RG6 and Networking Tools...looking for recommendations / comments...

[leeland]

I am about to embark on the biggest type of home project I have ever done as my wife and I are building a new home and I decided to try to save some money and do the wiring myself for Cable and Ethernet throughout the home.

I have purchased the cable already and now am looking at the tools I will need to do the job with as little pain as possible.


For the RG6 connections I am leaning towards this set

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...A1EZ2V2AKS0VVR

For the CAT6 I am leaning towards this set

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Since the above set doesn't have an impact punch down tool I found a cheaper yet decently rated impact punch down tool...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...=ATVPDKIKX0DER


Any thoughts or comments would be appreciated.


Thanks,

Lee

 

[imagoon]

Just run to the hardware store and pick up and Ideal 110 punch and a Coax compression seal kit. It would be cheaper that all that.

You will not need an RJ45 connector tool in 99% of the cases and the RG6 tools are sold as a kit with a cutter.

 

[drebo]

Yeah, Ideal has a compression coax kit that home depot sells for pretty cheap. Also, you're not going to need an RJ45 crimper. Get a 110 punch tool. Impact is nice, but not necessary. It helps when you're doing large numbers of punches, but if you're careful, it doesn't really change the quality of the punches.

Avoid using Leviton for your infrastructure stuff. It's garbage. Buy the keystones, etc, from monoprice.com for the "best" prices. Also, to save yourself some trouble, don't bother using full-backed gang boxes for your low voltage cabling on non-insulated walls. You don't need to. Just use mud rings. It'll be much easier to maintain down the road.

 

[leeland]

Yeah, Ideal has a compression coax kit that home depot sells for pretty cheap. Also, you're not going to need an RJ45 crimper. Get a 110 punch tool. Impact is nice, but not necessary. It helps when you're doing large numbers of punches, but if you're careful, it doesn't really change the quality of the punches.

Avoid using Leviton for your infrastructure stuff. It's garbage. Buy the keystones, etc, from monoprice.com for the "best" prices. Also, to save yourself some trouble, don't bother using full-backed gang boxes for your low voltage cabling on non-insulated walls. You don't need to. Just use mud rings. It'll be much easier to maintain down the road.

Can you please comment on the Leviton statement on why you don't like it? Also could you recommend a product on monoprice that you would use?

I planned on running to CAT6 to each bedroom with 1 cable and in other area's of the home (Den, living room) more connections.

As for the full backed gang boxes are you referring to using something like this on non-insulated walls?

http://flylib.com/books/en/2.545.1.55/1/


I have been reading up on how to crimp CAT 6 cables and watching the cablesupply.com videos on youtube for examples...

I found a video from lanshack.com that talked about using load bars when creating the patch cables...

Does this seem like a good idea for a novice?

http://www.lanshack.com/make_cat_6_cable.aspx

 

[Modelworks]

For compression I like holland connectors.

http://www.techtoolsupply.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=50SLC6Q-PKIT
For keystones I recommend these. They are high quality and install easy . Monoprice is okay for some things but something I am installing permanently I want quality.
http://www.techtoolsupply.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=IC1078F6WH

 

[imagoon]

Can you please comment on the Leviton statement on why you don't like it? Also could you recommend a product on monoprice that you would use?

I planned on running to CAT6 to each bedroom with 1 cable and in other area's of the home (Den, living room) more connections.

As for the full backed gang boxes are you referring to using something like this on non-insulated walls?

http://flylib.com/books/en/2.545.1.55/1/

Yeah don't use those, use these (not a brand recommendation):

http://www.twacomm.com/catalog/model_AC101001.htm?sid=D98BE2830EC08222F36187D118D61213

 

[Modelworks]

I do not recommend using the retrofit boxes if you can use the regular boxes. Retrofit boxes with the tabs use the drywall to support the box. The plugging/unplugging and coax cable pulling on the box will cause it to loosen and sometime damage the drywall in the process. For new installs use a full box if you have access inside the walls. The price difference is next to zero.
http://www.techtoolsupply.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=ARL-F101

 

[drebo]

Can you please comment on the Leviton statement on why you don't like it? Also could you recommend a product on monoprice that you would use?

Leviton never certifies. I know that you're not really going to be interested in that, but they're just expensive and they're garbage.

CAT6 Punchdown Keystones: http://www.monoprice.com/products/subdepartment.asp?c_id=105&cp_id=10513#1051309

At the place where everything comes together, you will want to punch everything into a patch panel. Leviton has those "home media thingabobs" that look cool, but are wholely impractical and out of spec. Grab something from here: http://www.monoprice.com/products/subdepartment.asp?c_id=105&cp_id=10514

I planned on running to CAT6 to each bedroom with 1 cable and in other area's of the home (Den, living room) more connections.

A good rule is to run twice as much CAT6 as you think you'll ever need. Much more difficult to add more in the future. I'd recommend running two CAT6 and one RG6 to each location, and then run one CAT5E to use for phone. Monoprice sells RG6 keystones, and CAT5E keystones as well as RJ11 keystones for phone. They're far, far cheaper than you'll get at Home Depot and better quality.

Wall plates, etc: http://www.monoprice.com/products/subdepartment.asp?c_id=105&cp_id=10517

As for the full backed gang boxes are you referring to using something like this on non-insulated walls?

http://flylib.com/books/en/2.545.1.55/1/

Yes, that's a gangbox. You don't need those on non-insulated walls. They just make it more difficult to make changes to the wire in the future. Mudrings are much easier to deal with: http://www.twacomm.com/catalog/dept_id_588.htm

I have been reading up on how to crimp CAT 6 cables and watching the cablesupply.com videos on youtube for examples...

I found a video from lanshack.com that talked about using load bars when creating the patch cables...

Does this seem like a good idea for a novice?

http://www.lanshack.com/make_cat_6_cable.aspx

Don't bother. Waste of time, effort, and money. A hand-crimped patch cable is often more expensive than a store-bought one. $1.52 for a 7ft is kind of hard to beat: http://www.monoprice.com/products/subdepartment.asp?c_id=105&cp_id=10232 . Plus, they'll work every time.

 

[leeland]

Don't bother. Waste of time, effort, and money. A hand-crimped patch cable is often more expensive than a store-bought one. $1.52 for a 7ft is kind of hard to beat: http://www.monoprice.com/products/subdepartment.asp?c_id=105&cp_id=10232 . Plus, they'll work every time.

The only reason I thought I would go this route is after I have the cables dropped to a central location in the basement...each run is going to be about 5-10 feet overage (so it isn't too short obviously)...before I punched the cables into the patch panel.

I was planning on making the patch cables with that overages from the patch panel (haven't picked one out yet) to the switch (haven't picked one out yet).

I do have a good friend from work (network admin) who does that kind of thing for a living to bounce off of for support / advice / help and since I am going to have a butt load of extra cable when I am done I though it would be convent. Plus he has access to all the testing equipment he said that would be needed...I am not sure what that all entails at the moment.

Please correct me if I am wrong here...is the reason you are saying I won't need an RJ45 crimper tool is because it was going to be punch down to punch down and assuming the other cables being used (from wall outlet to device would be store bought cables)?

If I were planning on making patch cables I would obviously need the RJ45 crimper tool correct? Again I am assuming here since I haven't done this before and possible misread during my research.

Thanks all for the replies...you are making the whole process a lot easier when it comes to picking the additional pieces out!


Lee

 

[imagoon]

If I were planning on making patch cables I would obviously need the RJ45 crimper tool correct? Again I am assuming here since I haven't done this before and possible misread during my research.

Thanks all for the replies...you are making the whole process a lot easier when it comes to picking the additional pieces out!


Lee

Why bother punching, buy premade, know that 99.99% of the time they will work out of the box, and cost you less than the time and cost for materials. Also, solid core is not for patch cables. You should not put ends on solid core in nearly all cases.

You won't need the tool either so you don't waste cash there. This is all covered in the sticky at the top of the forum by the way.

 

[skyking]

I second the avoidance of leviton. It is consumer grade stuff that is overpriced.
One of my personal favorite lines is Graybar Electric's house brand, Allentel. I have never had a bad patch panel or a jack that would not pass certification, and it is competitively priced.

 

[xSauronx]

Please correct me if I am wrong here...is the reason you are saying I won't need an RJ45 crimper tool is because it was going to be punch down to punch down and assuming the other cables being used (from wall outlet to device would be store bought cables)?

If I were planning on making patch cables I would obviously need the RJ45 crimper tool correct? Again I am assuming here since I haven't done this before and possible misread during my research.

Lee

Please dont crimp your own, it takes time to get the hang of it to do it well, even then it may still not work for gigabit ethernet. with inexperience youre going to be prone to not getting it right at all, or doing it poorly which can cause the connections to work bad, or fail very soon.

punch down from patch-panel to wall-box (or from wall box to wall box)
buy patch cables premade to go from box > device, or from panel > switchport. premade cables are cheap, take zero effort on your part, and will save you a huge headache of learning to crimp cables

 

[drebo]

Please correct me if I am wrong here...is the reason you are saying I won't need an RJ45 crimper tool is because it was going to be punch down to punch down and assuming the other cables being used (from wall outlet to device would be store bought cables)?

If I were planning on making patch cables I would obviously need the RJ45 crimper tool correct? Again I am assuming here since I haven't done this before and possible misread during my research.

If you are going to insist on making your own cables, then you will need a crimper, yes.

However, know that you can buy 20-30 premade CAT6 cables for the price of the crimper and the ends. I know it seems convenient, but it's really a waste of time. Really, really a waste of time.

There's no good reason to ever make your own ethernet patch cables. Especially for a business application.

 

[leeland]

Please dont crimp your own, it takes time to get the hang of it to do it well, even then it may still not work for gigabit ethernet. with inexperience youre going to be prone to not getting it right at all, or doing it poorly which can cause the connections to work bad, or fail very soon.

punch down from patch-panel to wall-box (or from wall box to wall box)
buy patch cables premade to go from box > device, or from panel > switchport. premade cables are cheap, take zero effort on your part, and will save you a huge headache of learning to crimp cables

ok I had not even viewed what patch cables cost until your post...and you are right...if I needed 50 patch cables (which I won't) to route from the patch panel to the switch it would only cost me around 30 bucks...

Saved me again! Thanks for the info on the patch cables...

 

[leeland]

Why bother punching, buy premade, know that 99.99% of the time they will work out of the box, and cost you less than the time and cost for materials. Also, solid core is not for patch cables. You should not put ends on solid core in nearly all cases.

You won't need the tool either so you don't waste cash there. This is all covered in the sticky at the top of the forum by the way.

I didn't even see that sticky...thanks for the reference I will be checking it out tonight!

 

[leeland]

Why bother punching, buy premade, know that 99.99% of the time they will work out of the box, and cost you less than the time and cost for materials. Also, solid core is not for patch cables. You should not put ends on solid core in nearly all cases.

You won't need the tool either so you don't waste cash there. This is all covered in the sticky at the top of the forum by the way.

Did I royally screw up and get the wrong CAT 6 cable for a patch panel? or is this just for patch 'cables'

Specifications
Manufacturer:	Cable Wholesale
Manufacturer Product No.:	10X8-091TH
UPC:	0846568006395
Conductor Size:	24 AWG
Conductor Material:	Solid Bare Copper
Insulation Material:	HD-PE
Insulation Color:	Blue: White & Blue; Orange: White & Orange; Green: White & Green; Brown: White & Brown
Jacket Material:	PVC
Jacket Color:	White
Certifications:	ETL
Warranty:	One year

 

[tomt4535]

Did I royally screw up and get the wrong CAT 6 cable for a patch panel? or is this just for patch 'cables'

Specifications
Manufacturer:	Cable Wholesale
Manufacturer Product No.:	10X8-091TH
UPC:	0846568006395
Conductor Size:	24 AWG
Conductor Material:	Solid Bare Copper
Insulation Material:	HD-PE
Insulation Color:	Blue: White & Blue; Orange: White & Orange; Green: White & Green; Brown: White & Brown
Jacket Material:	PVC
Jacket Color:	White
Certifications:	ETL
Warranty:	One year

Nope, Solid Copper is the right one. Stranded is what is used for the patch cables, Solid core for in wall installations.

 

[leeland]

Nope, Solid Copper is the right one. Stranded is what is used for the patch cables, Solid core for in wall installations.

That is what I thought when I ordered it after reading up for in wall cable...brain dumped that and got all freaked out

Thanks for the clarification...wish I wasn't cheap / poor and could hire this task out!

Starting to feel a little like vi_edit!

 

[notposting]

Couple recommendations if you haven't bought yet:

For the coax crimper, I like the Ripley compression tools. I have the Cat-AS crimper, but you can get away with the similar RG-6 only one. For connectors, I like the PPC EX6 line. You can find both of those on ebay for pretty cheap ($25 for the crimper is pretty good).
For the coax stripper, I prefer this style, here's a Radioshack link: http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...uctId=2062637# Sometimes Home Depot has about the same thing as well. Here's an ebay auction number for one: 260537583200.

If you want to make patch cables about the only way to get a fairly reliable and easy chance at it is using the EZ system. http://www.platinumtools.com/products/100004.php?cat=4

The connectors they sell for that system have an opening at the end that lets you push the cable through to verify alignment and get it all nice and snug without snipping things short and hoping they stay in place. Here's the connector with a picture example as well: http://www.platinumtools.com/products/100010.php?cat=5

For the punch down and the number you are doing the cheapest impact tool should be fine.

However, yes, it is industry practice for patch cords to be factory made. Along with proper cable management of course

Good luck and report back with pics so we can all constructively criticize

 

[leeland]

Couple recommendations if you haven't bought yet:

For the coax crimper, I like the Ripley compression tools. I have the Cat-AS crimper, but you can get away with the similar RG-6 only one. For connectors, I like the PPC EX6 line. You can find both of those on ebay for pretty cheap ($25 for the crimper is pretty good).
For the coax stripper, I prefer this style, here's a Radioshack link: http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...uctId=2062637# Sometimes Home Depot has about the same thing as well. Here's an ebay auction number for one: 260537583200.

If you want to make patch cables about the only way to get a fairly reliable and easy chance at it is using the EZ system. http://www.platinumtools.com/products/100004.php?cat=4

The connectors they sell for that system have an opening at the end that lets you push the cable through to verify alignment and get it all nice and snug without snipping things short and hoping they stay in place. Here's the connector with a picture example as well: http://www.platinumtools.com/products/100010.php?cat=5

For the punch down and the number you are doing the cheapest impact tool should be fine.

However, yes, it is industry practice for patch cords to be factory made. Along with proper cable management of course

Good luck and report back with pics so we can all constructively criticize

Thanks for the links...that ebay one looks to be the exact same as the radioshack link but 12 dollars cheaper

After reading this thread I am happy to say that I will not be creating my own patch cables...honestly I got that in my head from my co-worker who said it wasn't a big deal and be fine to use the extra cable I had from my individual runs.

Taking everyone else's advice here and doing a little research on the exact price of around 30-50 2 foot patch cables I can safely say I will save more money and time spending 50-60 bucks vs. 150 in tools and god knows how many hours of my life making all my own cables.

That Coax Cable stripper is a sweet deal...thanks again for linking that!

As far as the pics...you got it...if you can't laugh at yourself...who can you laugh at! It will probably be an expo on what not to do!

 

[InstallCableGuy]

Real quick in case you haven't bought the RG6 tools yet. Are you going to have a service provider on the RG6 connections (Dish, Comcast, etc.)? If so, don't even worry about the fittings and wall plates even. They will crimp on the fittings and provide the plates at no cost. They will not use "crimp on" connectors usually depending on the service provider which will be better anyway. Just saving you some time/money... unless you are trying to use them for your own antenna or something...

 

[leeland]

Real quick in case you haven't bought the RG6 tools yet. Are you going to have a service provider on the RG6 connections (Dish, Comcast, etc.)? If so, don't even worry about the fittings and wall plates even. They will crimp on the fittings and provide the plates at no cost. They will not use "crimp on" connectors usually depending on the service provider which will be better anyway. Just saving you some time/money... unless you are trying to use them for your own antenna or something...

I had not picked a service provider at this time...I was thinking of sticking with Time Warner (not sure what cable type they use for regular cable t.v.) or possibly getting Direct TV ( I have been reading the many posts of the horror stories with Dish customer service)...these providers I believe you should / need to have RG6 solid copper cable.

I had not purchased the cable compression tool yet, the one in this thread that was linked for 50 bucks that had the tool, 50 compression fittings and a coaxial stripper is something I will probably get

http://www.techtoolsupply.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=50SLC6Q-PKIT

I planned on using the modular face plats (ivory) to have everything going to 1 box vs. multiple boxes.

I will probably only hook up / connect the rooms that will need it immediately...but in the drop area will set up all the terminations.


What do you guys use a catalog system for the wires so you know what rooms they are for?

I initially planned on just a spreadsheet with incrementing numbers / descriptions to keep them straight.

 

[imagoon]

PS get these:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...P89HG4KQXAK4NQ

Compression and seal for coax.