New Build - CAT6 Wiring

tom 2000

Conduit is a good idea even in stud construction in case of future modifications. I had the bright idea recently of running a network cable to a telephone point as I have done before in the house to discover there was no conduit in the stud. It was a right faff.

PaulDavidThomas

I've done about 6 houses. One of the tools I've found very useful is :-

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                ATLAS IT - Atlas IT network cable tester                                                                                                        The tester identifies discontinuities, shorts and crossed wires. By using the optional terminators, cables in distribution networks are also clearlyidentifiable. A surge protector protects the t [...]                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                www.reichelt.com                                                                               
Have a hunt around for the best price or second hand. I can't be arsed labelling my cables, just means I can do it all at the end. A normal house and I usually put in 1.5 305m sets of cable. I tend to double up on important routes - just incase.

PaulDavidThomas

I'll second conduit if you can be arsed. The only down side is the ribbing on it. Sometimes I use blue MDPE pipe as long as it's a straight run. Equally, solvent weld pipe ( 32mm or 40mm ) is good, just weld a few bends on it.

Puntoboy

Things have progressed quite a bit since I started this thread. We’ve lived in the house for nearly 3 years now. I ended up not running any cables except for a couple to my office. Reason being getting the cables from the upstairs to the network cabinet downstairs proved quite a challenge. I only installed the cables I desperately needed which were to my office, garage and the CCTV cameras outside.
We are moving house next month and I posted an updated on that above. Maybe I should have started a new thread.

Puntoboy

Thanks but I already have a tester.

thepilot

I have a Cisco 1921 ISR running my home with BT FTTP. The main gotcha is the packet size tweaking for BT FTTP Service.

I was always struggling on the downstream rate whereas upstream was fine. In the end, I have the BT HUB acting as a modem only. I have a point to point /30 subnet between the hub and the outside interface on the Cisco router.

I nat my internal subnets to the outside as required - and a default route pointing to the BT Hub. I get my full downstream and upstream speeds and I’ve introduced less than 1ms of lantency.

Puntoboy

Thanks but I’m looking for a switch, not a router. I’m using a Ubiquiti EdgeRouter-X and it works perfectly. No need to tweak any of those settings.

Russa

I ran cat 6 around the house a few years ago.  Although I wished I had taken a different approach.

I use a 10 port switch in the office upstairs, this uses a few ports to distribute to the living room, dining room garage and conservatory.  Each room then has another 10 port switch in for connections to equipment.  I had to take the cabling up to the ceiling in the office and then round the loft and drill holes in the soffits to run the cabling externally and then into each room.

One of the ports in the conservatory also takes another feed part way (approx. 80-100 metres) down the garden to the gym and cinema again I have another 10 port switch in there.  Never had any issues with distance using cat 6.  I just bought the cheap stuff from Kenable.

Russa

Meant to add, wireless was useless in the house, solid walls upstairs and down.  We had 4 old routers set up as access points.  Still not ideal.  Have since put in sky q with multiple mini boxes and the mesh works great.

Puntoboy

I don't have Sky broadband so the Mini's wouldn't help me anyway.

My plan is for 2 Ethernet points in each room. I have 3x Ubquiti AP-AC-Lite access points to use, two for the house and one for the garage. Downstairs is solid blockwork but upstairs is studwork. Need to decide on the best location of them when we move in.