In a previous thread about wiring and siding we discussed several topics with several great suggestions. Now I need a bit of specific info about cat5e cable for possible internet and future security camera's, etc.
Seemed like the consensus is to run Cat5e cable to a central location from area's where security camera's and internet would be desired.

There will be a mechanical room on the front wall of the garage. Thinking this would be a good location to run the cable to from the four corners of the house soffit for camera's. Probably three locations for internet in the house. The house is 30x50'.

These are provisions for future connections. The soon to be occupants have no need for these connections.

Should these be run in the crawl space or overhead.


Do you run 4 separate Cat5e cables to the mechanical rooms from the 4 security camera locations and three separate cables for the different internet locations?

I am thinking a 500' roll should be plenty. Are all cables created equally. Just find an online vender and order it or is some better than others.

I'd run through the attic. All separate cables to the mechanical room.

Additional considerations:

Run an 8th cable from the mechanical room through the attic to the center of the house. That's be an ideal location for a ceiling mounted wireless access point.

Cat 5e was a good ethernet cable in 2016 (i.e when my home was new), but not what I'd chose in 2023. Cat 6 is fully backward compatible with 5e, and offers more bandwidth for very little cost differential. At the size of your home, it'd be capable of 10 Gbps.

I've been happy with monoprice and cable matters brands on Amazon.

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Ego is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity

DISCLAIMER: These are the author's own personal views and do not represent the views of the author's employer.

I have a bunch of cad5 run but the best tip I got was to run at least two PVC pipes from your basement up to your attic since it’s simple to do before drywall is in.

That way at a later date it’s simple to run any wire you may need in the future to any location in your house.

I was told to have two “tubes” so one could be for hot wires and one for cold wires.

Thanks, what size pvc did you run?
The middle of the house has a vaulted ceiling. There will be enough room for adequate insulation but no air space above that if that makes sense.
Bedrooms on each end have regular flat ceiling with conventional truss'.

a few things...

I went with Cat5e in my house since I find it a little easier to work with compared to Cat6A. I'm totally happy with it, and can do up to 1000 Mbps no problem at all.

If you do go the route of Cat6, learn the difference between cat6 and cat6A. Most people don't know the difference, but it matters if you are trying to "future proof," in which case you would want Cat6A.

That said, I still went Cat5e and I'm happy.

whatever you do, DO NOT BUY CLAD CABLE. it sucks. get 100% solid copper.

Add a run to above the front door. Don't forget runs to some interior locations like near where a safe might go or a seldom used crawl space or basement. Hey, my neighbor had a freaking Burglar IN HIS FREAKING CRAWL SPACE which had an external access. -- cops had to come flush him out.

It sounds like you won't be putting the connectors on, but here is some advice in case you decide to:

Get a good RJ-45 crimping tool. Spend at least $50 on one. If you have trouble with this task which requires a lot of attention to detail, find a motivated 15 year old to do it.

Spend a little money to get a RJ-45 continuity tool. You don't need the expensive Fluke thing, just get a continuity tool and it will save a lot of grief.

quote:

If you do go the route of Cat6, learn the difference between cat6 and cat6A. Most people don't know the difference, but it matters if you are trying to "future proof," in which case you would want Cat6A.

What would the difference be in a 30’x50’ house? My understanding is that both support 10Gbps. Cat6 to 165’ and Cat6A to 328’.

A quick analysis shows 500 ft of Cat5e to be about $150 and 500 ft of Cat6e to be about $300. The cost of jacks and a patch panel are slightly higher for Cat6 versus Cat5. All in you will spend about $400 to $500 more for Cat6e.

If I were installing, I would go with Cat6e but I am a technonerd and, as my wife complains, overengineer everything. Unless you are a serious gamer, streamer or spammer, Cat5e will likely be fast enough.

There was a mention of installing PVC to allow future cable runs between floors. Good idea but there are a few caveats: Ethernet cables do not like tight bends the PVC needs to be a straight run. Also, if you think you need 2 runs, install 4. PVC is cheap to install during framing and pulling cable is always a less then joyous experience. You can install the new cable in an empty PVC, make sure everything works, then pull the old cable from the PVC (tying a pull string to the end when you do that).

In general:
- If you are running cable in air returns, use plenum rated cable.
- The lengths stated in Ethernet speeds include a patch cable at the switch and a patch cable at the end user device. To get the "best" performance, match types (e.g. Cat6 to Cat6). You can mix types but there may be a performance impact.

So is this what I want. 500' should be enough. If this is not what I want please link an Amazon item as the person getting has an amazon acct. Thanks guys.

https://www.amazon.com/Mediabr...e-Wall/dp/B0193V7YNW

quote:

Originally posted by old rugged cross:
Thanks, what size pvc did you run?
The middle of the house has a vaulted ceiling. There will be enough room for adequate insulation but no air space above that if that makes sense.
Bedrooms on each end have regular flat ceiling with conventional truss'.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/HY...OLNS112100/312195108

I used a lot of that product.

I also ran conduit from the back of the TVs in my house to the attic. Makes it easy/future proofed to update wiring. Can also run that conduit to any location- Home Depot sells low voltage boxes designed to secure the conduit to the box.

The conduit is overkill but it’s a nice to have. In addition to category cable for the internet, consider running wiring for the TVs. We ran a double run if cat 6 plus a cat5e to all the TVs. We also ran a few runs of category cable to the location where the internet comes into the house, as well as a double run of RG6 to the south side of the house for a satellite dish.

A lot of products now are setup for wireless connections. It’s an option, but I’m a big fan of wired connections. It’s more reliable.

We ran the category cable and stapled it behind the Sheetrock how it’s described here: https://thirteenacres.com/wiri...-the-future-in-mind/ That makes it easy to tone the wire after Sheetrock is up. There are a few trick that should be considered depending on the type of insulation- google is your friend. An ounce of prep work will save you a ton of work later.

The same strategy works for pre-wiring in ceiling speakers if you’re so inclined. Can use speakers with back boxes if needed (e.g. foam insulation).

Good luck!

Oh- and take a ton of pictures of the walls before insulation, and again before Sheetrock. Consider a video- I refer to my video regularly.

quote:

We ran a double run if cat 6 plus a cat5e to all the TVs.

Three ethernet cables to each TV seems like overkill. I have one to each TV location with an inexpensive 4 or 5 port switch at each TV location as well. My thinking is that only one device at a time is really using the internet at that location. Plus, with my network running 1,000mbps and my ISP providing 400mbps, even if multiple devices were using the internet, my network wouldn't be the bottleneck.

500' should be enough, for 4 cameras, 1 wireless access point, 1 run to each bedroom, and 1 to each TV location.

quote:

Originally posted by old rugged cross:
There will be a mechanical room on the front wall of the garage. Thinking this would be a good location to run the cable to

Is this mechanical room to be heated and air conditioned?

quote:

Originally posted by old rugged cross:
... from the four corners of the house soffit for camera's. Probably three locations for internet in the house.

Yes, if four cameras and three locations for hardwired LAN access is all you think the occupants will ever want.

Personally, for new construction, I'd run at least one cable each to

• Living room
  
• Family room
  
• Each bedroom

and any other room other than bathrooms and kitchen, really.

Plus one into the ceiling at a point as feasibly close to the center of the home as I could, for mounting a WiFI Access Point there.

quote:

Originally posted by old rugged cross:
Should these be run in the crawl space or overhead.

Doesn't matter. Whichever is more convenient and in which the cable is less susceptible to damage.

quote:

Originally posted by old rugged cross:
Do you run 4 separate Cat5e cables to the mechanical rooms from the 4 security camera locations and three separate cables for the different internet locations?

Yes.

(Nitpick: Avoid referring to the LAN [Local Area Network] cable runs as "Internet locations." It's technically incorrect. A network guy such as me sees that and thinks "Three separate Internet connections???")

quote:

Originally posted by old rugged cross:
Are all cables created equally. Just find an online vender and order it or is some better than others.

I'm partial to Belden.

For Cat 5E I like Belden 1701A. At Markertek it's $537 per 1000 feet.

The bonded pairs make it a bit easier to pull, because it's less likely to lose its structural integrity during the pull. Also makes it a bit more of a PITA to terminate, due to having to pull the pairs apart, but, I never found it that big a deal. It's plenum rated, so there are no restrictions against running it through cold air returns spaces.

The problem here is most Belden cable is rarely available in less than 1000 foot put-ups. Wire and Cable Your Way will do custom put-ups, but, I've never dealt with them and they currently show Belden 1701A out of stock.

The Belden Cat 6A equivalent would be Belden 10GXS33. It's about twice as expensive as 1701A.

All that being said: I've done two installations using Monoprice stranded UTP. It all tested-out with my LAN cable analyzer and worked fine.

Speaking of the pulls: It is vitally important the cable never be allowed to kink or twist (and it'll want to) during the pulls. Nor should it ever be pulled under tension around 90° turns.

quote:

Originally posted by SPWAMike0317:
If I were installing, I would go with Cat6e ...

Cat 6E is not an industry standard.

I just finished a 1500sf office new office installation for a client.
16 runs - 750' cable.

Just plan every possible run wanted or needed then measure/estimate the distance - do not underestimate.
Cable is generally sold in 1000' rolls.
The older CAT5e cable is cheaper but not significantly so.

Not a terribly big difference in Cat5e and CAT 6 but I would prefer CAT 6.
Also know that you need to install CAT 6 jacks and use CAT 6 patch Cables to be fully optimized but CAT5e patch cables are compatible.

Additionally, I will always use a Punch Down Panel to consolidate all the cable and Wall Plates with RJ45 jacks.
Then patch cables from the panel to the switch and a patch cable to the device from the wall jack.
It makes for a much more manageable in stallion.
I NEVER just terminate the cable with connectors.

If you have multiple devices over a long or longer length it is perfectly acceptable to run cable to a switch and shorten the runs from the devices to the switch.

I see in many offices another network connection is needed and the client has the option to install another run which is expensive after the fact or to just add an endpoint switch.
I don't particularly like adding switches but sometimes it is the best solution.

Wiring is an infrastructure consideration so think it through as you don't want to have to do it over as insufficient.

Good Luck

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:

quote:

Originally posted by smschulz:
You do not need Plenum cable.

True. I meant to mention in my original response that was overkill for his application.

I use it because I used it at work--where we did need it, because then I don't have to think about where or how I want to run it, and on the off chance I might need it.

As an aside: I've no idea at all who "Mediabridge" is.

Sure, I deleted my original post after rereading - Premium as Plenum.
But as you and I know where/when required and it is not here.

Looking over the Amazon offerings - I have used MediaBridge Audio connectors so I am familiar with the company.
A lot of price gaps in cables so you have to wonder about quality.
I generally get a Belden or similar from my local distributor.
On Amazon I might consider MonoPrice or Cable Matters - both have a decent rep.

Side note: CAT6 -550mhz and CAT6a - 650mhz.
OP, pay attention to that.

(Re-posting my second comments cuz smschulz and I are crossing posts and I added add'l comments...)

quote:

Originally posted by smschulz:
I NEVER just terminate the cable with connectors.

I never did at work and I'd never do so for a new installation, but, I did for my cameras at home and I did for my buddy's cellular Internet and WiFi installation up north, using stranded Cat 5E in both cases.

In my case it made no sense to be to do a patch panel and jacks at the camera ends for a few cameras. In the case of the installation for my buddy all I was doing was connecting WiFi infrastructure to a cellular modem. So, again: A patch panel and jacks would've been way overkill.

quote:

Originally posted by smschulz:
Wiring is an infrastructure consideration so think it through as you don't want to have to do it over as insufficient.

This cannot be over-emphasized. The cable may seem expensive, but, the labor to install it, particularly once construction is complete, far outstrips the cost of the cable.

quote:

Originally posted by smschulz:
You do not need Plenum cable.

True. I meant to mention in my original response that was overkill for his application.

I use it because I used it at work--where we did need it, because then I don't have to think about where or how I want to run it, and on the off chance I might need it.

As an aside: I've no idea at all who "Mediabridge" is.

quote:

Originally posted by smschulz:
Sure, I deleted my original post after rereading - Premium as Plenum.
But as you and I know where/when required and it is not here.

Yes.

quote:

Originally posted by smschulz:
A lot of price gaps in cables so you have to wonder about quality.

Exactly.

In the thousands-upon-thousands of feet of cable we ran at my old employer's through the years I think we once had one run that ended-up with a weird out-of-tolerance defect mid-run, using Belden UTP cable.

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:

I'm partial to Belden.

For Cat 5E I like Belden 1701A. At Markertek it's $537 per 1000 feet.

I agree Beldon is top of the line, and likely goes through more testing than other brands. but wow, that's expensive.

I use this: https://www.digikey.com/en/pro.../N022-01K-BL/6164307

I mostly trust Tripp-Lite for things like cable. Sure they are not Beldon, but they are one third the price.

To the OP: I know 500' is what you need, but when shopping, 1000' seems to be the standard offering. I don't find all the brands / part numbers that I want in 500' boxes.

quote:

Originally posted by ECSquirrel:
Oh- and take a ton of pictures of the walls before insulation, and again before Sheetrock. Consider a video- I refer to my video regularly.

Double dittos on that!

It not only helped me on some DIY projects here, it helped us with selling the house. Having pdf or physical copies of the build plans and photos of all the stages of build will improve the salability of the home.

quote:

Originally posted by radioman:

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:
I'm partial to Belden.

For Cat 5E I like Belden 1701A. At Markertek it's $537 per 1000 feet.

I agree Beldon is top of the line, and likely goes through more testing than other brands. but wow, that's expensive.

It is.

And, as smschulz and I noted: It's overkill for his application, since he almost certainly won't be running it through plenum spaces.

Belden 1700A at Markertek is a lot more reasonable, at $290/1000 ft. It's the same cable, except CMR rated rather than CMP.

If I was going to wire new construction that's probably what I'd buy. Or possibly 10GXS32, which is Cat 6A, if I really wanted to future-proof the installation. But, as with the plenum-rated Cat 5E: It's twice as expensive.

quote:

and any other room other than bathrooms and kitchen, really.

Nowdays there are good reasons to put a wired connection into the kitchen, many devices, refrigerators for example have internet access, you may not want one but young homebuyers do.

Our Kitchen is central in the house, having a wired connection for a router or the wifi hub off a MESH, security camera hub, Amazon device, tv and whatever comes down the road.

JMO...