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Need advice on Cat5E cable and 24 port switches...

C

chiwawa626

Lifer
I need about 6000 feet of CAT5e, but i need this wire to be durable and need it to survive when its going to be pulled thru the walls....
Also i need 3 24port switches...these need to be 10/100 megabits.....unmanaged. They are for a hotel not more then like 10 people will be using one at a time. I was thinkin bout getting eather linksys or netgear..
 
My recommendation would be to hire a professional data cable organization to install the cabling. There is much more to pulling and terminating cable than you'd expect.

It's actually pretty easy to ruin a run of cable during installation: Pulling tension and routing are critical, terminating improperly will cause loads of net headaches and frustration. I was reading some articles on the Anixter website tech library yesterday that indicate that failing to properly match the components (cable, panels, jacks, and plugs) will result in a non-compliant system, even if all of the components are rated the same (Cat 5, 5e, 6).

There has been another post recently about putting a network / Internet access in a hotel; if you haven't read it, it might be worth a look.

The quality of your network is dependent on the cabling and associated infrastructure, if it's not done properly, then network won't perform.

FWIW

Scott
 


<< There has been another post recently about putting a network / Internet access in a hotel; if you haven't read it, it might be worth a look. >>

Same guy, Scott.
Obviously hoping we'll all stay on-topic this time (read: that I will keep my mouth shut about wireless...oops, I said it :Q)
 
Use Cat5e UTP and STP- shielded twisted pair, used to insulate against EMI. Use for cable runs over light fixtures. Use wallplate pushdown RJ45 connectors for the rooms. Get a standing network rack with room to mount a router, CSU (if you plan to use a T1), patch panel and 3 switches. I recommend 3 COM switches. 1 3300 MM with 3 matrix ports in the back and 2, 3300 XM.
 
For something like this, I'd go with letting the pros handle it. The main reason that jumps out at me is fire codes and all the legal mumbo-jumbo you'll have to take into consideration.
 


<< For something like this, I'd go with letting the pros handle it. The main reason that jumps out at me is fire codes and all the legal mumbo-jumbo you'll have to take into consideration. >>



heh thats not how things work around here....But anyways, all we need is a decent 1.5 megabits of speed per room....we dont need overkill with wireless or professional installation. We did an installation for 20 rooms with some ok cable and some netgear equipemnt, everything works fine and is in great shape, no wiring problems and no equipment failiours.

The traffic is not going to be trumendous so i think just off the shelf switches would be fine from netgear, and same for the router....cisco is a killer on the pocket book...but for the cableing last time we ordered it thru our pbx guy and it was crappy...where can i buy some of this good cat5e online?
 


<< heh thats not how things work around here....But anyways, all we need is a decent 1.5 megabits of speed per room....we dont need overkill with wireless or professional installation. We did an installation for 20 rooms with some ok cable and some netgear equipemnt, everything works fine and is in great shape, no wiring problems and no equipment failiours. >>



How do U know its in great shape? certified the cabling did ya?
Your gonna to learn the hardway that just cause the cabling works, doesn't mean its running well. God help U when U have to go back and figure out what wrong in a year or more.

And your also not going to secure them rooms from each other huh? just gonna let the annoying guest take down the others right? don't think that'll cause some problems for ya (or the hotel owner)?

You need to stop looking at this as a big home network and realize its done a certain way in businesses for GOOD reasons.
 
Both Newegg and mwave sell 1000' spools of cat5 cable. IMO there are reputable companies and their cable should work fine for you. I agree with some of the other fellows in this thread that suggest you get a professional to install the cable. Speaking as an electrician I've seen some scary things that people did when they thought they should just do it themselves. Either get a certified electricain that knows your local electrical codes or get a professionsal "phone/data guy" (I don't know their real title that's just what we call them). A free tip if the wire your pulling down the walls has "durability" problems your probably fishing the walls wrong.
 
I remember my first network cabling job as a labor hand.. didnt know anything about what I was doing.

It was at a new medical wing under contruction for a dallas hospital or doctors office, not sure.

Anyways they stuck me in there and said here are the plans now start pulling. This was for data & phone. Like I said I didnt know sh*t, and they knew it too.

So I dragged that cable over the air ducts.. under the air ducts, around every sharp object, twisted the cable all to hell, got all kinds of knots in it during the pulls.. just yanked them out!

God! I hope nobody's life depended on any of that medical equipment hooked up to it. Im sure they're having all kinds of weird problems with the network. Assuming they didn't need to have it done again.
 
The job i did was nice and clean, and room from room security isnt and issue. 1/500 guests will know how to screw with guests and 1/1000 will do it. Paying extra $$ rite now dosent make any sense, and guests are using at their own risk. If we find someone messing with the network, we bill their creditcard a fatty fee. Its a business hotel, and most are business customers, not 15 year old script kiddies lookin for kicks, these guys work for Amd, arrow, cisco, lockhead, cabletron...not just retards who are screwin around.
 


<<

<< For something like this, I'd go with letting the pros handle it. The main reason that jumps out at me is fire codes and all the legal mumbo-jumbo you'll have to take into consideration. >>



heh thats not how things work around here....But anyways, all we need is a decent 1.5 megabits of speed per room....we dont need overkill with wireless or professional installation. We did an installation for 20 rooms with some ok cable and some netgear equipemnt, everything works fine and is in great shape, no wiring problems and no equipment failiours.

The traffic is not going to be trumendous so i think just off the shelf switches would be fine from netgear, and same for the router....cisco is a killer on the pocket book...but for the cableing last time we ordered it thru our pbx guy and it was crappy...where can i buy some of this good cat5e online? >>

Unfortunately, there are regulations in every state. Some states are more restrictive than others, for example, in Las Vegas (city code) ALL low voltage cabling must be run in conduit. This per municipal regulations and fire code (fire marshalls regularly inspect after new construction work is done to ensure compliance.) California (last time I did anything here) is considerably more lax.

I would recommend using a pro (electricians also know NEC and state code, although not as much about data). Only the most basic of untrained newbies would ever pull cable through airducts, over flourescent lights, near electrical motors (fans/alternators/generators, etc).
If you use STP only use a certifying cable company. Most cable people don't know how to properly terminate STP (not the same as UTP). STP also has the disadvantage of not having the same bandwidth (read as frequency response range) that UTP has and costs more. Of course STP plenum is the better alternative for not running in conduit.

You know, I only live about 90 miles away!
 
6000 feet = big hotel with extra cabling. Any reputable brand is good.
Belkin has made good cable for years. There are many other brands. Check the Anixter website, compare with Graybar. Not all cable is made the same. (I still think those Linksys dual Gig / 24 port switches are more than sufficient with simple management, speed, and features for the price.)
 
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