Cat-5e network install question *I am a noob, just an FYI*

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Soullfytribe345

Limp Gawd
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Oct 5, 2004
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Ive been watching this thread for a while cause the discussion in here is intelligent and very insightful. So with that in mind I turn to you all of the networking & security sub-thread with my questions.

I am about to install a Cat 5e network into my house. It will consist of 6 dual port drops and will be dropped in wall from the attic. I live in the deep south and deal with crazy temps, anywhere from the 20's in the cold of winter to 110 in the hot of summer and humidity ranging anywhere from 20% to 100% at any given hour.

My question - Should I get UTP or STP Cat-5e based on the following information:

I have tried to be careful about planning out my runs and am trying to avoid running them next to power lines, I have a all-houes central vac system that I want to run some of my cabeling along, but other than that I shouldnt have any true interference. I am not running cables near any major light balasts or power sources.

Can anyone give me a good benefit to running the STP over the UTP (about a $50 price difference) and any other possible interference sources that I am not considering.

Thank you!!
 
You don't need STP, UTP will do just fine. Just avoid running the network runs parallel to the power runs and you should be fine. Try to cross the power runs at 90 degree angles when you do have to cross. I've used this method for my own house in Houston and have had no issues with Cat5e UTP.
 
Yeah...also keep in mind that poorly grounded (different ground from power) or broken STP can cause problems that otherwise wouldn't exist.
 
If you haven't ordered the cable yet, might I recommend getting cat6 solid over cat5e solid? It may cost a bit more but will be a little bit more future proof for your data network more than cat5e would.

The cat6 from monoprice would be more than sufficient. Just a thought.
 
Thank you for confirming my suspicions!

Hadrien - I am actually weighing out the benefit of going Cat 6, if it was my budget to work with I would got Cat6 without a second thought, but since I got to handover estimates to the parents, cant be quite so liberal. lol

Thanks again epimetheus, thefreeacount, and hadrien!
 
STP cable also requires the correct STP 8p8c end connectors and you need to ground one end of the wire else the cable itself can act like an antenna and receive EMI. More trouble than it is worth in most residential environments.
 
The only thing that will work for you is

KU Band SatHiCom with a Double Redundant Rotary Polar Switched Maglev circuit.

Lol totally make believe. You will be great with 5e or 6 UTP. And as others have recommended try not to parallel it to any source of power. I get the best prices believe it or not from the DataCom isle in home depot. They are like $75.00 for a 1000 foot box.

p.s. I live in Northwest GA so I feel ya on the heat subject!
 
In the past I got 1000ft Cat5e for $50 from Geeks.com. They occasionally thow it on sale though it is usually only blue or grey, so not good for color coding runs but good for just a simple home network.
 
Cat5e UTP will do you fine. Its what we use day in and day out. I never realy use cat6 unless i HAVE to (whereas i NEED and MUST have gigabit, although ive never had ANY issues running gigabit over cat5, it supports it its just not TESTED/VERIFIED to 100% work).

BTW dont let people scare you into thinking cat5 is not durable, its pretty durable stuff. As long as its not sitting in the hot southern sun 24/7 you'll be fine.... i have a client whos in trailers temporarily up here in NY. We have the wires going under the trailers and it connects 3 trailers together. We covered some of hte cable connecting two of the trailers but everything else is in the sun/snow/etc... we also have wire under the trailers and its been sitting there for 2 years now.

This stuff has been covered in snow, ice, sat in the sun, had lots of wind/other disgusting things thrown at it.

So far to date, its still working great. So don't be afraid to use cat5 in an attic that gets hot or in cold basements/etc.. it'l DEFINITLY hold its own.

Now if you plan to put it outside and you DONT plan to put it in a conduit, you may want to get the outdoor rated stuff, but thats twice the price as regular cat5 and its a pain to work with. They sell a few variations of outside cat5

One is shielded a few times, and the other is filled with a gelitin membrane that allows you to actually submerge the cat5 in water if you had to. Both are outdoor rated to withstand the environment directly to the cable. But if your running it outside and you can say tack it under your eavesdrop, that'll do just fine. As long as its not sitting on a roof in 100+ degree weather, you should be just fine.
 
hawk - thanks for pointing that out, I was already decided on the UTP but your post really solidified my choice.

tangoseal - thanks bud, I figured I would find someone with some southern experience.

PedroDaGr8 - I was looking around an d actually I think monoprice is gonna be my best bet. 1000" of UTP Cat 6 is $126.00. Havent ordered yet but that was the best ive seen yet (the Cat 5e is $75)

Adam - thank you for sharing this with me. I actually will not be going outside at all with these runs but I am glad to know that the medium can handle elemental runins without to much issues


once again, thanks everyone for the replies. I knew the networking thread would set me straight with the right info and good examples =)
 
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