What are your concerns before connecting the wiring?
What are your concerns before connecting the wiring?
Hey guys, I have a few questions to ask before I get elbows deep into wiring my house with Cat 6. First, a little backstory. We currently have the ISP router/modem AIO unit in the upstairs bedroom at the end of the house, while it gives good results for most of the house the office (opposite end of the house and downstairs) has abysmal wireless performance (7Mbps on a good day vs 54 hardwired or 30+ wirelessly at the router) and instead of tackling this issue with something like power line adapters I decided to bite the bullet and do some wiring in the walls. My first step was to buy a Netgear R6700 Nighthawk router (inexpensive, I know, but I'm on a budget and it will perform better than the AIO) and I've since decided to mount it on the ceiling in the center of the house, and then from there I'll run ethernet to the office as well as a PC that's in the upstairs bedroom. Attached is a very simple drawing for what will be done. the line on the left side with all the devices listed will be what is attached to the switch, I went ahead and listed the TV's but I probably won't connect those, I would still like to have an extra port or two on the switch when I connect the devices I use. Oh, and as for the "upstairs" position on the switch that's simply a cable that will be run to the room above the office in case I put a smart TV in there, I don't fully expect it to be used but didn't want to run it from the router. My biggest question is, will I be better off dropping 2 lines from the router to the office? Is there a performance difference in having a 10 port switch vs two smaller switches? ETA: from some light googling I just did I may be better of running the second wire and using it for the TV DVR.
When it comes to switches, the choice varies. Affordable options are straightforward. For most home situations, it doesn’t really matter. I work for an ISP and we prefer running cables directly to basements or ducts for equipment placement. We’ve faced problems with runs from the fiber ONT to certain spots—some have stopped working now. Other wiring in the house is affected unless those connections are updated. My home has over 20 Cat6 runs all converging at one point. Only I notice it when I’m in the furnace room. I also want flexibility: no need for a switch behind my TV, so I have plenty of choices for hardwiring or adding a wireless AP if needed. With more devices on Wi-Fi, speeds are getting strained and Wi-Fi may lag compared to hardwired setups. Fast speeds are becoming the norm, but Wi-Fi struggles to keep up. My NAS is also in that room—large, noisy, which is another plus having it near the furnace. I suggest going for two runs per room. The ISP offers TV services, and Quality of Service (QoS) control works best when the TV uses one line and the internet on another. For main viewing areas, I’ve run six lines: a smart TV mounted on the wall with one line, an Xbox One, an Android box, a PS4, and a home theater receiver all in one spot. Installing a switch behind the TV would only add to the clutter there. What’s your budget like? A coworker recently upgraded a bunch of lines in a 1970s house. Back then, internet wasn’t available at all. He set up all unified equipment and placed two APs upstairs, two downstairs, and one in the garage. The house AP are stored in closets with a POE switch.
I usually run more than one CAT cable to a single point just in case something fails. Using my home as an example, I set up a patch panel from the networking closet—containing my switch, router, servers, NAS, etc.—and connected two Cat6 cables to each bedroom and another two to the lounge. In the lounge, I also installed a switch behind the theater cabinet for devices like Xbox, PS4, TV, HTPC, and receiver.
The residence is compact at 1200 Sq ft. With the temporary router setup near the modem, I enjoy strong 5 Ghz signal throughout the home. I didn’t plan for an additional AP since I’ll use a non-ISP device. Costs are low, and I’m handling all installation myself—working at a large retailer gave me a discount on Cat 6 cable and crimp kit. Amazon looks like a good spot for affordable keystone jacks (they won’t be used often). I’ll keep the cable length under 400 feet, aiming for about 400 feet total, with extra for patch cables in both my home and my parents’ house.
I expect to run two lines from the router to the office and another between the main outlet above and a spare port in the office so I can connect a patch cable to the switch if needed. For the upstairs room, I might also run two more lines, though I don’t see immediate necessity. Since I’m already working on it, doubling up seems straightforward.
Other areas are limited by the home layout. Running cables through walls isn’t possible in the living room or TV area due to design. The best I can do is connect from the switch in the office along the baseboard, tucking it into storage under the stairs and hiding it behind the TV—either plug directly or add a switch.
Behind the sound bar, I’ll run a line off the switch and stash it in the storage space under the stairs, then pull it out near the TV for direct connection or a new switch. For now, I don’t see a need for a NAS unless I decide to install an audio server.
I’m hoping to finish everything—including drywall—by next month. I’m already looking forward to the improved speeds and coverage from this new router, even though it’s not in its ideal spot. Thanks for your guidance!