Why run network cables / LAN cables when there is WLAN available?
Costs
WLAN routers have a limited range. In order for the WLAN to reach every room in the house, several WLAN repeaters need to be set up.
Depending on the size of your home, several devices may need to be set up. At a price of approx. 30€ additional costs are incurred.
Nuisance
WLAN repeaters can lose the connection and then have to be set up again by hand.
Speed
Today’s WLAN devices have a data throughput of up to 2.5 gigabits per second (Gbit/s) – but only under optimal conditions, which rarely exist in practice.
Walls, ceilings, distance from the router lower the data throughput.
What’s the point of having a fiber-optic connection if only 50 Mbit/s ends up at the computer??
Stability
Radio signals are susceptible to interference and can sometimes break off completely. Internet connection is disconnected.
That’s especially annoying when you’re in the middle of an important call or just playing an exciting computer game match.
Nowadays, a large number of devices access the WLAN. Smartphones, smartwatches, home assistants, toasters, u.v.m. With you large number it can be that the router gets problems with the distribution of the data. To ensure that the PC has permanently stable Internet, it makes sense to connect via LAN input.
Radiation
Some people are also disturbed by the radiation exposure that WLAN radiation (electrosmog) has on the body.
In order to solve all these problems and to be optimally prepared for the future, we recommend that network cabling be included in the planning, especially when building a new house.
Home project: Laying LAN cables in the house – what is needed?
Shopping list home network
- Rough pencil sketch of the house, and where the cables should run later on.
Necessary knowledge
- No special knowledge is required.
- All individual steps are simply explained with the help of pictures.
- If you have any questions, feel free to use the comment function. We are happy to answer your questions about your project.
Can WLAN and LAN be combined?
Of course it is possible to combine WLAN router and network cable installation in the house. Here, the particularly data-intensive devices are connected directly by cable to the router. For example, the work PC, streaming devices are best connected by cable. All other devices usually have a lower data consumption and can easily access the Internet via WLAN.
Which network cable to use?
For a new installation of the home network I recommend Cat 7 network cables. The price difference to Cat 6 cables is small. Cat 7 network cables reach an operating frequency of up to 600 MHz. Cat 7 cables have four individually shielded pairs of wires within a common scrim.
Data transfer rate is up to 10 Gigabit per second (10 GBit/s). 10 GBit correspond to 1000 Mega Byte (approx. 300 MP3 songs). So large data transfers (movies, MP3 collection) are no longer a problem.
At Cat 7 cables you definitely do nothing wrong and are well prepared for the future. 100 meters of good Cat 7 cable costs between 60 and 120 Euro. I would invest this amount, because changing the Cat 7 cabling afterwards is very costly. The network cables can be laid directly on the patch panel.
Which data socket to use for laying?
For the data sockets (network sockets) Cat 6 sockets are sufficient. The Flush mount-variant is recommended, because they simply look better and fit perfectly into the overall picture.
If you want to install the network installation later in the house, you can of course also use Surface boxes use. A network socket costs between 5 and 10 Euro.
How many network sockets in the house are useful?
The number of network connections (network sockets) depends on the respective user. The costs play of course a big role. When building a house, it is advantageous to install at least one double network socket in every room. In the living room at least two or three. The networking of household appliances is increasing more and more. Refrigerator, washing machine, television, DAB+ radio, AV receiver, NAS network storage can already be controlled via the network today. The number of devices with a network connection in the household is increasingly growing. If the exact number of network sockets cannot be determined, plan a few more. So you save the subsequent upgrade by switch or the laying of annoying cables through the living room.
Per room (children’s room, bathroom, kitchen, bedroom) = 1x double socket
Living room = 2-3x double sockets
Procedure to lay LAN cable in the house
- Make a sketch.
- Installation of the server cabinet and patch panel
- Laying cables according to the requirements and attaching labels.
- Connect cables in the patch panel.
- Connect cables in the network sockets.
- Test the connections.
- Install patch panels and connect them to switches.
- Test all connections with end devices.
Step 1: Make a sketch and overview of all LAN cable connections in the house
We recommend to make a pencil sketch. The simple drawing should show where which components are located, in which rooms the sockets are installed, and where which cable runs along. The cables should be labeled. If there is a problem later on, troubleshooting is very easy thanks to the labeling and the overview.
Make also notes on which patch panel which network socket is connected. For example: socket 12 patch panel is connected to network socket in living room.
Step 3: Laying cables and attaching labels
We lay all cables from all network sockets, up to the server rack.
Step 4: Connect the cables in the patch panel
All network cables are laid on the patch panel. For this you need the right tool. This can be bought separately or you can order a complete set with diagnostic device and crimping tool.
First you insulate the network cables ca. 5cm off. Do not remove the shielding from each pair of wires. On my picture I have removed the shielding of the wire pairs. Leave the shielding on as far as possible. This is the technically cleanest solution. Some readers have pointed out to me not to remove the shielding.
When all existing Cat 7 cables are disconnected, you can start laying the cables on the patch panel. This step takes a little more time. Proceed carefully and cautiously with this work. Incorrectly laid cables can be removed and laid again.
unscrew the patchpanel and lead the single network cables into the patchpanel. Tighten the strain relief before laying the cable. Then nothing can slip when putting on the cable. The patch panel is now firmly connected to the network cables.
Lay the wires of the network cables according to the pin assignment. There are two different standards for this. TIA-568A and TIA-568B. If you want to install the network outlets according to the TIA-568A standard, you must also install the patch panel according to the TIA-568A standard. The same applies to the TIA-568B standard.
Connection assignment patch panel TIA-568A and TIA-568B
Step 5: Place the network socket and connect it
When installing the network sockets, you must use the same assignment as for the patch panel. A distinction is made between TIA-568A and TIA-568B. Make sure to keep one standard in the whole house. Mixed cabling is not recommended. In my opinion, the TIA-568A is the most widely used.
Pin assignment network socket TIA-568A and TIA-568B
Prepare Cat 7 network cable
Before I put the cables into the socket, I have to remove the sheathing. For the standard network outlets I remove ca. 5 cm.
I stripped the cable with a cable measure. There are also special tools for this. If I do it with a cable knife, I have to be careful not to cut too deep, so as not to damage the shielding or the wires.
Afterwards screw the total shielding together. The shield will later be connected to the housing of the network socket. It must not be cut off completely. I did not shorten it either.
Now I can put the cables into the cable entry of the box and fix them with the screw. This way the cable is firmly connected and can not slip. This makes it easier to lay the cable.
Remove the pair shielding and lay the wires
The shielding of the wire pairs can now be removed. When laying the cables, pay attention to the pin assignment. Select the assignment as for the patch panel. The two standards TIA-568A and TIA-568B are shown in color on the network socket.
I have to lay the single wires according to the colors. I have laid the wires from left to right. Remove the shielding from the white/green and green wire pairs.
The stranding (twisting) and shielding of the wires should remain intact for a long time if possible and only dissolve shortly before the clamping point. This leads to the reduction of interferences.
I remove the pair shielding only after the wires have been laid on with the LSA laying tool.
Use the LSA-Plus tool to connect the wires according to the pin assignment. The tool connects the wires with the clamp and cuts off the protruding part.
After I have connected the first pair of wires, I remove the pair shielding. I try to leave the pair shielding as long as possible to reduce interferences.
Now I can connect all other wires and shorten the pair shielding.
In the last step I wrap the overall shield around the Cat 7 cable, so that the shield has contact with the housing of the box.
Mount the box
After I have connected all wires, I mount the box in the wall and screw on the cover.
I lay the first pair of wires on the top bar. The second pair of wires is placed on the bottom bar.
When all wires are laid, the box can be mounted in the wall and the cover can be screwed on.
Put on the Keystone module
There are network sockets which can be connected with Keystone modules. The Keystone module can be easily and quickly put on and very comfortably connected to the network socket. Again, pay attention to the correct pin assignment. My module is laid out according to standard A.
In the first step I disassemble the Keystone module.
The Cat 7 network cable I have ca. 4 cm stripped and the shielding twisted.
Now I can remove the pair shielding of the single wires and insert them according to the colors into the upper part of the connector. I press the wires into the clamping points.
With a side cutter I shorten the wires.
Now I can press the upper part of the connector into the lower part of the connector. The wires are connected to the terminals.
I wrap the overall shielding around the Cat 7 cable. In the last step I assemble the Keystone module and secure it with a cable tie.
Step 6: Test network cable and connection
When all network cables are connected to the patch panel and the network sockets, the first functional test can be done. For this a simple LAN tester from the network tool set is sufficient.
LAN tester
The LAN tester is connected to the patch panel via a network cable.
I plug the other part of the LAN tester into the corresponding box.
Now the LAN tester checks if all wires of the network cable are connected correctly. All LEDs from 1 to 8 must light up. Is this not the case, check the network cabling.
In the last step I have to check the whole network cabling (every socket and every patch panel port) in the house. For this purpose I also use the LAN Tester.
It is advantageous to do this work with two people. The first one plugs the counterpart of the LAN tester into the network socket of the respective room and the second one looks for the correct connection on the patch panel.
All patch panel sockets are tested one after the other. When the patch panel box is found, it can be seen on the LAN Tester. The lamp "CONNECTED" and all 8 red lamps on top must light up.
If this is the case, the patch panel has been wired correctly and the network cabling is in order. You have connected all wires of the CAT 7 cable correctly to the patch panel.
If for example only 6 LEDs of the LAN tester are on, you have to check the cabling again. In most cases only one pair of wires is mixed up. Then check this network cable again and apply the correct pin assignment.
Fluke DTX-1800
I get more information about the right wiring from another measuring device. A Fluke DTX-1800 checks further parameters: Wire map, resistance, length, run time, deviation, attenuation, return loss, etc.
With such a measuring device, I can test the entire home network for correct network cabling.
Connecting the Fluke DTX-1800 device to the patch panel via a network cable. I plugged the counterpart via a network cable into the corresponding network socket in the respective room.
With the Fluke network meter, the test takes a little longer because many more parameters are tested.
Here a successful test is indicated with a green "pass" (top right).
If the cabling is faulty, the display shows me exactly which error I made when connecting the cables. This information is very helpful to correct the error.
Step 7: Install patch panel and connect it with switches
After I have checked the gesmate network cabling, I can continue with the installation of the patchpanel.
Screw the patchpanel into the 10 inch server rack. When both patchpanels are fixed in the right place, I can tie the Cat 7 network cables neatly with cable ties. This work is done quickly and it looks much tidier right away.
Install switch
In the next step I install the switches. I chose two switches from Netgear. With this I can connect all wires. These are two 8-port GigaBit switches. It is more recommended to use one or two 16-port switches directly.
Since the 8-port switches are too small for the 10 inch server cabinet, I use adapters for the mounting. The switches were fixed with cable ties to prevent them from slipping when plugging in the network cables.
When installing the switches you only have to consider how long your patch cords are. My patch cables are 15 cm long and so I mounted the respective switch directly over the patch panel.
Connect switch with patchpanel
When the switch and patch panel are permanently installed, the two devices can be connected via the patch cables. For this I use 15 cm patch cables. Thus, the server cabinet remains nice and tidy and is not blocked by too long cables. I would recommend to use 25 cm long patch cables. There you have a little more leeway in the cabling of switch and patch panel.
You only need to connect the patch sockets to the switch, which are also to be put into operation. I connected all patch sockets to the switch right away. This makes all network outlets in the house operational. But this is not necessary.
Step 8: Test in live operation
After everything was patched and connected, a test under real conditions was performed. In the living room a NAS was integrated into the home network via a network socket. The connection could be established immediately.
My laptop was also connected to a network socket in another room. Also here the connection worked without problems.
For the test I played a HD video from the NAS. Everything runs smoothly and without interference. The first test was very positive.
In the second test large amounts of data were copied between NAS and laptop. I could reach the transmission rate of 1 GBit/s. The network works error free until now.
❓ How many network sockets are useful??
Per room (children’s room, bathroom, kitchen, bedroom) I would recommend at least 1x double socket. In the living room 2-3x double sockets.
☛ You can learn more in my article: Set up network in the house properly
❓ Which network cable and which network sockets to use?
It is best to use CAT 7 network cables and flush-mounted sockets.
☛ You can read more in my article: Network in the house properly set up
❓ What do I need to set up a home network?
– Network cabinet
– patch panel
– Cat 7 network cable
– RJ45 network socket
– Gigabit network switch
– Cable tester
– Crimping tool
☛ You can learn more in my article: Network in the house properly set up
You should also read these articles:
Set up Speedport Smart 3
Improve WLAN reception – General tips& Tricks
Access Point setup – What you have to consider
Bluetooth interferes with WLAN – quick solution
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Hello Micha,
thanks for this tutorial.
Our house is 20 years old and there are no network cables installed. Normally this does not bother, but now we have a PC workstation in the DG. It is currently connected via Devolo. However, the connection often causes problems, so we want to change that.
My project: a LAN line from the router in the 1st floor.OG to move to the DG.
There should be connected by switch the PC directly and a Devolo for the amplification of the WLan.
I would now lay a LAN cable from the router into the DG. There then either install a network socket or go "flying" into the switch.
From the switch then once in the Devolo and once directly to the PC.
Is it as simple as I think, or am I thinking wrong??
Many greetings and thanks in advance.
it is as simple as you think. You can do it the same way. The most complicated thing is probably to lay the LAN cable. You can also plug the LAN cable directly into the switch and connect other devices there.
Best regards
Micha
Great, thanks for the quick answer!
Hello Micha, I still have one question regarding the cables. Since I lay yes cable from the switch in the network outlet, I’m just on the hose what kind of cable you take there? I need quasi 2 different ends. A plug and a connector.
I find nothing on the net, probably because I do not enter anything understandable on Google&
So I hope you can give me some advice.
right…since you want to put a patch cable in the socket, you need another one. With this one it works: https://amzn.to/34d1stT
But they are also more expensive.
Hello,
First of all, great explanation! Thanks for the detailed description.
I would like to describe my current situation, the problem I have and my possible solution. already existing solution ( thanks to your description).
We have since the latest fiber optic connection.
The hub(is it right or) is in the basement.
Sporadically and also to test where the router is best placed I put a cable into the eg first. So far so good.
The plan to lay the cable fixed there to eg and dg with wlan auszustrahlen fails because even with a repeater the wlan svhonmal weakens (came with the
Gaming times before).
Apart from that I think that if you have fiber you should be able to use it to the full and wifi is not the best or the best? Powerline is also not an option since it is 2 different circuits.
My plan is now to install in the basement a network enclosure and a switch (more or less as in the description).
Directly above the basement room with the Hup,
I would put the modem. Means, I go with a cable from the hub to the modem and back to the switch or?
Then I can go from the switch back up and pull the cables up to the DG (go up through the attic to so the cables into the living room, etc.). to be able to pull. Come out virtually in a storeroom, drill through the wall into the living room and then lay the Landose, so I avoid ugly aufputz kabelrohre).
Would this be correct?
If so, I can avoid using laying cable but already prefabricated?
I have read something about prefabricated, which are more expensive but already finished.
Would this be suitable for a layman? Since I think that the biggest source of error in the
Patching can arise. However, I wonder how to get the right length out there? Because you have to cut somewhere.
I need aufjedenfall a patcher? Or whatever they are called&
How big must the switch be, if I want to lay a total of 6 cables.
I hope you share with me your opinion about it.
I would be very happy!
glad you like my article.
Your plan is not so complicated. I have just made a sketch to better understand what you have in mind. From experience I would always lay network cables, if the circumstances allow it and the effort is not too big. The WLAN speeds are getting better and better, but they are more susceptible to interference than pure LAN. I also use Powerline partially. It works fine…but it happens from time to time that an adapter has to be reset. Different circuits can be connected with a phase coupler. That works very well.
From the HUB you go with the WAN line to the modem (router) and with a patch cable back into the switch. If you now pull new cables into the individual rooms and connect them to the switch, your home network is built up. You have internet everywhere and the connected devices can communicate with each other.
You can of course also use prefabricated patch cables. They are not so robust and you have to be more careful when laying them. You are right…when patching errors can occur and the troubleshooting can be a bit more complex. The prefabricated patch cables can also be shortened and connected with a new connector. But I would not do that if it is not absolutely necessary. You can calculate the length roughly and put in the basement if necessary too long cables as a "loop".
You don’t need a patch panel if you use prefabricated patch cables.
Do you have any other questions?
Best regards
Micha
Hey, first a thousand thanks for the quick feedback! That sounds good, so my thoughts were gears direction and I have the system
Understood. Now I only think about whether I take ready-made cables or not.
One more question. I would like to equip three rooms with LAN, since yes double sockets make sense would be 6 cables. How big. How many ports should the switch have?
I don’t want to run more than 6 cables, otherwise the cable channels will be too thick
Theoretically an 8 port switch would be enough. 6 for your cables and one for the router. Take but rather equal 12 or 16 ports.
Super, a thousand thanks! Then I will have a look
Make a shopping list!
Hi, I still have one question. Does the switch have to be close to the hubs?. Routers lie? Or could I install the also in the attic?
Since the ceiling from the basement to the eg and eg to the dg is of course very thickxware it definitely easier to drill there only a hole for 2 cables (although I still do not know what ivh use to
use for drilling).
Because from the attic then the remaining 6 cables would be laid(dg to attic consists of wood).
You can place the switch where you want. It does not matter!
Hello Micha,
thank you very much for this tutorial! You have structured a thing in need of explanation very sensibly, described it understandably and clarified it with clear pictures. You have helped me a lot. Thank you for taking the time and the effort.
Best regards,
JensF
Hi and Hello !
Super instructions – COMPLIMENT 
Short question, I would like to connect a patch distributor with switch in the upper floor with a patch distributor with switch in the basement floor. What is the best way to make the connection?
Switch Upper> patch cable> Patchpanel upper floor>> Lankabel>> patchpanel basement> patch cable> Switch basement
nice that you like the tutorial.
It is sufficient if you connect the two switches with one LAN cable. The way over the patch panel is not necessary.
Hello Admin, first of all also from my side a big praise for your article, which is also for laymen inkl. mine is well understood. But now my problem/question: Phone/Internet arrives in my basement as so often, router is on the ground floor and should be switched off there. reasons actually also remain. In the basement there are still four Cat7 cables installed, the necessary. Supply rooms on the ground floor (2), first floor (1) and attic (1). The router on the ground floor is fed by one of the two Cat7 cables, which is connected to the external phone/internet via a socket (to be precise, the socket is connected to 2 of the insg. 8 Cat7 wires). So far, so good. Now I would like to connect the remaining Cat7 cables, which were not used so far, finally to the router, because the WLAN quality is fluctuating despite repeaters, which is annoying especially in home office times (VPN). The grds. necessary components I have ordered, d.h. patchpanel, switch (both should be in the basement, because Cat7 cables end there), sockets, tools, etc. and the connections I also get there, but now comes my question: how do I make sure that the Cat7 cables in the basement are connected to the router – do I already have to connect that to the ext. disconnect line connected Cat7 cables, add a second router o.a. hang in between and from there all insg. connect 4 Cat7 cables? If yes, how is the connection to the second router technically done from the external phone cable, using an adapter?? If all this is still correct, I would have to change the existing EG port, which feeds the router, into a LAN port like in the other rooms, or do I see it wrong?? And then I wouldn’t need the switch at all, because I could connect the 4 Cat7 cables directly from the patch panel to the basement router? I hope I was able to explain my topic in a more or less understandable way, otherwise I’m happy about your questions. Whereby I honestly believe that my initial situation does not occur so rarely. Or would it be – without knowing your answer already – out of the question?. reasons much easier/better, if I build the existing EG router in the basement after all and work with repeaters from the EG onwards? It would be great if you could bring light into my wiring darkness here. Many greetings, Ben
nice that I could help you a little further. Now to your problem.
First I would put all four CAT 7 cables on a patch panel. Connect a switch to this patchpanel. I would put the router in the basement and connect it to the switch as well. I didn’t quite understand about your phone/internet cable yet. The router has a WAN input, where the internet cable is plugged in. How is that with you?
Then you have normal LAN ports on the router. You connect one of these LAN ports with the switch. Already all rooms are networked. You could also connect directly from the patchpanel to the router with only four cables. Most routers are equipped with four ports.
If you still want to run a WLAN on each floor, I would use repeaters that are connected via LAN. So you don’t have to amplify the WLAN signal from the basement.
Best regards
Micha
Hello Micha, thanks for your feedback. Regarding the telephone/internet cable: the connection to the cable coming from outside is done via the telecom socket in the basement, where the wires of the ext. cables with 2 (of the insg. 
wires of the CAT7 cable, d.h. blue u. blue/white were connected together. So far, one of the 4 CAT7 cables fulfills the function of transporting the phone/internet signal to the router on the ground floor and is therefore already in use. The Fritzbox router in the ground floor is then again connected via a "normal" TAE/DSL cable to the socket. This is exactly my issue: if I want to connect all 4 CAT7 cables together from the basement in the future and thus use all 4 LAN ports in the rooms in the future, do I still need to use the existing connection (i.e. connection ext. Cable – CAT7 cable, which arrives in the ground floor) disconnect and then connect how exactly? In addition, if I were to move the router to the basement, I would have to convert the existing TAE socket on the ground floor into a normal LAN socket, or? Or would it be easier to leave everything on the ground floor as it is, incl. the switch?. router and build a second router in the basement? Or do I not need a second router in the basement and can work exclusively with the switch/patchpanel, d.h. I cut the connection external-Cat7 EG, connect it to switch or probably patchpanel and then have 4 outgoing Cat7 connections to the rooms? In other words: if I want to leave the router in the ground floor, do I need a second router in the basement for my purposes?? Sorry, I hope I didn’t make it too confusing, but it’s better to play all variants before I take action. Many greetings, Ben
Your messages are quite hard to read. You do not make any paragraphs.
You can also simply pull a cable from the router on the ground floor into the basement and then connect the switch to it. This would probably be the easiest solution. You do not need a second router.
it can’t be because of the paragraphs…thank you anyway, then I have to struggle on or ask. -ask.
i can only agree with the other comments – very good and detailed tutorial. You have definitely saved me some hours of headache.
Now I also have a question my future house is a bit bigger so I want to install 30 sockets, I thought at first I would just use two patchpanels a 16 ports and two switches a 16 ports. However, in your one comment you advised against two patchpanels. Can you tell me how you would solve it then ?
in principle you can also connect two patch panels or switches. This is not a problem. I would recommend you to use at least one 24 port switch. There are also 48 port switches. These will also fit in a 19″ cabinet with no problem. I find the ones from Netgear very good. https://amzn.to/3z8kqvX
Best regards
Micha
good to know that today’s WLAN devices have a data throughput of up to 2.5 gigabit per second. My uncle wants to buy a modern WLAN device. He hopes that this also has a data throughput of 2.5 gigabits per second.
mega good tutorial. Many thanks for this. So I can also wire my house as a layman. But I have one question regarding. the connection between switch and patch panel. The initial situation is as follows:
Network cabinet and fiber optic transfer point respectively. Fritzbox in the basement. I have planned one POE capable access point per floor for the WLAN (3 pieces). The rest of the rooms are equipped with double sockets resp. equipped with a single socket. So in total 3 cables arrive in the basement that need POE and 9 cables without. That would mean that a 12 port patch panel is sufficient. But now I would like to combine a small POE switch 4-port and a "normal" switch (cost& especially fanless, because of normal home network load).
1. Question: Can I connect both switches with only one patch panel or will there be problems (POE capability, parallel connection etc.)?.)? Or is it recommended to use 2 patch panels?
2. Question: Do I have to connect the two switches or is a parallel connection ok for the described use case??
Thank you very much for your answer.
LG, Marcel
nice that you like my instructions.
Question 1: You can connect both switches to the patch panel. This is possible without any problems. I would not use a second patch panel.
Question 2: You don’t have to connect the switches together. A parallel connection is OK for your use case. If a connection from the "POE network" to the normal network is not possible, just connect the two switches together.
Best regards
Micha
Thanks for your answer!
Hello, really a helpful tutorial, thanks for the effort.
But I have a question about the variant with the two switches: Don’t they have to be connected via LAN cable to one port, so that all sockets can communicate with each other?? Or do I have a mistake in thinking?
the switches must be connected to each other with a LAN cable, so that the signals are distributed from one to the other switch. Either use a normal port or if available the UPLINK port on the switch. If the swiches are connected, all the sockets can communicate with each other.
Best regards
Micha
Simply: thank you!
Everything -even for me- understandable explained and illustrated.
If I would have found this site earlier, I would have found a lot of (!) research hours and mental errors on my part saved.
Thanks a lot Martin. Such comments give me motivation to write such articles.
How does it work with the patchpanel with the grounding?? Where is it connected then since all the patchpanels I have seen have a connection for grounding. Or is a grounding not necessary?
in the best case you should ground the patchpanel. If the grounding is not connected, equalizing currents can flow through the shield of the network cable into the housings of your devices. You should include the patchpanel in the potential equalization in a professional way.
Hello Micha,
currently I want to change everything in my apartment to LAN cables, so that the data transport works better.
I use the switch as a distributor.
In one room I would like to use a triple LAN socket with three slots, this is an easier implementation.
Two TV sets and a DS-Synology server are connected to it.
The cable comes directly from the switch and leads to this socket.
Is it to be used in this way?
Thanks for your answer.
which surface box is it? An alternative would be if you provide a switch instead of the surface box. What do you think?
Best regards
Micha
Hello Micha,
I am planning the network for our new building. The whole structure is so far clear. But why do you need this patchpanel? Can’t you just crimp a plug on the patch cord and plug it directly into the switch?
And, how many laying cables do you get in a 25 empty pipe?
Many thanks and greetings
Sonja
theoretically you can crimp the cable directly and connect it to the switch. But I would not recommend that. The laying cable is very rigid and I recommend to lay the laying cable on the patch panel. In a 25 mm empty conduit you can get 3-5 cables through.
Best regards
Micha
Hello Micha, bought a house. All rooms are wired CAT6 and everything is working. But:
1. At the patch panel was connected: o/ow gr/grw bl/blw br/brw
at all cans is the following order: wo/o wg/g wbl/bl wbr/br.
Everything works! But I can not see any logic in it, can you help?
2. The whole thing has come up, because now LWL is to be connected. For this I need a cable from the basement (HuB and NT) to the router on the upper floor. The cable should be flush-mounted and only be equipped with two RJ45 sockets. The router will be connected to the RJ45 sockets on one side and the NT on the other side in the basement.
How please must the two sockets be switched?
I would put the sockets as in my article. First you should test the whole thing. For this I would do the cabling without putting the cable under plaster. Just connect the cables to the sockets and set the desired configuration. If everything works, you can install it end-to-end.
today my electrician put all network cables (CAT7) on the patch panels and connected them to the switch. Internet cabling to the router is also correct. He has measured all the sockets. All signals arrive. Unfortunately I can’t get the connected devices (TV, ventilation system, leakage protection) into the internet. Every time the apps say that there is no internet connection. If I connect the devices directly to the Fritzbox, there is a connection. Where is the error then now? Or do I still have to create a new home network on the PC?
Please help
Thank you, greetings Rene
you have connected the Fritzbox to the switch? Once the Fritzbox is connected to the switch, you should be able to connect all devices to the internet.
I have a question in the basement network cabinet with patch panel and the cables go into the garage but would like to put there another small cabinet and Quasi patchpanel with patchpanel connect to be more flexible in the garage is that possible
Hello Micha,
thanks for your extensive description! This will be very helpful to me for my own subsequent network cabling in the house. V. A. things like patch panel, which I have seen only in the company, I would not have thought in the home, would simply be away from the 4 ports of the router.
On the photo /images/44/network-cable-routing-house-A38A4C.jpg you can see a green jar on the left side of the cable channel. Can you please tell what it is needed for and what brand it is from? :-))
Many greetings
Robert
Thanks for your message. Glad I could help you a bit more. The jar to the left of the cable is for cooling the technician. You should be careful when using it though, it could quickly cause hypothermia if used too much
RJ45 plug to crimp on a laying cable is crap. It’s better to use a keystone module, which is for laying cables. Then a short patch cable and good. Furthermore you should think future oriented when planning the network connections. I have in our WZ alone at the media wall 5 double sockets installed and 1 port is still free. Also you can optimize the WLAN in the house with the network connections etc. Better to install 1 duplex cable too much, than to be annoyed in 1 year, that you saved money.
thanks for your advice. I did not know these Keystone modules. I have added a patch panel for Keystone modules to the list. With future oriented planning I agree with you. Better to plan a little more sockets. Often it is also a question of budget. I can also expand an existing port with a switch. Of course it would be better to plan the LAN connection in advance.
you can save the test device. This is already included in the crimp set, which costs less, and works flawlessly.
Moin, thanks for the tips. I’m also getting ready to give my house a bit of an upgrade each room will get a double network socket. I use Cat7 duplex cable, so I can use one cable to connect 2 network ports per room.
Now my question, because I don’t use a patch panel… can I also pull the cables down to my HWR and connect there to a D-Link DGS-108 8-port Layer2 Gigabit switch and connect this switch to the router? Is it possible or is the thought process wrong? I don’t want to install a patch panel because the room doesn’t offer much space.
Vg,
Patrick
you can also connect the network cables directly to the switch. That is no problem. I have the patch panel only in between, because I can patch so the individual sockets better. But this is not a requirement.
thanks for the info and help.
In our house there are 2 LAN sockets in the cellar from which two cables each were laid upwards into 4 different rooms. I have now connected the router directly in the basement with the two LAN sockets, without patch with switch. the two LAN sockets on the first floor work like this, but not the two sockets upstairs. Is this because of the missing patch or switch?
how many cables do you have in the LAN sockets?? How many ports are occupied at the router? You have to connect both ports at the LAN sockets with one cable each from the router. 4 cables must be laid from the router to the LAN sockets.
super instructions that I can use well in the redevelopment of our house.
I am a bit worried about security and compartmentalization of all the IOT devices (outlets, cameras, etc) though.).
On the one hand, there is the recommendation to place these devices in their own network, because they also tend to "call home" and often only work with a cloud connection.
On the other hand, of course, you want to be able to control them from your phone and still need to have a connection from the "home network" (NAS, servers, tablets, PCs, phones,…).
What is the best way to do this?
Different subnets? But leave everything in one network? What hardware do I need (managed switch)??
Thanks and greetings,
One question: there are these Ethernet adapters with 1 in 2 sockets. But you can’t use both devices at the same time or if there are 1 in 3 or more sockets you can use only one socket so one connected device.(With socket I mean port, I think it is the same). And my question is if there are such adapters, where you can use both devices or ports in the same way.?
You can use such an adapter. Each socket is then only 4 wires available. This is enough for 100 MBit/s. But you can’t get a 1 GBit/s speed with it.
I would be interested once, if I would now place the server cabinet with switch and Co in the basement to supply the entire house with sockets, do I have to connect the router then mandatory in the server cabinet to a switch?
Or is there the possibility to place another socket in the living room, where the router should be placed, and to pull a cable to the switch, to feed the switch in the server rack over the cable ei? I don’t want to place the router in the basement/HWR because I don’t want to place repeaters all over the house. So instead of using the socket as an output, use it as an input to feed the switch remotely.
you can also place the router in the living room and connect it to the switch. The internet will be distributed in the whole network.
The photo where the cables are stapled on the patch panel is not a good example of good cabling. The shielding of the individual pairs must be pulled through to the contact point and not simply cut off at the sheath. As you can see, there will be a lot of interference under load.
thank you very much for your hint. I am aware that I stripped the cables a bit too short in my example. I could not yet detect interference with the cabling. You are right…a perfect cabling should have a maximum shielding.
Good morning,
first grandiose page with super tips and tricks. I am surprised that this is offered free of charge ! Respect !
I have an understanding question.
We are renovating a house and in each room will be placed a network socket.
Do I understand it correctly ( sorry real layman ) I have cable and connect to the main input of the cable connection of a router and that then supplies the whole house with "network?"
Furthermore – how can I provide a good stable W-LAN in the whole house?? Do I use a W-LAN repeater that plugs into the network sockets? ?
thanks for the compliment. I am glad if I can help you a little bit. Do you also use a patch panel? If so, you can plug in the router there and provide the whole house with "network. The variant with a switch and a patch panel I consider very suitable.
You can achieve a decent WLAN reception in the whole house if you use repeaters. Of course I have written a lot of articles about it. These could be interesting for you:
Thanks Micha for the quick answer !
No a patchpanel I do not use yet.
ACTUAL situation is that in the house all new cables are installed.
The idea is to place a router at the main entrance of the cable connection which is connected to the network and thus provides network in the whole house. Is this feasible ?
Thanks for the very good tips regarding the range improvement WLAN
you can also place the router at the main entrance and connect the cables there. This works. The cable is a bit stiff when connecting to the router. Now I don’t know what cable you’re using…
I have a question about the network.
First of all, outstanding blog that you provide there. Unfortunately for my "solution" the info is missing.
I bought a house, year of construction<1880. now we are at the core renovation. All new. On the subject of network I have the idea to put the Telekom router at the house connection and thus to supply the ground floor with wifi. So far no problem. Furthermore I would like to provide a network socket in the ground floor (living room at the other end of the house) and in the attic (office). Can I go from the router with a purchased cable in a box, from the box with cat7 flush-mounted each to the end points (flush-mounted box) and from there again with a purchased cable to the end devices.
If so, do I have to consider a special assignment of the sockets or can I take the ones you suggested?
I hope you can help me.
Thank you very much for your efforts.
have I understood you correctly…you want to go with a normal patch cable from the router in a box, from this box with a Cat 7 flush-mounted cable to the next box go and connect to this box your end devices? Don’t you have the possibility to put all cables on a patchpanel, like I described in the article? I don’t think the solution "can-to-can" is optimal. Alternatively you can lay the network with Powerline also over the power cable. That you have only the cabling with LAN in the individual rooms. Or you go completely on WLAN and use additional WLAN Repeater.
Why are expensive and double network sockets offered everywhere when I have only one cable per socket?
Then I should also take only 1-gang sockets . Did I see on Amazon only one offer and they also cost only 2.-
So again; 1 cable they have laid for me per socket . Then also a socket with 2 sockets is of no use . Correct?
you can also connect a network cable to a double socket. You use then only 2 wire pairs per socket. But with this connection technology you can only use 100 MBit/s. In many cases this speed can be enough.
In our parents house there is no internet connection yet. But we need it when we come as guests. Special thanks for the practical tips! Not to forget the cable ducts, they would be not bad to avoid the cable tangle.
thank you very much for your super contribution! A direct cabling of the switches is advisable in any case. Just as a double LAN socket!!
A really good selection of the above cables for the installation can be found here:
I myself have laid a lot of cables in the house and paid attention to the quality of the products,
Just have a look, here is a personal recommendation from
Many greetings Dietmar
from Osnabruck
For today this is a very relevant topic. Thank you!
Stumbled here via google and glad I did!
Hello admin, first of all thanks for the good description. I always read that you should use a patchpanel and a switch. I could also connect the network cables directly to a switch (I plan to have 14 ports). D.h. I can save the patchpanel, it only sends the signals to the switch anyway. Am I right or does the panel have another meaning??
you are right, the signals are passed from the patch panel to the switch. If you use ready-made cables, you can also connect them directly to the switch. If you use laying cable, I can recommend an additional patch panel.
Best regards
Micha
Your blog on network planning is very informative.
The following problem on my part I am just extending the old EDP in my Wonhaus.
Problem is in the living room office is a patch panel 6 port mounted on the desk.Where the cat. 5e cable from 2 other children’s rooms and the living room TV and Kucken web radio converge on a Gigabit switch. My problem is that I have 4 new lines pulled in addition from the basement over kitchen baseboards channel Cat.7 for heating fiber optic modem and fuse box. For network cabinet no place in the living room because the old patch field cables are too short. Should I put 6 Cat 7 double sockets in a parapet channel and lay all cables there for that the 40cm Cat 5 cable would still be sufficient. Or put all cables on 12 port patch panel and mount this in 120er parapet channel or extend the too short cat 5 cables by 1 meter with cat connector ? Partially it is no longer possible to retrofit the old cat.5 cables to be exchanged for 7.
Greetings Michael
I would put a 12 port patch panel in one of the parapet channels and lay the cables there. Then you have everything uniform. I would not do the extension of the old cables.
Thanks for all the helpful tips!
I am faced with the following situation in an apartment: In the bedroom of the apartment comes the phone/DSL signal. There is the router (Speedport). However, the internet access is used in the living room for multimedia players, smart TV, etc. needs. Approx 20 cable meters away. And the access is needed in the directly adjacent study for the PC. Therefore it would be desirable to lay ONE cable 20m long from the bedroom to the living room and from THERE to go on to the study. As "flying" cabling I tested this and it works fine: 20m cable from the router to the living room, there a small 5 port switch, to which the Smart-TV and the Media-Plaer is connected. And a network cable, which is further led to the study and there is plugged into the PC. But how do I "properly" wire something like this? I would like to avoid having to run TWO cables from the bedroom(router) to the living room. To lay one is already complex enough. Does anyone have an idea?
Many greetings
Sven
In reply to Sven.
Hello Sven,
you have already done that quite right. Network cable from the bedroom to the living room and then from a switch to supply the other devices. Now you would have to run a cable from the living room to the study to have network access there as well. You have two possibilities to make a different cabling.
possibility 1: you can work with WLAN repeaters. One WLAN repeater in the living room and one repeater in the study should be enough. Probably a WLAN repeater is enough. The WLAN repeaters from Fritz are very good. I can recommend these. https://my-digital-home.en/wlan/fritz-wlan-repeater-310-set-up-wlan-reception-improve/
Option 2: If you don’t want to run a network cable, you can also use powerline adapters. There the network signal is transmitted over the power line. I have also had very good experiences with this. You start with an adapter in the bedroom. The router is connected to the powerline adapter via a network cable. The next powerline adapter will be installed in the living room and study. In the living room you still use a switch to be able to connect all devices. The installation and setup is done quickly and easily. Just have a look at this article. https://my-digital-home.en/hardware/alternative-to-wlan-and-network-cabling-simple-and-fast-it-goes-with-powerline/
I would recommend powerline adapters from TP-Link or Fritz.
First of all thanks for this thread!
This thread has me more and more fascinated. Until recently I thought that using network cables in the age of ‘wlan’ is old-style. I see it differently today. Unfortunately I didn’t deal with this when the (row) house was built. I have thought of possibly. at least between the floors to have empty pipes, but I have not done it, because at that time every little thing has immediately caused neat extra costs.
This thread and the fact that WLan in the 2.The fact that the reception of the second floor (1 HP PC and 1 Lenovo laptop) was relatively poor led me to install network cables afterwards.
Fortunately I was often on the construction site and also took proper pictures, so I knew where there are shafts for cables and pipes in the house. These are just closed with plaster or gypsum board. So I only had to make holes in a few places, and then I could connect a CAT6 cable from EG into the 2.Lay OG. From there I have another cable back into the 1.In the 2nd floor, if I want to install an additional WLAN AP there, or in the 1.I want to install network sockets somewhere in the first floor. Fortunately we have many drywall walls where some things can be installed relatively easily.
So I have a CAT6 network socket in the ground floor at the telecom connection/router and in the 2.OG installed. In the 2.OG it goes from the second socket still in the 1.OG, where only a cable loop in an empty box has come to rest.
Technically everything worked. I installed the outlets with the blade of a simple ‘carpet’ knife, so I pushed in the wires and cut off the excess ends. A special tool for a few sockets is unnecessary there. I learned this through, how could it be otherwise, through a Youtube video;-) And lo and behold, at the HP PC also 50Mbit arrive. Before it was with tricks (WLan adapter with USB extensions in the stairwell) only 36Mbit. This USB cable under the door into the stairwell had always bothered me.
Then I have a CAT6 cable mainly in the baseboard from the laminate and through a plasterboard wall into the other room of the 2.I installed a Cat6 socket on each floor of the first floor.
For this I bought a TP-Link switch, and connected everything together. Runs. Also the Lenovo laptop has 50Mbit. Of course only as long as not all end devices make a download at the same time;-)
In the ground floor I was missing a LAN port after that, because I needed one to connect the 2.OG used. That’s why I bought such a cheap TP-Link switch for the EG as well.
So it looks like this:
GROUND FLOOR:
Router (4xLan)
– Link to the 2.OG (to TP-Link Switch 2.OG)
– WLan Access Point
– Samsung TV
– TP-Link Switch (EG)
TP-Link switch
– IP Cam
– IP TV device
– Arcos Android TV
2.UPPER FLOOR:
TP-Link switch
– HP PC
– Lenovo Laptop
Other (via WLan):
– smartphones
– OnePlus 3
– Nokia 5
– Samsung Galaxy S3
– tablet
– Nvidia Shield K1
Unfortunately
– the Google Chrome Stick, and
– the Google Home (mini)
no network connection, otherwise I would have liked to connect them also to the switch on the ground floor. Because where devices are stationary, I would like to do without WLan.
For all cables between outlets and devices I used Cat5 cable, only for things that are fixed (cables and outlets in walls) I took Cat6. That’s enough for now. If I from the Telekom or similar. once I get more, I can replace the loose Cat5 cables with Cat6 cables.
I have installed in our DDH CAt7 network cables. Now I want to connect the cables and wonder now how it works best.
basement – here are of course all cables
Ground floor/living room – here I have one socket with two cables
1.OG – here I have two rooms with one cable each
DG – here I have two rooms with one cable each
Everywhere should also go WLAN.
At the moment I have from Telekom the Speedport smart3.
Swich – NETGEAR ProSAFE GS108T-200GES
Ground floor – Gira 245200 network socket 2-fold Cat.6A IEEE 802.3an flush mount insert
All other Gira 245100 network socket 1-gang Cat.6A IEEE 802.3an use
What is the best way to connect everything so that I have WLAN everywhere??
Thanks and many greetings
Best you follow the instructions. Then there should be no problems.
in my apartment is installed a patch panel with 5 connections in the electrical box. In all rooms there are outlets along with the phone ports.
I first connected the router to a port on the patch panel and then connected my laptop to the corresponding port in the living room. No interconnection.
Now I got a switch and connected it as described with the patch panel and a port in the switch with the router. Then again the laptop plugged into the living room outlet. No Internet.
Then I connected the computer directly to the switch. That works. The switch shows me that there is no speed on the other ports. Also if I plug a second laptop into an outlet e.g. in the living room.
it sounds to me like the cabling between the patch panel and the junction box is faulty. You have already narrowed it down very well. If you plug your router directly to the switch and plug a computer or laptop to the switch, you have internet. Because the connection between router and PC is solved through the switch. I would now test the following. Connect all patchpanel connectors to the switch and plug the router also into the switch. Then check if the internet is available at one of the junction boxes. If this does not work, I would test the lines with a small meter. The meter should show the if everything is wired correctly. You can find the device in my article.
Thanks. The solution to plug everything, I tried, unfortunately does not work. meter is coming… the electrician has not done a proper job.
hello, I need some help
I patched my patch panel in the basement today, -Standard A
Now I have a network socket in the living room, also standard A patched on a trial basis
And when testing, the test devices do the following:
device A with the battery in it
Diodes light up as desired 1-8 continuously
Device B -receiver
The diodes do not light up according to the order, but somehow mixed up
But if I connect a patch cable to datendose 1 and 2
And connect the meter to the patchfields 1 and 2, then it fits
Looks like crossover somehow
It’s funny, I patched it the same way as I learned it. I am really desperate
Hello, I have the following problem:
I have my patch panel in the basement on standard A
Patched. The double network socket as well.
When testing comes the following error
On the test device the diodes light up in the order 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8
At the receiver device it dices the lighted diodes in confusion
But if I connect the datendose with a patch cable (bridge)
And with send and receive device at patchfield both cans fair
Then the diodes on both devices light up in the right order
What have I screwed up?
Seems to me somehow like "Crossover
Hello, in search of some help I came across your post.
This is very helpful and informative.
We are renovating an older house and I have laid CAT7 cables in all rooms from the basement. In total there are 9 x 2 connections.
Now I need some help. All cables are now down in the basement.
What do I need to connect everything together, so that I then have internet in all rooms via the LAN network?.
With me also the TV goes over the Internet, because I have Telekom Entertain. I would like to place the router then also in the cellar. From there the router should distribute the Internet over the CAT7 cables. For the WLAN I would use an Acces Point on each floor.
What do I need down in the basement to connect everything together, so that I have internet from the LAN socket in the whole house??
Thanks in advance for your answer.
With kind regards
M. Veigel
first you have to put all cables on one or two patch panels. When you have done that, connect the patch panel to a switch. For this purpose, these short CAT cables are best suited. You connect the router with your telephone socket and then plug a lan cable from the router into the switch, so that internet is available in all rooms.