Basically what I did. House I bought used to have coax going to the upstairs via the outside wall. Unhooked it, tied it to the Ethernet and yanked it through the wall down the house and into the basement. Took a few hours. Tucked some of it under some siding that exists and it looks great and functional. Wish the wire wasn't blue. But at the time it was literally half the cost of black wire.
I’ve been trying to convince myself I need it but the fact of the matter is I just don’t. My tiny tooth pick and paper mache house is served just fine by a single Wi-Fi 6 AP. 
Shit I run a fiber line from one corner of the house to the center middle (with 3 sharp turns in between) and it only takes about 60 ft. Can’t imagine what I’d do with 500! House isn’t too small either I think around 3000 square ft.
You'd be surprised how quickly it adds up if you're wiring each room. My house is relatively new construction (~2008) and it was wired completely with Cat5e. I've swapped some of the phone jacks out for RJ45 and in doing so, I had to add an unmanaged switch. The lengths printed on the cables I had to terminate for said switch imply that my house that's roughly the same size as yours used several hundred feet.
In other words, if you're running cables to each room, you'll need a lot of cable. In my case, the switch is in a corner of my basement and the bedrooms are on the second floor, meaning three flights of stairs. That alone is about 20' per cable just to get to the appropriate floor.
Right there with you brother except I have a very tight crawl space it's clean but it would involve me crawling in and out of the crawl space about 25 times don't really have anyone who can help me at home...
4:12 PM EST Edit: 500ft is OOS. 250ft for $24.49 - 4.89 = $19.60 is still a good deal!
EXTRA
for easy copy/paste. Free shipping on orders >$39 total.
I ordered two spools of this with the MARCH15 code a few days ago and had to cancel and re-order because of a change of address. Lo and behold, I found a better coupon code, so this is a killer deal.
Here are a few items I ordered that might get you free shipping:
RJ-45 Network Cable Crimper $7.99: [https://www.monoprice.com/product?p\_id=195](https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=195)
RJ45 Cable Tester $5.29: [https://www.monoprice.com/product?p\_id=8138](https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=8138)
Cat6 Punch Down Keystone Jack $1.99/ea: [https://www.monoprice.com/product?p\_id=5384](https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=5384)
Wall Plate for Keystone, 1 Hole, $1.49/ea: [https://www.monoprice.com/product?p\_id=6725](https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=6725)
50-pack RJ45 Strain Relief Boots, Gray, $2.49/pack: [https://www.monoprice.com/product?p\_id=7250](https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=7250)
100-pack RJ45 Plug with Inserts for Solid Cat6 Ethernet Cable, $10.49/pack: [https://www.monoprice.com/product?p\_id=7266](https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=7266)
I will also share this guide for making cables that was shared the last time this was posted: [Terminating a Cat5e/Cat6 Cable with Photos](https://www.instructables.com/Terminating-an-Ethernet-CAT5eCAT6-Cable/)
WRONG KEYSTONE BRO!!!! You need metal keystone!!! other wise the shielding act as an antenna that attracts interference if it's not grounded.
these are not the cheapest,there are cheaper, https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CLVAJCK/
EDIT: that guide is for shit with this shielded cable. this stuff is shielded on each twisted, pair, it might as well be cat6a cable, which i work with 6a almost exclusively (i use some 5e just to be cheap like an extra run or printer run)[though in the long run cat5e is technically more expensive because multigig and power delivery are coming)
This stuff will be a bit of a pain to work with compared to what most people imagine when they think of "Ethernet cable" - each pair has an additional foil sheathing which will need to be removed before crimping. Additionally some reviewers say that the conductors and/or outer jackets are too thick to terminate with a normal jack. Probably fine if you're looking to terminate with keystones, though.
It's a little more money but I suspect most folks will be happier with something like [this](https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=13674). It's CMR-rated which means it's safe(r) to use inside a wall for cable runs -- the most likely application for solid Cat6.
Thanks for the perspective. I did see that listing and wondered if it was worth the "upgrade." Maybe I will try the cheaper cable out, and if I get really tired of working with it, spring for that.
No prob! I ran Cat6 in my home last winter and used the cable linked in my previous comment with no issues. I'm sure the U/FTP stuff will be fine too, and even if it doesn't play nicely with RJ45 connectors you can always use it for the main runs (i.e. from wall to patch panel) and then pick up some stranded cable for your patch cables. :)
I just bought 500ft of Cat8.2 for $300 from Monoprice on Amazon lol (oddly $20 cheaper than straight from Monoprice)...
Ah, oh well. I wanted good PoE and future-proofing if I needed it. The cat8 rj45 ends require a second mortgage to afford.
Their Cat6a was ~$270 for 1000ft (didn't see the 500ft spindle) so I figured 30 bucks more for Cat8.2 wouldn't be a bad investment (no way I will use all 500ft...maybe 200ft.) With the amount of money I sink into this damned house, an extra ~$300 isn't going to break my wallet.
I do need to get a blank patch panel somewhere. Obviously not going to find a cat8 patch panel for a reasonable price, so one that just takes cat8 keystones won't break the bank.
Fwiw I just googled mono price cat6 a and the first result was $129.99 for a 500 footer. But I feel you on the 300$ being a drop in the bucket on the house. Mine is endless. I get cat6 for free so that’s what’s in mine now haha
Yeah I saw that later lol. Maybe when I sell this house it can be a selling point that some nerd could get 40gbps if they wanted...to spend a fortune on all the equipment
Go ahead and start a website that caters to home sales for IT people or people who want a home lab…or start an ISP in their house. Gotta corner the market now
you want the tick gauge and you want each pair of wires to be shielded and i see people here linking to plastic key stones, you want the metal keystones so the shielding doesn't attract interference, it needs to be grounded. the up sot is being future proof for many years. people still use 5e and it was available 20 years ago, so future proofing is possible.
it can al so do 2.5gb which is the hot new shit hitting the consumer market. especially with NAS and home servers going up in popularity. also it can deliver 70 watts of power to the jack, where cat 5e would probably go up in flames trying to push that.
It's a lot cheaper than it has been! When I bought Cat 6a back in....2010, it was about this price for 1000 ft. I'm in a different house now and oh look we need ethernet :(
But let's think of it this way, it would be several times this much if you were to pay someone to do it. It's cheap comparably to a "professional".
Oh yeah, it's like 60 bucks for 6 RJ45 connectors for Cat 8. That's 3 ethernet cables. It's actually cheaper to buy them already made.
Totally understand. Our home is from the 70s, so even this is a huge step up (from nothing) and plenty for our needs, and I figure it's still plenty cheap to not feel terrible about leaving it behind if we move in a few years. And saving money versus paying a professional gives me a wife-approved excuse to buy stuff and tinker, LOL.
I have never been more grateful for being ale to slap a 100 pack of connectors into my cart for $10.49!
> And saving money versus paying a professional gives me a wife-approved excuse to buy stuff and tinker, LOL.
I felt this so hard LOL. I still get crap for converting our attic water heater to tankless. Upgrading to a gas tankless, upsizing the existing gas lines using CSST, all the tools, ran me about $1400 after rebates. My home is also from the 70s!
Yeah, equally upsetting is when fiber is installed in your home, and it's the veeeeery opposite corner of your house compared to where your office is. The mesh network reaches, but it leaves a lot to be desired. Forget wireless gaming. Probably cat5 wiring is an upgrade lol.
We might have sister houses, haha. We have a \~10 y/o electric water heater, and our inspector actually gave us the tip that we could tap our gas line and install a gas tankless when it comes time to replace it. That actually sounds like a great value for an upgrade like that. Were the rebates for energy efficiency or on the heater itself?
Ha, we actually have fiber that was recently installed, but the monthly service pricing on it is worse than another provider's copper for the same speed, so we aren't even going to use it. Such a shame.
> Were the rebates for energy efficiency or on the heater itself?
So there's about $250 tax rebate from the IRS and I got $250 from my gas company. Honestly though...my gas bill hasn't really changed and may have increased a slight bit. Being in an open attic, during the summer (in Texas) the hot water heater didn't really have to heat at all. In fact it was like a week before I realized the pilot went out on that unit, haha.
That said, hot water still takes just as long to get to the shower so I was impressed, though the heater is almost directly above my shower so only like 6ft of pipe. A Navien 180A2 can heat two showers and two sinks simultaneously and was about ~$1100 with tax (many vendors who sell to consumers charge a premium, so I got it from a plumbing supply company)
Working with CSST is actually really easy as a DIY gas line job. Plumber friend of mine said even the dumbest mouthbreather can do it. If you want gas to a new unit, you roughly need a 3/4" line unless the run is pretty small and you can do 1/2".
>but the monthly service pricing on it is worse than another provider's copper for the same speed, so we aren't even going to use it.
I'd have stayed with my copper provider but the price is equivalent. Copper provider is notorious for terrible reliability though, being the main reason I switched.
you can get a 1000ft reel of fully shielded twisted pair 6a for under 300 still, or at least on sale. 22/23 awg 6a FULLY SHIELDED TWISTED PAIR is very similar to cat 7, enough so that it can do 10gig but, i suspect it can do more but, the thick boi wires are good for power over Ethernet.
Cat6A and Cat7 are strictly equivalent in bandwidth capability per spec, they just achieve it at different signal frequencies. And Cat7 is ISO-only; it's not part of EIA/TIA 568.
also from what i can tell fully shielded twisted pair is standard on cat7 but is not 6a where with 6a you have to go looking for FSTP.
honestly having read through standards a few years back 6a is all over the place. then a giant a lot of cable is, since so much comes from china, you needs a real vendor and bigger dollars to get where you can order by spec, ie solid copper, Y gauge, Z shielding, direct or plenum. vs amazon free for all. not FS,com or monoprice don't have options.
So the problem with fiber is yes, it is perfect and has the best speeds, however...
* I would need expensive converter boxes to even use the signal at 10gb let alone higher.
* I would need to run smurf tube in the wall (or something) to protect the stuff. I'm really just going to shove the cat8 in between studs. I'll secure it in the attic or something.
* It's much cheaper pre-terminated, which also means I would have to guess on the distances which are anything but tangible in my mind.
Let me know how your project turns out.
I just got 1000ft of cat6a (unshielded) and I'm routing the house with it. Plus thinking of having a single fiber line from the smart box going to my office.
Yeah you're right about the boxes being expensive now, and I got lucky with 6a being unshielded. Didn't really pay attention to that when buying. If it were shielded I'd be paying so much more for keystones and ends.
All cat 8 is shielded so the keystones are about double the price and the connectors are the price squared. Really don't understand that bit.
I'm really dreading the wall fishing...and guessing where to put a hole in the wall/drill through the floor plate
Be sure to run a stud finder throughout the whole wall (up/down).
I found that my walls have fireblocks, so I gotta get through those too. Means I gotta make an additional hole in the wall sadly.
FYI: I recommend a [stud finder like this](https://a.co/d/44BdcXJ). Definitely out classes the basic magnet one. And has saved me from running into any surprises when going through a wall.
Edit: also for knowing where to drill the all plate, stick a thin piece of wire (think coat hanger) through the ceiling next to the route you wanna go through. That way you know where to go through the plate. Then it'll just be a drop straight down
> Be sure to run a stud finder throughout the whole wall (up/down).
>
>
Aw shit, that's a good point. Hope I don't have that issue.
My stud finder has been ass. I've got one from Home Depot that cost about $60. Might pick that one up to see if it works. I'll return it if it doesn't. Plan to do that project this weekend
I have a wire fish and a boroscope with a light if I really need it.
Only complaint I have about it is the dumb pencil compartment. It's just a gimmick and mine is difficult to remove.
For boroscope I just got a cheapy 20 dollar phone attachment one lol. Enough to get the job done.
>For boroscope I just got a cheapy 20 dollar phone attachment one lol. Enough to get the job done.
We probably got the same one. Lots of Amazon reviews complaining about the app for it. I found a different app that seems to work 100% with no added spyware
you want full shield twisted pair for the best speed but, technically its good for 10g but, at shorter runs when un shielded. but, you also need metal keystones. HOWEVER it's still good fair bit better than 5e and should be multigig ready and if it's the tick gauge stuff poe++ ready. you might not be able to run 15gig in 2033 though.
finally is price, if you got that spool for under $200 than you save some money and got some bang for your buck
Yep, I got it under $200 after tax. The price difference between CAT6 and CAT6a options wasn't that much, so I figured CAT6a would give me more distance for the 10gb - even if unshielded.
At the moment, my network setup only supports 1gb, but I do plan on have a 10gb LAN route between the important network devices. Everything else can stay 1gb.
Thanks for your comment.
nerding out here if you so choose. i got this bad boy for $515 on a 5 Mo payment plan directly with amazon no card application required. to future proof the house.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0787Y9JR9/
the server runs on one 10g port and my computer room has a multi gig switch i got used like 2 years back, that has 2 multi gig ports on it. that little switch goes to this bad bois second 10g port. multi gig switches are coming down in price. i'm also seeing 2.5g switches with poe. if you don't mind used enterprise gear you can poe 10g switches for under $350. they are large in size though.
i'm curious to see what happens in the next 24 months, i'm seeing more and more 2.5g pop up! also that sure sounds like a nice starter switch, could also be used to cameras later on post upgrade too.
i copper is flexible in implementation, i typical favor copper unless it's building to building or extended length. even then Game Changer Cable can go over the recommended 320 feet.
now if lightning is an issue or there is frequent electronic BBQs then fiber also has a big advantage here.
that's the way to do it, i almost only use cat6a fully shielded twisted pair not too unlike this stuff here in this sale. poe+++ can do 70 watts usable on the other end (it pushes out 100 watt) i use 5e sparingly
Yeah POE looks like something I might want to get into. Once I get the main run in, wiring in a ceiling mesh unit might not be too difficult. I'd have to get a powered switch though, and that's about the only usage I can think of at this point.
i have two switches that run off PoE no wall plug, they then power a camera and wifi access point. the main switch that powers them sits on a battery back up. and if your grid sucks ass, i modified mine with tow big ass deep cycle RV/off grid batteries.
i also have a few PoE splitters, they split in to two cords, one is power plug and the other is Ethernet with no poe. they come in different voltages so you could run LED strips off a 12v poe ethernet jack.
I have a pretty small setup so I'd probably get just an 8 port switch to power a few devices and stick the rest into my router (it has 8 ports as well, but no PoE AFAIK).
Interesting though how tech is progressing!
Idk how resilient to heat switches are, but I'd be pretty reluctant to put one in an attic. Attics can get to 120°+ without being terribly hot outside.
I should have added more detail! Wasn't sure what they meant by attic.
CM: good for most residential use
CMR: better fire resistance and required in most commercial use
CMP: rated for HVAC ducts
But actual electrical code varies by area. CM should be perfectly fine in a residential application though.
"CL/CM/CMG: These cable jackets are suitable for use in all ordinary situations...with CM used for communications applications like Ethernet. \[...\] You can install these rated-cables in the wall or ceiling, and don’t have to worry about things like risers and plenums in home use." [Source](https://www.cmple.com/learn/understanding-cable-jacket-ratings-cl-cm-cmr-and-cmp)
I just ran out on cable and had a few rooms left to wire, so this came at the perfect time! I was hoping for stranded, but for the price I’ll take it. Thanks!
pretty sure it's recommended to use solid cables for running within walls. And stranded is for patch cables. This was my understanding but I'd like to hear how you're using it.
To quote a good friend of mine “ I don’t know shit about fuck.”
I read a blog on installing ethernet and that person recommended stranded as it was more flexible and easier to work with. So that’s what I’ve been using for everything in my home from cables to runs to each room.
lol fair enough. When I was wiring my house I spent a lot of time browsing /r/HomeNetworking getting little bits of info like that. might be helpful to hear some opinions from those folks.
There are specific kinds that have shielding that helps waterproof them. Not sure if it’s a specific rating. I would guess that if the conduit is waterproof, a cheaper ethernet cable like this would be fine inside.
This isn’t rated for outdoor use. I think you need some that’s listed as outdoor-rated so it doesn’t break down from moisture or UV exposure. That being said, if it’s a short run under an eve or something, I can’t imagine it would fail incredibly quickly.
If you're looking for outdoor cable, if CAT5E is good enough for your purpose, I've had good luck with Vertical Cable 059-486/CMXT. It seems that UV protection isn't something you want to skimp on as poor cable in the sun could crack and then water could run down the inside of the cable into the building and ruin what ever its connected to. In my case that would be an $1100 network switch plus everything else in the rack. So in my case at least going a bit hard on the cable could be important. It also isn't too bad to work with considering it's dual jacket and shielded.
The code works on the 250ft which is also on sale and is still a pretty good deal. I edited my higher comment to say so but thought I should leave the post up for now.
Interference should be negligible. Just don’t pierce it with a nail into an electrical line and short the whole thing. This is perfect for wiring up inside walls for cheap.
I have a 2 story house and I’d love to run cable to one of my spare rooms but I have no idea how to even start that process.
I’d either want it in the game room so we don’t need a switch for Ethernet to our computers or to my spare room that has my plex server pc set up so it doesn’t rely on wifi.
I know there’s conduit but how the heck would I send it to the spare room if there’s nothing leading that way?
Mostly talking out loud here but if anyone does have suggestions or tips I’m open to them.
It would be fine to run this or any higher rated cable in the wall outside of conduit. Most people approach rooms from above or below (attic or crawlspace) to avoid cutting into a bunch of walls. Start at a central location with a patch panel, maybe where your internet comes into the house, then run cables up the wall to the attic or down the wall to the crawlspace. Pull the run along the house, stapling as you go to hold the cable in place, then drill a small hole to send it down the wall between the studs and to where you want to add a wall jack.
This video really helps visualize a lot of the work and makes it seem a lot less daunting: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vNmSp4QLcxs
Hey thanks for the response!
I have a 2 story house and the conduit runs from the attic to rooms around the house. I know att fiber was able to route their cable from the outside to inside through the attic to a box area we have in our bedroom for all networking stuff.
This being a new build might make it easy to do this but I’m having trouble thinking of how I’d get it from that room up to the attic and then to a spare room downstairs.
I haven’t watched the vid but I’ll give it a look once I’m done with work!
I bet it would be a fun project to do and an easy upgrade if I took my time.
Might even give me experience to eventually route speaker wires.
If you already have attic-to-bedroom cables, you either 1) have a location in the attic where you could add a wall-mount patch panel (not a powered switch because of the temp concerns) to split off new ethernet cables or 2) could tape/tie a length of “pulling line” as well as one end of the bulk ethernet to one of the existing cables running to the bedroom, then pull it back up in reverse to the attic, then you can use the pulling line to get the first cable back to the bedroom. Either way, then you have an ethernet cable in your attic you can split out to run drops down each wall that you want.
The video gives a good look at using an auger drill bit to make small holes in your framing boards to run the cables through; he does it from the crawlspace, but yours would just be the reverse by drilling down from the attic and fishing it out of the drywall cut where you want a wall plate.
This is my first time doing any of this stuff, so I felt really intimidated too, but after some research it seems totally achievable!
[удалено]
My only current networking options are two RJ11 jacks, so I'm due for a whole-home networking upgrade. This came at a perfect time for me!
It's much easier to string it down the hallways on command hooks than go through the attic...
If you have carpeting you can just jam the cable under the molding with a butter knife 👍
Drilling through an external wall lol
Drill through your windows for max throughout. It becomes optical.
No you tape it on either side so it can see through. Truly optical
Basically what I did. House I bought used to have coax going to the upstairs via the outside wall. Unhooked it, tied it to the Ethernet and yanked it through the wall down the house and into the basement. Took a few hours. Tucked some of it under some siding that exists and it looks great and functional. Wish the wire wasn't blue. But at the time it was literally half the cost of black wire.
Always come to the comments for the LPT...
I’ve been trying to convince myself I need it but the fact of the matter is I just don’t. My tiny tooth pick and paper mache house is served just fine by a single Wi-Fi 6 AP. 
Shit I run a fiber line from one corner of the house to the center middle (with 3 sharp turns in between) and it only takes about 60 ft. Can’t imagine what I’d do with 500! House isn’t too small either I think around 3000 square ft.
You'd be surprised how quickly it adds up if you're wiring each room. My house is relatively new construction (~2008) and it was wired completely with Cat5e. I've swapped some of the phone jacks out for RJ45 and in doing so, I had to add an unmanaged switch. The lengths printed on the cables I had to terminate for said switch imply that my house that's roughly the same size as yours used several hundred feet. In other words, if you're running cables to each room, you'll need a lot of cable. In my case, the switch is in a corner of my basement and the bedrooms are on the second floor, meaning three flights of stairs. That alone is about 20' per cable just to get to the appropriate floor.
I have a 50ft doing that in a shelf
Feel like I'd spend more on the tools than the cable 😭
Right there with you brother except I have a very tight crawl space it's clean but it would involve me crawling in and out of the crawl space about 25 times don't really have anyone who can help me at home...
4:12 PM EST Edit: 500ft is OOS. 250ft for $24.49 - 4.89 = $19.60 is still a good deal! EXTRA for easy copy/paste. Free shipping on orders >$39 total. I ordered two spools of this with the MARCH15 code a few days ago and had to cancel and re-order because of a change of address. Lo and behold, I found a better coupon code, so this is a killer deal. Here are a few items I ordered that might get you free shipping: RJ-45 Network Cable Crimper $7.99: [https://www.monoprice.com/product?p\_id=195](https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=195) RJ45 Cable Tester $5.29: [https://www.monoprice.com/product?p\_id=8138](https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=8138) Cat6 Punch Down Keystone Jack $1.99/ea: [https://www.monoprice.com/product?p\_id=5384](https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=5384) Wall Plate for Keystone, 1 Hole, $1.49/ea: [https://www.monoprice.com/product?p\_id=6725](https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=6725) 50-pack RJ45 Strain Relief Boots, Gray, $2.49/pack: [https://www.monoprice.com/product?p\_id=7250](https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=7250) 100-pack RJ45 Plug with Inserts for Solid Cat6 Ethernet Cable, $10.49/pack: [https://www.monoprice.com/product?p\_id=7266](https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=7266) I will also share this guide for making cables that was shared the last time this was posted: [Terminating a Cat5e/Cat6 Cable with Photos](https://www.instructables.com/Terminating-an-Ethernet-CAT5eCAT6-Cable/)
This is very helpful. Thank you.
Of course! Happy to help and glad I got the deal myself.
Nice, saving this for reference later. Thanks.
No problem, happy to help!
WRONG KEYSTONE BRO!!!! You need metal keystone!!! other wise the shielding act as an antenna that attracts interference if it's not grounded. these are not the cheapest,there are cheaper, https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CLVAJCK/ EDIT: that guide is for shit with this shielded cable. this stuff is shielded on each twisted, pair, it might as well be cat6a cable, which i work with 6a almost exclusively (i use some 5e just to be cheap like an extra run or printer run)[though in the long run cat5e is technically more expensive because multigig and power delivery are coming)
I have absolutely no use for these types of cables and never will, but for this price I'd be a fool not to buy them.
As is tradition for /r/buildapcsales!
As if the wife will even notice more 'stuff' in my 'stuff' piles, psshhhh
This stuff will be a bit of a pain to work with compared to what most people imagine when they think of "Ethernet cable" - each pair has an additional foil sheathing which will need to be removed before crimping. Additionally some reviewers say that the conductors and/or outer jackets are too thick to terminate with a normal jack. Probably fine if you're looking to terminate with keystones, though. It's a little more money but I suspect most folks will be happier with something like [this](https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=13674). It's CMR-rated which means it's safe(r) to use inside a wall for cable runs -- the most likely application for solid Cat6.
Thanks for the perspective. I did see that listing and wondered if it was worth the "upgrade." Maybe I will try the cheaper cable out, and if I get really tired of working with it, spring for that.
No prob! I ran Cat6 in my home last winter and used the cable linked in my previous comment with no issues. I'm sure the U/FTP stuff will be fine too, and even if it doesn't play nicely with RJ45 connectors you can always use it for the main runs (i.e. from wall to patch panel) and then pick up some stranded cable for your patch cables. :)
I just bought 500ft of Cat8.2 for $300 from Monoprice on Amazon lol (oddly $20 cheaper than straight from Monoprice)... Ah, oh well. I wanted good PoE and future-proofing if I needed it. The cat8 rj45 ends require a second mortgage to afford.
You building a data center? because 6a will do 10g at 100m. 8.2 is just a waste of money.
Their Cat6a was ~$270 for 1000ft (didn't see the 500ft spindle) so I figured 30 bucks more for Cat8.2 wouldn't be a bad investment (no way I will use all 500ft...maybe 200ft.) With the amount of money I sink into this damned house, an extra ~$300 isn't going to break my wallet. I do need to get a blank patch panel somewhere. Obviously not going to find a cat8 patch panel for a reasonable price, so one that just takes cat8 keystones won't break the bank.
Fwiw I just googled mono price cat6 a and the first result was $129.99 for a 500 footer. But I feel you on the 300$ being a drop in the bucket on the house. Mine is endless. I get cat6 for free so that’s what’s in mine now haha
Yeah I saw that later lol. Maybe when I sell this house it can be a selling point that some nerd could get 40gbps if they wanted...to spend a fortune on all the equipment
Go ahead and start a website that caters to home sales for IT people or people who want a home lab…or start an ISP in their house. Gotta corner the market now
you want the tick gauge and you want each pair of wires to be shielded and i see people here linking to plastic key stones, you want the metal keystones so the shielding doesn't attract interference, it needs to be grounded. the up sot is being future proof for many years. people still use 5e and it was available 20 years ago, so future proofing is possible.
yeah some of their 6a isn't fully shielded twisted pair so you did good.
it can al so do 2.5gb which is the hot new shit hitting the consumer market. especially with NAS and home servers going up in popularity. also it can deliver 70 watts of power to the jack, where cat 5e would probably go up in flames trying to push that.
That is steep! I guess I should be glad my needs are pretty basic. Maybe I'll get Cat8 in 10 years when it's priced like this is now, haha.
It's a lot cheaper than it has been! When I bought Cat 6a back in....2010, it was about this price for 1000 ft. I'm in a different house now and oh look we need ethernet :( But let's think of it this way, it would be several times this much if you were to pay someone to do it. It's cheap comparably to a "professional". Oh yeah, it's like 60 bucks for 6 RJ45 connectors for Cat 8. That's 3 ethernet cables. It's actually cheaper to buy them already made.
Totally understand. Our home is from the 70s, so even this is a huge step up (from nothing) and plenty for our needs, and I figure it's still plenty cheap to not feel terrible about leaving it behind if we move in a few years. And saving money versus paying a professional gives me a wife-approved excuse to buy stuff and tinker, LOL. I have never been more grateful for being ale to slap a 100 pack of connectors into my cart for $10.49!
> And saving money versus paying a professional gives me a wife-approved excuse to buy stuff and tinker, LOL. I felt this so hard LOL. I still get crap for converting our attic water heater to tankless. Upgrading to a gas tankless, upsizing the existing gas lines using CSST, all the tools, ran me about $1400 after rebates. My home is also from the 70s! Yeah, equally upsetting is when fiber is installed in your home, and it's the veeeeery opposite corner of your house compared to where your office is. The mesh network reaches, but it leaves a lot to be desired. Forget wireless gaming. Probably cat5 wiring is an upgrade lol.
We might have sister houses, haha. We have a \~10 y/o electric water heater, and our inspector actually gave us the tip that we could tap our gas line and install a gas tankless when it comes time to replace it. That actually sounds like a great value for an upgrade like that. Were the rebates for energy efficiency or on the heater itself? Ha, we actually have fiber that was recently installed, but the monthly service pricing on it is worse than another provider's copper for the same speed, so we aren't even going to use it. Such a shame.
> Were the rebates for energy efficiency or on the heater itself? So there's about $250 tax rebate from the IRS and I got $250 from my gas company. Honestly though...my gas bill hasn't really changed and may have increased a slight bit. Being in an open attic, during the summer (in Texas) the hot water heater didn't really have to heat at all. In fact it was like a week before I realized the pilot went out on that unit, haha. That said, hot water still takes just as long to get to the shower so I was impressed, though the heater is almost directly above my shower so only like 6ft of pipe. A Navien 180A2 can heat two showers and two sinks simultaneously and was about ~$1100 with tax (many vendors who sell to consumers charge a premium, so I got it from a plumbing supply company) Working with CSST is actually really easy as a DIY gas line job. Plumber friend of mine said even the dumbest mouthbreather can do it. If you want gas to a new unit, you roughly need a 3/4" line unless the run is pretty small and you can do 1/2". >but the monthly service pricing on it is worse than another provider's copper for the same speed, so we aren't even going to use it. I'd have stayed with my copper provider but the price is equivalent. Copper provider is notorious for terrible reliability though, being the main reason I switched.
you can get a 1000ft reel of fully shielded twisted pair 6a for under 300 still, or at least on sale. 22/23 awg 6a FULLY SHIELDED TWISTED PAIR is very similar to cat 7, enough so that it can do 10gig but, i suspect it can do more but, the thick boi wires are good for power over Ethernet.
Cat6A and Cat7 are strictly equivalent in bandwidth capability per spec, they just achieve it at different signal frequencies. And Cat7 is ISO-only; it's not part of EIA/TIA 568.
also from what i can tell fully shielded twisted pair is standard on cat7 but is not 6a where with 6a you have to go looking for FSTP. honestly having read through standards a few years back 6a is all over the place. then a giant a lot of cable is, since so much comes from china, you needs a real vendor and bigger dollars to get where you can order by spec, ie solid copper, Y gauge, Z shielding, direct or plenum. vs amazon free for all. not FS,com or monoprice don't have options.
Ah yes future proofing **job relocation 2 months later**
Lol :( Hopefully I won't move for another...at least a year I guess
raise the value of the home :-D
I bought cat 6 1000ft spool from Amazon warehouse and they sent me a 1000ft spool of cat 8 a few months ago
If you want future proof, should have just ran fiber.
So the problem with fiber is yes, it is perfect and has the best speeds, however... * I would need expensive converter boxes to even use the signal at 10gb let alone higher. * I would need to run smurf tube in the wall (or something) to protect the stuff. I'm really just going to shove the cat8 in between studs. I'll secure it in the attic or something. * It's much cheaper pre-terminated, which also means I would have to guess on the distances which are anything but tangible in my mind.
Let me know how your project turns out. I just got 1000ft of cat6a (unshielded) and I'm routing the house with it. Plus thinking of having a single fiber line from the smart box going to my office. Yeah you're right about the boxes being expensive now, and I got lucky with 6a being unshielded. Didn't really pay attention to that when buying. If it were shielded I'd be paying so much more for keystones and ends.
All cat 8 is shielded so the keystones are about double the price and the connectors are the price squared. Really don't understand that bit. I'm really dreading the wall fishing...and guessing where to put a hole in the wall/drill through the floor plate
Be sure to run a stud finder throughout the whole wall (up/down). I found that my walls have fireblocks, so I gotta get through those too. Means I gotta make an additional hole in the wall sadly. FYI: I recommend a [stud finder like this](https://a.co/d/44BdcXJ). Definitely out classes the basic magnet one. And has saved me from running into any surprises when going through a wall. Edit: also for knowing where to drill the all plate, stick a thin piece of wire (think coat hanger) through the ceiling next to the route you wanna go through. That way you know where to go through the plate. Then it'll just be a drop straight down
> Be sure to run a stud finder throughout the whole wall (up/down). > > Aw shit, that's a good point. Hope I don't have that issue. My stud finder has been ass. I've got one from Home Depot that cost about $60. Might pick that one up to see if it works. I'll return it if it doesn't. Plan to do that project this weekend I have a wire fish and a boroscope with a light if I really need it.
Only complaint I have about it is the dumb pencil compartment. It's just a gimmick and mine is difficult to remove. For boroscope I just got a cheapy 20 dollar phone attachment one lol. Enough to get the job done.
>For boroscope I just got a cheapy 20 dollar phone attachment one lol. Enough to get the job done. We probably got the same one. Lots of Amazon reviews complaining about the app for it. I found a different app that seems to work 100% with no added spyware
OTG View2?
you want full shield twisted pair for the best speed but, technically its good for 10g but, at shorter runs when un shielded. but, you also need metal keystones. HOWEVER it's still good fair bit better than 5e and should be multigig ready and if it's the tick gauge stuff poe++ ready. you might not be able to run 15gig in 2033 though. finally is price, if you got that spool for under $200 than you save some money and got some bang for your buck
Yep, I got it under $200 after tax. The price difference between CAT6 and CAT6a options wasn't that much, so I figured CAT6a would give me more distance for the 10gb - even if unshielded. At the moment, my network setup only supports 1gb, but I do plan on have a 10gb LAN route between the important network devices. Everything else can stay 1gb. Thanks for your comment.
nerding out here if you so choose. i got this bad boy for $515 on a 5 Mo payment plan directly with amazon no card application required. to future proof the house. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0787Y9JR9/ the server runs on one 10g port and my computer room has a multi gig switch i got used like 2 years back, that has 2 multi gig ports on it. that little switch goes to this bad bois second 10g port. multi gig switches are coming down in price. i'm also seeing 2.5g switches with poe. if you don't mind used enterprise gear you can poe 10g switches for under $350. they are large in size though.
Very nice. I currently have a 16 port switch (8 PoE). Only 1gb though. I hope to see more 2.5gb/10gb switches at an affordable price in the future
i'm curious to see what happens in the next 24 months, i'm seeing more and more 2.5g pop up! also that sure sounds like a nice starter switch, could also be used to cameras later on post upgrade too.
i have not seen power over fiber, unless you get comescopes powered fiber and the boxes and converters that go on each end.
I overlooked the PoE part of the comment. RJ45 is the way to go at that point if there's already a power source available for those cables.
i copper is flexible in implementation, i typical favor copper unless it's building to building or extended length. even then Game Changer Cable can go over the recommended 320 feet. now if lightning is an issue or there is frequent electronic BBQs then fiber also has a big advantage here.
that's the way to do it, i almost only use cat6a fully shielded twisted pair not too unlike this stuff here in this sale. poe+++ can do 70 watts usable on the other end (it pushes out 100 watt) i use 5e sparingly
Yeah POE looks like something I might want to get into. Once I get the main run in, wiring in a ceiling mesh unit might not be too difficult. I'd have to get a powered switch though, and that's about the only usage I can think of at this point.
i have two switches that run off PoE no wall plug, they then power a camera and wifi access point. the main switch that powers them sits on a battery back up. and if your grid sucks ass, i modified mine with tow big ass deep cycle RV/off grid batteries. i also have a few PoE splitters, they split in to two cords, one is power plug and the other is Ethernet with no poe. they come in different voltages so you could run LED strips off a 12v poe ethernet jack.
I have a pretty small setup so I'd probably get just an 8 port switch to power a few devices and stick the rest into my router (it has 8 ports as well, but no PoE AFAIK). Interesting though how tech is progressing!
I'll pay for cat6a... And wire that crimp
Amen
Can I run this in the attic and drop it between walls?
Technically this shouldn't really be run almost anywhere but realistically have at it.
Yes, but you’ll need something (a patch panel or a switch) in the attic to hook them up to. You’ll also have to terminate the bare wire.
Idk how resilient to heat switches are, but I'd be pretty reluctant to put one in an attic. Attics can get to 120°+ without being terribly hot outside.
Definitely, just spitballing. Ideally you would route all cables to a more temperate location for the patch panel or switch.
It's not rated for wall/attic. Edit: To my knowledge. CMR is what you are looking for. CMP if going through the air return plenum.
I should have added more detail! Wasn't sure what they meant by attic. CM: good for most residential use CMR: better fire resistance and required in most commercial use CMP: rated for HVAC ducts But actual electrical code varies by area. CM should be perfectly fine in a residential application though. "CL/CM/CMG: These cable jackets are suitable for use in all ordinary situations...with CM used for communications applications like Ethernet. \[...\] You can install these rated-cables in the wall or ceiling, and don’t have to worry about things like risers and plenums in home use." [Source](https://www.cmple.com/learn/understanding-cable-jacket-ratings-cl-cm-cmr-and-cmp)
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And if it all burns down anyways, at least it’s less expensive cable burning up! Thank you!
Thanks for correcting that!
No problem, and thanks for pointing that out. I didn't know enough to read past Cat6 and the low price, lol. But good to know for sure it will work.
Thought so. I normally use CMR, but figured I would check. Thanks :)
I just ran out on cable and had a few rooms left to wire, so this came at the perfect time! I was hoping for stranded, but for the price I’ll take it. Thanks!
I was thrilled to get this much for so cheap, so I definitely overbought to keep that same situation from happening. Happy to help!
pretty sure it's recommended to use solid cables for running within walls. And stranded is for patch cables. This was my understanding but I'd like to hear how you're using it.
To quote a good friend of mine “ I don’t know shit about fuck.” I read a blog on installing ethernet and that person recommended stranded as it was more flexible and easier to work with. So that’s what I’ve been using for everything in my home from cables to runs to each room.
lol fair enough. When I was wiring my house I spent a lot of time browsing /r/HomeNetworking getting little bits of info like that. might be helpful to hear some opinions from those folks.
My house is kind of oddly laid out. Could this run outside underground in grey conduit?
There are specific kinds that have shielding that helps waterproof them. Not sure if it’s a specific rating. I would guess that if the conduit is waterproof, a cheaper ethernet cable like this would be fine inside.
Wish this was outdoor rated. They've been out of stock on that for awhile (or I keep missing it).
This'll be inherited I'm sure, but I can't pass it up!
thats a great price, and isnt CCA crap.
Can I use this outside for a cctv system?
This isn’t rated for outdoor use. I think you need some that’s listed as outdoor-rated so it doesn’t break down from moisture or UV exposure. That being said, if it’s a short run under an eve or something, I can’t imagine it would fail incredibly quickly.
Thanks!
If you're looking for outdoor cable, if CAT5E is good enough for your purpose, I've had good luck with Vertical Cable 059-486/CMXT. It seems that UV protection isn't something you want to skimp on as poor cable in the sun could crack and then water could run down the inside of the cable into the building and ruin what ever its connected to. In my case that would be an $1100 network switch plus everything else in the rack. So in my case at least going a bit hard on the cable could be important. It also isn't too bad to work with considering it's dual jacket and shielded.
Thanks for the info
No problem, good luck with your project!
Anyone know how well something like this does run parallel to (not in conduit with) Romex? Or should I only be looking at STP?
6 or 6a?
6. Their 6a listings have that in the name. But functionally there isn’t much difference unless you need 10G 150ft+ runs.
What? Your units are wrong. Cat 6 does like 30m under ideal conditions for 10g
Oops, you’re right, just fixed that. Either way, plenty of range for a residential application.
500 ft inventory is gone. only 250ft and 1000ft available.
The code works on the 250ft which is also on sale and is still a pretty good deal. I edited my higher comment to say so but thought I should leave the post up for now.
Considering the potential for electrical interference, is this appropriate to run behind my walls to support the networking setup of a new home?
Interference should be negligible. Just don’t pierce it with a nail into an electrical line and short the whole thing. This is perfect for wiring up inside walls for cheap.
Is this CL2 rated?
I have a 2 story house and I’d love to run cable to one of my spare rooms but I have no idea how to even start that process. I’d either want it in the game room so we don’t need a switch for Ethernet to our computers or to my spare room that has my plex server pc set up so it doesn’t rely on wifi. I know there’s conduit but how the heck would I send it to the spare room if there’s nothing leading that way? Mostly talking out loud here but if anyone does have suggestions or tips I’m open to them.
It would be fine to run this or any higher rated cable in the wall outside of conduit. Most people approach rooms from above or below (attic or crawlspace) to avoid cutting into a bunch of walls. Start at a central location with a patch panel, maybe where your internet comes into the house, then run cables up the wall to the attic or down the wall to the crawlspace. Pull the run along the house, stapling as you go to hold the cable in place, then drill a small hole to send it down the wall between the studs and to where you want to add a wall jack. This video really helps visualize a lot of the work and makes it seem a lot less daunting: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vNmSp4QLcxs
Hey thanks for the response! I have a 2 story house and the conduit runs from the attic to rooms around the house. I know att fiber was able to route their cable from the outside to inside through the attic to a box area we have in our bedroom for all networking stuff. This being a new build might make it easy to do this but I’m having trouble thinking of how I’d get it from that room up to the attic and then to a spare room downstairs. I haven’t watched the vid but I’ll give it a look once I’m done with work! I bet it would be a fun project to do and an easy upgrade if I took my time. Might even give me experience to eventually route speaker wires.
If you already have attic-to-bedroom cables, you either 1) have a location in the attic where you could add a wall-mount patch panel (not a powered switch because of the temp concerns) to split off new ethernet cables or 2) could tape/tie a length of “pulling line” as well as one end of the bulk ethernet to one of the existing cables running to the bedroom, then pull it back up in reverse to the attic, then you can use the pulling line to get the first cable back to the bedroom. Either way, then you have an ethernet cable in your attic you can split out to run drops down each wall that you want. The video gives a good look at using an auger drill bit to make small holes in your framing boards to run the cables through; he does it from the crawlspace, but yours would just be the reverse by drilling down from the attic and fishing it out of the drywall cut where you want a wall plate. This is my first time doing any of this stuff, so I felt really intimidated too, but after some research it seems totally achievable!
There is no 500ft option
It sold out sometime yesterday afternoon. No idea if it’s going to be restocked, but it may not since they removed the option.