Short answer
Cat 6 is more than enough for a home and considerably cheaper than cat 7. Run two cables per spot, because a second outlet costs next to nothing during installation and half a day afterwards. Have everything come together in a central place with power and ventilation, usually the meter cupboard or a cupboard on the landing.
Who this article is for Anyone renovating or having a network installed.
Which cable
Cat 6 is the standard for a home: good for 1 gigabit over a hundred metres, and for 10 gigabit over shorter distances. More than enough, also in ten years' time.
Cat 6a or cat 7 is possible, but it is thicker, stiffer and more expensive, and rarely needed in a home. Besides, the cable is never the limit: the devices at the ends are.
Do pay attention to:
- solid cores for fixed cabling, not stranded; stranded is for patch leads
- U/UTP is fine indoors; shielded only if there really are sources of interference
- outdoors or in the ground you need a cable made for it, with a gel or PE sheath
Where to
Think beyond the computer:
- television in the living room, and behind the TV is often also a good spot to feed an access point in the ceiling in front of it
- workspace, even if you work on wifi now
- loft and ground floor, each a point for an access point
- shed, garage or summer house, also for a camera
- front door, for a video doorbell or an intercom
- meter cupboard, where everything comes together
Two per spot
That sounds excessive and it is not. The difference in material is small, the labour follows the same route, and you immediately have a spare if a cable ever gets damaged. At a TV spot you often use both: one for the TV, one for a media player or a games console.
It sounds excessive and it is not: the difference in material is small.
Where everything comes together
A central place with:
- power, a socket or two
- ventilation, because equipment gets warm
- space for a switch and perhaps a small patch cabinet later on
The meter cupboard is the most common place, but a cupboard on the landing often works better: more central, cooler and more space.
Terminating
At the far end there is a wall outlet with a connector, and at the cupboard end a patch panel or separate connectors. Every cable is labelled and tested.
That testing is not a formality: a wrongly terminated core works fine at 100 megabit and not at 1 gigabit, and you only notice once you can no longer get to it.
From my own work
In a new-build home in Nuth, twelve cables were run to seven spots during the build, coming together in a small cupboard on the landing. The customer thought it was excessive. Two years later there are two access points on it, a camera by the front door, the television and a home workspace. Everything wired, no extender in the house.
When to call an electrician
- You are renovating and want to include the network
- A cable needs to go to the loft, the shed or the home office
- You want a patch cabinet with everything connected to it
This is work I prefer to do while the walls are still open. Request a quote.
Frequently asked questions
Which cable should I run?
Cat 6 is more than enough for a home and considerably cheaper than cat 7. Solid cores for fixed cabling.
Why two cables per spot?
The difference in material is small and the route is the same. You immediately have a spare, and at the TV you often use both.
Where should everything come together?
In a place with power and ventilation. The meter cupboard will do, but a cupboard on the landing is often better: more central and cooler.
Further reading
Access point or mesh: which to choose
Mesh is quick to set up and works reasonably well. Wired access points work better and last longer.
Fibre at home: what happens and what you need to arrange yourself
The provider brings the fibre into the meter cupboard. From there it is your network, and that is where there is most to gain.
A camera by the door or on the front of the house: what is allowed and what works
A camera on your wall may film your own property. The neighbours and the pavement are another matter.
Questions and comments
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