Some of you provided some info on this in a previous thread a on the electrical on a new construction project. Now I need some more detailed info as I know very little about this and the electrician will be on the job soon we hope.

A security/camera system is not in the budget right now but we want to do things now that will not add to the cost much but will allow for installing a good camera system in the near future that will last for years. The house is a single story. Large garage with two windows and two man doors. Two man entry points. One in front and one in back.
Specificall what should we do that will allow a pro to come and install a system as easily as possible.
Are the systems wireless or hardwired.

Not worried about the inside to be monitored persae. Just the outside and surrounding area.

When away want to be able to monitor any happening there mostly.

Thanks guys.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: old rugged cross,

My recommendation would be that you keep this simple - Find a professional reputable camera security company in your area and ask for their guidance and support. This ensures when you get ready to do whatever you decide you are going to do at a later time, you have the right lines in the right places and completion of the system is SIMPLE with no wasted materials or prior labor.

Run Cat5e cable from a central location, such as a closet, where you would be installing an NVR (networked video recorder) to all the possible points you would install security cameras. Cat5e will be fine for individual camera runs, no need for Cat6. Run a few for inside cameras as well: family room, living room, garage, and any place valuables might be like the gun safe.

Inside cameras are fun. When nobody would fess up to it, we found we had great shots of the 80lb dog standing, all four legs, on the dining room table eating the last slice of pizza. Then there was the time I stood up for my son and said he didn’t eat my daughter’s Peeps because I was standing there the whole time. Reviewing the video showed he did so behind my back while I was standing there the whole time.

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:
Run Cat5e cable from a central location, such as a closet, where you would be installing an NVR (networked video recorder) to all the possible points you would install security cameras. Cat5e will be fine for individual camera runs, no need for Cat6.

This. good advice here. Never go with wifi cams, they suck.

also, you can get your camera power over the ethernet lines too which is very handy.

no need for coax to these locations, since it's 2023 and the technology has moved on.

Great advice guys. Want simple yet effective. Thanks again.

I agree with Cat5 cable and get a network patch panel installed and labelled in the closet/room where the wires terminate, label the wires and ports on the patch panel so it's easy to locate and setup the system when it's installed.



And if you are running Cat cable for the cameras, then run it for TV's, gaming stations, anything where you might want to hard wire connect to for internet connections.

Then you could put the internet modem in the closet/room with the patch panel and connect the devices to a hub from the panel, to the modem for high speed network non wifi access.

Guys - May I respectfully challenge your comments to learn more on this topic as I know nothing about 5e vs. 6 (other than 6 is more expensive) but I would ask this question - Today we know that 5e works as well as 6 for camera applications but 5-10 years from now will the camera technology be such that 6 is the standard and 6e or 7 (who knows what is next) will be the current 6?

I understand that today 6 is not needed based on today’s camera capabilities but when I built my house (20 years ago) I had the choice of RG6 with a siamese power source or Cat 5 (which at that time the camera technology was expensive and fairly new) and now today Cat 5e is better than 5 or RG6 (without question). With technology ever improving would one not be better off running the very best that is available at the time of the wiring install?

CAT6 main advantage is capable of 10Gb/S up to 180 ft or so (officially). It is also capable of a higher frequency rate of 250Mhz vs 100Mhz. Not a direct correlation to throughput etc at the moment, but when it comes to PoE devices (most IoT devices like cameras/AP etc leverage power over ethernet). i ran cat6 across my home. there are some Cat6 cabling options that provide better shielding as well..also an advantage that has limited applications

for a system i like ubiquiti ( https://store.ui.com/us/en ). mostly due to their NVR's are also wireless controllers etc. doorbells, PTZ external cameras, access points, flood lights, and so on. all managed from their external "cloud" portal (via the local appliance). their service is OK, i have had to RMA a few things and they get back to you pretty quick. overall im satisfied with their offerings. the market is getting crowded though. im sure others have good experiences with other vendors.

quote:

Originally posted by sigarmsp226:
With technology ever improving would one not be better off running the very best that is available at the time of the wiring install?

In that case you'd want Cat6A or Cat8

I might be inclined to run Cat6A and terminate with Cat5E connectors--my reasoning being connectors are easy to replace, cable runs not so much, and, last I looked, Cat6A wasn't all that much more expensive than Cat5E.

Cat8 I would imagine to be quite a bit more expensive?

I found cat5e a bit easier to work with, but that's just me. YMMV

whatever you buy, get 100% copper conductors and don't mess with that "clad" crap, which is cheaper but pure junk.

New construction, definitely wired.

For cameras, Cat 6 cable to all rooms as well as exterior camera locations. Front door, back door, 4 corners of house, garage…

Run additional drops to rooms where you may want internet access.



Patch panel termination in master bedroom closet.

This will allow you to install POE cameras and a NVR when you are ready.

quote:

Originally posted by sigarmsp226:
Guys - May I respectfully challenge your comments to learn more on this topic as I know nothing about 5e vs. 6…

Cat5e can handle 1,000 Mbps and 4k security cameras only need 10-20Mbps. Cat5e has 50-100x the capacity needed. Cat5 was introduced 18 years ago and security cameras have yet to exceed Cat5’s 100Mbps.

Future proofing, spending more money now on something that may have benefits in the future, with technology has never really worked out for me.

Be sure to run Plenum rated Cat5 cable, it's low smoke and fire characteristics are required when pulling cable through the open spaces above drop down ceilings in offices. You want the same protection in your home as well.

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:
Be sure to run Plenum rated Cat5 cable, it's low smoke and fire characteristics are required when pulling cable through the open spaces above drop down ceilings in offices.

Are you saying that CAT5 plenum cable is required?

Plenum cable, not specifically CAT5 plenum, is required if pulled in spaces that are part of the air return.

Very few residential houses use the ceiling space as an air return.

I installed cameras last year. I went with Cat6 as I wanted to future proof things. The cost wasn’t that much higher when compared to Cat5e.

One recommendation, bring the wire lower at your entry doors. That will allow you to place a camera low enough to see a face at your door. If it’s too high, you may only see the tops of their heads. This is a moot point if your planning to use a Ring type option at your doors.

update, so the house has been wired. The electrician did run Cat6 cmr cable. It is Priority brand.
When I discussed it with him prior to doing the job he knew what it was but not sure how much he had done with it.
I knew next to nothing about it other than what you guys taught me here.
It was run to all four corners of the house for security cams at some point. He has just stubbed it out side about a foot down the wall from the top of it. All bedrooms have it run to them . There is a wire in the ceiling for a wireless router. A couple other drops for computer access.
Keep in mind this was down for possible future use. I forgot to mention drops at the two main entry door locations. But if and when security cams get installed I think the four corner cams would catch the front and rear entries.

All the cable is brought back to a single location.

Let me know if anything sounds funky or missed anything significant. I am thinking insulation may go in today.

Thanks guys

Presume when he dropped the cables into the rooms they are terminated into a box so you can find them and install the jack with cover plates?

Wherever you are terminating all the cables did he just drop them in the wall space or use conduit/pvc pipe. Either works, but a drop pipe where the cables come into the central point would allow easier drops for pulling cable in the future if you decide to add more points, ie more cameras, outside Wifi router etc.

Right, just terminate each endpoint with a RJ45 Jack and the origin accumulation with a patch panel.
Not that cams require it but if you are desiring CAT 6 being fully utilized then you also must use CAT 6 jacks, patch panel and patch cables.
As always you never seem to have enough drops so do while you can, more is better.
Another tip: label your endpoints, cables and patch panel connections, it will make troubleshooting much easier.
I use a Dymo Labeler (also an Epson), maybe more beneficial in Corporate, Business wirings especially for multiple connections.

Yes the drops are into boxes and will have covers once the drywall is done and walls painted. It will be part of the finish electrical on the house.

Also I have a pretty good pix file of the job with the wall open for future reference if need be.