Need help: Running network cable in attic

[Flacolaco]

Alright you networking peoples, tell me what you know. I think someone here must know something about something.

Where is the best/cheapest place to buy cable? I'm running cable for 3 rooms, and I need about 250-300 feet total to be safe. RJ45 face plates....what kind of tools do I need?

There are too many kinds of cable. cat5...cat6...cat5e...

Do I need to avoid crossing power lines? Does it need to be shielded in any way?

What time can you come over to run the cable?

What is "Fish Tape" ?

Thanks in advance.

[Male30Dan]

Hire a professional if you don't have any background.

By the time you purchase all of the crimping and cutting tools needed you could have paid for someone else to have done it while you had a cold beer. So you can put 20% of your 200k house payment down but you can't pay 200 to have cable installed in your home???

[Flacolaco]

I was rather looking forward to doing it myself as a learning experience, actually.

edit: You don't need a crimping tool for wall plates do you? I thought you just needed the punch down tool? (but what the hell do I know)

[MavsX]

ha.

good work.

Cat 5e. You can buy that stuff at home depot. I think they have spools of 500 feet and 1000 feet(in a box)

Fish tape, thats just like a metal tape that you can help push the cables through the walls, sometimes the cables get hung up because of stuff like insulation

Next, you will need some mounting brackets, they are metal face plates that go into the hole in the drywall. Then, the face plates(usually white plastic) mount to the metal bracket things.

You will need connectors. Not rj45..those are what are on the ends of the cables. These connectors are what the rg-45 things plug in to.


Some crimpers is a yes..they might run 50 bucks or so.

I'm gonna post some links from homedepot.com...Give you an idea of what to get. If you do go to home depot, you are looking for the low voltage section.

[MavsX]

I think Dan is right though..this can be quit expensive. Also, where are all these ends going to terminate to? Are you gonna buy and terminate on a patch panel?, i doubt it..i guess these could all go to a big switch...

anyway..here a small list of what i could find online...I am sure i am missing some stuff..

Coleman Cable 1000 Ft. Category 5E, 24/4 Pair Telephone Wire

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/...egoryID=501345
$91.00


Ideal Ratchet Telemaster™ Telephone Tool for RJ-11/RJ-45

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/...3+90043+501345
$44.96

Network Tool Kit(maybe sub this for the one above)

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/...3+90043+501345
$39.97

Leviton® QuickPort® Category 5e Jack

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/...3+90043+501345
$4.96

Leviton® QuickPort® 1-Gang 4-Port Wallplate

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/...3+90043+501345
$1.97

Progressive Electronics Classic Tone & Probe Kit ( in case you have wires all mixed up, you can tone them out)

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/...3+90043+501516
$89.00

Greenlee Steel Fish Tape - 240 Ft. with Case

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/...3+90043+501516
$59.99

Leviton® 10 Pack 1-Gang Wall Mounting Bracket

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/...ctId=100195825
$1.59


You'll also need electrical tape, sharpie permanent markers.

.......

[dalmations202]

Let's see Fluke Network Tester $4895
Test of each cable to Cat 5, Cat 5e, or Cat 6 std.... $10 a line.

Generally, if you can find someone with a good tester, and they will put in the lines for $100 a line, let them and smile. Yes, they make some money, but turn key at $100 each is a good price.

If you are going to do it, have fun. Just punch them T568B and go on. That is fairly std.

Here is a pretty decent site for all your needs... http://www.cnaweb.com/

Also, how elaborate are you going to get? Wall rack, patch panels, etc?

[Flacolaco]

There's a lot to consider. That's why I started this thread. Thanks for the input guys.

This is a project for down the line...We're still unpacking boxes, buying furniture, changing locks, etc.... but this is something I always said I wanted to do, and now I'm just wondering if I need to beg Verizon for a better wireless router because they one they gave me suuuucks

[ocelot_ark]

www.monoprice.com is where I buy all of my cables. I haven't priced long ones, but you might want to check them out. INCREDIBLY cheap for everything else I've ever purchased from them and I've never had a single issue.

[Flacolaco]

Yeah I've used monoprice.com for HDMI cables; didn't have any problems. Good stuff

[dalmations202]

Monoprice looks good. I'll try them out on my next wiring job.

[Usually Lurkin]

Don't spend that much. It's nuts. Here's my setup:
Materials:
Tin Cans: $ .80 per node (If you have to eat the beans yourself though, you might want to upgrade to $1.50 per node) Paper cups will get you more fidelity, but you'll end up replacing them all the time.

String: 6$ per 1000 yards. You can get good cotton sewing string for about 6$ per 1000 yards. Thin is good. I've not tried nylon sewing string or plastic string.



Full Schematic:




At the End User (I hold this end up to my computer's microphone):




If you go with all that other "standard" stuff, your house will get infested with nerds. Stay away, cause they live on that stuff.

[MavsX]

ha ha. You're funny.

[Smiles]

There is a place (I'm pretty sure it's in Addison) that has incredible rates on a lot of that stuff. Contractors often buy from there. I can't think of the name of it at the moment, so I will ask. Since the project is down the road, I take it you won't mind that I'll be away from my email until Monday or Tuesday.

If you don't hear back from my by Tuesday, please send me a PM.

[Flacolaco]

Originally Posted by Smiles

There is a place (I'm pretty sure it's in Addison) that has incredible rates on a lot of that stuff. Contractors often buy from there. I can't think of the name of it at the moment, so I will ask. Since the project is down the road, I take it you won't mind that I'll be away from my email until Monday or Tuesday.

If you don't hear back from my by Tuesday, please send me a PM.

You da (wo)man.

I work in Addison/North Dallas, so that would be excellent.

[jthig32]

Crimping RJ45 connections SUCKS.

[Mavdog]

Originally Posted by Smiles

There is a place (I'm pretty sure it's in Addison) that has incredible rates on a lot of that stuff. Contractors often buy from there. I can't think of the name of it at the moment, so I will ask. Since the project is down the road, I take it you won't mind that I'll be away from my email until Monday or Tuesday.

If you don't hear back from my by Tuesday, please send me a PM.

could this be what you are thinking about? just west of midway on belmeade, a few blocks south of trinity mills?

http://www.altex.com/

[MavsX]

orange
white-orange
green-white
blue
blue-white
green
brown-white
brown

thats how you wanna make the ends of the cat 5e's...im actually kinda impressed with myself...i remember that from like 6 years ago.

[u2sarajevo]

Altex will rape you if you don't have a corporate account with them.

And jthig.... don't be a wimp.

And MavsX, it's his cables so he can terminate them however he wants. When I do mine I like to buck the trend and use brown/blue as Tx/Rx.

[jthig32]

Originally Posted by u2sarajevo

Altex will rape you if you don't have a corporate account with them.

And jthig.... don't be a wimp.

And MavsX, it's his cables so he can terminate them however he wants. When I do mine I like to buck the trend and use brown/blue as Tx/Rx.

Ok, doing 5 or 6 isn't so bad I guess.

But we're helping wire our telephony lab after the move, and crimping a wall of 24 phones for RJ45 sucks.

Especially after you did a wall of phones with RJ11, which is freaking easy.

[Flacolaco]

I love the nerd factor on this board.

[MavsX]

Originally Posted by u2sarajevo

Altex will rape you if you don't have a corporate account with them.

And jthig.... don't be a wimp.

And MavsX, it's his cables so he can terminate them however he wants. When I do mine I like to buck the trend and use brown/blue as Tx/Rx.

thats cool with me. I remember learning that is the way to do it..years ago.. Back then i didn't understand that the colors didn't mean anything...

i've always heard and used..the blue pair for voice....like with phones..so that makes sense.

[MavsX]

Originally Posted by Flacolaco

I love the nerd factor on this board.

you are part of this factor..

[Flacolaco]

Originally Posted by MavsX

you are part of this factor..

And proud to be so.

[MavsX]

Originally Posted by Flacolaco

And proud to be so.

yeah it is pretty sweet.

especially when people think you're a genius because you can make something as simple as a straight through cable if need be.

[mcsluggo]

ah ... you folks don't know the true meaning of nerdom!

As a Comp Sci/Math/Stats/Econ major with a PhD in Econ (and an emphisis on econometrics)... I know the nerd, and it is I.





(and yet, I am STILL way cooler than any of you buttsticks. sad.)

[MavsX]

Originally Posted by mcsluggo

ah ... you folks don't know the true meaning of nerdom!

As a Comp Sci/Math/Stats/Econ major with a PhD in Econ (and an emphisis on econometrics)... I know the nerd, and it is I.





(and yet, I am STILL way cooler than any of you buttsticks. sad.)

this is YOU

[mcsluggo]

I don't wear glasses.

[MavsX]

haha

[Smiles]

Yes, I was talking about Altex, but hadn't noticed any discrepency between purchasing on a corp account vs a personal account. Thanks for the warning!