Home Network - CAT6

Dummy

I build my house about 4 years ago and it cabled with CAT6 all over. But I have not implemented it yet. But I am going to start at Easter and would like some advice.

At the moment, I am planning on putting in dual sockets for phone & network. Is there anything else that I could include?

Can anyone advise where I could reasonable priced face plates? Nothing fancy - just white.

Likewise I want to put in a patchpanel - can anyone advise where I could get reasonable priced stuff?

Further down the road, I do want to put in Music in the rooms working from a server - is there anything I can do now to prepare for this. How do you control music selection, volume, on / off etc? Again, is there anything I can do to prepare for this?

All advice appreciated.

D

thegen

What brand of Cat 6 cable have you installed?

There was a lot of cables claiming to be Cat 6 and they did not have the relevant certification to back this up. They would work in a channel with tuned connectors and patch panel but were not inter operable with other solutions.

BaconZombie

Also remember to buy CAT6 Plugs and Patch-Panels for all your CAT6 will effectively be downgraded to CAT5.

thegen wrote: »

What brand of Cat 6 cable have you installed?

There was a lot of cables claiming to be Cat 6 and they did not have the relevant certification to back this up. They would work in a channel with tuned connectors and patch panel but were not inter operable with other solutions.

Dummy

thegen wrote: »

What brand of Cat 6 cable have you installed?

QUOTE]

I'll be home at the weekend & I will check this then.

BaconZombie wrote: »

Also remember to buy CAT6 Plugs and Patch-Panels for all your CAT6 will effectively be downgraded to CAT5.

I didn't know this - thank you. I'll bear this is in mind when I am buying. I want to start this job at Easter, so I will start pricing now to have everything in place for then.

thegen

Call Temple Sales in Tallaght and ask for Daniel, he will look after you.

Dummy

thegen wrote: »

What brand of Cat 6 cable have you installed?

There was a lot of cables claiming to be Cat 6 and they did not have the relevant certification to back this up. They would work in a channel with tuned connectors and patch panel but were not inter operable with other solutions.

What is written on the cable is:

"Lexcom Home Comm Cable PIMF 4 * 2 * AWG23 LSFROH E231403 CM D0904"

Does this make any sense?


D.

Dummy

Hang on - this is CAT7? And not CAT6 as I had originally thought.

D.

thegen

If it is a Cat 7 cable you have an excellent cable but if incorrectly terminate it will cause more problems than Cat 5e. Not sure if Cat 7 has been ratified as yet. Someone else may be able to let me know on that.

Has it been laid beside power cables? If so and it is not correctly earthed the shielding will act as an antennae and cause you problems.

Dummy

Yeah it has been routed down the walls in its own seperate track.

But I am at a loss with regards patch panels etc - do I use a patch panel for CAT6 on this? What can I do with it? Solely data? Or data & phone? I am at a loss with this.

Each room has 3 cables coming into it. They all finish in a small cupboard upstairs, together with coax and phone wire.

I want to use this to it's full potential but have no idea what its full potential is.

Is it something that I let a good sparky at or does it require more expertise?


D.

KeRbDoG

For the network cabling, this really depends on how much cash yea wanna blow on the installation of patch panels/face-plates etc.

If you just want to start using the cable thats already there, yea don't really need to install face-plates or a patch panel just terminate/crimp both ends of the cable. In the cupboard upstairs yea could just terminate/crimp the CAT6~ cable and connect to a switch. Getting a network up and running cheap and if yea decide yea wanna go the whole hog yea can have them terminated into a patch panel and face-plates installed etc by yourself or a spark who knows what he is at.

I would come from the land of ensuring yea have a need and will use the structured cabling in your house before yea throw a load of cash at it and find out yea will only use 2~3 cables in total after spending €100/1000's on getting everything to a professional standard.

Just a note, you can use that CAT5/6 for phone or data. You would just need to connect/patch it correctly - easy as chips as always when yea know how.

Get yourself a book or two on the subject and do some reading; Amazon have a load of books on the subject
http://www.amazon.com/Wiring-Home-Networks-Computer-Telephone/dp/0376018062/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1268083329&sr=1-4
http://www.amazon.com/Home-Networking-Missing-Scott-Lowe/dp/059600558X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1268083329&sr=1-1
http://www.amazon.com/Home-Networking-Dummies-Computer-Tech/dp/B001U3YQCE/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1268083329&sr=1-6

FusionNet

Cat7 is not ratified yet, you can only certify to Cat6A I think but in time that will be sorted. What Gen said was right though it must be terminated correctly if it is actually CAT7, if not you might as well not have it.

As for the advice of one the guys there to stick crimps on it, I firstly would absolutely disagree with that and secondly I dont think you will be able to do that with CAT7. Cat7 is usually shielded due to the 10gig spec, plus it is also a lot thinker that cat5e. You need to wire this network with proper modules and a patch panel. This can be done quite cheaply so dont worry. I would recommend you terminate it to CAT6 standard and if done right that will give you 10 years of use without major issue.

Dummy

Thanks FusionNet.

I have been reading up on this Lexcom and it is not very forgiving if I do silly things like overly bend etc.

I found a blog where this guy gives a good commentary on how to terminate and install, setup his lexcom network. http://lexcomhomenetwork.blogspot.com/

I also came across this site selling Lexcom distribution panels - http://www.ibn-01.com/intelligenthome/group/210/lexcom-home-distribution-panels

Wicked prices though.


D.

FusionNet

D,

You dont need Lexcom distribution panels. Are you definately sure its Cat7 you have not Cat6A? And ya your right, terminating anything more than cat6 can be a beee, but if done right its worth it. I personally havent terminated Lexcom myself as Im a panduit Certified Installer but Im sure its similar.

Dummy

Eoghan,

What is written on the cable is:

Lexcom Home Comm Cable PIMF 4 * 2 * AWG23 LSFROH E231403 CM D0904

I found it on Google on Sunday night that it was CAT7 but I cannot find it now. I'll search the history on the PC at home again just to convince myself again. I am unsure now.



D

Rew

You will know from the cable its self:

Cat 7
http://img.alibaba.com/photo/221914773/CAT_7_CABLE.jpg

Cat 6a
http://images.pennnet.com/articles/cim/thm/th_0708cimfocu****achi.jpg

Dummy

Rew wrote: »

You will know from the cable its self:

Cat 7
http://img.alibaba.com/photo/221914773/CAT_7_CABLE.jpg

Cat 6a
http://images.pennnet.com/articles/cim/thm/th_0708cimfocu****achi.jpg

Thanks Rew,

The link for the CAT6a was not working but the Lexcom cable we have is similare to the CAT7 in the image. The paired wires are sorrounded with the foil and the braided wire.

I called the sparky this evening that installed it and he faxing info on the cable to me tomorrow or whenever he finds it.


Thank you for the help.

D.

KeRbDoG

FusionNet wrote: »

As for the advice of one the guys there to stick crimps on it, I firstly would absolutely disagree with that and secondly I dont think you will be able to do that with CAT7...

Why would you disagree about crimping 2~3 patches (if its CAT6) to see if the owner really has a need for the cabling before having everything correctly terminated?

FusionNet

Hi Kerbdog,

The reason I disagree with you is crimps are rubbish and you can not expect Cat6 to give you the 250gb through put if you use crimps. Plus no disrespect to you dude but in the last 12 months I have come accross 5 hotels wired this way and when I tested the network I had 80% fail rates. If you moved the cable sometimes the crimps gave way. I just hate that way of terminating.

If a person wants only three connections I use a particular module that kinda wraps around a cable and is a solid connection, but if you want you dont have to put them onto the patch frame. Its hard to explain but Ill get some pics up and ye can see..

And as I always say, Im coming from a profession installer frame of mind so even though these are usually domestic situations I like to advise the best..

KeRbDoG

FusionNet wrote: »

And as I always say, Im coming from a profession installer frame of mind so even though these are usually domestic situations I like to advise the best..

The problem is that the 'best' is usually the most expensive
I'm always for 'hack it in' and if yea like it and will get the use out of it, then rework it to the best solution

Dummy

Just of the phone with Schneider (Lexcom is part of them) and they have confirmed that it is CAT7 although CAT7 not ratified.

FusionNet

kerbdog wrote: »

The problem is that the 'best' is usually the most expensive
I'm always for 'hack it in' and if yea like it and will get the use out of it rework it to the best solution

And Im the opposite then, do it once and do it right. After doing this for ten years now I have found that the quick and cheap way always costs more. the simple reason being usually quick and cheap means not always done right then you gotta pay me to come in and fix it or totally re-install it. Had a job recently where they spent thousands over years putting in cable. I tested it, it failed every aspect of cable installation and termination and we had to completely re-wire and pull out all the old stuff.

Just for the recod two if I have someone that wants three connections that will cost them if Cat6 about €30 and thats for some of the best modules in the world and I can assure you of full through put.

So doing it right is not always too expensive... My Installer OCD doesnt help either!!!

Dummy

All sorted now. The cable is indeed CAT7 and I have just spoken to a chap that has all of the Lexcom bits & bobs.

Thank you everyone for the advice. I'll come back & let you know how the install went.

I am well pleased now and hope to have it up & running at Easter time - TV, phones and data. Later on, I will add the multi-room music.


Thanks again.

D.

Pocky

Sorry gentleman, but Category 7 AND Category 7A is ratified as an ISO standard in ISO/IEC 11801 Amendment 2 and as such apply to Ireland as Ireland is an ISO member.

It is not ratified as an ANSI/TIA/EIA but that is irrelevant anyhow as they are American standard organisation and therefore do not apply to Ireland

FusionNet

But what testers are available to certify to ISO without costing 10,000 euro??? There would be no pint installing CAT7 or 7A in anything but a data centre or military base or hospital... As said in this situation its not an issue as you'd only be certifing to CAT6 and if it passes that at least you know you have ten years headroom

Pocky

Oh, you are right. One can not test a Cat7 or 7A with a cheap tester. Those baby's are in the 8000 Euro range. But on the other side it is with everything else in life, the better the quality the higher the price.

I like your "at least you know you have ten years headroom". That is soooo correct! On the commercial side people are used to rewire every 10 to 15 years so a Cat6 today is a perfect investment. But I was always under the impression that on the domestic market people are building their houses for 100 years and are not willing or planing to rewire after 10 years. So wouldn't an additional invest of lets say 1500 Euro for a three or four bedroom house that will last 30 to 50 years be better and more cost effective? That is the price of two TVs (they normally get replaced every 5 to 7 years) or the price of a modern fridge (10 years lifespan). Sure a forward thinking installer will invest in a modern cable tester in the interest of his customers.

Isn't it time we stop the "that will do" attitude and offer true value???

FusionNet

Pocky,

I totally agree with you but I guess the problem is during the boom people built up to 5 houses before they settled. I think people got a bit a head of themselves! Your dead right though, people do not realise the bandwidth that is going to be demanded in the home in ten years and sorry to tell you guys but CAT5E wont handle it. Cat6 is a must and yes even though CAT7 is a PAIN to work with it may be worth the effort if you know your staying put.

As for the testers. I'd love a new one but at the minute I hire as the network work is limited in Kerry, but I am looking at buying one in from the states as it about half the price.

And again I agree with you 100% about doing it right. I hate short cuts and lazy arse attitude. I spend usually way too many hours over my initial quote getting things perfect. This is always at my cost not the customers but I think its worth it.

Ive posted some new pics on my profile. One Im really happy with its a hotel we rewired the production side. The Pic quality isnt great but have a look Pocky. Are you an installer too?

Pocky

No, I am not an installer but in the cable industry. We do train installers in Ireland, the UK and on the continent in cabling technologies. And far to often are we confronted with " a lot of Cat5/6 will do perfect". I am always surprised by that and react angry & with disbelieve when professionals are telling this the end user. It is a bit like telling people "if you have enough cycle-paths to your front door you will be able to drive with anything up to your house in the future". End user believe it because they trust professionals. So people trust that "a lot of Cat5 cable will do" but they never tell them that Cat5 is an old industrial cable standard that is out dated today. They never mention that Cat5 is data only and was never intended for audio or video. They don't tell end user that Cat5 is only 100MHz and even Cat6A only 500MHz but there TV signal is something like 862MHz. This is like driving an SUV over a cycle path. No mentioning that the new generation of TV with build in Freesat or Sky boxes will need 2100MHz. That would be driving a truck on a cycle path. And than a customer is being told "you can use XX to get the signal over Cat5", sure just leave your car at the front gate of your property and cycle up to your house