Recommendation for new private LAN network

[Siegfried]

Ok guys, so I'll take cat6a.

 

[Siegfried]

Hi guys, looking at the Internet offers of the providers in my area I realized that some also offer 10Gbps. At this point I ask you...does it make sense to use the cat6a cable we mentioned? Or is it better to use a cat7 cable?
Apparently the speed offered by providers is increasing exponentially and I wouldn't want to find myself limited by cables in 5-10 years. Thank you.

 

[Lost_Troll]

Hi guys, looking at the Internet offers of the providers in my area I realized that some also offer 10Gbps. At this point I ask you...does it make sense to use the cat6a cable we mentioned? Or is it better to use a cat7 cable?
Apparently the speed offered by providers is increasing exponentially and I wouldn't want to find myself limited by cables in 5-10 years. Thank you.

CAT6A is fine and will last just as long as CAT5E has, which is 30+ years. Also, anything over 10Gb will require fiber, like 25Gb which uses SFP28 or 40Gb quad SFP's.

If you are looking at getting an internet connection faster, than a 1Gb, I would look at the MikroTik RB5009, it has 1 10Gb SFP+ port, 1 2.5Gb port and 7 1Gb ports. They also make a nice 2.5Gb 8 port switch with 2 10Gb SFP+ ports. Also, MikroTik's SFP+ ports are multi-rate capable and will do 1Gb/2.5Gb/5Gb and 10Gb.

 

[Bill_Bright]

CAT6A is fine and will last just as long as CAT5E has, which is 30+ years.

Siegfried (I'm pretty sure) was talking about the specs meeting demands in 5- 10 years, not the cable deteriorating due to age, weathering, sun, etc.

We don't know what the networking demands will be in 10, 20 years or long. Fiber may not be capable enough.

 

[Lost_Troll]

Siegfried (I'm pretty sure) was talking about the specs meeting demands in 5- 10 years, not the cable deteriorating due to age, weathering, sun, etc.

I was talking about how long CAT5E has been in use and how it has been meeting the demands of the average user since 2001 when it was ratified by the TIA/EIA. It also supports 2.5Gb and 5Gb just fine as well, so I do not see those that have it, needing it replace for a long time.

We don't know what the networking demands will be in 10, 20 years or long. Fiber may not be capable enough.

I would have to agree on Fiber may not be usable for main trunks and back hauls in the future, but for the average end user, CAT6A will be fine for the next 10+ years and will be able to support compressed 12K video and large data transfers, just like CAT5E is with compressed 4k and 8K video and data now.

 

[Bill_Bright]

I don't see the demands ever exceeding the capability of CAT6 for the average household in the foreseeable future.

Depending on your reference, the "average household" (in the US) consists of ~3.1 people. For illustration purposes, let's say 4 people; Mom and Dad, and 2 teenage kids.

Mom is upstairs streaming some reality show in 4K UHD. Dad is in his man-cave streaming the game in 4K UHD, and both kids are streaming TikTok videos in HD on their phones. The Chinese branded fridge is calling home telling them and Google what you had for lunch and Ring is streaming the porch bandit stealing packages from your porch.

CAT-6 can handle that now. I don't see bandwidth demands for that average household increasing. Now a bigger family with more streams going simultaneously may over-tax that home network - but that is assuming the kids don't migrate over to 7G or 8G (or whatever the standard is then) and start using the cell phone networks instead of the home internet.

To your point about CAT5e, if already installed, I would not worry about replacing it until some other issue called for it (remodeling, replacing the insulation in the attic, the dog ate the cable, etc.). If installing new Ethernet cables, I would go for the latest and greatest just to ensure (as much as possible) the best future-proofing. This would be especially true "IF" I was planning to stay in that home until I was carried out in a body bag.

 

[Siegfried]

Hi guys, thanks to your comments I can confirm that I will be using cat6a cables. It seems like the right choice to me. Thank you very much, bye.

 

[Bill_Bright]

Good choice.

BTW, I highly recommend you make your own cables. Just make sure you "invest" in high-quality crimpers and good connectors. A quality crimper ensures a quality mechanical connection - essential for a quality electrical connection. A cheap crimper will end up in the trash, along with the wasted connectors it created. I learned that the hard (and expensive) way.

Building cables is also a skill and skills need to be practiced and honed. So be prepared to sacrifice a few pieces of cables and a few connectors on practice cables.

There are several advantages to making your own. Pulling cable through walls and ceilings is easier with no connector. Holes in walls can be smaller. Plus, if you need a 14 inch cable (like between your modem and router), you can make a 14 inch cable instead of buying a 3 or 6 foot cable. Or if you need a 13 foot cable, you can make one instead of buying a 25 foot one.

The big advantage is the quality of the crimp. Sadly, factory terminated cables are rarely, if ever, tested before they leave the factory. I have on many occasions over the years found factory made cables with bad crimps.

Also, "invest" in a good Ethernet cable tester. As you can see, they are relatively inexpensive but they are invaluable, IMO. I test every cable I make. Because the tester comes in two part, you can easily test cables that are already run through walls, ceilings, and floors where the ends are in different parts of the house. This $10 absolutely helps to prevent strokes, high blood pressure events, and loss of clumps of hair!

I also like putting Ethernet cable color-coded strain relief boots on my cables. It makes sorting out what goes where on the back of my router and switches much easier.

 

[Siegfried]

Good choice.

BTW, I highly recommend ....

Unfortunately I've never built cables and don't have time to learn now. I will have to trust the workers, but I would like to learn... maybe in the future I will come and ask you for advice
I will certainly buy ethernet cable tester. How exactly does it work? Is it possible to do tests before running the cables through the wall and without an internet line? Thanks for the important advice.

 

[Chrispy_]

Hi guys, thanks to your comments I can confirm that I will be using cat6a cables. It seems like the right choice to me. Thank you very much, bye.

If you're planning to run the cables around tight 90-degree bends, you might want to get CAT6 instead of CAT6a.

6a is typically foil-shielded internally and does not make sharp bends well at all, and the shielding isn't really relevant for a home install with short runs of cable and minimal interference. 6a is really designed for dense commercial risers where you have 1000 cables all running for the entire length of an office block, many of them carrying power via PoE and all smooshed together in a tight bundle alongside other sources of interference like 3-phase AC power. For a consumer application 6a is typically an unnecessary cost that serves no benefit whatsoever whilst also making the cable much stiffer and awkward to work with.

If you've already bought the 6a, then don't worry about it - it will do the job just fine.
If you haven't already bought the 6a, then get CAT6 - it'll be a bit cheaper and it'll be significantly easier to clip neatly around corners, door frames, or anywhere else where it's not running loose through internal walls.

 

[Chomiq]

If you're still looking for LONG hdmi cables and also require HDMI 2.1 HDTVtest recommended these some time ago:

 

[Siegfried]

If you're planning....

Thanks, I'll keep that in mind.

If you're still looking for....

Thanks, I've already seen that video. Anyway in the end I will take KabelDirect

 

[Chomiq]

Thanks, I'll keep that in mind.

I've noticed that the current listings on Amazon are super expensive ($100+) so you might wanna look for something similar (fiber for AV and copper for everything else).

 

[Siegfried]

I've noticed that the current listings on Amazon are super expensive ($100+) so you might wanna look for something similar (fiber for AV and copper for everything else).

Ok, in any case it will be the only HDMI cable I will need.

 

[Chomiq]

Thanks, I've already seen that video. Anyway in the end I will take KabelDirect

Yeah KabelDirect would be my secondary suggestion after noticing the super inflated price for that Phoossno cable.

 

[Bill_Bright]

I will certainly buy ethernet cable tester. How exactly does it work?

It really could not be simpler. You simply plug both ends of the cable into the two tester parts (the master and remote), and press a button. The "master" then sends a signal down each wire. If a good signal is received at the "remote", you get a green light for that wire. If all 8 lights are green, the cable is good.

Is it possible to do tests before running the cables through the wall and without an internet line?

The cable is not (and should not be) connected to the internet at all. You need access to both ends of the cable. As far as testing before running through the wall, you can, but that requires the connectors to already be on the cables. That's typical for store bought cables - and they should be tested (because as noted above, they probably were not before they left the factory).

The problem with having the connectors already on the cable before pulling the cable through walls, floors, or ceilings is (1) that requires bigger holes be drilled in the wall so the connector will fit through. But also, the connector may get hung up or damaged while being pulled through those barriers.

Unfortunately I've never built cables and don't have time to learn now.

Other than where the various wires go in the connector, there really is nothing to learn. You just go by the color coding chart, as seen here. And in reality, the color does not matter - color coding is used to make it easier to ensure the correct connection, port to port.

If you're planning to run the cables around tight 90-degree bends, you might want to get CAT6 instead of CAT6a.

You are spot on to warn about bends, but actually, it does not matter. This is because regardless the cable, there should never be any "bends" in the cable - in any cable.

If a cable needs to go around a 90° corner, it should always do so in a gentle curve. Never a bend where a kink in the cable may damage the wire, the shielding, or the insulation as that may result in a short or an open, and will result in attenuation of the signal strength.

Any actual bend in a wire (especially solid but stranded too) WILL increase resistance in the wire at that point. Not good and so must be avoided.

For cables carrying power, it could be dangerous. This is because the higher resistance at that point will increase current and that will increase heat which may result in a fire. For data cables, there is no danger of fire, but attenuation of the signal, if degraded enough, can result in a loss of connectivity - especially with longer cables.

If a hard turn cannot be avoided, then the proper thing to do is to use a 90° angle adapter/connector or some other device specifically designed for that purpose. However, even a quality adapter/connector will introduce some attenuation (and additional points of failure) so a gentle curve with no breaks in the cable is still the best option.

 

[Siegfried]

For cables carrying power, it could be dangerous. This is because the higher resistance at that point will increase current and that will increase heat which may result in a fire.

Great, then I'll test the cables myself.

Reflecting on the fire danger of cables passed through the wall that you described makes me ask you a question.
I will have to use an active optical HDMI cable in the wall. Only some have the "in wall" certification (CL3). Is there really a fire risk if I use a cable without this certification in the wall?

These are the two best cables I've found.

Optical 8K Ultra High Speed HDMI 2.1 cable – 8K@60Hz, licensed product

HDMI 2.1 over long distances – perfect for Radeon RX 6000/GeForce RTX 3000 graphics cards, PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S & 8K TVs. Supports HDMI 2.1/2.0/1.4. Supports 48Gbit/s for UHD-2 resolutions such as 7680×4320 (8K) or 10240×4320 (10K), 3D video, 48-bit color, Dynamic HDR/HDR10+, VRR, ALLM, HFR &...

kabeldirekt-store.de

https://www.amazon.com/Maxonar-Certified-48Gbps-Dynamic-Compatible/dp/B0BN38BBCQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?keywords=hdmi+cable+in+wall+rated&qid=1707456393&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9zZWFyY2hfYXRm&psc=1&tag=tec06d-20

I would take KabelDirect but it doesn't have certification, Maxonar does. What do you think about it?

 

[Bill_Bright]

I will have to use an active optical HDMI cable in the wall. Only some have the "in wall" certification (CL3). Is there really a fire risk if I use a cable without this certification in the wall?

If you are sure the optical cables are indeed, "fiber optic" cables, they don't get hot.

Copper wires can and do get hot. Copper HDMI cables during extended, heavy gaming, for example, can get hot enough to burn you though typically that level of heat is at the connector itself - another reason to ensure quality cables.

So IMO, if only the cable itself is in the wall, and the walled cable is one direct, end-to-end run (no splices, connectors, or adapters in the wall), there is no worry about fires inside your walls from those cables.

Having said that, I would be remiss if I didn't advise you to check your local building codes.

 

[Siegfried]

Having said that, I would be remiss if I didn't advise you to check your local building codes

Thanks, any advice is welcome and I will check my local building codes.