Advices on wiring new homes with cat6

[ziffies]

Building a new home... 3 stories about 1500 sq on each floor about 42ftx42ft. The height of the ceiling is 9 feet.

The contractor will drill the holes on the opposites of the electrical so all I have to do just to run the cat6 cables through. Each room will have home run to the garage and the garage will have the "electronic" closet.

Beside labeler, cat6 cable, wire cutter, low voltage box, tie wraps, strings... what other supplies do I need to run the cable? The reason I'm asking because I will only have the weekend to run the cables because the contractor will want to close out the wall.

I'm planning to run two cables with a string for each run, will 2 x 1000 feet box be enough for my project? Two bedroom and a ceiling runs in a center on first floor. 2 bedroom, kitchen, dining room and living room, and ceiling runs on the second floor. one bedroom, one bonus room (plan to make 2 runs (4 cables) and office (plan to make 2 runs 4 cables) and ceiling runs on the third floor. The electronic closet is located on the first floor and fairly in the middle.

I appreciate any advice on supplies and how much wire will I need. Really don't want run out of cables or need some other supplies when time comes. Thanks!

 

[evilbix]

You'll need a crimper. For wire... Home depot carriers spools of cat5/6. You don't need plenum for residential, so just get riser cable. You'll also need a crimper. I used to use flukes... however, I'm an idiot and lost a few of them over the years at random job sites.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16899888401

it works almost as good, and is really cheap. You'll also need tips and wall plates.

FYI: Spools come in 500/1000 feet. I'd just start with 2x1000 ft spools and see where that takes you. Do dual runs to every spot, and just two dual runs for the office.

If you want to be fancy, you could break it all out into a patch panel and label where each run goes if you ever have to troubleshoot.

Oh yeah.. for wall plates you'll need a punch down tool as well. This is basic, not the best.. but it works. Just set the resistance a bit on the higher side and it'll make clean cuts. I only really use these on blocks and panels but it works great.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16899888402

 

[Carson Dyle]

You don't necessarily have to immediately terminate the cabling at either end. Is the electrical terminated? If it is, then you may want to do so in the rooms before the drywallers get there, but I'd be a little concerned about them getting mud in the jacks.

You'll definitely want to get a punch down tool. I would recommend either a patch panel or a modular cabinet for terminating the cabling in the wiring closet. Again, this doesn't have to be done immediately. Make sure you label all the cable ends at the closet, though, or you'll end up wasting hours later identifying the terminations with a tester.

 

[Fardringle]

If this is a new construction, I VERY strongly recommend that you don't just run the cables through holes in the wall. Spend a little bit more and put in conduit. That way you can easily replace, upgrade, and add cabling whenever it is needed in the future without having to rip holes in the walls to get to the existing cables.

 

[skyking]

Without that conduit mentioned in the previous post, a string is worthless. Keep in mind that even with a conduit, you can "burn" or saw through an existing cable while pulling in a new one, so be prepared to pull out a whole bundle and pull it back in with the new cable.
I use flex conduit and try to chain as many runs through common points along the way. That way I don't have to try an 80' pull around several bends to the farthest run.
I will run a couple of tubes to a ceiling box in a closet, for example, and have 3 or 4 tubes from that point to individual drops.
Buy at least 3 reel-in-box 1000 cables. Do not get pull boxes. Reel-in-box is just what it says, and it pulls so much nicer.
I get 3 or 4 because of the 'burn' issue. I can gang pull in a whole bunch of stuff in one go.

 

[Carson Dyle]

No need for coax? Or will all your of television needs be met by Ethernet?

I'll bet you end up pulling 20 or more runs of Ethernet and then find that nearly all of the networked devices in your home use wifi. Still, nice to have for desktop computers and maybe HTPCs.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Also keep in mind this takes longer than you might imagine. A single weekend goes by ridiculously fast. I would just run the cables and not terminate them. If you do happen to have time to terminate do it after everything is run.

My first cable run ever was practically a 1 day job just because I was new to it, did not have the right tools/technique etc. My house is single story with unfinished basement so I can add jacks anywhere I want easily, so when I do it now it's fast but I can't imagine doing a whole huge house in only 2 days. It's doable, but you will be very rushed.

Conduit is a great idea but it would have required much more planing. You are not pulling that off in 1 weekend. When you install conduit you also want to give enough time for the glue to cure, if any inside is still wet it could eat through the cable coat. (at least that's what I heard and it kinda makes sense as that glue "eats" the conduit to fuse it together, cables have similar materials as the coat)

Though what you could do is do all the runs without conduit, then add conduit too if you have time. At least a couple bigger ones simply going to central locations of each story.

 

[skyking]

flexible conduit does not get glued. It is just run, with bends. google 'smurf tube'

 

[Carson Dyle]

It's also a LOT more work to pull all of your cabling through conduit vs running cable through a structure before the drywall is up.

 

[ch33zw1z]

OP, you have lots of info here, and enough to think about. If necessary, tell your builder to hold off while you choose which route to take. Whichever way you do it, pull the cables before the dry wall is up. You can terminate later.

 

[imagoon]

Info here is good but you don't need a crimper... ever. Punch it on to either a patch panel or put key stones on the other side. Save the money on the crimper and RJ45 mod ends and get a better punch. Mod ends on solid core = mark of amateur work.

 

[ziffies]

Thank you all for the advices.

What is the best staple gun and the refill to run the cat6 cable? Won't be using the conduits, the contractors will drill the hole on the opposite of the hole from electric. I think I'm going to need staple to hold to wire.

 

[JackMDS]

http://www.specialized.net/Speciali...nsulated-Staples-14-x-14-CLEAR-300Box-40.aspx

Less expensive gun here - http://www.amazon.com/Arrow-Fastener.../dp/B00004Z2K4

 

[imagoon]

Thank you all for the advices.

What is the best staple gun and the refill to run the cat6 cable? Won't be using the conduits, the contractors will drill the hole on the opposite of the hole from electric. I think I'm going to need staple to hold to wire.

None, stable guns damage the wire. Use hooks, or those zip ties that have screw holes and can't tighten past a certain point. Crushing the wire will often damage it, staple guns tend to go through it etc.