Couple of questions for my home Cat5E install..

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brad.wright

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#94608 14-Dec-2011 22:34

Evening All,

Finally settled in to my new house and want to start my Cat5E cabling.. I don't know where to put my patch panel / cupboard.. The ideal place would be in the basement / workshop but am worried about dust & damp.

I only have one linen cupboard in the hall and everything would have to go in the bottom, the last option is my office where I could wall mount a smaller rack but worry if I ever sell the place it will be in the way as it's really the 3rd bedroom.

I guess my questions is, what are my options, what advice can you guys offer from your own installs / mistakes, etc?

I want to run for data, telephone and alarm, I have a SIGNET Telephone Hub (ST2206), new VDSL2 splitter so will also need a 16 or 24 port patch panel, obviously 19" would be hard to wall mount?

In my old house, I had 6 data outlets around the house (lounge & 2 bedrooms), come back 6 outlets under my desk that connected to my switch, and I would rather move away from this, as having up to 24 outlets in my office seems silly.

I bought a box of General Cable Cat5e and just need to get some more PDL 600 Series face plates, Cat5E mechs (are Leviton good quality?).

Lastly, I will be installing from underneath the house (full standing room), is it ok to use the gib spring loaded mounting flush boxes, and what is the maximum number of mechs per outlet, would 6 be too tight?

Thanks heaps,

Brad

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#560347 21-Dec-2011 17:09

Yeah 19" cabinets are too big for the usual locations available in the average house, normally garage or a dry storage room (eg below stairs). A signet surface wallmount cabinet might be what you need to fit the voice hub and 2 or 3 patch modules. Try to keep the amount of untwisted wire at each jack to an absolute minimum, and run patch cables long enough to go around the other panels instead of criss-crossing over other modules. Bundle with velcro instead of cable ties.

The springloaded flush boxes have less space inside than open ones and are quite commonly used, but I reckon its more permanent to screw a flush box onto a stud if you can. Try to keep them all at the same height and enter the cable from bottom of the box with enough slack to give you a drip loop.

Time to find a new industry!

brad.wright

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#560429 21-Dec-2011 20:49

Thanks heaps for the reply - some good advice there.

tardtasticx

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#560434 21-Dec-2011 21:04

If your office is meant to be a bedroom, would it have a closet? You could always put it in there towards the top maybe. Out of the way and out of sight.

chevrolux

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#560493 21-Dec-2011 23:09

Wally boxes (spring loaded flush box) are great! If you cant find the stud you can just cut a whole and not worry. Yes not as much room as a normal flush box but cat5e is easy to work with you shouldnt have any problems. Nothing wrong with leviton. Plenty of large sites around that is cabled with their gear. Only problem I have with them is that you need the special 'gun' to crimp the jacks. You dont use a normal 110 tool. they can be quite fiddly. Dynamix jacks are fine if you are looking for cheap jacks. Also 3M make good jacks too but not sure who retails as we buy off atlas gentech through an account. For a patch panel look at a dynamix 12-port mini panel. Not sure how many outlets you were planning but yea they are a good little module. Would fit nicely inside a signet flush mount comms cabinet. A six way outlet gets pretty hard to handle some times. But again cat5e is pretty easy to work with. Not sure why you wold want 6 at an outlet. Would have thought 4 would have been the max needed in the home situation. And and back to cabinets... I assume you looked at 19" open frame cabinets? They come in 2,4,6RU sizes and also 200mm or 300mm deep. I have one of them in my cupboard under the laundry bench. Wouldnt go for 200mm deep as not many switches are that shallow.

brad.wright

67 posts

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#560497 21-Dec-2011 23:21

As I'm coming underneath the house, why the drip loop ? Sorry for a silly question...
I'm sure ive used my 110 punch down tool on levington jacks and they seemed ok. Thanks again for your help.

richms

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#560519 22-Dec-2011 00:59

6 Per plate is insane. When I tried it, there was no way to get your finger in between the plugs to unplug the top ones. So either unplug the bottom one then the top, or use a screwdriver to lift the tab. 4 holes are a little better as there is no middle one like with a 6

Richard rich.ms

cyril7

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#560551 22-Dec-2011 08:14

I agree with Richard, 6TO faceplates are awkward, and why do you need 6 at one place in a house. If a frame or 19" patch panel is to hard to site then use one or two surface mount 12 ports, top middle image of link below.

http://www.cablesdirect.co.nz/www/pdfs/scs68.pdf

Put a couple of these in the back of a closet and a ST2206 beside it (rip the black clips off and screw to wall) and your done.

Cyril

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nickb800

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#560606 22-Dec-2011 10:40

What (roughly) does the ST2206 cost at retail price?

And it seems the consensus is that 6x RJ45 is too much for a single wall plate - how about 4x RJ45 and 2x F-type outlets on the same wall plate?

Jaxson

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#560608 22-Dec-2011 10:46

nickb800: And it seems the consensus is that 6x RJ45 is too much for a single wall plate - how about 4x RJ45 and 2x F-type outlets on the same wall plate?

If it's behind a TV or couch or desk etc then no one can see it. Why make life difficult on yourself trying to cram that many cables into one tiny space?

cyril7

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#560610 22-Dec-2011 10:47

Hi, Corys show a trade price of $35 and list price of $54 so depending on who and where you get it and what account arrangements you have its somewhere between, if you want one PM me but dont expect any action till after the silly season.

Edit, yes 4x RJ45 and 2x Fconnectors while still tight to wire is ok in use and quite normal.

Cheers
Cyril

chevrolux

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#560765 22-Dec-2011 17:39

4 cat5 and 2 rg6 is very difficult too. the rg6 makes things real awkward. sooo much easier to just cut another box out. And who is talking about a 'drip loop'?.... not required lol. There might be normal leviton jacks but all the ones I have used we needed the gun to crimp them. You lay the wires in to a biscuit and the squeeze it on to the jack with the gun.

cyril7

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#560776 22-Dec-2011 18:23

Agree on the Leviton you can however do them without the gun but its a handful even for the experienced, there are lots of more generic parts about that will do the job just fine, thinking Molex, Signet, Dynamix all good basic but work fine.

Cyril

brad.wright

67 posts

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#561638 26-Dec-2011 21:06

Where do you get the SIGNET parts from and do Dynamix Cat5E keystones fit in PDL 600 series face plates with the PDl adapter thing???

richms

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#561707 27-Dec-2011 01:38

be careful with those PDL adapters - have them on the plates at work and it spaces the keystone so far in that the tab on the rj45 plug is really hard to press up enough to have it disengage properly. Always have to get a pen or something to press the tab up as they flex and lifting it with your finger has it touch the body of the plug before disengaged.

Richard rich.ms

brad.wright

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#561719 27-Dec-2011 08:15

Thanks for that tip, whats better then??

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