Cabling advice

[Nad]

Hi guys,

I've just finished running all my ground floor data and coax but i just thought of somethings which i guess i should have thought of earlier ...

I've ran quite a few cat6 cables from my main av point (living room - 12 runs) to my patch panel (loft) with a cable run of 14m, I've also ran 4 coax cables (Webro double screened WF100). I'm planning to use the cat6 cables for data and HD video distribution and just wanted to check that this won't cause any problems having coax running in the same cable run?

Also, I've just noticed that the main electricity supply to the house is about 8" away from all my cable runs (going under the cables at 90deg). I don't think this should cause a problem and ideally i should have had them further apart but choices for the cable riser were limited, but i just wanted to check before i start putting the tiles down.

Thanks in advance.

[Karam]

Shouldn't be a problem. Suggest you check cable integrity before tiling though. And I suppose also double check that you have cabling where it is required (i.e where modules are likely to go, or where any input signals to modules may need to come from e.g door sensors, window sensors, 3rd party PIRs, standard switch plates, or anything like that - if used).

[Nad]

Excellent ... makes me feel better now
I've ran all the additional cabling hat i think i would need and then some extra for "just in case".

Right ... no more excuses left so i guess i better get tiling ... lol

[toscal]

As a test I ran 3 cat5 cables in the same conduit as mains cables. Conduit is only 2m long and I have not had any problems. So being 8" away from the mains should not give any problems. As Karam suggested it is worth checking cable integrity. I find a basic Cat5/6 continuity checker works well, you can get them from Maplin. And normally if the continuity checks out then the cable is OK. Plus I have a set of shorting plugs, I made myself numbered 1 to 6. Stick these in the first 6 sockets etc, and I can easily check. Using the cable tester that I have wired up the sockets correctly in the patch panel. Checking 6 at a time is easier than backwards and forwards all the time or shouting next one all the time.

[Nad]

Thanks for the advice toscal, I've got 30 connections on the ground floor alone then all the idranet connections and alarm cabling so being able to test cables withing having to go in and out of the loft will be a life saver

[toscal]

No problems.
Something I forgot to mention.
On large installs, we do a quick leakage test on each cable to shield. So each wire is tested against the shield. Then short each pair. Then back at node Zero we can check the continuity of that pair. If the meter buzzes then you have continuity for that pair. This is quick and easy to do and many cheap multimeters now have a continuity checker / buzzer. This saves having to terminate cables with proper RJ45 sockets, until you are ready. But at least you know its all ok.
Good luck.

[Karam]

For the IDRANet side of things you can also maybe find some useful information here: http://www.idratek.com/DLGuidelines.htm
Including a resistive method for testing the cabling.

[chris_j_hunter]

'though it's not critial for Idranet, a simple of way of testing Cat-5e for data-rates would be handy ... especially with HDMI (eg: double Cat-5e via Avrio) & multimedia file transfers being more common ... our HA install will need to be sure of some good (as it were) trunk lines between key locations / nodes, so I'm nervous of damaged (inadvertently down-rated through kinking etc) cables ...

[alexstephenson]

you will find every type of Ethernet cables to best suit your requirement. From Ethernet Patch Cables, Cat5e Cat6 and Cat6a cables from 0.25 mtr up to 50 mtr, to Ethernet bulk cable boxes and reels for lengths from 100 mtr up to 500 mtr all in a vast range of colours and options you will not need to find you cable anywhere else.
If standard lengths and all options available are not enough for you, we also offer bespoke custom made Ethernet Cables.

[Karam]

Probably advertising should go somewhere else though I guess readers may be interested to hear about potentail sources for their projects. I was recently looking arround and noticed these UK suppliers with what appear to be reasonable value and variety of ethernet cabling: www.comms-express.com/. I have neither purchased nor have any connection with them, just noticed whilst searching.