For most people wi-fi signal blasts through their houses with no problem. For those of us who live in much older homes wi-fi can be a fickle mistress. Any connectivity or weak signal issues can typically be fixed by adding more powerful antennae or using a signal repeater, however, sometimes it may make the most sense to wire a floor of a house or room(s) for internet.
Running Ethernet cable through your house is fairly easy if you have the right tools and plan appropriately. I recommend starting at the bottom and work your way up. You can purchase everything you need online or at your local home improvement store. Below are a few lists of common tools you will likely at need at some point when tackling this project.
- 25' Wire Fish Tape - pulls cable through wall
- 25ft Tape Measure
- Flashlight
- Utility Knife
- Drywall/Keyhole saw
- Drill with 3/4" paddle bit and extender
- Stud Finder w/electrical sensors
- Wire cutters
- Punchdown tool (plastic version typically included with patch panel
- RJ45 Inline Coupler
- Gangboxes for each location
- RJ-45 female jacks and matching wall plates
- Cat5e or Cat6 ethernet cable, as much as you need...
- RJ45 connectors (optional if you would like to make your own patch cables)
It's considered best practice to pick a single place where you want all of the cabled in your house to meet. This is probably best placed closest to the Cable/FiOS/DSL modem. For this, I chose my basement as this is where I had the Verizon Tech install the router etc. Make sure wherever you chose has easy access and provides the easiest places to run the cable. I do this to prevent having to patch to many holes in the walls or ceiling from running cables across the house. This also helps prevent unsightly bald spots and bruises on your forehead.
Pending on the size of the house, you will probably need considerably less than 500' of Cat6 cable. I live in a 3 three story row-home in Philadelphia and I've used about 130' of the 400' purchased for the project. In total, I've run one cable each to the 1st floor living room. and 3rd level of my house from my patch panel which is in the basement and two in my office which is on the second floor.
When looking for places to terminate your cable, use the stud finder to find the closest stud to your ideal location and make your hole right next to it This will give you place to mount any boxes/cover plates. I cant say this enough. Measure twice, cut once. Be sure to remove enough drywall so it is easy to run your cable, but not so much that you need to spend hours patching and painting, because let's face it, it never looks right again...
The last tip. It may seem tempting to run your cables right next to your electrical lines. Do NOT do this. Aside from risking electrocution, EMI (electromagnetic interference) can cause spotty connectivity and decreased bandwidth. I try to keep at least a a foot away from my electrical lines if I can help it, but as long as the electrical wiring and Cat5/Cat6 cables aren't touching in any place, you should be fine.
Take your time, don't yank too hard on the cables, and double check your work...
When looking for places to terminate your cable, use the stud finder to find the closest stud to your ideal location and make your hole right next to it This will give you place to mount any boxes/cover plates. I cant say this enough. Measure twice, cut once. Be sure to remove enough drywall so it is easy to run your cable, but not so much that you need to spend hours patching and painting, because let's face it, it never looks right again...
The last tip. It may seem tempting to run your cables right next to your electrical lines. Do NOT do this. Aside from risking electrocution, EMI (electromagnetic interference) can cause spotty connectivity and decreased bandwidth. I try to keep at least a a foot away from my electrical lines if I can help it, but as long as the electrical wiring and Cat5/Cat6 cables aren't touching in any place, you should be fine.
Take your time, don't yank too hard on the cables, and double check your work...
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