Then, it was time to cut and drill. The old-construction mud rings I purchased included a handy guide, to ensure that I cut the proper size and shape hole in the wall. Then, it was just a matter of getting my bendy drill bit started, applying the appropriate pressure, and drilling through the floor into the crawlspace, and praying I didn't hit a gasline down there. Luckily in the 50s, when they built my house, no one put insulation in the walls, so I didn't have to deal with that while drilling my holes.
When you make turns with data cables, it's important not to use too harsh an angle, or you can actually impact your data transmission speeds.
After the holes were drilled, it was time to head to the crawlspace and start pulling cable bundles. I pulled them to the drops, which I was able to find by turning out my light in the crawlspace, and having someone shine a light down the hole. Because there's no insulation in the walls, I was able to easily push the cables up through the hole, and have someone grab them and pull up a few feet of slack--you don't want to accidently not pull enough cable. Then I used some cable tacks to fix the entire run to the central support beam for the house. I did that for each room that I needed phone, cable, or Ethernet, and moved on to the central wiring step.
Make sure you don't actualy crimp the Ethernet cables when you're tying the cables down.
From there, it was as simple as mounting Ethernet jacks on each end of the run using the instructions provided with the jacks, mounting them in faceplates, and screwing the faceplates on to the wall. I ended up using a D-Link multi-voltage Power over Ethernet device and a compatible D-Link switch to push power into my crawlspace give me an easy way to get data flowing to each port.
After living with the results, I can happily say that the work was definitely worth the effort. I'm seeing stupid-fast file transfers across my home network, and it's really nice not to rely on wonky Wi-Fi bridges or expensive Powerline adapters to stream video and make VOIP calls.
Comments are closed on this article
Breakingcustom
March 23, 2009 at 10:44am
I've been working in the telecommunications industry for close to 2 years now (I'm an apprentice) and I've done some massive wiring jobs (casinos, hotels, etc) and some retrofits. One thing you forgot to talk about is terminating the ends of the cables.
There is a big difference between terminating Cat5e and Cat6 cable (if you go to test them). Even so the best thing to do is only have about .5 inches of cable exposed from where you stripped the jacket. Also, keeping as much twist as possible is key to avoid cross talk. Another tip is to avoid over twisting. Too much twist can actually impact the performance of the cable.
I can't wait til I buy my own house and wire it up to the max. If you are looking to save money Cat5e is more than enough, but if you can find a box of Cat6 go for it. The thing to remember though is if you are running Cat6 cable, use Cat6 patch cords. There is no point in running Ca6 if you are going to use less than Cat6 patch cords. You also need to make sure the connectors you use are rated for the cable. The easiest way to see if a RJ-45 is compatiable with Cat6 is by looking at the fingers where the conductor makes contact. There should be 3 of them instead of 2 (Cat5 and under). The same goes for jacks. I've worked with Leviton jacks that are Cat5e rated and just put a cat6 to see how it would test and it would fail because how you split the blue and green pairs.
Lastly, when running cable make sure you don't go over 90m. It is the standard for horizontal cabling. Most people won't ever exceed that, but if you have a big house, you never know. One other thing, it is a good idea to make a 5-10ft service loop at each end of a cable run.
If any of you have questions, let me know.
butcho323
March 14, 2009 at 9:14am
Hey Will,
How about adding some photos and a write up about the equipment in your garage? I would like to see how you route all of the ethernet and cable signals. Some equipement suggestions would be helpful too.
Also how would you recommend running wiring throughout a condo? Are there tools that make it possible to route wires through the walls and floors when your home doesn't have a crawl space?
Great article! Thanks!
Erik R
March 13, 2009 at 2:15am
When I wired my home, I used the "composite" cable that has two CAT-5e and two RG-6 Cables contained in a single sheath. This makes for a very neat installation. It also keeps all the wires for each room together. For jacks, I used Leviton Quickport jacks. Leviton makes blank wallplates that you custom fit with the jacks you need. This gives a very professional look to your installation.
Erik
ACBlessing
September 27, 2007 at 3:06pm
I've done my share of crawling through the attic as another poster said...here in SW Florida, it hits over 130 degrees as sweat was dripping onto my eyes stinging them. Just be prepared for this before taking on the project and take everything you need WITH YOU during the crawl. Nothing sucks more than having to crawl all the way back just to get cable ties or a tack hammer.
Despite the physical pains and heat exhaustion, I put in redundant runs to each room trying to future-proof this install. I can do POE or separate LANs within the same room or even port aggregation as some aftermarket router firmware provides for combining ports 3 and 4 for example.
In the end, I created an ad-hoc wiring closet in the garage with easy access to the routers, cable modem and amplifier.
Hey! There's an idea for an article: KickAss User wiring closets! Forget case mods, this might be a new trend. Think UV and LED lights,lava lamps, fancy cooling and plexiglass doors to show all the blinking router and switch lights! Okay, I digress.
Nevertheless when it was all over, it was worth it. Superfast gigbit switching, no deadspots, no worry about Draft N specs to be ratified for the next decade and no channel hopping every time a neighbor (you know the ones: SSID is Linksys and password is admin) sets up a new router.
Wireless has its place...travelling and coffeehouse hotspots; maybe the occassional jaunt to the patio but there is no substitute for cable.
oihorse
September 13, 2007 at 6:33pm
I'm looking at making my own cable and pulling it through the house.
I'm very interest in what tools you used? Brand? Did you just but a full kit? If so, which kit? What purchases would you suggest before making your own cables?
I did a search on the forums but the only threads on network tool kits is about 2 years old (which may be valid, but want to check to see if anything new and cool is being used 2 years hence).
Thanks!
Horse
Breakingcustom
March 23, 2009 at 10:42am
For crimping RJ-45's I just bought a crimper from Newegg (Trendnet). I've never had a problem with it. For terminating jacks, I use a Fluke punch down tool, but you can go to Lowes and pick up an Ideal one. When it comes to stripping the jacket, I recommend buying a pair of Klein scisscors (electrician ones).
samduhman
September 13, 2007 at 8:11am
Wiring is definately worth it in my house. The damn cordless phone and microwave are always knocking out my wireless connection.
MantaBase
September 10, 2007 at 7:15pm
Hardwire is far superior IMO to wireless for non-portable devices. It's Faster, it's more secure and it's more signal robust.
So yeah - its worth it if you can pull it off easy(ish). It will also increase the value and sale-ability (sp?) of your home.
Knowing where you live I doubt you need to worry about critters. That said, it is a real issue in certain areas. Something in the wire insulation tends to attract certain critters (like raccoons and possums).
Good job. Looks better than my wiring work.
Manta
McB
September 09, 2007 at 8:36am
I've been a professional "low voltage" wirer (heh) for a few years now. If you're interested in a few do's/do not's I'd be happy to help.
MacKinnon
September 09, 2007 at 7:52am
Looks like an apprentice ran that wire in the crawlspace. Some one posted about only wiring the first floor of their new house. Most times you can wire the second floor without too much hassle. Most homes are balloon construction. There should be a space between the outer wall and the floor boards, so you should be able to get a snake up there easy enough. Also, if there is a fireplace or chimney you can always follow that from the basement to any 2nd/3rd fl areas you need to wire.
Baer
September 07, 2007 at 8:39pm
Wired is always better, Yes I have Wi-Fi but in the office section of my home I have three computers and two network printers. I have wired that entire half of the house with CAT5-e and have never been sorry. No glitches, everything is fast, If I have a guest I can hand them an ethernet cable instead of a 40 charachter password and then have to consider changing it.
Way to go, do it the right way instead of the easy way.
DreadedOne509
September 07, 2007 at 6:27pm
Looking forward to the article. Just bought a new house and will more than likely wire it with some 6E. We're fortunate to have a full basement, and I only plan on putting outlets on the ground floor and the basement (where f@h farm will be).
I hope in your article you include specific details on wiring the faceplate's/outlets etc.
"Thought's of Dread"
sidwndr
September 08, 2007 at 1:56am
The wiring of the RJ45s are very easy. The color code is on the jacks for type A and type B. Only thing to worry about is making all of them the same type, all type A or all type B. I would like to see the patch panel you made up, and might be able to get you a real one for cheap.
willsmith
September 08, 2007 at 8:34am
The made up patch panel is a snap--it's just a 6-outlet faceplate on a new construction mud ring, with 6 ports plugged into it. Nothing fancy, but more than enough for what I need.
I could have bought a real patch panel, but 16 or 24 ports are total overkill, and the smaller 6 and 8 port jobbers for home use looked like a ripoff.
elburro
September 08, 2007 at 10:08am
great article I'm thinking about doing something similar in my own home
L_M_Damiani
September 07, 2007 at 3:54pm
In SW Florida, we don't have to worry about crawl spaces. We have none. At 10 ---> 11 feet above sea level - maximum in SW Florida. There are no cellars or crawl spaces.
At this time of the year, our attics are ~130+ degrees - function of the time of day."Is Wiring Your Home Worth It?"
I think NOT!
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