I'm starting a house renovation in a couple of weeks time (contracts willing!).

Everyone keeps on yabbering on about putting in Cat5 whilst I'm doing the re-wire but being a network noob what's the plan? Previously I haven't done anything more complicated than wiring up cable modem to a wifi router

I don't want to go crazy with six cables going to each room etc etc so what does anyone reckon about a cat5 cable going to a wall plate in each room back to my existing cable router?

I'm thinking of using something like this

http://www.screwfix.com/prods/10346/Electrical-Supplies/Data-Networking/Cable/Network-Cabling-Kit



Is it worth putting a couple of cables to each room? I know people talk about IP phones and networking tv blah blah blah but realistically I'm going to be using this mainly for HD iplayer....

Use decent quality cable, and run 2 to each room, even if you only intend to use one. The last thing you want to do is find a cable died some time between installing and decorating.

Also, I seem to remember 30cm from mains power is suggested, but I've not done this stuff in years.

Why not just use WI-FI just as good

I've done the ground floor of our house. Still got the first floor to do. Basically we had the floorboards / skirting boards off anyway, so I fitted a 10 way switch in the understairs cupboard. From there, I connected via a set of ethernet cables down to a pair of twin outlet RJ45 sockets. From there, there are a pair of cables into the dining room and another pair into the lounge.

Next up will be a pair of cables into each bedroom.

I've got a few hundred metres of cable left over Ben, so if you want a reel, and are willing to cover the postage, you can have a few hundred metres for free. The reels weigh between 11kg and 8kg, depending on how much cable is left on them.

Mike

Easier route is just WIFI, you can also get ethernet over the mains wiring as well these days, still if they are paying...

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Originally posted by big-vee-twin
Why not just use WI-FI just as good

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mmm cable broadband in every room

you can get things that you plug into a normal electric socket. router goes into one, computer plugs into the other, and it just goes in another socket, internet goes through the normal electic cables. strange but true

like this
http://www.broadband-mac.co.uk/mains_networking.htm

[Edited on 31/10/09 by blakep82]

It's me paying

Guiness- yes please!! Consider any postage + VAT covered.....

quote:

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Originally posted by tegwin
I would be looking at putting in Cat 6 cable!! (cat 5 is old hat!)

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RS components do a 100m reel for about £60 I think... that looks reasonable...


Anyone ever seen a cat 6 patch panel with less than 24 ports on it? I cant find one anywhere :p

When we had the ground floor rewired we had the electrician put in CAT5 from the office to the lounge, didn't cost much extra as he was already running standard wires.

quote:

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Originally posted by tegwin
RS components do a 100m reel for about £60 I think... that looks reasonable...


Anyone ever seen a cat 6 patch panel with less than 24 ports on it? I cant find one anywhere :p

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Run a couple of ports to each room.

a) If a cable dies then you're covered

b) If you decide you want to pump something non-ethernet over the second cable, then you can do...

Stephen

PS New Wireless 802.11n routers are 350Mbit/s ... how well they work depends on the density of housing around you...

1) Think walls - not good
2) Lots of neightbours - not good.

Bear in mind that there are only really 3 channels that don't overlap - the normal ones quoted are 1,6,11 but 1,7,13 are better (the former are US channels which don't extend quite as far up the spectrum)

S

I use Popcorn Hour to watch movies from my PC HDD through into the lounge and onto my plasma, you couldn't do this with High Def films via wireless, it has to be a solid connection.

There is no way that you will ever get 350Mb/s out of 802.11n, not happening.

1Gb/s over Cat5e is easy and relatively cheap...plus it is secure. My day job is IT security and I don't run wireless unless there is a full on IPSec VPN client involved. If you don't want everyone else knowing your business buy a decent UTM device and wire your network.

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Originally posted by BenB
It's me paying

Guiness- yes please!! Consider any postage + VAT covered.....

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I wired a line from my router down to the living room. Linking 2 computers and the LCD.

Run a 1Gb network and it'll play anything smootly over the network.

Copying films across is easy, couple minutes. Wifi either drops its connection or just take hours to copy. Rubbish

I had cat5 cables put in when we moved to our present house and were having some other wiring done - one of the best things I had done tbh! Not having to p*ss about configuring wireless routers is a godsend - you just plug the ethernet cable into the socket and bingo, reliable broadband speeds and connection etc etc anywhere in the house

[Edited on 31/10/09 by D Beddows]

when the floorboards were up I bought an ethernet cable from the frontroom to where the computer would be in the dining room, another up to my boys bedroom. virgin socket to router then split to here and up to his room. his laptop had wireless... I don't need cable dad it's old fashioned .... try it says I... he never said anything about it but it's always plugged in ..

If you don't intend to use gigabit, then you can run 2 wall sockets from 1 cable as only 4 of the 8 wires of the cable are needed.

So what you do is wire one plug with the regular orange/white, orange, green/white, nothing, nothing, green, 2x nothing

and the other with blue/white, blue, brown/white, nothing, nothing, brown, 2x nothing.

This is the real locost style

quote:

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Originally posted by Werner Van Loock
If you don't intend to use gigabit, then you can run 2 wall sockets from 1 cable as only 4 of the 8 wires of the cable are needed.

So what you do is wire one plug with the regular orange/white, orange, green/white, nothing, nothing, green, 2x nothing

and the other with blue/white, blue, brown/white, nothing, nothing, brown, 2x nothing.

This is the real locost style

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Most CAT5e cable isn't screened. You can get CAT5E with a foil to act as a screen.

The 2 for 1 by using alternate pairs for separate sockets is a bit of a dodge, but not unknown when the cost of installing another cable is prohibitive.

Mike

Luckily I've got some nice cheap Cat5 cable heading my way so the cost ain't a problem any more

PLEASE DO NOT consider Ethernet over the Mains devices.
Whilst these do work well. Electrically they are very very nasty in that they radiate high levels of interference and interfere with other radio services.
There is an ongoing battle with Offcomm over this technology raging at the moment.
http://www.southgatearc.org/news/september2009/rsgb_legal_challenge_to_plt.htm

If you can get cables under the floor, thats the best way to go. Its a WIN-WIn solution.
You GET NO interference, and you GIVE NO interference!

I agree with CAT6 (5/5e is old hat now)
for some futureproofing.
Run 2 cables. The cost is only in the cable, and the hassle of having to run another one is not fun once all the floorboards / ceilings are up. ie Do it once, and do it right first time.

I would have my router at the Master Phone Line socket. (Best position)
I would ensure I have the latest Master socket (Your Phone provider does this not you, and will probably charge to change it!), and then fit an I-Plate which will help with the broadband speeds.
For the technical types, the I-Plate puts a choke / Inductor in the bell wire circuit, which reduces interference and losses, thus increasing the speed. However you must have the correct type of Master socket to fit the plate.

Thus you have your ADSL Router located at the master socket, and then run all your cables back to this point. Then depending on how many PC's you are connecting to the network, you may need a Switch (Much better than a HUB) then plug up the cables you are going to use to the switch.

I have had a network running at home for about 10 years now (6PC's and a server)
It used to run with a Dial up modem and it autodialed on demand, and dropped out after a fixed "no-traffic" period.
I used a simple PC running Smoothwall for that, and it worked a treat.
http://www.smoothwall.org/
Just need an old PC of 50mhz or better and a modem. It also now works with a WAN connection from a straight ADSL modem, or USB modem. Excellent software... and free too!
Mind you, most people get a free ADSL router witha 4 port hub from their ISP as part of the deal.

So stick to Cat6 Cable (Cat5E as a minimum).
Put 2 cables in to every location (even if you just hide the spare in the back of the box). Leave at least 200mm cable to be able to strip back and terminate properly. No Bow String tensioned wiring. It becomes unreliable and will give problems.
Believe me, I've been in the Phone Business for 40 years.

quote:

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Originally posted by tegwin
RS components do a 100m reel for about £60 I think... that looks reasonable...

Anyone ever seen a cat 6 patch panel with less than 24 ports on it? I cant find one anywhere :p

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i have networking over the mains in my house which is on 3 floors and in the workshop which is seperate from the house with no problems whatsoever!

its a piece of cake to install and set up - brilliant - no interference on anything at all - top stuff and very fast

so you can keep your normal router (which can still have wifi) one of the ports on the back plugs into the DLAN into a nearby socket - then ANY socket plug another DLAN in - then to the pc, tv, hifi.. you choose as long as it can be networked - watch the animated video on the left of the site..



devolo