Cat 5 runs priced by room or No. of cables?

Calibos

Whole house renovation including re-wire due to start next month. 1 Cat 5e/6 run to each room in spec. Now realised I need 3 runs to each room to the same points. 1 for gigabit network and two for HDMI matrix switcher + Baluns.

I know all hardware is my responsibility. What I am asking is how much more an extra 2 runs to each room will cost. Do you guys price by the room or by the cable. Remember the 3 runs in each room are going to the same point so the bundles of 3 Cat 5/6 can be pulled through at the same time. I do realise that there is three times the cable termination to be done though.

Also will the electrical contractor source the wall plates or is that something I need to be thinking about and sourcing myself?

Thanks in advance.

Victor

I wouldn't pay more than €50-100 extra per point. You need to find out if there is a knock-on effect in design standards, e.g. multiplexer A is now too small because you have 3X number of cables instead of X cables.

You need to look at the separate parts. Per point:

1. Chasing the wall and making good for conduit.
2. Possibly using a larger conduit.
3. Chasing the wall and making good for socket.
4. Running extra cable.
5. Triple socket (are they available) against single socket.
6. Terminating cables.

The material costs are probably under €10.

The extra chasing might take 10 minutes (completely dependent on what the wall is made of).

There might be an extra 30-60 minutes work for the electrician including whoever is terminating the cables.

Calibos

Thanks for that Victor.

Am I understanding you correctly. A 'Point' is where the cables terminate? Because these 2 extra Cat 5 cables are terminating at the same point as the first which is already priced into the spec, the number of 'Points' remains the same? So if the number of 'Points' was 8, then the extra cost of now running 3 cables instead of 1 to each of those 'Points' is 8x €50-100 = €400-800

Do I have that correct. I suppose thats alright.

Would there really be any extra chasing needed. Remember the new runs are coming from and going to exactly the same wall plates as the first run. Would the sparks really use conduit that only accomodated 1x cat 5e cable necessitating bigger conduit and more chasing to accomodate bigger conduit to accomodate 2 more cables? I really thought the only extra cost involved would have been 3x the Cat5 material cost and 3x the termination labour cost.

BTW. Can you explain Multiplexor? DO you mean a patch panel? What exactly are they for anyway. Is there any problem with just terminating the Cables at the utility cupboard with RJ 45. and plugging the 1x Network runs straight into an ethernet switch and the 2x Balun runs into the Octava Hdmi matrix switch that has built in baluns for each output. (patch cables from wall plate in rooms to receiving HDMI Baluns supplied with OCTAVA)

What I mean is that I didn't think there was any hardware included in the spec. I assumed I was providing the Ethernet switch/Patchpanel/Multiplexor. So does your 50-100 include the extra cost for a multiplexor?

Stoner

Data points are always charged per point, nothing to do with the rooms.

The cost of 50-100 euro victor pointed out is fair, however if you are going for Cat 6 cabling €10 for the materials per point if off the mark IMHO, but the over all cost seems fair at around 75 euro. It is faster to run in 3 cables to one point compared to running in 3 cables to three different places, so a reasonable rate should be achieved. However termination time is considerable and is not altered by the location of the points.

Due to the extra cables will you need a bigger patch panel? that may be an issue if a smaller one has been purchased.

It is not a good idea to simply terminate cables into RJ45 plug tops IMO, it is a common error and installations can fail standards if this is the case, remember that cat 5 and cat 6 are standards of installation. The best option IMO is to terminate into a patch panel at your equipment end and a wall plate at the far end. The wall plates and the patch panels sockets will be numbered so you know which is which. Small patch leads can then be used to patch from the patch panel into your switch and your HDMI devices.

Your sparks should simply give you a price per point, I'd say thats what will happen anyway. This is why its always best to design these things into the first quote, but these things still happen.

Dotsie~tmp

Have you ever pulled/terminated CAT 6? Are you sure you want to? Its not the same as CAT 5, look it up. Certainly not to be left in the hand of some apprentice spark. As above CAT 5 & 6 are standards that encompass cable, running method & termination not just the cable you buy.