Cat 6 and Wireless Access Points

[bongos]

Good evening all.

I am currently having side extension built and it seems like a good idea to install some Cat 6 (or 5e?) around my house while I have easy access.

The Wifi signal in my house is terrible and so i'd like to install a couple of Wireless Access Points - one upstairs, one in the garage conversion or kitchen (basically one in the rear half of the house somewhere). Currently the router and master socket are in a cupboard at the very front of the house but I could easily run a couple of cables out of the side of this cupboard along the current external wall (soon to be internal).

This sounds simple enough but is there anything I ought to be thinking about? I'd rather get it right first time and make sure I have all the right kit than wait until the work is all done.

TIA

 

[SFK]

Fit two cables (as a pair) to each point.
If one fails you have a backup.

Fit one to end on outside wall of extension so you can fit extender to cover garden.

Will you have TV in extension, if yes or maybe fit cable to that point as ethernet it essential for TV nowadays.

Sfk

 

[bongos]

Thanks SFK that's really helpful. I'd not considered it for a TV as well but yep that will be going in the garage conversion. I'd thought maybe I'd also need to run some coaxial for an aerial but not considered cat6 too.

 

[robinbanks]

CAT 6 for whatever sockets and also as a feed for wireless APs? You'll need more than a couple of wires..

Recommend Ubiquiti access points; you can get them second hand on eBay as they're routinely ripped out and replaced with newer ones in commercial buildings, so the older kit appears at reasonable prices. Look to ensure any APs come with a wall mount kit and a PoE injector (a small plastic block with two Ethernet sockets and a power socket, either kettle lead or clover leaf style) - it is what powers the AP, via the network wire.

If you have a PoE switch you may not need a PoE injector but double check the voltages(PoE version number) are compatible because older Ubiquiti kit may be 24v and it's more common for PoE to be in the 48v region. For those situations a small inline voltage converter can be used; it looks like a stick with an Ethernet socket in each end, and probably white with a burnt brown spot because they get warm

Configuring them is as simple as doing a reset and then finding them using an app on your phone but you can go bigger in terms of offering guest wifi and speed restrictions etc by using their network manager software (free).

 

[Winglet]

Definately CAT6. Forget about CAT5.

Another vote for Ubiquiti Access Points. I have been using the AC-Pro Access points for a few years now.

Setup a POE switch somewhere where each of the Access points can come back to.

You can then install the Unifi Controller on any PC to adopt each access point and configure your Wireless networks. Once configured, you don't need to keep the controller running.
From within the controller you can setup several Wifi networks for example one for your IOT or Guests and setup client isolation so they cant talk to anything else on the network.

 

[robinbanks]

Definately CAT6. Forget about CAT5.

I get the feeling that in the context of this particular install there would be little observable difference, but I agree!

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

This sounds simple enough but is there anything I ought to be thinking about? I'd rather get it right first time and make sure I have all the right kit than wait until the work is all done.

Use CAT 6 and you will need one cable out to each Access Point, plus any other items which need good reliable wired access.

For the AP's you can get away with old redundant routers, as given out by Internet Providers, which will provide wifi and wired outlets locally.

 

[robinbanks]

Yeah but with the "repurposing old routers" aspect to some extent you get what you pay for, and it may not universally the case that you can get them to serve a connection to a LAN port up to wifi.

For the sake of 40 quid or so I'd go for the rock solid reliability and feature set of a second hand commercial AP; PoE tidies things up considerably, but I can see that some would perhaps prefer to give a go at trying old kit first

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Yeah but with the "repurposing old routers" aspect you get what you pay for, and it may not universally the case that you can get them to serve a connection to a LAN port up to wifi. For the sake of 40 quid or so I'd go for the rock solid reliability and feature set of a second hand commercial AP; PoE tidies things up considerably

Yeh, but if he has them, he can use them for now and simply replace at some later date as necessary.

 

[bongos]

Thanks all. Really useful!

 

[Stringman_uk]

Sorry but hijacking this post a bit
I am in a similar situation to the op
I have a router in the living room with a cat5 run through the house to the kitchen ready to be extended to our summerhouse at the end of the garden. (40m)
We have now decided to build an office halfway up the garden ( about 20m) My original plan was to extend the cat 5 via joiner and then hopefully daisy chain the access points ( not sure that is possible)
Now that we have upgraded to fibre wifi I am hoping to replace the cat5 with cat7.
The main router has only one spare output. so I would still like be able to daisy chain the wap but if thats not possible/advisable could I put in an ethernet switch in the kitchen and then feed off to the separate wap? I guess i could also then put in a hard wired connection to the office.
Any helpful advice is much appreciated!

 

[Winglet]

I would put a Gigabit switch in the kitchen. Ideally if using CAT7 then you'd want the rest of the cabling (Which is currently CAT5) to also be CAT7 for optimal speeds.

Then from the switch have a hard wired CAT7 connection going to the new office, with the cable underground in ducting.

 

[Stringman_uk]

I would put a Gigabit switch in the kitchen. Ideally if using CAT7 then you'd want the rest of the cabling (Which is currently CAT5) to also be CAT7 for optimal speeds.

Then from the switch have a hard wired CAT7 connection going to the new office, with the cable underground in ducting.

That was my initial thought, then i thought of actually putting the switch in the office
That way I only have to do one run from the kitchen ( it involves a tortuous route under decking etc) And we can also have a hard wired connection in the office.
Sadly the wire cant really go though ducting but will have to be externally mounted on a fence

 

[hllns]

Over the distances involved cat5 will support 1G quite happily so shouldn't need immediate replacement, I'd not if it involves lifting loads of board etc.
You may also find that wireless coverage from one access point in the home office alone may cover the whole garden quite happily so whether it's worth running an additional cable to the summerhouse for another wireless access point or wired access is a tossup really depending on how easy/tidy the run is.

For the home office you can either run multiple cables back to the kitchen or one and install a small switch in the home office.

 

[Winglet]

If not possible to do ducting then in that case get outdoor rated Ethernet cable.