If you’re like most people, you probably have at least one Ethernet cable running through your home. And if you don’t, you’re not alone. Many people don’t know how to wire their house for ethernet – the easy way.
There is nothing wrong with that. In this post, we’ll show you how to wire your house for ethernet in just a few simple steps. Keep reading to learn more.
What You Need To Know About Wiring For Ethernet
There are a few steps on how to wire your house for ethernet. Follow each of them keenly, and you’ll complete everything successfully. Let’s go.
Planning and Consideration
There are several things worth considering depending on one’s needs. Proper planning helps you save a lot on cost and time. Consider the number of rooms that need ethernet, figure out the total number of ports necessary, the best cable path route, and more.
Basically, this step is all about comprehensive planning. In addition, you need to determine the network speed that will be suitable for you. Knowing how to wire your house for ethernet takes a little more than just having the tools. Typically do your math right to ensure you don’t jam the process once you begin.
Gather Appropriate Materials and Tools
You’ll need a few tools and materials to wire your house for ethernet. You probably don’t have all of them because it’s a one-time thing. But they are cheap and easily accessible. Well, you can’t improvise.
Tools
Among other things, you’ll need;
- Crimping tool for ethernet
- Drill for drilling wall plates
- Hand saws specifically pointed ones
- Fish tape
- Hole saw or paddle bit
- Pencil
- Ruler
- Cat5e Connector
- Wire Bundles
Materials
You’ll need;
- Ethernet wire adapters – Allow you to connect several different types of Ethernet cables.
- RJ45 plugs – the amount needed varies with your needs.
- Wires – This type of material connects devices; it’s common in electrical wiring.
- Cords – This type of material helps you move data around. One can use it when connecting devices to the network.
- Gang Retrofit Boxes
- RJ45 wall plates and jacks
- Wire nuts
- Ethernet switch
- Router (Optional)
Mentioned above are some of the tools and materials you need. We probably haven’t mentioned all, but it’s essential to have any additional requirements to suit your needs.
Measuring and Running the Cables
Before you begin, it’s essential to measure the space you’ll be wiring for ethernet. Do this by measuring the distance between your electrical outlets and the walls. You’ll also need to measure the width of your room and determine how many wires you’ll need.
Next, find an appropriate wired Ethernet connector and plug it into one of your electrical outlets. For example, if your outlet is in the corner of your room, look for a connector that plugs into an outlet in that corner.
If you don’t have one yet, you can measure the right place to install one. Once you’ve plugged in the connector and measured the distance between the electrical outlet and your wall, you’re ready to proceed to the next step.
Perform The Wall Job
For this step, you need to identify where you want to run the cables. This will depend on what rooms you would like to have Ethernet connections in and whether or not you want a central hub. Check out this guide to learn more about how to run Ethernet cables through walls.
Generally, it is best to run cables from the room with the modem/router to all other rooms you would like connected to. If you are only going to be using one Ethernet cable per room, it is easiest to drill a hole through the wall and run the cable directly into the room.
But before that, you need to mount the wall plates. However, if you need multiple cables in a room (for example, if you want a TV and computer connected), it might be necessary to use an Ethernet patch panel. This will give you more flexibility in the future if you need to add or move Ethernet connections.
The wire connection to Patch Panels and Jacks
The next step is to connect the wires to the jacks and patch panel. Determined where the cables need to go, the next step is to run the cables. First, use a drill to make a hole large enough for the Ethernet cable(s) to fit through.
Then, fish the cable(s) through the hole(s). Be sure to leave enough slack at each end so that you can easily connect and disconnect devices in the future. You’ll need to choose a connector type and ensure it’s compatible with your Ethernet cable. This should be easy to execute.
For example, if you’re using coaxial cables, make sure the connector is compatible with the jack. If you’re using cat5e cables, make sure the connector is compatible with cat5e cables. You also might need to select a power outlet and plug in your Ethernet cable.
You’re almost there! Now you can begin wiring your house for ethernet. Connect all the cables right as per the user manual.
Testing Your Connections
Now that you’ve set everything right, it’s good to ensure if the network is working correctly or not. Testing your connection ensures that your Ethernet installation is configured correctly and working as it should.
To do this, you’ll need to gather some basic materials. You’ll need an Ethernet cable, a DHCP server, and a network card. You can also use this post to show you how to set up your DHCP server. You can also use the network tester.
How else can you know that your connection is proper? Try plugging a device into each port and verifying that it can connect to the network. If everything is working correctly, you can now screw on wall plates (if desired) and tidy up any loose cables using cable ties or clamps.
Connecting to The Internet
This is probably the place you wanted to get. Here set up your cable modem to complete the network setup. However, this may vary as per your internet provider. The most basic way is by sourcing your net from the highest trusted port to all the adjacent switches.
Provide all ports with network access either through a firewall or router.
Final Verdict
Having followed all of these steps, you’re in a better position to access your network correctly. Hopefully, our guide helped you get started with ease on this amazing Ethernet wiring project. We believe now you know how to wire your house for ethernet.