Future Proofing Home Network

[oshta]

I am planning to run network cable into my house, to the bed rooms and living room up into the attic where I intend to locate a switch.

Is there any point, from a future proofing view, of using anything posher than unshielded cat6? I plan to run two lengths to each room, some will be run externally where I plan to use external grade cable.

Is there anything you would do differently, or anything else you would lay along side the network cable?

Currently on the network there will be;
- BT Home Hub (8meg+)
- BT vision box
- Buffalo NAS drive
- Print server (usb inkjet)
- Two desktops
- 3 laptops off home hub


Daniel

[blueball]

Cat5e will cope happily with Gigabit in a house. Cat6 will be more than enough.

[dave87]

I wouldn't put the stuff in the loft - pain to get to if you need to reset/change something. That and the variation in temperature and humidity can potentially cause problems for the hardware over the longer term.

I've done much the same as you intend - might give you a few ideas: http://forums.hexus.net/pc-hardware/...style-wip.html

[DR]

Buy some decent quality CAT6 cable - whack it in and you won't regret - the loft thing doesn't matter so much but I would ensure you put it in to a decent patch panel and you have a decent switch (don't get a cheap one - get a quality one) also look at the new WIFI stuff coming out for roaming devices

[blueball]

also look at the new WIFI stuff coming out for roaming devices

This is on my shopping list

[DR]

This is on my shopping list

I would wait for this: http://hexus.net/tech/news/network/3...reless-router/

[blueball]

I would wait for this: http://hexus.net/tech/news/network/3...reless-router/

Nice but how much? I guess no idea yet.

[DR]

Nice but how much? I guess no idea yet.

They are going to be coming out from a ton of manufacturers over the next few months so I wouldn't be buying an AP now if you can avoid it.

[abaxas]

Buy some decent quality CAT6 cable - whack it in and you won't regret - the loft thing doesn't matter so much but I would ensure you put it in to a decent patch panel and you have a decent switch (don't get a cheap one - get a quality one) also look at the new WIFI stuff coming out for roaming devices

Roaming devices are your main problem.. aka mice, rate, squirrels etc,

Make sure your cable is protected or something will definitely have a nibble.

[oolon]

The best way to "future proof" your wiring is to install string into each cable run, so you can pull through new cables in the future, without having to take everything to pieces again, put the cables in conduit if you can, so new can be run up it. Do a nice job, if you can hide things in walls.

Cat 6 is no better than Cat 5e (both only support 1Gb not 10Gb networking), If you want to look into future proofing Cat 7 is way to go. Cat 6 is alot harder to work with than Cat 5e as the cable as a plastic seperator inside it, and also really needs to be terminated into a panel as installing plugs on it is a nightmare.

[badass]

Cat5e will cope happily with Gigabit in a house. Cat6 will be more than enough.

Agreed

I wouldn't put the stuff in the loft - pain to get to if you need to reset/change something. That and the variation in temperature and humidity can potentially cause problems for the hardware over the longer term.

I've done much the same as you intend - might give you a few ideas: http://forums.hexus.net/pc-hardware/...style-wip.html

Definitely. Used to have the loft setup in my parents house. Had to redo the lot after a few years after the heat/cold/dust etc kept causing problems. The Patch panel and switch is now located in a large cupboard.

The best way to "future proof" your wiring is to install string into each cable run, so you can pull through new cables in the future, without having to take everything to pieces again, put the cables in conduit if you can, so new can be run up it. Do a nice job, if you can hide things in walls.

Definitely do this. Saved me loads of time!

Cat 6 is no better than Cat 5e (both only support 1Gb not 10Gb networking), If you want to look into future proofing Cat 7 is way to go. Cat 6 is alot harder to work with than Cat 5e as the cable as a plastic seperator inside it, and also really needs to be terminated into a panel as installing plugs on it is a nightmare.

Not entirely true.
Cat5e can only support gigabit. (up to 100 meters)
Cat6 can support 10 Gbit, but only up to 35 ish meters in an electrically noisy environment or 55 meters in a less noisy environment.
Cat6e can support 10 GBit up to 100 meters.

The 100 meters figure is approximate and assumes a maximum of 10 meters of patch lead included in that 100 meter length. The longer the patch leads, the shorter the overall length possible reliably.

I would definitely go Cat6 for the cable. If the patch panel and sockets are cheap enough, get those as Cat6 ones as well. If not, go cat5e and then you can replace them if you want faster than 1 GBit.
Also, at the patch panel, leave a long loop of all of the cables so you can move or re terminate it.
At the sockets, loop the cables around the inside several times. Depending on tools used, I have had to re terminate more than once after the tools either cut too deep or the sockets were not quite good enough. Get a basic RJ45 cable tester as well. They are pretty cheap and will save you a lot of time identifying problems.

[oshta]

I wouldn't put the stuff in the loft - pain to get to if you need to reset/change something. That and the variation in temperature and humidity can potentially cause problems for the hardware over the longer term.

I've done much the same as you intend - might give you a few ideas: http://forums.hexus.net/pc-hardware/...style-wip.html

Just read the thread through, very nice work, if a little more than I plan to do. Would love to have the gear elsewhere but nowhere really leaps out, upstairs there is only the three bedrooms and the bathroom, no landing/space to speak off. Only other thought I had was to go over the stairs, access would be worse however. Parents have had there switch/nasdrive in the attic without issues to date.

The best way to "future proof" your wiring is to install string into each cable run, so you can pull through new cables in the future, without having to take everything to pieces again, put the cables in conduit if you can, so new can be run up it. Do a nice job, if you can hide things in walls.

This was my plan, although most walls are solid, im hoping to get most of it run down the middle of the partition walls.


Daniel