Setting up Ethernet in a 60-year-old home wiring requires careful planning.
Setting up Ethernet in a 60-year-old home wiring requires careful planning.
they are significantly more expensive than a 1000ft spool of cat that can handle an entire house. they offer time savings, but their reliability isn't perfect.
You'll need a good cat6 cable, a solid switch, wall plates, and crimping tools if they're missing. Once you've got that, expect to spend around $350 to $400. Powerline adapters for 1Gbit cost about $35 to $40 and can be installed quickly without a week of work.
cat 6 costs around 100 dollars for 1000 feet. Cat 6a is similar, roughly 175 dollars. Switch prices are about 50 to 100 dollars for a 24-port 1 gigabit connection—it doesn’t happen overnight. It feels like an afternoon or two.
You're highlighting several points about your project and the challenges involved. It sounds like you're emphasizing the effort required for such a task, especially when it comes to wiring and renovation. You also mention the difficulty in finding affordable materials and the time commitment involved. Your tone suggests frustration with others who seem overly critical or dismissive, which adds to the context of your message.
I only suggest PNA/HomePlug/G.hn for homes with a fairly tidy electrical setup that isn’t shared with other properties. Such places include mobile homes or single-story residences without sheds or garages where power tools are used. Apartments seem risky for PNA installation, especially if you share a basement suite or have roommates who aren’t compensated for your service. That’s essentially the only scenario where it doesn’t make sense. There’s a significant concern about whether the initial installation cost is worth it with fixed wiring. It’s more economical to install new wiring once and keep it functional for decades, instead of constantly replacing adapters as standards evolve or expanding the network. For instance, using Cat6A now allows for 10Gbps speeds that could be upgraded later, whereas sticking with older standards like Cat6 or Cat5e limits you to lower speeds unless you install them perfectly. This is why I recommend Cat6a over just Cat6. There are gaming setups and some Mac systems offering 10Gbps or PC models with 2.5/5Gb options available today, provided you have the right equipment. G.hn and HomePlug are mainly aimed at connecting devices over power lines rather than providing a stable Ethernet connection, making them popular for last-mile setups that avoid drilling into walls. However, they’re less dependable than WiFi and don’t support easy upgrades or downgrades since the technology hasn’t gained widespread adoption.
This also explains why I recommend using smurf tube, though it might just be to avoid making the same errors I did. The fishing gear involves a lot of handling with lines or rods and various accessories. There are flexible shafts, spade bits, and different types of cables like Cat5, Cat5e, Cat6, and Cat6a. I once bought a newer Cat5e for speed but ended up with old Cat5e in my home. Electricians must remove these if found, so it’s important to handle them properly. The new flexible setup is easier once you start with the initial installation. The material is pliable, but it can be pricier if you need to purchase the tube and wiring separately. Whether it’s worthwhile depends on how often you’ll upgrade to faster cables.
Going tube sounds like a smart move. I hadn’t considered it before. Being lucky at home lets me run under the floor, and since my house sits off the ground, it’s easy to access. I’m planning to start wiring a friend’s place soon and will have to go through the roof.
You're sure you can handle it in the afternoon? I remember when I worked on construction, we frequently did a lot of installations while renovating. I've also finished the most recent homes I've lived in. The project I completed last month took around three hours after I figured out the center points for the APs and pinpointed my fiber line placement. For plasterboard walls and attics, you'll need an Auger flex bit (and possibly an extension if your bit has a hook hole), glow rods (if your auger bit lacks one), a drill—ideally cordless—and C-Clips RJ-45 wallplates. Keystones, UTP cable, a data wire stripper plus a Krone tool (combos available), and a flashlight. The trickiest part is knowing exactly where to drill, especially near shared walls like kitchens or bathrooms, and understanding local wiring regulations. Most places set minimum clearances from the floor—especially in flood-prone areas—and specify distances between high and low voltage lines, plus insulation rules. You can place high-power and low-power lines close together or even in the same enclosure, but they must be separated by a barrier and the gang box must be non-conductive. It isn't cheap to run from ceiling to floor without the right tools, but it's much easier if you already have the necessary equipment. My previous home was simpler because it had a crawl space; I just ran everything under the house and used circle cable clips to secure them to the beams.