another "Networking cable my home" thread.

[GoNz0]

I have a very limited structured cable network at home, it runs from the lounge to what was my office (now 2nd kids bedroom)
At the time I laid some 5e shielded cable as it ran along side mains cables. As I knew so little back then I didn't earth the shielding but whatever, that cables now redundant!

in use under the floorboards from the dining room to lounge I have a 6e pre made that is not fantastic quality and probably stranded copper or worst CCA

I also did this again from the dining room to the cupboard currently housing my server and used a cheap pre made stranded cable that reads about 3 times longer than it is with my tester so yet again crap quality.

Last week I ran a 5e cable outside from the lounge to kitchen and moved my AP next to the Tivo box This will be ran in conduit as soon as my sparky bro in law can get some for me so outdoor rated isn't an issue.

Now I am able to move the server to the loft as I want to get some IP based CCTV in the future so it makes sense to do the move.

Some of the cable will have to run alongside mains cable, I can avoid 90 degree sharp turns to preserve cat6 and above so I figure the best bets a shielded cat6 run with netgear prosafe switches and this time run a couple of cables to each location.

So now you read the boring life story of my crappy home networking I feel the need to rip the lot out and stick in some proper solid copper shielded cable and make sure the shieldings connected to earth via the switches, I have been browsing ebay and amazon and a certain cat7 caught my eye https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...=AZH2GF8Z5J95G

Worth using?

tia.

[shaithis]

Cat6a goes to 10GBe, Cat7a has been tested up to 100GBe in certain situations (very short runs)

How long before you think you'll have some 10GBe switches and NICs? How long before you have a 100GBe switch?

[GoNz0]

As soon as I can afford them!

[DanceswithUnix]

I thought Amazon was pretty bad for buying network cable, I expect the 30% skim that Amazon take on their marketplace makes it uncompetitive apart from the iffy CCA vendors.

Not actually used it yet, but I ended up buying my Cat 6 cable from https://www.comms-express.com/ as the price was decent and the cable had proper information about it.

[GoNz0]

Only problem is I do not need nor really want to fork out for a 305m box of the stuff

100m is fine for my needs.

[peterb]

Cable Monkey sell cable in 100 metre lengths

http://www.cablemonkey.co.uk/search?...submit_search=

Probably not the cheapest, but as you will only want to do this once...

I have used them for cable without problem.

[DanceswithUnix]

Only problem is I do not need nor really want to fork out for a 305m box of the stuff

100m is fine for my needs.

100m was how much I bought, was about £30 delivered at the time. About the same on Amazon would have bought me some brittle CCA with iffy reviews.

I think it was this one I ordered: https://www.comms-express.com/produc...id-100mt-grey/

[TheAnimus]

Cat6a goes to 10GBe, Cat7a has been tested up to 100GBe in certain situations (very short runs)

How long before you think you'll have some 10GBe switches and NICs? How long before you have a 100GBe switch?

TBH I can't imagine any home users needing 10GBe within the next two decades, let alone 100GBe.

I remember using 1GB over a decade back, it was needlessly expensive but made a small difference over 100mbit. Now? I'm mostly on WiFi that is <100mbit.

I think it's going to come down to an ease of use scenario.

[Dashers]

10G is definitely worth considering, for future proofing, but yeah, you'll rewire before 100G comes to the home. And just because the cable isn't rated for fast speeds, doesn't mean it won't be able to achieve it over short spans (e.g. room to room in a domestic environment).

I went for Cat6A as that was what was generally available when I did my house and it was the first rating to do 10G at 100m. Not that I've got a single 100m run in my house.

Shielding, again, unlikely to be a major problem in a domestic environment. The problem with shielding is it's easy to do it wrong. You have to shield end-to-end. Which means, patch panels, wall sockets and patch cables all have to be shielded and then you have to ensure that everything is earthed correctly.

I worried about interference and shielding a fair bit when I did some shonky wiring in my last house, but it was unfounded.

The downside to going to faster cable is it's almost always thicker and harder to work with. Pushing Cat7 through the walls is one thing, but when it comes to fiddling with the punch down in the small wall box, that's where the swearing starts.

[GoNz0]

I ordered the cat7 I linked in the 1st post. Having looked at the runs the route up to the loft from the downstairs cupboard can be done without any small radius bends all the way back to the dining room, dining to lounge will be under the floor so again no big bends!
Lounge to kitchens going outside, fortunately along the only wall that no one can see

As for terminating, I am sure that will be fun and games but the majority can be done then the cable pushed back down into the floor or left loose up the loft where the majority will terminate.

[GoNz0]

This looks like a good option for shielded keystone jacks as they are £3.12 if I buy 5+

The same make that needs a punchdown tool (Yes I have one) cost £4.87 for 5+

http://www.tuk.co.uk/tuk_live/produc...y_id=1&pId=298

[bledd]

Cat5e works on 10GBe up to around 60 metres.

No need for shielded cable at home, it's only needed in industrial areas.

I highly recommend using CCS branded cable, modules and patch panel.

cat5e
http://www.netstoredirect.com/cat5e-...er-sheath.html
http://www.netstoredirect.com/29-cat5e-modules
http://www.netstoredirect.com/cat5e-...ch-panels.html

cat6
http://www.netstoredirect.com/cat6-c...utp-cable.html
http://www.netstoredirect.com/cat6-m...045700257.html
http://www.netstoredirect.com/cat6-p...tch-panel.html


I do a lot of cabling in my work, this is the only stuff we buy now, so many cheap and crappy brands out there.

Excel is decent brand too.


-edit, if you want keystone jacks, then these cat6 ones work perfectly for cat5e and cat6 cable.
http://cpc.farnell.com/tuk/skfbk/mod...ack/dp/CS25965 £1.61 each

Patch panel is less fiddly mind

For your modules you want cable ties, 100mm x 2.5mm black

Don't get sucked into the cat7 malarky. Cat5e is perfectly fine. It just adds loads of time to the termination. I recently did a house of 50+ cat6 shielded cable, each module took around 4 minutes instead of the 1 minute that a cat5e takes :/ Destroyed fingers.

[peterb]

Cat5e works on 10GBe up to around 60 metres.

No need for shielded cable at home, it's only needed in industrial areas.

I highly recommend using CCS branded cable, modules and patch panel.
cat5e
http://www.netstoredirect.com/cat5e-...er-sheath.html
http://www.netstoredirect.com/29-cat5e-modules
http://www.netstoredirect.com/cat5e-...ch-panels.html

cat6
http://www.netstoredirect.com/cat6-c...utp-cable.html
http://www.netstoredirect.com/cat6-m...045700257.html
http://www.netstoredirect.com/cat6-p...tch-panel.html


I do a lot of cabling in my work, this is the only stuff we buy now, so many cheap and crappy brands out there.

Excel is decent brand too.


-edit, if you want keystone jacks, then these cat6 ones work perfectly for cat5e and cat6 cable.
http://cpc.farnell.com/tuk/skfbk/mod...ack/dp/CS25965 £1.61 each

Patch panel is less fiddly mind

For your modules you want cable ties, 100mm x 2.5mm black

Don't get sucked into the cat7 malarky. Cat5e is perfectly fine. It just adds loads of time to the termination. I recently did a house of 50+ cat6 shielded cable, each module took around 4 minutes instead of the 1 minute that a cat5e takes :/ Destroyed fingers.

Certainly agree with that - untwisting cat6 cable is not finger friendly, and cat6 plugs are more fiddly to put on - unless you buy ready made patch cables or use some of the more expensive easy termination plugs. Cat 7 is great for backbone/trunk cabling, but then it becomes a toss up between cat7 and fibre - at least in a commercial environment,

[GoNz0]

It wasn't so much a case of getting sucked in more a case of I will at some stage swap to 10gb. The cable I went for should be as good as 6e (and price wise) but I wanted shielding due to it having to run with mains cables & alarm equipment in places.
I have had problems with the 5e cable already installed with a mains run due to no alternative without chasing out walls and this really isn't an option at the moment. If I use the same cable, similar length but loose through the doorway avoiding the mains cable I get no problems, hence wanting to go shielded.

Anyway, the cables been shipped from Germany a few minutes ago so no stopping it now!

I won't be using this for patch leads either.

[peterb]

Anyway, the cables been shipped from Germany a few minutes ago so no stopping it now!

Good luck - tell us how you get on please.

[badass]

Cat6 works on 10GBe up to around 60 metres.

No need for shielded cable at home, it's only needed in industrial areas.

<snip.
Don't get sucked into the cat7 malarky. Cat6 is perfectly fine. It just adds loads of time to the termination. I recently did a house of 50+ cat6 shielded cable, each module took around 4 minutes instead of the 1 minute that a cat5e takes :/ Destroyed fingers.

FTFY

Cat 5e is not rated for 10 GBe over any distance - although it might work. Cat6 (not cat6a) is rated for 10 GBe over 55 meters in low noise environments and 40 meters in a noisy environment.

Cat6a is required for the full 100 meters of 10 GBe although anyone in a house that needs more than 55 meters can proabbly afford to pay someone else to do their cabling!