Help with Wiring

[robomanlamb]

Hello,
I am looking to see whether or not it would be cheaper to route a cat6 cable from my basement to the upper story of my house or to hire someone to do it for me. Comcast being Comcast, they decided it would be best to setup the telephony modem in the basement, so I want to get what I am paying for and route an Ethernet cable to my upstairs office to get better download speeds and lower ping for when I am playing games and not working. I currently have a Zyxel powerline running, it used to get me 75+Mbps dl and 20+Mbps ul with 10 or so ping, where as I am paying for 150Mb and 20Mb or something like that. Now i am getting speeds in this neighborhood

Ultimately, I am asking if I should hire someone to route a 1000ft or so Ethernet cable through the walls, which will most likely be a costly expenditure, or buy a spool of ethernet, a crimping tool and most likely due a lack-luster job at cable routing.

Recommendations would be greatly appreciated, thanks again!

 

[smorizio]

first look to see where you can move the cable modem. all you need is a good splitter and some wire to connect it at another outlet.

 

[robomanlamb]

first look to see where you can move the cable modem. all you need is a good splitter and some wire to connect it at another outlet.

I was thinking of doing that, however both of our phone lines run through that modem and I think it might cause a complication because that is the only place in the house in which both telephone lines are next to each other.

 

[boosted1g]

Ethernet has a cutoff at 300ft. So after 300ft the signal starts to degrade. Now it is highly doubtfull that you would need 1000ft of cable. You could go from one end of a 2500 sq ft house, up to the second story and through the attic, across to the other side of the house and back down on no more then 200-250 ft.

Describe to me your layout and I can tell you how difficult or easy it would be. Where is the modem in the basement, how many stories total is your house, is your basement finished (is the ceiling covered with drywall), can the etherent go up an inside wall or an outside wall (outside walls have insulation as well as fire-blocks every 4 ft).

 

[robomanlamb]

Ethernet has a cutoff at 300ft. So after 300ft the signal starts to degrade. Now it is highly doubtfull that you would need 1000ft of cable. You could go from one end of a 2500 sq ft house, up to the second story and through the attic, across to the other side of the house and back down on no more then 200-250 ft.

Describe to me your layout and I can tell you how difficult or easy it would be. Where is the modem in the basement, how many stories total is your house, is your basement finished (is the ceiling covered with drywall), can the etherent go up an inside wall or an outside wall (outside walls have insulation as well as fire-blocks every 4 ft).

Well the house is 4000sqft and the modem is in the basement and the office is in the opposite corner of the house, ceilings are standard height, just the house has a rather open floor plan and it may take lots of routing through the floor or something, I am definitely no electrician and definitely not skilled in this field. 1000 was just a broad estimate, i have no idea how long it really is.

 

[robomanlamb]

bump

 

[BuddhaSkoota]

Ultimately, I am asking if I should hire someone to route a 1000ft or so Ethernet cable through the walls, which will most likely be a costly expenditure, or buy a spool of ethernet, a crimping tool and most likely due a lack-luster job at cable routing.

Difficulty and cost will vary depending on the accessibility of spaces available to route a cable.

Before considering doing this yourself, I would recommend carefully examining areas in your home for planning a cable route. Getting it to the opposite side of the house via the basement may be the best solution. Assuming that you just need to go to the next floor, it could be relatively easy to access a wall space. Getting to any floors above that will be more challenging, and may involve some creativity. If you haven't previously routed cable, it could be a frustrating experience, but it will also give you the confidence needed for any future cabling projects.

When considering hiring someone, you can always get a quote to have it done. It could save you the trouble of attempting the project after purchasing all the supplies, only to find that you can't complete it. Having an electrician visit for a quote may also give you an idea on the level of difficulty involved.

 

[USAFRet]

1. As said earlier, ethernet is 100 meters max.

2. DIY or hire someone is completely dependent on your DIY skills. Me personally, I'm doing it myself. But then again, this whole house is a 'project', so making holes in the walls/floors is not a bother.

 

[USAFRet]

Is your house wired with coax for TV? If so, another concept to look at is MOCA devices. Somewhat like powerline, but it pumps the signal through the already wired coax.

I have one upstairs, and it runs at exactly the same speed as if wired directly into the router.
50/50 Verizon FiOS, and through the MOCA device, it is totally transparent. Much better than WiFi.

Pair of MoCA devices here:
http://www.amazon.com/Actiontec-Ethernet-Adapter-without-Routers/dp/B008EQ4BQG