Fiber networking for a new home? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 02, 2014, 11:05:07 pm
content: I'm at the stage where I'm coming up with a cabling plan for my new home. So far I have planned to run Cat6 pretty much anywhere and everywhere all back to a central point in my server room.Wanting to future-proof it a bit more, I've thought about running fiber (alongside the copper) to some strategic points throughout the house, such as the office where there is going to be quite a bit of technology in the one room, but also to where the home theatre set up is going to be.I'm sitting on the fence about it; Should I do it or not? If yes, which fiber do I go for? Multimode? Single-mode? I haven't dealt a lot with fiber networking so I'm not quite sure where to go from here.

author: suicidaleggroll
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 02, 2014, 11:18:23 pm
content: Why not Cat6A? It's rated at double the frequency of Cat6, and is good up to 100 meters at 10GBASE-T without requiring testing/verification, plus it can run 10/100/1000 interfaces as well. You'd be able to run your existing 10/100 or gigabit network without issue, and could expand to 10G once the switch/router/NIC prices become a bit more reasonable for SOHO use (they're already coming down significantly). I don't really see the benefit of fiber in an application like this.

author: Fsck
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 02, 2014, 11:33:52 pm
content: don't run fiber, giant pain for a home. cat6a should be more than enough unless you either need extremely long cabling or EMI is terrible.

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 02, 2014, 11:49:57 pm
content: Quote from: suicidaleggroll on October 02, 2014, 11:18:23 pmMainly due to the cost of cabling. As it stands, I'm needing to buy at least 900 metres of Ethernet cable to do the entire house. I did plan to move at least my server and desktop PC to 10gig, but I should be able to get away with it over Cat6. The runs aren't particularly long (longest measured I think was about 35 metres or so)

author: ConKbot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2014, 12:34:51 am
content: For networking? No I wouldnt consider fiber in the home. As stated, copper can do just fine bandwidth wise, in close. It starts making more sense if youre doing a longer run. (I.e. run to the shed on the far corner of the property, and you still want 10Gb there)Or for extending something like HDMI, though there are plenty of cat6 solutions for that too. But they dont go upto 20kmhttp://www.markertek.com/product/cmx-hdmif/camplex-cmx-hdmif-hdmi-to-fiber-optic-converter-extender10Gbit between the server and the PC? Got something that can saturate a bonded 1gbit pair?

author: suicidaleggroll
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2014, 12:42:47 am
content: Quote from: n45048 on October 02, 2014, 11:49:57 pmSo do the high bandwidth runs in Cat 6a and do the rest of the house in Cat 6. The price difference between 6 and 6a is peanuts compared to doing 6in addition tofiber for the high bandwidth runs.

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 03, 2014, 01:35:20 am
content: Quote from: ConKbot on October 03, 2014, 12:34:51 amYep. I deal with a lot of uncompressed video in DNxHD format (220Mbit/sec codec) so quick access to the data is needed. At the moment running it over a gigabit network is slow for editing purposes.2x bonded gigabit connections doesn't necessarily equal 2Gbps throughput. A single 'connection' will only utilise one of those 1Gbit links (for example copying a file from server to PC), i.e.: it doesn't split a packet of data over both links. However it does give you added bandwidth when you're utilising several connections or streams of data simultaneously. It's a very common mistake people make about link aggregation/bonding/teaming.I think you guys have convinced me to not bother with fiber. 10Gbps should be plenty for the foreseeable future and Cat6/Cat6A is certainly up to the task and then some.

author: os40la
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2014, 01:59:33 am
content: Quote from: n45048 on October 02, 2014, 11:05:07 pmI did the same thing 15 years ago. Cat5 was the new rage... Whatever you go with expect it to be oudated in 20 years.

author: Fsck
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2014, 02:02:35 am
content: Quote from: os40la on October 03, 2014, 01:59:33 amsmart thing to do would be to make it easy(well, easier) to upgrade.

author: nixfu
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 03, 2014, 02:07:36 am
content: Frankly the BEST design would be a vertical plenum that goes top to bottom of the house with access at each level and then conduits to outlets on that floor from that point etc.Like a set of closets that are stacked on top of each other, and each floors runs are back to their floor closet via small conduit.That is the way to future proof the cable.And conduit is probably cheaer than fibre or the difference in cost between 6 and 6a.

author: ConKbot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2014, 03:00:04 am
content: Quote from: Fsck on October 03, 2014, 02:02:35 am+1 to that, Running conduit with smooth bends, no hard elbows all the way back to the central hub. Leave a pull cord in it. In the future if you need to move up, then you can just buy a box of the new stuff, sit in the central area, and pull new wire to the office/pc/etc just by taking the cover plate off.

author: nowlan
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2014, 03:21:20 am
content: Pretty sure you need an restricted ACMA cabling license to install cables in a domestic premises here in Australia.I havent done fiber, but I think you need a cleaver and fuser, which cost a few grand.You can buy pre-terminated cable in regular lengths, 1,2,3,5,10 for a server room etc.As everyone else has said, Cat cable is adequate over shorter distances.I would be looking at point to point wireless if you were bridging to another building etc.I doubt you'd find any consumer equipment (tv/console/avr) that supported fiber.

author: vvanders
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2014, 03:30:47 am
content: Quote from: ConKbot on October 03, 2014, 03:00:04 am+2Did that for our home-theatre run in the case of HDMI spec upgrade. Never needed it as we sold the house but it was nice to have and cheap to install when the drywall wasn't up.

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 03, 2014, 03:43:39 am
content: Quote from: nowlan on October 03, 2014, 03:21:20 amYou do need to be licensed, but that's irrelevant in my case. Many arguments have been started on forums about that topic so I'm leaving that one right alone ;-)I have access to fiber splicers and equipment, I would just need to buy the glass itself.None of my AV equipment is "consumer" grade although the idea of the fiber is mainly for data. Just plug in the appropriate media converters at each end.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 03, 2014, 04:04:56 am
content: When Altium built their new building, fibre was considered, but in the end it was decided to run 4 x CAT6 cables toeverycubicle!It required so many that they decided to make a glass encapsulated feature piece out of it going through all the floors:This was in the main foyer:And you got this on every floor:

author: NiHaoMike
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2014, 04:14:53 am
content: Quote from: ConKbot on October 03, 2014, 12:34:51 amUncompressed 4K at 60Hz needs about 12Gbps. Maybe he wants to keep his gaming machine in the server room but the TV in the living room. Nvidia supports H.264 compression since the 600 series, but a hardcore gamer would not like the idea of adding latency.

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2014, 04:35:56 am
content: That is very neat! Mine looks a lot worse, but works. OK, I did use 2.5km of cable in a 3 storey building, and left enough that I can turn the server rack around to work on it easily. Probably half is connected to the switches but unused at the moment, but they do all get used over time. I pulled out about 50kg of old cable as well doing this.

author: coppice
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2014, 07:50:46 pm
content: You have two unknowns with regard to telecoms needs over the life of a house - will you have the right type of cables, and will they go to the right places? The first can be addressed by focusing on good conduits, rather than particular cables. They second is a crap shoot.

author: Sebastian
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2014, 08:17:50 pm
content: Quote from: n45048 on October 03, 2014, 01:35:20 amYep, I painfully learned that after many hours of troubleshooting.

author: dfmischler
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 04, 2014, 08:32:34 am
content: FWIW: I built a 2-story house in the mid nineties and pulled Cat5 and RG-6 cable to all of the rooms before the insulation and drywall went up. None of the runs are longer than about 22 meters, and most are quite a bit shorter. It took about 600 meters of Cat5 to wire the whole house. I run GbE over that Cat5 cable just fine. There is also an empty 3/4" PVC conduit from the basement to the attic in case I need to do something different (newer). I figured once the newer cable was in the attic I could fish it down an interior wall on the second floor as required. To put all this in perspective I was still running 10BASE-T at the time I built the house (100BASE-TX equipment prices hadn't dropped much yet at that time).There is an underground cable run of about 55 meters of 3-pair direct-burial gopher-proof foil-shielded Cat3 cable between the house and the barn. I was surprised that it runs 100BASE-TX ethernet just fine (I did install good quality surge/TVS suppression at both ends).I can't see much reason to pull Cat6 cable, except maybe if you need the current carrying capacity for 802.3at-2009 PoE Plus (up to 51 watts). Cat5e is rated for GbE at 100 meters, and Cat6 is not really rated for 10GbE at any distance (although it should work at short distances), so there is very little real benefit to pulling Cat6 unless you need the slightly bigger wire for carrying current. I recommend you pull Cat6a if you feel you need to pull for the next generation.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 05, 2014, 08:29:33 pm
content: Whatever cable you install now doesn't matter. It needs to be replaced somewhere in the future. What matters most IMHO is to be able to replace the cables in an easy way. Whenever I have the opportunity I add ducts in my home which may be useful for future extensions.

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 06, 2014, 07:44:20 am
content: Dave, those photos are amazing! I would hate to think how much crosstalk is on the cables in the centre of the bunch with all of them live (I'd imagine there would be some kind of core or piping in the middle there?), but still, very impressive!I think if I run Cat 6 now, it will last a good 10 years at least (some places are still using Cat 5e). It's a single storey dwelling so I'd imagine just tie the new wire to the end of the old one and pull.

author: dfmischler
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 06, 2014, 10:23:11 am
content: Quote from: n45048 on October 06, 2014, 07:44:20 amOf course, that depends on whether or not the cables are in conduit. I don't know how it is done there, but here in the US the typical residential installation would be to staple the cable to wood framing members, and drill a few holes in joists or studs where needed, before the insulation, vapor barrier and interior finished walls are put up. That makes replacing cable really difficult, especially if the construction is built on a concrete slab rather than over a basement or crawlspace.My house is built over a full basement so I can fish new cable to the first floor quite easily. Conduit to the attic space should also allow me to fish to the second story from above the interior walls. Then again, since my house is heated and cooled with a forced air system there is always the option of running plenum rated cables in the air return ducts.At the moment Cat6a appears to be a little over double the cost of Cat6. But in the quantities needed that is only a few hundred dollars difference. Unless you are doing the work yourself, the labor cost of installing conduit for every run will far exceed that (although it would give you a much more upgradeable installation).Quote from: n45048 on October 06, 2014, 07:44:20 amBecause pulling Cat6 makes no sense: there is no service rated to run on it that will not run on 5e, especially where the cable can be easily upgraded to Cat6a or Cat8x in the future (drop ceilings, raised flooring, conduit, or just leaving the wiring exposed).

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 06, 2014, 10:34:02 am
content: Quote from: n45048 on October 06, 2014, 07:44:20 amDon't know, I didn't see it getting installed.