I’m planning to run cable and hard wire my house. Curr3ntly there is. One active, ( has a port in the wal, but disconnected on the other end). There are three totals runs of Cat6. None are actually connected. What should I look for in cable? I am already planning to go with Cat6e, but what other features should I look for, and why, what are the benefits)?
Where is one I’m considering MONK CABLES | CAT6 Plenum Cable 1000FT | UTP, 23AWG, 550MHz | DSX-8000 Fluke Test Certified | Most Certified Cable of The Whole Market (Blue) https://a.co/d/5WFokGq
I've ran a few thousand feet of Southwire cable off the shelf from Lowe's with no problems. Unless you're doing exterior/exposed runs, I would just stick to a reputable brand and not worry too much past that.
I suggest running two lines. All my desktops are now on a 2.5gbe backbone and replacing the 1g switches with 2.5g switches is not going to happen. So I have started running second lines - one 1gbE and one 2.5gbe. I should have thought of this originally.
I suppose it's a "pick your poison" approach. I know for what I'd have to do to run additional lines, the extra expense of an unmanaged 2.5G switch is worth it for me. I also only have them in place for two of the drops.
As noted by @JohnRob, be very careful when pulling the lines -- I have at least 1 bad cable that I didn't test before we put up the sheetrock, and I suspect a torn jacket and damaged wires.
I drilled the studs and pulled the wire through, and the edges of the 2x4 are surprisingly abrasive to the jacket when strain is put on the cable.
I agree also with @steve.maddigan it's "good" to pull extra wires, even if you don't terminate the second wire -- it can be a spare "just in case".
Also, please pay attention to the cable Jacket rating. I personally used CMR in my house, I would also use CMP. -- I used this: Cable for all the in-wall and in attic spaces.
For the wall boxes, I used 1 and 2 port variations on this: Keystone Plate
Cable Matters also sells a kit with the Jack, Wall Plate and Faceplate, but it looks cheap, and the Leviton (and similar versions) allow you to use a standard Decora Faceplate that matches the rest of the faceplates in your house (assuming you have Decora of course).
One last comment. I suggest using Punchdown terminations at either end of the cable, rather than a CAT-6 standard termination and a coupler style wall jack. The punchdowns are MUCH easier to terminate (and re-terminate) than standard terminations.
I didn't bother with Shielded Cable. It's a bit more costly, and personally, I haven't seen conditions in my house that merit it. I suspect if you wanted to run 10G on CAT6, shielded might be helpful, especially if you transit along or close to electrical lines, or large bundles (many lines) of CAT6.
From what I read, if you run it outside, you may also want shielded.
I'm certainly not an expert, and others may weigh in on this -- but I've found it largely unnecessary in most cases.
There is not much of a price difference between cat 5e (2.5G capable) vs Cat6+ (10G capable) I would definitely go with the Cat6+. Just make sure it is not CCA (Copper Clad Aluminum). Make sure it is pure copper.
Not to completely disagree with @JumpJump, but Cat7 is sort of a non-starter from what I read, Cat8 is more of a direct replacement for Cat6/6A than 7.
So, I agree with the sentiment, but I'd skip to Cat8 if you don't stop at 6 or 6A.
Well, you know the internet. Cat8 is pretty expensive. My house would have been over $15k with cat8. Both cat7 and cat8 are sort of a pain to work with if you are terminating a lot of cables.
Depending on your set up a person could run some of each based on need. Not many people really need the speed all over the house. Like I don't need cat8 to run 300 ft to only support POE power and a trickle of data on an rPi. Security cameras don't need it. The shielding can be helpful pulling through existing walls where you could be parallel to who knows what.
Cat6E isn't an actual spec. Generally speaking, anything that says Cat6E is really just ordinary Cat6 cable that exceeds the standard spec for Cat6 cable. A Cat6E cable may be completely indistinguishable from ordinary regular Cat6 except for the markings. Cat6A on the other hand must be shielded, and must use conductive connectors to be properly rated, and is generally considered the best cable to use for future proofing. Cat6a is what I would recommend if you ever plan to use HDBT for video distribution in your house.
Cat7 has a higher bandwidth rating than Cat6A, but both are rated for 10gig Ethernet for 327feet lengths. Cat7 only maintains it's higher rating when using non-standard GG45 connectors are used, which is a major downside. Cat6a maintains it's rating with standard 8P8C connectors, as long as they are conductive to carry the shield ground connection.
So basically, go with Cat6A for best results, if your budget allows.
Just thinking, as long as you are running network cable, you might want to run some power cable. I'm thinking doorbell wire. I'm thinking of cameras etc. I realize you can do POE but if your camera is not POE capable the wire will eliminate the need for a converter.
If you have any AV needs they need at least 3 ethernet cables and possibly fiber. Low voltage wire for shades. Wire and power for millimeter wave radar sensors.
Like is it in its own conduit? Are the new cables going to be competing with the current Ethernet (or other) cables for space in the run? Any bends or obstructions along the way? Approx how many feet in total?
I believe that shielding adds to the thickness of your cable and makes it less forgiving at making turns.
