My new network cabling, using mostly flat network cables

[linix]

4 normal cat5e cables, and 12 flat network cables (a combination of cat6 and cat5e)





It has been some months since I "experimented" with flat network cables, from learning how to terminate them and "manipulate" them for structured cabling. Previously had only done single or twin cable runs, thus nothing to mention about. However this time, I attempted a major attempt, to re-do almost my entire home network, using mostly flat network cables.

How I got the idea of using flat network cables for structured cabling?

I had always liked the idea for concealed wiring, and most of my flat's electrical wiring is concealed (my unit is in the north area and is about 18 years old), the communications cabling is also concealed however it is only cat3 cabling, thus not suitable for network usage. I had to depend on doing structured cabling for my internet needs, since during then, according to HDB regulations, only HDB can do concealed wiring, and it is not "legal" for contractors to do it (however I think HDB had changed their regulations on this few years back).

I looked with envy at the newer flats with concealed cat6 cables, and they just need to change to network keystones to wired up their homes. I also noticed that many of these owners are quite reluctant to have run new surface trunkings in their homes for network cables as many times these PVC wire trunkings do "ruin" the appearance of their interiors, when most of their wiring is already concealed.

However, at least for the more heavy users, running of new network cables is a necessary "sin" they learnt to live with, wherether for more reliable internet connections, heavy transfers within the same network or to install new points for additional APs for more reliable wifi signals.

Then I came to a thought, to combine the advantages of doing a new cable run, while minimizing the "impact" of the new cable run in appearance, and the usage of flat cables could be the key for making that possible, then combining it with some wall finishing techniques, to achieve the minimum impact in appearance.

I started to "tinker" with flat network cables, just that this is new "territory", with almost no information online, thus I had to go through a process of trial and error, going through various types of products and brands, searching for "suitable" products in SLT and online. I "experimented" with my techniques mostly in my own unit.

SInce I also consider myself a heavy user, thus network performance must be similar to normal network cable runs, thus I run tests using the software "Lan Speed Test" (speedtest results would be of little use since I only had a 200mbps plan). With these testings, I narrowed down the suitable techniques and brands.

Knowing the characteristics of flat network cables, being multiple stranded wires, instead of solid core wires, I had to limit the individual cable runs to around 15m, to still achieve near gigabit speeds. In my testings, using a flat network cable of 40m (jointed at 10m intervals), the speeds will drop to cat5 speeds (<100mbps), while 30m is still fine for up to gigabit speeds. Initially I only worked with 10m lengths of flat cables since they are not too expensive for my trial and error testings, then I "progressed" to buying longer lengths, and had similar results with them (the maximum length of flat patch cables that I had crimped is 30m, and it is still up to gigabit speeds).

I guess I had become too long winded with my grandfather stories....

 

[linix]

I had toyed around with the idea of doing up a major re-vamp for my 8-9 years old structured cabling in my flat for quite a while, firstly some of the points were showing their "age" and not very reliable at cat5e speeds and also the HDB phone wiring in my unit has some connection issues (should be due to age). Secondly I also want to test out my flat cable concept for something bigger than a couple of cable runs.

My existing structured network terminates to a 12 port patch panel near my TV point, and when the opennet guys came to install the fiber cabling 5 years ago, it was installed according to my requests "around" my patch panel termination point, using a "complicated" series of conduits and PVC trunkings (actually I had pre-installed most of the conduits and trunkings, thus the opennet installer was too glad to just go along with my plan).

My previous network setup

Fiber optic cable, installed by Opennet guys, along my complicated "mess" of conduits and PVC trunkings.

Previous network cabling, the white flexible conduit "houses" the fiber optic cable

It is time to pull apart an entire network

 

[linix]

Initially I had thought of removing most of the existing PVC trunkings around the opennet TP point, and to re-route the fiber cabling for a neater look, but the fear of damaging the delicate fiber optic cable was too much that I give up on that idea. In addition, there is a "mess" of TV cables at this point which had to be covered up by PVC trunkings

My idea was to incorporate flat network cables to terminate to a patch panel cabinet, just next to the TP point. It will use most of the existing PVC trunkings around the TP point, since I did not want to "disturb" the fiber cabling installed by the opennet guys.

The new patch panel will be a 14" 16 port patch panel (which I had modified from a 19" 24 port patch panel), while I constructed a wooden cabinet from materials mostly bought from Daiso.

Among the 16 cable runs, 12 is using flat network cables (a combination of cat5e and cat6) and 4 using the old cat5e cabling, terminating to 6 points throughout my unit (the 4 old cat5e cables was maintained because I had also ran TV cables inside the same PVC trunking, thus I cannot do away with the trunkings, and also 2 of those cable runs is almost 25m in length).

I started the flat cable run in the MBR to near my patch panel cabinet, then I did the same for my own room and 2 other points in my living room, all ending up near the TP point. The next step is to run temporary network and phone cables around the current data points so that there is still internet connection when I pull out the cables from the current patch panel and the other end of the cable. The ONT and my main router was temporary shifted.

I also used a wall scraper to "smoothen" out some wall "imperfections", that explains the patch

The flat cables were secured along the wall, then "reinforced" with fiberglass tape (used in partition work), then finished with silicon sealant and wall putty (the tools and materials involved as shown in picture). The finishing process is a long and laborious process, and I guess for the "finishing" part, I can never get it to be as smooth as done by those wall finishing contractors, but hey, at least there are no "ugly" PVC trunkings in sight and after painting the "naked" cable run should be almost "invisible" to sight.

The longest length in this cable run is about 14m+, and since it will be made almost "invisible" to sight, I chosen the "path of least resistance", along my living room, where there is lesser furniture and stuff to shift, while the shortest length is just about 1m in length, with 4 points terminating in the same patch panel cabinet. Both ends of the cable run are finished off with RJ45 keystone connectors.

 

[linix]

I designed my patch panel cabinet on castor wheels, so that it is "portable", all the cables, including the network cables are all "removable", reason being that area along the wall is also a "storage" area and I would not want the cabinet to be in the way, when I need to. Only regret here is that I should have left the cabinet unpainted, my painting skills are really

Currently housed in the patch panel cabinet is a Starhub ONT, a Dlink DIR-868L router, a TP-link 8 port gigabit switch and my "modified" 14" 16 port patch panel.
3 of the ports are for RJ11 usage, while the rest are for RJ45 usages.

The cable installation is almost done, now just waiting for some coats of paint.
Will try to run some network speed tests using the software "Lan Speed Test" later this week.


One thing I would like to seek the advice from some of the bros here, I noticed that when running network speed tests, different computers as "server" and "client", I will get different results , even from the same network point and using the same patch cable (the computers used are all running gigabit lan). It seems that the best results came from my NAS running as "client", which is a just a "lowly" Celeron and some green 2TB hard dsiks, running some form of Linux OS

 

[linix]

After some paint touchup, the results are as follows:-

Previous installation with PVC trunkings

Before repainting

Structured cabling using 3x flat cables, after repainting of one coat.

Single cable run, after one coat of paint

6x flat cable run, after two coats of paint

 

[linix]

Network speed tests, using "Lan Speed Test" and "Net Meter" software
Test machine

1) Desktop
CPU: Intel I5 3570k
Ram: DDR3 16gb
SSD: Samsung128gb
OS: Win7 64bit

2) Laptop
CPU: I5 M540
Ram: DDR3 4gb
SSD: SanDisk 128gb
OS: WIn7 64bit


Tests with Laptop as server, and desktop PC as client and the devices in between

Length of flat cable between server and client

10m flat cat5e as patch cable from laptop to wall socket
-> 14m+ flat cat6 from wall socket to patch panel
-> Dlink DIR868L router
-> 8 port gigabit switch
-> 3m+ flat cat6 from patch panel to wall socket
-> 8 port gigabit switch
-> 2m flat cat5e as patch cable from wall socket to desktop PC
Total length of cat6/cat5e flat cable ~ 29m

Reading speeds quite close to gigabit speeds


It seems that if I reverse the server and client PC (desktop PC as server, and laptop as client), the results will be lesser, maybe due to the client having limited ram.


Pity I only have a 200mbps plan, thus results will not be conclusive on speedtest.

 

[linix]

reserved_2

 

[ridney]

nicely done bro, congrats

 

[free2d]

Great job man.
You twisted the flat cable 90'degree up at the corner and to the wall socket, does compremise the integrity of the cable inside?

 

[linix]

nicely done bro, congrats

Thks bro

Actually it is an attempt to show the feasibility of using flat network cables for structured cabling (since I had already done some research and testing), despite what many others online had said otherwise.

Moreover I get to replace my aging home network.

 

[linix]

Great job man.
You twisted the flat cable 90'degree up at the corner and to the wall socket, does compremise the integrity of the cable inside?

The advantage of flat network cables is that it is "stranded", thus it should "withstand" some degree of bending, however I guess the "quality" of the cable does play a part too.

You can read up my other post on flat network cables in HWZ for more info on flat cables

 

[Morugana]

well done for the diy networking cabinet

 

[jamboree]

Your family members did not complain about having cables running all over the house?

 

[linix]

well done for the diy networking cabinet

Thks, actually most of the wood materials were in "ready made sizes" bought from Daiso, thus not much cutting on my part.

 

[linix]

Your family members did not complain about having cables running all over the house?

The previous network installation were already in PVC trunkings, thus now, with lesser PVC trunkings running around, there is little reason to "complain" about.

 

[Kiwi8]

*bookmarked*

 

[king_of_diamonds]

4 normal cat5e cables, and 12 flat network cables (a combination of cat6 and cat5e)





It has been some months since I "experimented" with flat network cables, from learning how to terminate them and "manipulate" them for structured cabling. Previously had only done single or twin cable runs, thus nothing to mention about. However this time, I attempted a major attempt, to re-do almost my entire home network, using mostly flat network cables.

How I got the idea of using flat network cables for structured cabling?

I had always liked the idea for concealed wiring, and most of my flat's electrical wiring is concealed (my unit is in the north area and is about 18 years old), the communications cabling is also concealed however it is only cat3 cabling, thus not suitable for network usage. I had to depend on doing structured cabling for my internet needs, since during then, according to HDB regulations, only HDB can do concealed wiring, and it is not "legal" for contractors to do it (however I think HDB had changed their regulations on this few years back).

I looked with envy at the newer flats with concealed cat6 cables, and they just need to change to network keystones to wired up their homes. I also noticed that many of these owners are quite reluctant to have run new surface trunkings in their homes for network cables as many times these PVC wire trunkings do "ruin" the appearance of their interiors, when most of their wiring is already concealed.

However, at least for the more heavy users, running of new network cables is a necessary "sin" they learnt to live with, wherether for more reliable internet connections, heavy transfers within the same network or to install new points for additional APs for more reliable wifi signals.

Then I came to a thought, to combine the advantages of doing a new cable run, while minimizing the "impact" of the new cable run in appearance, and the usage of flat cables could be the key for making that possible, then combining it with some wall finishing techniques, to achieve the minimum impact in appearance.

I started to "tinker" with flat network cables, just that this is new "territory", with almost no information online, thus I had to go through a process of trial and error, going through various types of products and brands, searching for "suitable" products in SLT and online. I "experimented" with my techniques mostly in my own unit.

SInce I also consider myself a heavy user, thus network performance must be similar to normal network cable runs, thus I run tests using the software "Lan Speed Test" (speedtest results would be of little use since I only had a 200mbps plan). With these testings, I narrowed down the suitable techniques and brands.

Knowing the characteristics of flat network cables, being multiple stranded wires, instead of solid core wires, I had to limit the individual cable runs to around 15m, to still achieve near gigabit speeds. In my testings, using a flat network cable of 40m (jointed at 10m intervals), the speeds will drop to cat5 speeds (<100mbps), while 30m is still fine for up to gigabit speeds. Initially I only worked with 10m lengths of flat cables since they are not too expensive for my trial and error testings, then I "progressed" to buying longer lengths, and had similar results with them (the maximum length of flat patch cables that I had crimped is 30m, and it is still up to gigabit speeds).

I guess I had become too long winded with my grandfather stories....

wow is ur house a lan game shop ? how many pcs connected to internet?

 

[revogsx]

well done. that looks nice.

do you run a server farm?
you really have plenty of network gadgets there.

 

[aLpHa-Ev7]

yeah i was about to comment on the number of network points he has too

good work nonetheless! we are always battling with cable tidies aren't we?

 

[linix]

Actually out of the 16 ports, 3 are meant for telephone usage.

With up to 4 ports at any single point, I can do away with the usage of an additional network switch when my requirements change.

Anyway I have only a maximum of 9 wired devices connected to the internet.

By using flat network cables for the cable runs, I get the "advantage" of having an almost "invisible" network cable run, yet doing away with most of the "ugly" PVC trunkings.

I guess that I could be the first person to use mostly flat network cables for an entire network (or maybe the first one to post it online), despite what many others saying it is "suicidal" to do so.