Patch panel for home network - yay or nay?

[ElecEng]

Wired is just more reliable long term. Also with masonry walls etc. It is often cheaper to run cables than have multiple access points and wireless adaptors for non WiFi native devices.

 

[feo]

Why not wireless?

I'd go wired to major data consumption devices and wireless for everything else.

Future proofing.

Wireless may be fine for now but when I need to multiple HD streams running to different parts of the house and who knows what else in future, a wired CAT6 connection wins every time.

 

[sajunky]

Rather just run the three cables straight into the switch and be done with it.

If you want to make it a bit more neat and tidy just put RJ45 wall boxes on the ends of the cables in the room they come together.

+1. Also remember that there are two types of plugs: one for stranded wire and one for solid core.

 

[[)roi(]]

Seems my last few threads just show how n00bish I am at home networks.

My home is gonna be wired with CAT6 very soon and I came across a few tutorials that talk about patch panels.

What exactly are they and would you recommend using one in a very simple home network.

Btw there are alternatives to additional wiring: Ethernet over Powerline; which uses your existing electrical wiring to establish an ethernet network.

For example:
http://www.netgear.com/home/products/networking/powerline/
http://www.tp-link.com/en/products/?categoryid=206

 

[feo]

OK some questions.

From this thread it's still not 100% clear what cable I should actually buy to run throughout the house. From what I read, I'll need solid core CAT6 cable right?

Seeing as I'm only running cable to 3 or 4 different points, in the central room I can have each solid core cable terminate on a 4-way Clipsal wall plate, is that correct?

Another question, how big should the conduit be ideally? Bigger is better, for when I add more cable later on maybe?

 

[ponder]

From this thread it's still not 100% clear what cable I should actually buy to run throughout the house. From what I read, I'll need solid core CAT6 cable right?

Yes, how many times should we repeat this?

Seeing as I'm only running cable to 3 or 4 different points, in the central room I can have each solid core cable terminate on a 4-way Clipsal wall plate, is that correct?

From the images posted above I would say YES.

Another question, how big should the conduit be ideally? Bigger is better, for when I add more cable later on maybe?

That depends on how many cables you plan to run now and in the future, there's no definitive answer here.

 

[bdt]

From this thread it's still not 100% clear what cable I should actually buy to run throughout the house. From what I read, I'll need solid core CAT6 cable right?

Yep, you lay in solid core for the (in)-structure runs that link the rooms together; that you run from a central point (choose wisely...) out to the various locations a la spokes on a wheel radiating from a hub.

Seeing as I'm only running cable to 3 or 4 different points, in the central room I can have each solid core cable terminate on a 4-way Clipsal wall plate, is that correct?

When you say "3 or 4 different points" do you mean locations (id est rooms) or total number of network points? Point being: 4 rooms * 2 points/room = 8 runs, vs 4 wires the other way ..it kinda matters.

Another question, how big should the conduit be ideally? Bigger is better, for when I add more cable later on maybe?

Future/future/FUTURE proof! CAT6, compared with CAT5 is a stone cold b1tch to work with: it's stiff and unwieldy and really doesn't want to bend around corners nicely. So, if you're even thinking of adding anything more into any one room, save yourself the hassle and just skip 20mm conduit from the get-go and start with the next one up - ~32mm IIRC ...or go large with 50mm action, baby. But that said, it's not just about the conduit diameter, it's also the bend radius: go for the big, open, sweeping curve and not the tight little bend that's only a little longer than your finger; you don't want to end up trying to get more cable down one of those tight bends later on.

Um. It's just dawned on me: no-one's mentioned tools/testing gear: you'll at least need for former, and the latter (specially if you've never done it before) is a really good idea. To prep structured cabling (the solid core that links the rooms back to the central point) you'll need a punch-down tool to get those pesky wires into the wall jack; and then a crimping tool to handle the flylead side of things (unless you decide for the sane(r) option and just buy pre-made flyleads). The tester is to confirm that you have all eight wires in per cable run, which is not something you can just see and is a pain to try to find without one.

 

[feo]

@bdt

I really don't have a choice for the central location, the main phone line is there and it's easiest to have everything go out from here.

3 or 4 points meaning runs. I have a study which is gonna be split into a study area and TV area. The study area will have my PC (1 run) an the TV area will have maybe 2 runs there. Then the lounge will have another few runs there for all the media boxes and whatnot.

The existing conduit that was laid in the study is pretty small, not sure how thick it is. Looks like maybe 2 cables can fit in there max. The other rooms I'm gonna have them put in thicker conduit.

 

[Drunkard #1]

Yep, you lay in solid core for the (in)-structure runs that link the rooms together; that you run from a central point (choose wisely...) out to the various locations a la spokes on a wheel radiating from a hub.
When you say "3 or 4 different points" do you mean locations (id est rooms) or total number of network points? Point being: 4 rooms * 2 points/room = 8 runs, vs 4 wires the other way ..it kinda matters.
Future/future/FUTURE proof! CAT6, compared with CAT5 is a stone cold b1tch to work with: it's stiff and unwieldy and really doesn't want to bend around corners nicely. So, if you're even thinking of adding anything more into any one room, save yourself the hassle and just skip 20mm conduit from the get-go and start with the next one up - ~32mm IIRC ...or go large with 50mm action, baby. But that said, it's not just about the conduit diameter, it's also the bend radius: go for the big, open, sweeping curve and not the tight little bend that's only a little longer than your finger; you don't want to end up trying to get more cable down one of those tight bends later on.

Um. It's just dawned on me: no-one's mentioned tools/testing gear: you'll at least need for former, and the latter (specially if you've never done it before) is a really good idea. To prep structured cabling (the solid core that links the rooms back to the central point) you'll need a punch-down tool to get those pesky wires into the wall jack; and then a crimping tool to handle the flylead side of things (unless you decide for the sane(r) option and just buy pre-made flyleads). The tester is to confirm that you have all eight wires in per cable run, which is not something you can just see and is a pain to try to find without one.

Conduit come in 20, 25, 32, 40 and 50mm flavours. 20 and 25 easily fit into a standard wall box, 32 too, with difficulty. 40 requires a double depth (back-to-back) box, and 50 requires a 4x4 double depth box. You'll also need chassis punches (easy) or hole saws (difficult) to make the holes in the wall boxes. I do my own 20 and 25 bends, but buy bends for any size above that.

He will need tools. An "RJ11/RJ45" crimper, a Krone punchdown tool and a cheap tester, for sure. Might as well get a stripper, a 110 punchdown tool, some spare patch cables of various lengths and a few "RJ45" plugs while he's at it.

 

[bdt]

^ gotta love how the scope of a thing expands on you (until way) beyond the parameters you thought you had identified...

 

[feo]

Bump.

My phone line (and hence router + modem) is in a different location to where I want to have the patch panel.

How do I connect the router to the patch panel?

How does everything get internet access? Where exactly does the router fit into the whole picture?

 

[feo]

Bump, do I need to get something like a 16 port switch and connect the router to that?

So I'll run a long cable from one of the LAN ports on the router into one of the ports on the switch with all the other ports on the switch having patch cables coming in from the patch panel?

Is this correct?

 

[ponder]

Yes that would be correct. No reason why you can't have an outlet box by the router going to the patch panel and using a patch cable into the switch. At the end of the day they are all just network devices.

 

[feo]

Yes that would be correct. No reason why you can't have an outlet box by the router going to the patch panel and using a patch cable into the switch. At the end of the day they are all just network devices.

Ah ok, so the same way I have CAT6 running from all the wall plates w/ keystone jacks into the patch panel, I can also have one run from the router (via another wall plate) into the patch panel and then onto the switch.

Ok I finally understand how it all fits together.

Question: what decent 16 port gigabit switch and patch panel would you guys recommend? Seeing as both are "dumb" devices I don't wanna spend a lot.

 

[Mier]

I would get a switch with a few POE ports included. This would make it easy to add wifi access points or IP cams that support POE.

 

[feo]

What exactly is POE?

 

[bdt]

^ sweet, sweet voltage and power action down the network cable ... *cough* :erm: It can be really handy for having devices around your network (typically access points and IP cameras) that GET powered by the very network cable that connects them; so no having to hunt for power points or run any other cables (per device).

 

[feo]

^ sweet, sweet voltage and power action down the network cable ... *cough* :erm: It can be really handy for having devices around your network (typically access points and IP cameras) that GET powered by the very network cable that connects them; so no having to hunt for power points or run any other cables (per device).

Ok any suggestions on a 16 port POE switch that won't require me to break the bank?

 

[bdt]

Welcome to the wonderful, exciting world of budget and tradeoffs! In the first place you have to decide how many PoE ports you (may) want/need, and whether to go af or at (~13W vs 25W) (moar power is great but, of course, it costs you more). Then, often, PoE switches are 100TX so you lose gigabit; you certainly get gigabit PoE but, as before, it costs. About the only 'bonus' aspect of all this is that low port-count PoE 100TX switches aren't too expensive at all, and neither are vanilla gigabit switches so getting one of each can be a better strategy - but now you have to (rack...) mount two switches ...which would go ever so nicely with your shiny new patch panel!

 

[sajunky]

You don't need PoE switches at all. You can add PoE injectors in the moment you decide you want it. It will be easier to buy inexpensive, but quality switch without PoE.