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Ethernet cable Network - Advice what to buy - Newbie

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  • 14-07-2011 11:52am
    #1
    Pepsie
    Registered Users Posts: 109 ✭✭


    Advice to set-up “large file distribution” Ethernet cable Network – Newbie

    Hi fellow boardies,
    I would be very grateful for your kind advice & suggestions.
    I need to set-up an Ethernet cabled network in my small 3 bed size bungalow type home, and I am a bit “clueless” as to what specification to buy for a network :confused:. (Wireless works very poorly in this house :( & I'd prefer to go down the cable route).

    Set-up requirement 3 room network:
    * Ground floor – Room 1. Dining-room, cum man’s Sports channel TV room, cum home office. Room has Eircom Phone line/Broadband entry point, main home PC (Office work & media stream PC).
    Need ethernet network access for; (1). Office / media PC, (2). Net TV, (3). Net Blu-Ray.

    * Ground floor – Room 2. Living room.
    Need ethernet network access for; (1). small PC media streamer, (2). TV Sat. box, (3). Net TV, (4). Net Blu-Ray, (5). Net Stereo, (6). Laptop ethernet plug-in.

    * Basement (Lower ground) – Room 3. Bedroom.
    Need ethernet network access for; (1). Laptop ethernet plug-in. (2). Net TV, (3). Net Blu-Ray, (4). Net Stereo.

    Network usage requirement:
    No. 1, to distribute internet access.
    No. 2, to file share & distribute back up.
    No. 3, to distribute large media file streaming, from flac file music to blu-ray quality 7.1 soundtrack movies.

    I am about to have the attic in my home sealed up with heavy duty hardboard backed heating insulation, which can not be drilled once installed & air tight sealed :(. So before this is installed, I want to Future-proof my home with a small Ethernet cable Network.

    My best access for clean uncluttered installation of Ethernet Network cables, is to run cables up through interior dry-lining partition stud wall, into the attic, and then down from the attic through interior partition stud walls to rooms (2) & (3).

    I guess/estimate that I could need approx. 300 metres of Ethernet cable in total, with separate runs from rooms 1, 2 & 3 up to the attic & back down to a junction in the far corner of room 1.

    Unknown:
    * Which type of Ethernet cable should I go for, cat.6e, cat.7, etc, to meet current & 10 year future needs?
    * Is there a specific make-up & different types of specification cable of cat.7 cable which I should check for?
    * What safe & trusted web site or wholesaler would you recommend for the best value to buy the cable?
    * What routers or / and switches would I need for each room? What would be the best value?

    Thank you kindly, I’d be very grateful to you for your experience, advice & superior knowledge. Thank you.

    Perhaps this could form a thread for “Newbie home Ethernet cable Network installs”, because it seems that more & more devices around our homes are becoming network & web connection dependant, with a requirement for passing large band width. Mods, please feel free to move if I have put this in the wrong section.
    Tagged:


Comments

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    #2
    HelpWithIT
    Registered Users Posts: 276 ✭✭HelpWithIT


    You plan on doing it yourself? CAT 5e would be grand


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    #3
    Snowbat
    Registered Users Posts: 1,064 ✭✭✭Snowbat


    You might get better answers over in Nets & Comms.
    Pepsie wrote: »
    * Which type of Ethernet cable should I go for, cat.6e, cat.7, etc, to meet current & 10 year future needs?
    * Is there a specific make-up & different types of specification cable of cat.7 cable which I should check for?
    Cat 7a stands the best chance of being included in the 40 and 100 Gigabit over copper specification but there is no guarantee - they may decide that a new cable type is required (and there's lots of pressure from cable manufacturers wanting to sell new cable... Cat 5e never made it into the official 10GBASE-T spec despite having been shown to work and silicon from many vendors actually supports it (45m on Cat 5e, 55m on Cat 6)).
    * What routers or / and switches would I need for each room? What would be the best value?
    In a typical structured cabling setup, you wouldn't have a switch or router in each room. All cables would terminate at a patch panel (make sure you number them both ends) and you'd patch the cable runs you want active into your switch. This makes it easy to change your configuration or upgrade your switch. The patch panel and switch would normally be housed together in a rack or mini-rack.
    Dell had some good deals in Gigabit switches last time I checked but that was some time ago.


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