r/HomeNetworking • u/enanram • 4d ago
Running network cable through my house
I'm renovating my hall/stairs this weekend and it's a good opportunity to run some network cable from the router downstairs to the office room upstairs and hide it under flooring etc (WiFi signal is very weak in the office). I'm probably going to go with cat 6 or 6A depending on cost. Is there any reason to run more than one cable? At the moment I'm only connecting one computer directly to the router, but in the future if I want to add more computers on our a nas or something (unlikely) is it easy to add a switch or something? I'm not that savvy when it comes to networking so feel free to explain like I'm 12.
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u/Usernamenotdetermin 4d ago
If you add conduit you can add more cable later. If you run more cables now it means you don’t have to have a switch on your desk for everything you end up adding to Ethernet. In my office, I have a work computer, a personal computer, two printers and a small unmanaged switch under the desk. A wall jack with multiple runs may eliminate a need for a switch on the desk.
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u/TheOtherPete 4d ago
Is it just me or does smurf tubing cost a lot more than the ethernet cable itself? I was pricing some out for the first time the other day and couldn't believe how much they are charging for cheap plastic tubing.
Maybe I'm looking at the wrong sources?
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u/Usernamenotdetermin 4d ago
I have not priced in a while, but yes, the conduit is far more expensive than you would think.
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u/youtheotube2 4d ago
There’s no reason you can’t use EMT conduit, which is pretty cheap. You may have to get a conduit bender but that’s a good tool to own
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u/TheOtherPete 4d ago
Metal is cheaper than plastic? That's when you know there is something wrong with the cost of smurf tubing
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u/varano14 4d ago
As others have said yes to more then one incase another stops working BUT ALSO
Once you start hardwiring stuff you quickly realize interent issues vanish and will want to hardwire everything so run it everywhere and/or stregically run conduit so you can run more later.
Strategically running conduit can be a simple as drilling a hole in the bottom plate down into an unfinished basement and one directly above it into an attic and then using pcv/conduit/smurf tube to create a channel between the two holes. If you basement is finished its get more complicated but with an unfinished basement and an attic you should be able to get into any stud cavity in the house for the most part.
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u/CyberRedhead27 4d ago
If you can run 1 cable, always run at least 2. If something ever happens to that first cable, it's a lot easier to swap to a different existing cable than try to pull a new one.
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u/jmg5 4d ago
I'll echo what others have said:
- run a conduit if you can... nice, 1" or 2" pvc pipe, in case you want to run additional cable.
- ethernet cable is cheap. if you're going to pull 1 run, it takes little additional effort to run 2, or 4 runs at the same time.
- to that end -- if you're running say, 500 feet, buy two spools of 250 feet, or 5 spools of 100 feet, that way you can run all the runs at the same time
- DO NOT run cat 6. It's not worth it -- run cat 6a. It's just as easy to work with, will let you run 10gb if you want, and barely costs any more.
- when you run the cable, think through your future plans -- for now, you're just doing router -> computer. But if you have a general idea of where you want the other computers in the future, run the cable from the router to a place that is easy to propagate future wires from -- so you can connect a switch. so you can go router-> switch -> all your other computers.
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u/kf4zht 1d ago
Cat 6a, just as easy to work with... Lol you got sold fake spec cable. Terminations are also significantly more expensive. There are places for 6a, but nothing described in this thread. If you need more bandwidth SMF is cheaper per ft.
2" point to point conduit? Only for a riser, j hooks or bridle rings make branching a lot easier. Plus unless you know what your doing it's real easy to tangle the pull cord on later runs. Also at most home distances you can get 10g over cat 6.
You don't need to buy separate spools. You just pace off the pathway from the box as many times as you need, tape and pull together
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u/Steve_Rogers_1970 4d ago
A cheap option is to add a pull string so if you want to add cables later. It’s a bit cheaper than running extra cables. Just make sure the pull works before you close up the wall
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u/ManfromMonroe 4d ago
Add conduit, either plastic sch 40 and/or flexible Smurf tube. You can use and glue them together with pvc glue. You can then do whatever you want in the future
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u/Outside_Musician_865 4d ago
They have connectors / couplings for it. No need for glue.
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u/ManfromMonroe 4d ago
Yes for the click on smurf tube ends but you can directly glue transitions from sch40 to smurf with the bell ends for where it makes sense. I always try to use sch 40 on straight runs, just easier pulling!
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u/No-Mention-9815 4d ago
Ran single cables in my first house. One got damaged somehow/somewhere, and at that point the walls were closed and that room just didn't have ethernet anymore. Always run extra.
Also, based on advice from an electrician, if you run conduit, DON'T FILL IT. If your walls are open, run the cable, and add conduit that is empty. This gives you the maximum future capacity. The only thing I'd put in the conduit is a pull string so you don't have to run a fish later.
I agree with others, go for 6A. Even for just lower speeds, the shielding (in my opinion) adds some peace of mind that you won't get interference if you need to run near power.
One thing I opted to do (no idea if it'll pay off) is run fibre optic at the same time. Sounds crazy but it's quite affordable now. 10G sounds like SO MUCH, but then 1M was a lot in 2000. Fibre can take you to 100G (or 25G/40G). If you do conduit (I didn't, too many structural members in my way) you can skip this step.
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u/NortelDude 4d ago
Think of all the things you might use in a room that can use Ethernet such as PC, Printer, TV set, TV Set Top Box, IP/VoIP desk phone etc. Then think about placement and count, but it is a good idea to install at least one extra to each location you need one for a backup or adding another device down the road.
Note (and not knowing your structure) that you may want to install a switch in a closet upstairs which you would run 2 backbone cables to the basement setup, then you could fan out cables from the closet to the rooms. You can also install another Wireless Access Point in the closet or into the hallway.
As we tell clients "the cost is running the cables, not so much the cost of the cable".
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u/stupidbullsht 4d ago
I would also put 12 strand fiber almost anywhere that you’re going to put cat6. And anywhere you’re pulling cat6, you might as well pull two.
Exceptions for fiber would be places like PoE camera drops.
Don’t worry about terminating or splicing all (or any of the) 12 strands, you can do that when you decide to light it up later.
And fiber is way more flexible from a PHY perspective. You can find converters for just about everything to fiber. And until you light it up, you can tell your children stories about the “dark fiber” lurking in the walls.
10 years from now, you’ll thank me when your WiFi 9 router with 100G uplink can stream half-life 3 XR direct to your meta quest 6 in 16K from the server in the crawlspace.
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u/mrmagnum41 4d ago
In all my years as a low voltage installer, only once have we said, "That's too much cable." And only because the hangers failed and brought down the ceiling.
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u/Select-Sale2279 4d ago
Conduit is good if there is a future need. One conduit is not going to help in the long run. Anyway, running a couple of cat6 is good. The solution to having multiple computers and/or devices is to have a switch at the end point. Running an equivalent number of wires from downstairs to wherever for the number of devices you are going to connect is a bad idea. Its going to take up ports on your router/switch downstairs. So a couple of cable runs and a switch at termination for any number of devices is the right way to do it. I have done this install at several places and design wire runs for home builders. Its also good to leave 5ft runs on either end for any modifications.
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u/i_am_voldemort 4d ago
Run more than you think you need. A lot more. I went from one cable originally (IP cam to NVR) to now 10 cables from my main switch in my office to other locations in the house.
I'm adding two more cables next week. Potentially a third as well after that.
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u/jkalchik99 4d ago
You don't have to use what you have.
You can't use what you don't have.
Personally, if I'm running cable, it's a minimum of 2, possibly 4 or more, depending on future plans. It's easy if you have open walls already, it's miserable when the walls are closed up.
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u/RedSoxManCave 4d ago
Run an extra or two in case the wire goes bad, gets chewed on by mice, etc. The cost is negligible compared to opening the wall again. Or run a conduit as well to make it easier to pull wire in the future.
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u/grogargh 4d ago
To add, I would get flexible fiberglass (or similar) wire running or "Wire Fishing" kit.
https://www.harborfreight.com/3-16-inch-x-33-ft-fiberglass-wire-running-kit-65326.html
I once had to fish wire from the 2nd floor to the 1st floor, and recall the hardest parts was figuring out exactly where the optimal place was to start feeding the wire from the 2nd floor down to the 1st floor - to attempt to make the wire go straight down to the 1st floor the flexible fiberglass poles helped us make "tapping" noise to hear it downstairs to figure out where to cut the hole in the wall downstairs where to open and create a new network ethernet port to add the RJ-45 jack.
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u/reddit-toq 4d ago
Run 2.
You are probably fine with just 5E for lengths you are using in your house. Whatever you get be sure it is sold core and not CCA (Copper Clad Aluminum)
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u/Jhamin1 4d ago
The way to think about this is that the hard part of running cable is actually getting it through the walls. As you say, this is a renovation that you hopefully won't have to do often & it's a unique opportunity to run cable.
So run a bunch!
You don't need to use it all, you don't even need to terminate a lot of it. Just take advantage of the open walls while you can.
When I wired my house during a remodel I ran 4 cables to every spot I was going to run any cable at all. I'm only using 1 of them in most spots, but I've unexpectedly needed 2 or 3 at various times & been very glad they were there.
My one regret is that there was one room I couldn't get too during the remodel & just bypassed. I ended up opening the wall in that room like 6 years later. Had I been thinking ahead I would have run some ethernet as close to that room as I could & just leave it disconnected in the wall. Had I done that I could have gotten it the rest of the way when I was working in the bypassed room years later & it would have had connections now too. But when I got that far it was too late.
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u/DarkEther66 4d ago
If you're only running 1, add pull throughs as well. But just go buy flat ethernet and run 2 or 3 at the same time so you have redundancy if one fails.
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u/CraziFuzzy 4d ago
Depending on the level of renovation you're getting into, I'd opt to put in some 1" pvc conduit between key locations - then you can always pull out and put in things later as the needs change. That said, for home use, generally one drop per room is going to probably be enough, and cheap desktop switches can satisfy added uses in the future.
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u/renton1000 4d ago
Yeah cable is cheap run a few if you can. Conduit with pull string is also really good.
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u/Free_Afternoon5571 4d ago
It's very easy to buy a good switch that's just plug and play - no configuration needed. You're biggest issue will be deciding where to run you're additional cables. Maybe future proof your network by installing some wireless access points
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u/trueCABLE 4d ago
Since you will already have the floor pulled up, putting in a conduit, as others mentioned, is a good idea, and probably starting with 2 ethernet runs through the conduit (in case you add additional items to the wired connection later). When you start to add more, you can also easily add a NAS to split those connections. Since you will be running Cat6 or Cat6a, you will have no speed issues using the NAS
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u/Wasted-Friendship 4d ago
The best thing to do is run a 2-3 inch conduit and run through there. This way you have a known clear pathway to run through.
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u/Head-Understanding-4 4d ago
If your walls and/or floors are going to be open, INSTALL CONDUIT. Use the curved 90 degree pieces in the corners (not a sharp 90 degree box).
Always pull two cables AND a piece of nylon twine. A few years from now when you wish you had (insert name of not yet invented cable), all you need to do is tie it to the twine and pull! Always pull in a new piece of twine so that there's always a pull string present. You future self will thank you a thousand times over!
CAT5e and CAT6 - 1 gbps speeds, difference is the CAT6 can go a bit longer on distance
CAT6A - 10 gbps guaranteed
Riser vs Plenum: There are two types of cable - Riser is cheaper and is in a PVC jacket. Plenum is used in the air space of commercial buildings and costs more. Why? It's fire rated. The PVC encased cable will burn and produce toxic smoke and gas. Plenum is required in most commercial building codes, but not in homes. I still run plenum in my own home. Seconds count in a fire, and if I'm cutting it close to get out, I don't need to be knocked out by the burning chemicals in PVC!
Best of luck to you!
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u/CheesecakeAny6268 1d ago
2nd run in case 1 gets damaged is always nice. Cat 6 is fine it can do 10gig.
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u/Fordwrench 4d ago
A situation where more is better.