a single CAT5e (I assume) cable from this central cupboard to the living room so that you can connect the BT home hub in the living room. I'm not keen on that idea as that's at one end of the house, I've also never been a fan of BT equipment. I would like to install one, maybe two, Ubiquity APs.

So I'm wondering if

A) I should swap out the BT home hub for a better router (with or without wireless) and locate it in the cupboard instead of the living room.

B) how many Ubiquity APs I'll need. The house isn't huge, about 10m x 5m. Would one AP on the first floor be enough to cover the house? Or would I need one on the ground floor as well.
 
Your best option would be to have the BT router installed and then do a test and see what areas in the house struggle with wifi coverage. An App such as wifi Analyzer would assist you in doing this. You may not be a fan of BT equipment but you will not know for sure if the equipment would serve you or not until you try it out. I would suggest you do the channel checks also so find that ones that are least used by your neighbours. If you want to compare routers then have a look at the website Smallnetbuilder.
 
Yeah, what I will eventually do is keep the provided modem (because we don't have a lot of choice here) and buy separate Wireless Access Points and litter them throughout the house.

Oh yeah... I'm leaning towards Ubiquiti too.
 
A) I should swap out the BT home hub for a better router (with or without wireless) and locate it in the cupboard instead of the living room.

B) how many Ubiquity APs I'll need. The house isn't huge, about 10m x 5m. Would one AP on the first floor be enough to cover the house? Or would I need one on the ground floor as well.

I would setup an AP/wifi router and test the wifi from the various locations you mention (living room/TV, cupboard) and also from a more central location. If needs be then you can buy an AP )and disable the wifi on the router) and run a network cable to right place along with all the others.

I would have thought in a house that size one AP will be more than enough, the caveat being it depends on what walls and floors are made of.

RS6MRA speaks sense above as I've basically just rehashed what he said :).
 
Thanks guys. I'll guess I'll have to wait and see what the new routers are like and go from there.
 
I ended up going with CAT6 cable but didn't do all the runs I wanted. It was just too time consuming and required cutting more holes in the walls that I could be bothered to repair. I started off with the BT HH6 and BT Whole Home Wi-Fi and now are using a Ubiquiti ER-X and 3 UAP-AC-Lites. Really happy with it all.

3 years on and we are moving house. Another new build on the same estate but a fair amount bigger. :) New house means new cabling, but this time I am hoping to get into the house before they finish the walls and get some conduit installed so I can run all my cables once we move in (I'm pushing it with the conduit, I doubt they will let me actually cable the runs as well). The house is currently at concrete slab level.

Once little upgrade I would want to make having 6a cable out to the garage, unfortunately it's over 55m and I would like to add 10GB Ethernet for a future project, so I need at least 150m of CAT6a just for that run, I'm thinking that I may as well run 6a everywhere rather than 6. The problem is price as 6a is around twice the price of 6 for 500m. I need to decide if I want to spend that money. I don't have a current need for 10GB elsewhere in the house, only between the central point in the house (where the comms cabinet will be) and the garage so maybe just 6A for that run.
 
With distances like that externally, you’ll definitely be wanting to look at fibre. This is especially true to avoid potential earth loops between buildings if the electric supply is separated. Fibre is surprisingly cost effective now. I used it between the house and the garage.
In the house I have x3 24 port switches each with SFP ports. I have another switch in the garage also with SFP. I laid x2 fibre connections in strong corrugated pond hose buried in the garden. I then used LAG to bond the 2 fibre lines. Works flawlessly plus I have redundancy if one were to fail. Too short for your run I think but I used x2 50m lengths of these... https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07MLDDVS4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_x1.BDb0C3E4T1

Supports 10Gbit too if ever needed although I can’t see a time in the near future where I will ever need that. My cctv cameras aren’t even close to saturating 100Mbit.
 
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I agree - I would not run 10G ethernet over copper at any significant distance beyond (say) hook ups in a comms rack. For me, for 10G at distance it would be fiber every day. And of course, fiber also pretty much negates any electrical interference issues as well as the earth lift/loop mitigation Mark mentions.
 
The house and garage are on the same power supply. Consumer unit is in the house and a SWA cable runs out to the garage.

I don't mind the idea of fibre, I need to buy new switches for 10G anyway as mine, although they have SFP ports, they are only 1G. Is it really better than a couple of 75-100m CAT6a cables though? The external part of the run is only about 25m down the side of the house then under the garden.
 
It depends on how well you can terminate you Cat6A and what switches you intend you run at both ends. Will the switches be copper RJ45 or SFP (either copper or fibre). A quick look on cablemonkey (https://www.cablemonkey.co.uk/custom-fibre-pre-terms/13073-armoured-pre-terminated-fibre-cable.html) shows you can get a pre-terminated cable (100m, 4 core, OM3 or 4, LC connector) for about £220 normal and £310 CST armoured. Obviously there are other places so it may be found cheaper.

Downsides for fibre are that it's fragile, can't take DIY repair and more expensive. It could be reused for 40Gb+ in the future though.

Cat6 is more difficult to terminate than Cat5E, and Cat6A even more so.

HTH.
 
I put CAT6 in the current house so that's not a problem. I've also working with CAT6a in my job so again, not a problem. Like I said I need to upgrade the switches so I will buy two that are suitable.
 

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