Which cat5e cable?

For wiring up my home network, what type of cable do I choose from the following:

-Cat5e
-Cat5e UTP
-Cat5e FTP

I'm guessing that UTP is unshielded, I've no idea what FTP is (fibre?) in the cabling context. If a cable is designated just Cat5e, does that mean that it's shielded?

Which of the above should I choose for my gigabit home network?

Cat 5e UTP is what you need. FTP is stranded cable for patch leads not backbone wiring. For shielded it would be STP.

Hi, Cat5e UTP (Unshielded Twisted-Pair) solid core for wired network installation.

http://www.cablemonkey.co.uk/acatalog/Cat5e_Solid_Ca...

Edited by deleted (Thu 07-Oct-10 14:40:21)

Thanks for the feedback guys. My next question: I'll be having cat5e cabling from four rooms in my house going to the garage where I'll have a network switch. My understanding is that each room will have the cable terminated at a single face plate/wall outlet module, but can the other ends of the cables (in the garage) also be terminated at wall outlet modules housed in a 4-way face plate or do I need a patch panel? What's the difference between a patch panel and a terminating faceplate/wall outlet module?

I'll also have a single cable going from a wall outlet sited next to the incoming ADSL socket to the garage, terminating at a single socket. The plan is for this single socket to be plugged into a switch into which the other 4 sockets will also be plugged. Will this setup work as a home gigabit LAN with a shared broadband connection?

I've no doubt asked a similar question in a previous post so apologies in advance, but I'm just trying to get my head around what I can do that'll work, given that I've been reading all sorts of networking product guides which mention cabinet and 10" patch panels, all of which seems like overkill for my needs.

No need to use a patch panel unless you have alot of wiring. A patch panel just allows you to get 24 outlets in a 19 inch rack where as the equivalent in faceplates would take up alot of room.
Done this plenty of times for friends.

I take it you mean that your router is located near the BT master and you are using cat 5 cable from this to the switch in the garage:

BT -- ADSL router --- cat 5 --- switch ---- house wiring

If so that's exactly how it should be.

Did you read the automatedhome guides I pointed you towards yet?

While a full-height cabinet is overkill, a small wallmount, or even just a couple of brackets to fix a patch panel to is a fine idea - I wouldn't do it any other way than to use a patch panel...

1) You mention 4 rooms. Assuming you only want one location in each room to have a wall outlet, I would put two RJ45 outlets into each faceplate and run the cable now - if you buy two reels it is literally no extra work, and what you want to avoid at all costs is winding up with a series of mini-switches everywhere 5 years from now because you can't be bothered crawling about in the attic, again.

2) With that, 4 rooms x 2 RJ45 = 8 rj45 at your core. Add it up and you'll find a patch panel is probably break-even already, and as a typical 1U patch panel has 24 outlets on it, you have room to expand to additional rooms without having to redo the core later.

3) A proper panel is a lot easier to work with than a series of wall outlets at your core.

4) If you buy a rack-mountable switch (not all that expensive), you then have a nice easy way to tidily interconnect the two.

These things have a habit of spiralling out of control once you get started. I used to have once PC, a printer and that was it, there's now about 15 networked devices in the house.

And you never know, I might one day get around to cabling the house properly myself! Cobbler's shoes and all that.


Edit - just had a rummage on ebay, 24-port 19" panels can be had from £15 new, £20ish for brand-name ones. That's cheaper than 4 faceplates, 4 backboxes, and 8 RJ45 modules, before you even consider the faffage.

Edited by deleted (Fri 08-Oct-10 13:01:45)

In reply to a post by joconnell:

I'll also have a single cable going from a wall outlet sited next to the incoming ADSL socket to the garage, terminating at a single socket. The plan is for this single socket to be plugged into a switch into which the other 4 sockets will also be plugged. Will this setup work as a home gigabit LAN with a shared broadband connection?

Thw way to think of this is to consider your switch as the centre of the network, and everything else branches away from this.

The router should be considered as just another device. Connect this to the switch, and connect your PCs, etc, to the switch too.

This way, if your switch and devices are gigabit-capable, they will talk to each other as quickly as possible, and anything bound for the internet will go via that seperate "branch" to the router.

One small thing, depending on the switch you buy for the core and the router you have, you may, at worst, need to buy a single crossover patch cable. If the switch or the router have what is described as an "uplink" port, no need, the kit will sort itself out.

Edited by deleted (Fri 08-Oct-10 13:09:10)

Use Cat6 for longer distances of reliable GigE.

We've already done this bit!

http://forums.thinkbroadband.com/multiuser/f/3909882...

D'OH!

I take it you mean that your router is located near the BT master and you are using cat 5 cable from this to the switch in the garage

Spot on

In reply to a post by shtu:

Did you read the automatedhome guides I pointed you towards yet?

Yes, and that's what's lead me to a number of other websites and suppliers and hence my further questions - just looking for answers and reassurance really.

In reply to a post by shtu:

You mention 4 rooms. Assuming you only want one location in each room to have a wall outlet, I would put two RJ45 outlets into each faceplate and run the cable now - if you buy two reels it is literally no extra work, and what you want to avoid at all costs is winding up with a series of mini-switches everywhere 5 years from now because you can't be bothered crawling about in the attic, again.

Given the little extra work for that, that's what I plan to do.

In reply to a post by shtu:

With that, 4 rooms x 2 RJ45 = 8 rj45 at your core. Add it up and you'll find a patch panel is probably break-even already, and as a typical 1U patch panel has 24 outlets on it, you have room to expand to additional rooms without having to redo the core later.

Yes, and if I add any more cables (planning to create a kitchen/diner) then I've plenty of capacity

In reply to a post by shtu:

just had a rummage on ebay, 24-port 19" panels can be had from £15 new, £20ish for brand-name ones. That's cheaper than 4 faceplates, 4 backboxes, and 8 RJ45 modules, before you even consider the faffage.

Yes, I've found that out, so loads of free ports for less money! Great!

Thanks for al your feedback, been most helpful

I notice that most patch panels I've seen have rear IDC connections, which means that attaching the cat5e cables will be awkward. Are there such things as patch panels that take rear RJ45s rather than relying on IDCs, after all it's much easier to terminate a cable with an RJ45 connector rather then with the IDC connectors in a patch panel, and it's also surely more robust?

Or (just thought) does that negate the need for a patch panel?

You can get RJ45 coupler patch panels, never used one and don't really see the point for infrastructure wiring, ok for keeping server rack's etc tidy.

You get a better termination using IDC connectors, quite alot of the RJ45 plugs sold are for stranded cable not for solid core, though you can get them, use the wrong type of plug and you eventually end up with dodgy connections.

No, not at all. You use one of these and it takes a minute or so. You need to use this at the wall outlet anyway.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Network-BT-Punch-Down-Push-IDC...

Trust me, much, much easier than putting RJ45s onto solid cable (which they aren't really meant for, they are for stranded patch cable).

UTP is all you will need

Double up the cable from each location and use double face plates as you will sooner or later find you need an extra one.

Use a patch panel not face plates - neater and less room. You can get 8, 12, 16 and 24. So with 4 locations (double) you will need 8 (minimum) so a 16 or 24 way should be used.


And, if you buy a switch which can be free standing or rack mounted the you can free stand it on a shelf but create a small bracket to allow the patch to be fitted above.

Edited by MHC (Sat 09-Oct-10 08:20:26)

IDCs are much easier to use and much better than RJ45s ... what is your success rate in making RJ45 connectors? and how quickly can you do it? IDCs are quick and simple and if they do not work you just punch down again whereas an RJ45 is cut off, fiddled about with and remade (not reused).

Okay, so I need a patch panel and I'll be doubling up on the cat5 solid core terminating at two-gang faceplates to each room (living room, office, master bedroom and second bedroom). Is solid core cat5 also known as cat5 infrastructure cable?

Correct me where wrong, but I understand that solid core (as opposed to multi-strand core) cat5 has better performance over distance and is used from patch panel to faceplate. Patch cables for connecting from patch panel to device (switch, PC, etc) are made from multi-strand core cable which is more flexible and less prone to damage through bending (unlike solid-core).

I'll also invest in a cable management system to route the cat5 into the patch panel to make it tidy and manageable. I've seen 1U or 2U racks with a left-hand hinged bracket for mounting the patch panel which I guess makes punching down the cables easier, but they're expensive.

Can anyone recommend a 16 port or 24 port patch panel and a rack in which to mount it?

What I did with my home network was get the best cable I could (Managed to get a 305m roll of CAT6a (Yes thats right - 10-Gigabit CAT6a) cable and used that as my backbone). You won't need CAT6a yet but I would go for CAT6 if you can to save having to redo the whole process over again in the foreseeable future.

As for the wall outlets - why not pop down to your local toolstation to get some of these: http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Electrical/Data+Tele...

and look under the 'You might also like' section.

If you are going to be wiring up 4 rooms with 2 outlets in each room plus the router you will need 9 ports (Usually switches don't come in 9 ports. It's mostly 5, 8, 12, 16, 24 and 48 ports).

IF you are going gigabit, you should get one of these: http://www.lambda-tek.com/componentshop/index.pl?ori... and one of these http://www.porthale.co.uk/products.asp?partno=TL-SG1...

and use a 1m patch cable to join them together. That will save you having to fork out lots of money getting a 12/16 port switch which will cost a fortune.

I hope this helps

Edited by chris6273 (Sun 10-Oct-10 00:16:57)

http://www.comms-express.com/

I've seen the "Excel" brand stuff before now and it seems decent enough.

Thanks, this looks good

If you want to rackmount the switch, choose your switch before you commit to buying a cabinet - patch panels are not very deep, but switches...

I was going to say last night, I really don't agree with the model of high-spec cable, then low-spec switches. Cat5e will cope with gigabit fine, but if you throttle it with a dumb switch, and then compound it by cascading them...

Probably over the top for your needs, but I thought this was good value. 16-port full-managed switch with fibre interface for less than £100?

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/197571

Or Netgear Prosafe, a cut above the dirt-cheap switches,

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/47407 - 8 port unmanaged.
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/62292 - 16 port unmanaged.

These would be more suitable for the compact cabinet you linked to, although they aren't rackmount you can put it in the base of the cab or put a small shelf in.

In reply to a post by shtu:

If you want to rackmount the switch, choose your switch before you commit to buying a cabinet - patch panels are not very deep, but switches...

I have a compact 8 port Netgear gigabit switch which I plan to use for now until I need more ports so space shouldn't be an issue, but I'll bear in mind your point about the depth.

Thanks agin for your continued wise advice.

I'd probably go for something like this instead of messing about with netgear

In reply to a post by Pipexer:

I'd probably go for something like this instead of messing about with netgear

Nice piece of kit but way over the top for my home network

Good kit, got it's big bro in my cab in the garage

Got hundreds of HP switches in the racks at work and can count on one hand the number of failures.

In reply to a post by Rockh:

Got hundreds of HP switches in the racks at work

In reply to a post by Rockh:

Got it's big bro in my cab in the garage

Are the two related by any chance?

In reply to a post by shtu:

In reply to a post by Rockh:

Got hundreds of HP switches in the racks at work

In reply to a post by Rockh:

Got it's big bro in my cab in the garage

Are the two related by any chance?

Brothers...

Sisters, they both occasionally have "moods"

Maybe

In my last job we had a bloke who they always said if you removed everything from his house that belonged to the firm his house would fall down

I may have already asked, but is shielded cat5e necessary? As I understand it, electrical interference and noise is only as issue if the cable is laid parallel to electrical cables?

In reply to a post by joconnell:

I may have already asked, but is shielded cat5e necessary? As I understand it, electrical interference and noise is only as issue if the cable is laid parallel to electrical cables?

UTP is unshielded.

Parallel and close!

I have network Cat5e, telephone, TV aerial, FM/DAB radio, mains power & alarm running down the same riser here at home. Power is probably 100-150mm away and a little separation on the rest but suffer no problems at all.

Screened is OTT.

Edited by MHC (Tue 12-Oct-10 08:37:40)

In reply to a post by MHC:

Parallel and close!

I have network Cat5e, telephone, TV aerial, FM/DAB radio, mains power & alarm running down the same riser here at home. Power is probably 100-10mm away and a little separation on the rest but suffer no problems at all.

Screened is OTT.

100-10mm?

The RJ45 faceplates will be sited about 5 inches (>100mm) away from any power sockets so that should be plenty of clearance, but I will ask the sparky doing the work to ensure that the cat5e runs 90 degrees across any power cables under the floorboards on the way to the cable rack.

In reply to a post by joconnell:

In reply to a post by MHC:

Parallel and close!

I have network Cat5e, telephone, TV aerial, FM/DAB radio, mains power & alarm running down the same riser here at home. Power is probably 100-10mm away and a little separation on the rest but suffer no problems at all.

Screened is OTT.

100-10mm?

The RJ45 faceplates will be sited about 5 inches (>100mm) away from any power sockets so that should be plenty of clearance, but I will ask the sparky doing the work to ensure that the cat5e runs 90 degrees across any power cables under the floorboards on the way to the cable rack.

It should read 100-150 mm although there are a couple of places where it is a lot less!

Your spacing should be fine - just look at office installations where power, data & telephony all run in 100mm trunking (with separators) and the outlets are adjacent.

It should read 100-150 mm although there are a couple of places where it is a lot less!

Your spacing should be fine - just look at office installations where power, data & telephony all run in 100mm trunking (with separators) and the outlets are adjacent.

Thanks, 100mm is a useful figure to remember for these purposes

In reply to a post by MHC:

Parallel and close!

I have network Cat5e, telephone, TV aerial, FM/DAB radio, mains power & alarm running down the same riser here at home. Power is probably 100-150mm away and a little separation on the rest but suffer no problems at all.

Screened is OTT.

Out of interest though have you done any throughput tests to check whether you can get the full 1Gbps without problems?

I guess though unless you're pushing the maximum cable length of Cat5e then you're unlikely to suffer.

From PC to PC through a Linksys/CISCO switch I have achieved well over 750Mbps. My feeling is that it could be the PCs and discs that are slowing up the transfer.

Yup, you're proabably hitting the limits of the PC's discs and bus.

750Mbps. Enough for most people, surely?

In reply to a post by shtu:

750Mbps. Enough for most people, surely?

For home use, even with intensive file sharing and streaming hi-def media, that's easily enough for years to come.