Sanity check on cost to install ethernet wiring

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dclegg

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#192360 8-Mar-2016 11:24

We're having our house re-clad, and I'm hoping I can take the opportunity to retrofit ethernet wiring throughout the house. This depends on how much it would cost.

The beauty is that all external cladding will be removed when this is done, which should significantly ease access to most of the places I want ethernet ports exposed.

It is a two story, 5 bedroom house, with two living areas. I'm currently looking at having a port in each bedroom, two in each living area, one in our dining room (which could be used as a third living area in future), and one in a new study being built as part of the reclad. I can scale back from that, if it'll mean squeezing under budget.

This will be done by someone else, as I have neither the time, nor expertise to do this correctly. I'm having a quote prepared for this now, but would love a sanity check.

How much would you generally expect something like this to cost? I'm hoping it'll be around $1000, but I really am shooting blind here.

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#1508003 8-Mar-2016 11:30

With all the exterior cladding off (I'm assuming this is what you are doing?) will there be easy access to get all the cables back to where your 'hub' will be?

How much work will the cablers have to do to get the cables run? Cable is pretty cheap, time will be your killer.

wellygary

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#1508006 8-Mar-2016 11:32

IMHO $1000 is way too light for a job like that...

nakedmolerat

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#1508014 8-Mar-2016 11:35

I highly recommend you contact @coffeebaron

dclegg

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#1508017 8-Mar-2016 11:37

trig42:

With all the exterior cladding off (I'm assuming this is what you are doing?) will there be easy access to get all the cables back to where your 'hub' will be?

How much work will the cablers have to do to get the cables run? Cable is pretty cheap, time will be your killer.

That's the $64,000 question.

I'm flexible as to where this hub can go, and am willing to cede to advice from the cablers on this one. I would've thought that the garage would be a reasonably logical place, but it all depends on whether it absolutely has to be in the same location as my ADSL modem. Is it possible to have the modem elsewhere, with the output from it sent to the hub via one of these new cables? Or does it have to be in the same location as the hub?

Most of the proposed ports are on external walls, which will be exposed (and will have complete access via scaffolding), so I'm hoping it won't take too much work to install them. And if the hub does go in the garage, this could be on an external wall too (although that may possibly require a new power outlet to be installed).

dclegg

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#1508019 8-Mar-2016 11:38

wellygary:

IMHO $1000 is way too light for a job like that...

So how much would you expect to pay then?

dclegg

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#1508021 8-Mar-2016 11:44

nakedmolerat:

I highly recommend you contact @coffeebaron

We're initially approaching the electrician used by the re-cladding company, but thanks for the recommendation.

The wrinkle in using someone else is that they'd need to be available pretty soon. We have just over a weeks window to get this done, before they start installing the new external cladding. And the electrician is already available to do the work for us during this timeframe.

DarthKermit

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#1508022 8-Mar-2016 11:44

What area are you in? Coffeebaron does Aucks/Waikato if you're near there.

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dclegg

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#1508023 8-Mar-2016 11:45

DarthKermit:

What area are you in? Coffeebaron does Aucks/Waikato if you're near there.

West Auckland, so definitely in his stomping ground.

Jase2985

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#1508025 8-Mar-2016 11:46

electrician for data wiring? asking for trouble

Sideface

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#1508027 8-Mar-2016 11:50

dclegg:

nakedmolerat:

I highly recommend you contact @coffeebaron

We're initially approaching the electrician used by the re-cladding company, but thanks for the recommendation.

The wrinkle in using someone else is that they'd need to be available pretty soon. We have just over a weeks window to get this done, before they start installing the new external cladding. And the electrician is already available to do the work for us during this timeframe.

Some electricians know about data cabling, some don't. Working with a cladding company does not necessarily mean that you have the skills.

There are several horror stories on Geekzone about botched cable installs by sparkies.

Make absolutely sure that he knows what he's doing.

EDIT: ask @coffeebaron

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insane

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#1508028 8-Mar-2016 11:50

I got quoted $1200 to wire 5 rooms + one power outlet in a single level house from the first sparky I contacted - got the impression the job wasn't big enough to be worth his time. My sparky friend who runs his own business did the 5 rooms for $450 (non-mates rates), and it was done to a high standard.

Shop around :)

trig42

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#1508029 8-Mar-2016 11:51

Has the Sparky given you an idea of cost?

You could get them to run the cables, and not terminate them at the very least (leave some coiled up in the wall with a flushbox and blank faceplate) and at the hub location just leave them hanging for now. Then when finances permit, get a small cabinet and patch panel.

Certainly seems to good of an opportunity to waste. Oh, and if didn't cost too much more, get them to pull double the number of cables (2 to each BRM, 4 to lounges, 2 to study). Cable is cheap, pulling off walls and pulling more cable = expensive.

DarthKermit

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#1508030 8-Mar-2016 11:52

Jase2985:

electrician for data wiring? asking for trouble

What could possibly go wrong?

sbiddle

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#1508034 8-Mar-2016 11:54

IMHO I'd never run single outlets anywhere. The biggest cost is labour, so if you're running cable it's no more effort to run 2.

dclegg

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#1508035 8-Mar-2016 11:54

trig42:

Has the Sparky given you an idea of cost?

He hopes to have this ready for me later this week.

You could get them to run the cables, and not terminate them at the very least (leave some coiled up in the wall with a flushbox and blank faceplate) and at the hub location just leave them hanging for now. Then when finances permit, get a small cabinet and patch panel.

Certainly seems to good of an opportunity to waste. Oh, and if didn't cost too much more, get them to pull double the number of cables (2 to each BRM, 4 to lounges, 2 to study). Cable is cheap, pulling off walls and pulling more cable = expensive.

Good ideas, thanks. Especially your cable run only suggestion.

Surely that should also mitigate the concerns raised here about poor cabling jobs by sparkies (his company advertises it as a service they do, so I'm assuming at least some level of competency/experience).

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