Cabling a small market (150ft cables)

[tracerit]

My family is opening up a small market and have asked me to look into running some cables. I figured it'd just be like at home but with longer cable runs. Just wanted to get some input however

Our modem is at one corner, and we have three POS systems to the next corner and then three meat scales on the top corner. There is no computer on the opposite diagonal corner.

Each POS system will have their own POS card terminals, so at this corner there will be a
total of six devices.

I was thinking of making things easy by cabling just ONE cable from the modem corner to the POS corner, connecting it to an 8-port switch and then connect to the six devices. I would do the same to the meat scale corner but with a 5-port switch and connect the three devices. I figure that would work OK but if that one cable feeding from thet modem corner to either corner fails, then all those devices would be offline.

I'm now thinking of running three individual cables from the modem corner to the POS corner, and three more individual cables to the meat scale corner. At the POS corner, I would then connect to a switch (three of them) and break them into three POS system/POS card terminal pairs.

In the professional world, how would a technician run the cables? Would running three cables close to each other result in any interference?

these are the cables i'm using: http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B001VPOGYE/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

 

[drebo]

It's always better to home run your devices, rather than using a switch.

If you think you need one device there now, run two cables. If you think you need two devices, run four.

The bulk of the cost of cabling is in the labor, and the amount of labor to run multiple cables is not significantly more than running one.

 

[PhIlLy ChEeSe]

Yup,
minds well run the future proof cable Cat6 or what ever, use a pull string so if you ever add more stations. Avoid running them over lights in the ceiling or crossing conduit which will cause cross talk. If you need to go near lights or conduit, use a stand off(in a drop ceiling pin the cables to the inside ceiling above the drop ceiling) keeping them away from the fixture.

 

[wlee]

As drebo stated, better to have all "home runs" and always run at least on more cable than you need.

The only diff I would suggest is Cat 6 cable instead of 5e, the cost diff in cable is nothing compared to the labor/aggravation or running it.

 

[tracerit]

Great. thanks for the advice and replies! I totally forgot about Cat6 cables, unfortunately Amazon had already prepared shipment of the Cat5e cables, I'll remember next time though.