Question about houses that are prewired for CAT5

[Suture]

I'm in the middle of purchasing my first home (finally), and the place happens to be prewired already with CAT5 jacks in every room (there's even CAT5 jacks in the walk-in closets).

How does this work exactly? I just hook up whatever broadband modem, and the house itself acts as a switch?

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: Suture
I'm in the middle of purchasing my first home (finally), and the place happens to be prewired already with CAT5 jacks in every room (there's even CAT5 jacks in the walk-in closets).

How does this work exactly? I just hook up whatever broadband modem, and the house itself acts as a switch?

No, there is probably a patch panel in some closet or the basement. You provide the switch or router and plug in he drops that you are using on the patch panel.

 

[Suture]

Ohhhhh ok. Thanks. 🙂

 

[Reel]

Originally posted by: iamwiz82


No, there is probably a patch panel in some closet or the basement. You provide the switch or router and plug in he drops that you are using on the patch panel.

That has been the experience of two homes that I know of. If it isn't labeled, you may wish to invest in a line tester because it can be a hassle to sort out.

 

[Corbett]

If its not cat5e, dont even bother.

 

[Corbett]

Originally posted by: Suture
How does this work exactly? I just hook up whatever broadband modem, and the house itself acts as a switch?

Thats exactly right! Also that antenna on your roof is the preinstalled wireless network for your house!!!! BUY NOW!

 

[KLin]

Originally posted by: Reel

Originally posted by: iamwiz82


No, there is probably a patch panel in some closet or the basement. You provide the switch or router and plug in he drops that you are using on the patch panel.

That has been the experience of two homes that I know of. If it isn't labeled, you may wish to invest in a line tester because it can be a hassle to sort out.

That would suck if they wired the house with networking cable but didn't label it. I'd tell the electrician to get back to the house and trace everything out and label it 😛.

 

[Kelemvor]

Assuming the person who wired it was competent, it should be simple to just add your own hardware. I wired up my house and have everything terminate back to one area in the basement. Pop in any router/switch/combination and you're up and running.

 

[Reel]

Originally posted by: KLin

Originally posted by: Reel

Originally posted by: iamwiz82


No, there is probably a patch panel in some closet or the basement. You provide the switch or router and plug in he drops that you are using on the patch panel.

That has been the experience of two homes that I know of. If it isn't labeled, you may wish to invest in a line tester because it can be a hassle to sort out.

That would suck if they wired the house with networking cable but didn't label it. I'd tell the electrician to get back to the house and trace everything out and label it 😛.

Step it up a notch with unlabeled cables and some don't work and that was the fun my friend had when he bought his Seattle home. 🙂 It makes it very challenging to figure out which rooms you have to pull new cables for.

 

[xSauronx]

Originally posted by: Reel

Originally posted by: KLin

Originally posted by: Reel

Originally posted by: iamwiz82


No, there is probably a patch panel in some closet or the basement. You provide the switch or router and plug in he drops that you are using on the patch panel.

That has been the experience of two homes that I know of. If it isn't labeled, you may wish to invest in a line tester because it can be a hassle to sort out.

That would suck if they wired the house with networking cable but didn't label it. I'd tell the electrician to get back to the house and trace everything out and label it 😛.

Step it up a notch with unlabeled cables and some don't work and that was the fun my friend had when he bought his Seattle home. 🙂 It makes it very challenging to figure out which rooms you have to pull new cables for.

my dad had a modular home built and i suggested he have a dozen cat5 drops added in certain places, all brought back into a small closet by his office.

so he calls the company, tells them where to add the lines and where to terminate them and....

they just ran more phone lines, but with an 8 pin jack. 🙁

 

[Kelemvor]

Originally posted by: xSauronx
my dad had a modular home built and i suggested he have a dozen cat5 drops added in certain places, all brought back into a small closet by his office.

so he calls the company, tells them where to add the lines and where to terminate them and....

they just ran more phone lines, but with an 8 pin jack. 🙁

Hope he didn't pay them for that mess. Or had them come back and do it right.

 

[AgentJean]

Originally posted by: xSauronx

Originally posted by: Reel

Originally posted by: KLin

Originally posted by: Reel

Originally posted by: iamwiz82


No, there is probably a patch panel in some closet or the basement. You provide the switch or router and plug in he drops that you are using on the patch panel.

That has been the experience of two homes that I know of. If it isn't labeled, you may wish to invest in a line tester because it can be a hassle to sort out.

That would suck if they wired the house with networking cable but didn't label it. I'd tell the electrician to get back to the house and trace everything out and label it 😛.

Step it up a notch with unlabeled cables and some don't work and that was the fun my friend had when he bought his Seattle home. 🙂 It makes it very challenging to figure out which rooms you have to pull new cables for.

my dad had a modular home built and i suggested he have a dozen cat5 drops added in certain places, all brought back into a small closet by his office.

so he calls the company, tells them where to add the lines and where to terminate them and....

they just ran more phone lines, but with an 8 pin jack. 🙁

I hope your old man did not pay them.
They botched the job and need to correct it at their own expense.

 

[zixxer]

Originally posted by: xSauronx

Originally posted by: Reel

Originally posted by: KLin

Originally posted by: Reel

Originally posted by: iamwiz82


No, there is probably a patch panel in some closet or the basement. You provide the switch or router and plug in he drops that you are using on the patch panel.

That has been the experience of two homes that I know of. If it isn't labeled, you may wish to invest in a line tester because it can be a hassle to sort out.

That would suck if they wired the house with networking cable but didn't label it. I'd tell the electrician to get back to the house and trace everything out and label it 😛.

Step it up a notch with unlabeled cables and some don't work and that was the fun my friend had when he bought his Seattle home. 🙂 It makes it very challenging to figure out which rooms you have to pull new cables for.

my dad had a modular home built and i suggested he have a dozen cat5 drops added in certain places, all brought back into a small closet by his office.

so he calls the company, tells them where to add the lines and where to terminate them and....

they just ran more phone lines, but with an 8 pin jack. 🙁

fyi that is very very common.

To the OP: make sure it's actual cat5e and not the quad phone line or WTFever they're called.

 

[xSauronx]

Originally posted by: AgentJean

Originally posted by: xSauronx

Originally posted by: Reel

Originally posted by: KLin

Originally posted by: Reel

Originally posted by: iamwiz82


No, there is probably a patch panel in some closet or the basement. You provide the switch or router and plug in he drops that you are using on the patch panel.

That has been the experience of two homes that I know of. If it isn't labeled, you may wish to invest in a line tester because it can be a hassle to sort out.

That would suck if they wired the house with networking cable but didn't label it. I'd tell the electrician to get back to the house and trace everything out and label it 😛.

Step it up a notch with unlabeled cables and some don't work and that was the fun my friend had when he bought his Seattle home. 🙂 It makes it very challenging to figure out which rooms you have to pull new cables for.

my dad had a modular home built and i suggested he have a dozen cat5 drops added in certain places, all brought back into a small closet by his office.

so he calls the company, tells them where to add the lines and where to terminate them and....

they just ran more phone lines, but with an 8 pin jack. 🙁

I hope your old man did not pay them.
They botched the job and need to correct it at their own expense.

as soon as i noticed it i showed him, they credited him for the extra wiring/jacks and he decided to go wireless because of the time it would have taken to find someone to do the job and re-fish everything through a finished home. iirc, they covered the wireless gear as well (a router and 3 adapters)

 

[sdifox]

Originally posted by: Corbett
If its not cat5e, dont even bother.

Why? Cat 5 is plenty for home network.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: sdifox

Originally posted by: Corbett
If its not cat5e, dont even bother.

Why? Cat 5 is plenty for home network.

It's a very old standard and only supports 100 Mhz. With 10 gigabit ethernet coming out for copper it just doesn't make sense for cat5 to be around anymore.

But for 100 Base-T it's fine. But that's a little slow these days.

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Originally posted by: sdifox

Originally posted by: Corbett
If its not cat5e, dont even bother.

Why? Cat 5 is plenty for home network.

Plug in a gigabit NIC and say that again. 😛

- M4H

 

[UILanMan]

Shew, I need some coffee. I thought the title read "Question about houses that are prewired for CATS" .. ?? Wiring for cats? In the walls so the cat doesn't chew on them? Laugh... /goes for coffee...

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: xSauronx

Originally posted by: Reel

Originally posted by: KLin

Originally posted by: Reel

Originally posted by: iamwiz82


No, there is probably a patch panel in some closet or the basement. You provide the switch or router and plug in he drops that you are using on the patch panel.

That has been the experience of two homes that I know of. If it isn't labeled, you may wish to invest in a line tester because it can be a hassle to sort out.

That would suck if they wired the house with networking cable but didn't label it. I'd tell the electrician to get back to the house and trace everything out and label it 😛.

Step it up a notch with unlabeled cables and some don't work and that was the fun my friend had when he bought his Seattle home. 🙂 It makes it very challenging to figure out which rooms you have to pull new cables for.

my dad had a modular home built and i suggested he have a dozen cat5 drops added in certain places, all brought back into a small closet by his office.

so he calls the company, tells them where to add the lines and where to terminate them and....

they just ran more phone lines, but with an 8 pin jack. 🙁

Hah... terrible. I don't suppose you could use those phone lines to pull some cat5 through the walls? It's probably stapled down somewhere.

Did your dad have to pay for that?

Edit: You could probably use it for 10Base-T

 

[child of wonder]

I agree. Cat5e at the minimum. Go for Cat6 if you can afford the few extra $$$.

My new house has 21 runs of Cat6 (two in each room and one on a plant shelf for a WAP).

Sure, it's overkill, but I know I would've never forgiven myself if we're still in the house 10 years later and wish I had more network jacks and 10Gb capability.

My network current runs through a D-Link 24 port unmanaged Gb switch.

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Originally posted by: child of wonder
I agree. Cat5e at the minimum. Go for Cat6 if you can afford the few extra $$$.

My new house has 21 runs of Cat6 (two in each room and one on a plant shelf for a WAP).

Sure, it's overkill, but I know I would've never forgiven myself if we're still in the house 10 years later and wish I had more network jacks and 10Gb capability.

My network current runs through a D-Link 24 port unmanaged Gb switch.

Nicely done. 😀

- M4H

 

[fire400]

better be gigabit ethernet, otherwise don't get too excited. 10/100 is not bad though, so don't feel undetermined.

wireless N preferred for me.

internet, you can win with a power outlet. popular science teaches you this on their website. this only applies for internet sharing though and provides wireless internet to be shared through the method.

 

[sdifox]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: sdifox

Originally posted by: Corbett
If its not cat5e, dont even bother.

Why? Cat 5 is plenty for home network.

It's a very old standard and only supports 100 Mhz. With 10 gigabit ethernet coming out for copper it just doesn't make sense for cat5 to be around anymore.

But for 100 Base-T it's fine. But that's a little slow these days.

And he is going to use that bandwidth for what? Not everyone like to stream pr0n all over the house... Most home network is just for internet browsing...Nothing short of video streaming in the house would bring the 100Mbps to its knees. Notice people are happy with 6Mbps to the internet?

 

[AnMig]

"Nothing short of video streaming in the house would bring the 100Mbps to its knees"

How much can you stream thru a 100mb cat 5 line?

I rember watching divx files thru moded xbox networked with my computer thru cat 5. I had no problems with sttutering at all.

I guess it will become a real issue when I try to stream HD video thru it.

<----------------------- Rebulidng a house, I guess I better tell the contractor to use Cat5e at least.

 

[sdifox]

Originally posted by: AnMig
"Nothing short of video streaming in the house would bring the 100Mbps to its knees"

How much can you stream thru a 100mb cat 5 line?

I rember watching divx files thru moded xbox networked with my computer thru cat 5. I had no problems with sttutering at all.

I guess it will become a real issue when I try to stream HD video thru it.

<----------------------- Rebulidng a house, I guess I better tell the contractor to use Cat5e at least.

I guess I should have said several different and all over the house. 🙂 My point was 100Mbps is plenty for home use. I don't think streaming HD will do it either if you are only doing 1.
edited for typo