LAN Cable and Wallplate request

Channel Hopper · Feb 25, 2021

A client requests an RJ45 socket in their annex to hardwire the incoming broadband, and they will be using this as their office.

Currently the Virgin hub is 30m away and OTA reception is not the best on their Macintosh. They have a requirement for fast throughput owing to the job, and suggested CAT7 to make things futureproof.

I've looked at a pair of sites so far but the intergrated wallplates do not mention they are CAT7 compatible, or at least they have not mentioned suitability with anything above CAT6 (not even CAT6A)

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So, is the strip back and insert 8 wires the same with the higher specification cabling or am I likely to run into issues when trying to match the two together ?

Thanks in advance.

jeallen01 · Feb 25, 2021

How "fast" a connection does the person think will be required?

rolfw · Feb 25, 2021

CAT6 supports 10Gbps up to 128 feet at 250Mhz and CAT6a the same, but up to 300 odd feet and at 500mhz, can't see many people needing more than that.
Lots of CAT6a Euromodules available.

Burnham Beech · Feb 25, 2021

I have a very bad VM wifi signal from my standard VM hub. Complained to VM and they agreed to send me a "booster" kit for free - and that works well enough to give me a useable wifi signal in some old blind spots. The booster kits are the same as Powerline (two separate units that plug into mains sockets) - but with VM branding.

You might want to try that first.

jeallen01 · Feb 25, 2021

rolfw said:
CAT6 supports 10Gbps up to 128 feet at 250Mhz and CAT6a the same, but up to 300 odd feet and at 500mhz, can't see many people needing more than that.
Lots of CAT6a Euromodules available.

I agree - and it will also depend a lot on the max speed available from the VM "business-grade" connection itself.

Burnham Beech said:
I have a very bad VM wifi signal from my standard VM hub. Complained to VM and they agreed to send me a "booster" kit for free - and that works well enough to give me a useable wifi signal in some old blind spots. The booster kits are the same as Powerline (two separate units that plug into mains sockets) - but with VM branding.

You might want to try that first.

I very much doubt that a Powerline (PLC) connection will get anywhere near the max available from a VM business-grade connection - and I suspect that the client's employers might be less that totally happy with the use of PLC as it might be subject to "loose plugs" and/or more signal interference (or even "hacking" under "extreme circumstances").

rolfw · Feb 25, 2021

I've got the VM top residential connection and that's in excess of 350Mbps, but CAT5 would more than readily deal with that.

Channel Hopper · Feb 25, 2021

Burnham Beech said:
I have a very bad VM wifi signal from my standard VM hub. Complained to VM and they agreed to send me a "booster" kit for free - and that works well enough to give me a useable wifi signal in some old blind spots. The booster kits are the same as Powerline (two separate units that plug into mains sockets) - but with VM branding.

You might want to try that first.

Thanks

This was the option offered by VM to the client as well, though they live in a late 19th century property with thick interior walls. It hasn't been delivered yet and the house is being renovated for a new room at the opposite end of the incoming coax and hub.

Whilst I have taken it on board, I would prefer to run LAN to the far ends where it may serve a purpose, they can then plug in whatever wireless extenders they fancy from there on.

I never have run more than 5E in my time, nobody has complained about the speed at the sharp end so this is a bit of a learning curve.

Terryl · Feb 25, 2021

I found this, but you may have to look for a single outlet.

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Channel Hopper · Feb 26, 2021

Terryl said:
I found this, but you may have to look for a single outlet.

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That is of course overkill, they will be having just two sockets in the property beyond the room with the hub.

The question was more the physical connection to a plate with Cat 5/6 or 7 and if there is something specific that stops me from doing it with the ones mentioned in the link.

Terryl · Feb 26, 2021

The only thing I can see about using them for CAT 7 is that CAT 7 cable has thicker data wire then CAT 6, CAT 7 uses 22 gauge vs CAT 6 at 24 gauge, you might have problems crimping the connectors to the CAT 7 cable, also I think the CAT 7 connectors are shielded, and the shield on the CAT 7 cable needs to be connected to this shield to provide continuity for the shielding.

rolfw · Feb 26, 2021

Well in the initial link to your plate, it says CAT5 or CAT6, so should be fine, I would always run CAT6/6a as standard now. They also do modular plates, so then, assuming they accept euromodules, you can pick CAT6 specific modules.

Channel Hopper · Feb 26, 2021

As long as CAT6a can be worked around the back of the plate then that is what I'll order. Thanks.

(PS, I found during my searches that some peeps are offering 'CAT8' cabling solutions)

rolfw · Feb 26, 2021

Yeah, had a customer a few years back, had the whole house done in CAT8, guy told him that's all he needed, no coax for TV, not satellite feeds, it'll all run over CAT8. He wasn't impressed when I had to run surface cables to fill in the gaps, or use very expensive baluns.

jeallen01 · Feb 26, 2021

As is often the case, "futuristic" theoretical solutions can lead to unforeseen problems when one tries to actually put them into practice (and can lead to, often unforeseen and expensive, further additional requirements).

IMHO, one should try to steer a pragmatic path between the "theoretically ideal" and the "realistically achievable" solutions,

For that reason I am very glad that, over 20 yrs ago, I installed Cat 5E wiring almost everywhere in the house during major renovations and improvements - still works very well everywhere (apart from some "cabling issues" in one bedroom!) and does everything I need ATM and likely in the foreseeable future.

Channel Hopper · Feb 26, 2021

rolfw said:
Yeah, had a customer a few years back, had the whole house done in CAT8, guy told him that's all he needed, no coax for TV, not satellite feeds, it'll all run over CAT8. He wasn't impressed when I had to run surface cables to fill in the gaps, or use very expensive baluns.

Twisted pair does a good job as a draw wire, as per the thread a few years back.

rolfw · Feb 26, 2021

Impossible, all cables clipped, plastered over, no easy routes.

Mickha · Feb 27, 2021

I thought that most new builds, and renovations, would run conduits, like plastic pipes, to run certain wiring through, by now, making it easier to replace any faulty, or old wiring, in technological terms, especially for entertainment.
I seem to remember a new build video, where a man designed his own house, with conduits throughout, for various wiring, so that he could upgrade, or replace, wiring whenever he wished, without any damage to the building, or cosmetics,
I think he was technologically minded, and was aware how quickly his equipment, and cabling, throughout the house, would become technologically old, or even obsolete, this was before the advances in Wi-Fi options.

rolfw · Feb 27, 2021

Mickha said:
I thought that most new builds, and renovations, would run conduits, like plastic pipes, to run certain wiring through, by now, making it easier to replace any faulty, or old wiring, in technological terms, especially for entertainment.
I seem to remember a new build video, where a man designed his own house, with conduits throughout, for various wiring, so that he could upgrade, or replace, wiring whenever he wished, without any damage to the building, or cosmetics,
I think he was technologically minded, and was aware how quickly his equipment, and cabling, throughout the house, would become technologically old, or even obsolete, this was before the advances in Wi-Fi options.

Lovely idea and I've worked on a few houses where that's been the case, but normally self builds and a few 1930s houses where electrical wiring was run in steel or copper pipes. Way too costly for modern builds.

Channel Hopper · Apr 14, 2021

OK, solution found and to be implemented using 'keystone' sockets with decent shielding.

Next question, is there a UK supplier of suitable wallplates for this type (in metal to satsfy the client's decor) ? so far I've found sockets advertised as 'modular', or keystone press-ins in white.

LAN Cable and Wallplate request

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