How To Install Cat6 Network Cabling for Your Home or Office
Although many people find wireless to be simpler, I really wanted to use a hard wired option for home networking because of multimedia sharing, capacity on my network, and my mild wireless security concerns. With a wired network, I can have a private, fast network at home for Internet access, file sharing, media streaming, online gaming (on a console or PC), IP security cameras, or any other application requiring conventional ethernet type wiring. Let’s start thinking about and planning now! Initial thought and planning of the network cabling Based on your needs, there are several design issues that need to be resolved. Since these questions will have an impact on the amounts, tools, and materials required, I’ll talk about them before the materials. 1. Which room/s do I want wired ethernet? I have a 4 bedroom home so I knew I wanted all bedrooms wired. I also have a media center below where my smart TV is. That seemed like a good location to wire as well for things like video game consoles. I have smart TVs in each of these locations, so it seemed logical to install network cabling in all the bedrooms below the TV. 2. How many ethernet port locations do I want? I knew I needed at least three connections behind my TV because I have many game consoles and a Blu-ray player that can connect to the internet. I simply chose 4 because the wall plates are available in combinations for 1, 2, 4, and 6 jacks (for a single gang). Why run one cable when running four is almost as simple? To provide the most flexibility without the requirement for local (in-room) network switches, I simply ran 4 drops to each place rather than varying the amount. 16 ports altogether, 4 locations with 4 ports each. 3. Where would be a suitable place for the network distribution? For me, my laundry room was the obvious choice. This room already has access to my internet. The fact that my internet connection enters my home (by cable) from this location means that, if I transfer my cable modem here, it will be able to provide internet access to the entire network. The amount of room required to mount a shelf to hold the network equipment is another factor to take into account. 4. What path should the network cables take? This is probably the most difficult consideration. For me, my house is single story home and I have access to my attic. My cable internet comes through the attic so it seemed like a good solution to run my home network through there as well. For single floor homes with a basement, the basement may be the best path. For multi-story homes you may have to be creative. Outside may be an option by running conduit on the outside of the home to keep it insulated. The other consideration with cable path is cable length. The max cable length for up to gigabit speeds over copper UTP cabling is 100 meters (~300 feet). This should provide plenty of flexibility for most home applications but it is good to be aware of this limit. 5. What network speed do I need? This will primarily influence the type of switch to purchase. In most homes, gigabyte internet is starting to become the norm. For any network installation, a gigabyte switch is my top recommendation. A 100 mbps switch is adequate if you are merely running wires for security cameras. Use a 1 GB switch if you intend to connect any additional lines to the security cameras. Amazon is where you may get a reliable network switch. For households, my favorite brand is TP-Link. Regarding cabling, CAT6 cable, which has become the new standard for any updates or new installations, has become more affordable over time. In 5 years, you won’t regret it. Employ CAT6 cable! Trust me on me for this. 10 gigabit internet is going to arrive, and you will need CAT6 Cabling for it. Now, network supplies and equipment! Step 2: Required Equipment and Supplies (and Costs) Network Tools Needed: Network Cable Materials Now that we’ve (hopefully) got all the stuff we need, lets mount the wall plates! Step 3: Network Wall Plate Mounting 1) I started by finding my cable TV jacks because I already knew the route my cable TV took. They were all in the same places as where I wanted my ethernet jacks to be. I was able to determine which side of the cable jack the stud was on using the stud finder. Nearly all homes have studs that are 16″ apart, so I knew I wanted my ethernet to fit in the same wall cavity as the cable TV. Note: Sometimes, cabling installers from the internet provider you have, will just drill a hole from outside of your home (Like pictured below), into the wall, then cover it with a wall plate. It will have the appearance of being a cable outlet, but isn’t. Very frustrating right? In this case, if its an exterior wall, I would look at other options to install ethernet cable. I recommend finding an interior wall, where it is easier to install your ethernet cable from the attic. If they did in fact fish it from the attic space, but didn’t install an outlet box, easy fix! You can just use the cable as a pull string ( If your not wanting the cable anymore), cut in a new outlet box, then get your ethernet cable installed. (More on that later) 2) You must now draw the lines on the wall to accommodate the new box. Cutout the box with the pointed hand saw after deciding where to mount the box. You shouldn’t need to drill starter holes, the pointed saw should be able to cut through the dry wall quite simply. 3) Once the hole has been made in the wall, the single gang box may be inserted into the opening and secured
Is It Worth Upgrading to WiFi 6?
WiFi 6 is the latest wireless networking protocol. Professionally known as 802.11ax, it promises remarkable benefits compared to the previous 802.11ac standard, better known as WiFi 5. The WiFi Alliance also seeks to make it easier for users, devices, and software to identify various networking protocols. It does so by encouraging creators of all products and services that utilize WiFi to designate such networks by a numerical sequence. Key Features and Benefits of WiFi 6 WiFi 6 has the following advanced features: 1). Orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA). This feature divides WiFi channels into smaller frequencies in areas with high network demand. Multiple clients can conveniently connect to one AP simultaneously. The AP allocates smaller portions of the channel, known as resource units (RUs) to each client, which maintains network stability. 2). Multi-user multiple input, multiple output (MU-MIMO). It’s a complementary technology to OFDMA, in that it also enables a wireless network to schedule access for multiple users. They can stream data simultaneously through an 8-link upstream and downlink support, which allows compatible devices to share bandwidth equitably. 3). Target Wake Time (TWT): This function allows an access point to define specific times for separate stations to access your network. It saves battery life and increases network efficiency by activating access only when required. TWT is especially suitable for IoT devices. 4). Beamforming: Rather than broadcasting data in every direction, WiFi 6-enabled routers can detect the source of the request and transmit a localized data stream in its direction. Although beamforming isn’t unique to WiFi 6, it works better with this networking standard. These and other innovative features offer several advantages. One of them is faster speeds, which result in better throughput. Higher upload and download speeds are relevant in an increasingly interconnected world, with bigger and higher quality files. It’s convenient for tasks such as video streaming, Security Cameras, and online gaming. Other benefits of WiFi 6 include better traffic prioritization, network efficiency, increased battery life, and enhanced WPA3 security. How WiFi 6 Differs from Previous Networking Protocols WiFi 6 has a data transfer rate of up to 9.6 Gb/s, which is significantly higher than WiFi 5’s maximum of 3.5 Gb/s. Higher-order modulation (1024-QAM) technology enables an improvement of up to 25% in data transmission speed and overall network efficiency. WiFi 6 can accommodate up to eight simultaneous users per AP, compared to WiFi 5’s four. Innovative technologies such as OFDMA and MU-MIMO make this efficiency possible. While WiFi 5 only utilizes the 5GHz frequency band for data transmission, the latest networking standard uses both 2.4 GHz and 5GHz bands to ensure better throughput. Since lower frequency signals have longer ranges, WiFi 6 offers optimum coverage for both long and short distances. Another key difference is in the way networking standards utilize MU-MIMO. WiFi 5 only enables this feature for downlinks, while WiFi 6 allows bidirectional MU-MIMO. This means multiple users can upload and download simultaneously. What Does the Future Hold for WiFi 6? WiFi 6E offers a major improvement of the 802.11ax protocol. While WiFi 6 uses the 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz frequency bands, WiFi 6E will also utilize the newer 6GHz band. According to the WiFi Alliance, it has 14 more 80 MHz and 7 extra 160 MHz channels. These additional channels are suitable for congested areas with lots of networks. Since they don’t overlap, they allow clearer internet access for connected devices. Other anticipated improvements to WiFi 6 include network efficiency through better uplink MU-MIMO, increased range through spatial re-use, and longer battery life for connected devices. What are WiFi Certified Devices? The WiFi Alliance is keen to ensure the smooth interoperability of WiFi 6 devices. Its certification program verifies that various security and performance features meet the required standards. As opposed to past tests that focused mainly on improved bandwidth speeds, WiFi 6 certification focuses on the performance of such devices in shared environments. Other than OFDMA and MU-MIMO compatibility, qualifying gadgets must also support WPA3 security, TWT, 1024-QAM, and 160MHz channels. A product with the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ seal provides quality assurance. Is WiFi 6 Worth It Now? WiFi 6 networks and devices offer backward compatibility with previous protocols. This flexibility and convenience allow you to enjoy the best of all available networks. You also experience improved network security and long-term cost savings. WiFi 6 is worth it, especially if increased bandwidth, fast data transfer rates, and overall network efficiency are your key concerns. As the pace of adoption rises, it makes more sense to invest in the latest routers, switches, and other networking devices that help you reap maximum benefits. At Bluelight Technologies, we always stay up to date with industry trends and emerging technologies. As a premium provider of IT solutions for more than 5 years now, we have the know-how to help you upgrade your systems to the best possible standards. Our skilled staff, timely shipping schedule, committed customer care reps, and world-class after-sale services make us your vendor of choice. Please contact us today for more details.
