Installing LAN Cables/Fiber Optic Cables At Home By Yourself - Tips For You

[Apparatus]

I write this so that you don’t make the many mistakes that I have gone through.

No hole in the wall being drilled, no need of grounding, no need of wrapping in aluminium foil, no need to bundle them with protecting sleeve and no pulling on the cables is required as all are laid inside plastic trunking. Running in concealed space may require some or all of the aforementioned.

Many may want to take the easy way out by paying someone to lay the trunking/cables. It’s all up to individual. I laid all the ethernet LAN cables/trunking for the whole HDB 3-room unit by myself and re-laid with fiber optic cables. I have since gained a lot of experience from it.

If you don’t want to see the expose trunking, then this writeup is not for you. It also does NOT cover concealed cables inside false walls/ceiling/raised floors.

Planning The Routes

1) Look at the big picture of your wired setup. Draw it down and study carefully.
2) Walk though each route and see what problems you’ll face.
3) Measure the route distances so that you can purchase the cables. Cables usually come in standard lengths but customized lengths are also readily available. Make sure each cable has a small extra length of 1.5 – 2 meter. You can buy cables from Sim Lim Square/Sim Lim Tower/ Amazon/Shopee Singapore. I bought all my fiber optic cables from fs.com Singapore.

Where cables are lay?

1) Running on the top side of the walls. For concrete walls, nailing or using double-sided tape is required for the trunking. If smooth painted concrete walls or tiled walls like the kitchen/balcony can use double-sided tape. If the walls have sprayed rockstones then nailing is the only option.
2) Running along the bottom side of the walls on the small vertical tiles. Here double-sided tape is used.
3) Laying on top of aircon ducts. Here the cables cannot pass from one room to the other
4) Laying inside aircon ducts. Here the cables can pass from one room to the other
5) Laying under the door gap
6) Pass through the louvres on the top side of the room door. If it’s sealed to prevent aircon leak either you can drill an opening or use other ways above

Likely you’ll need a combo of the mentioned if you wire up your whole house.

Ethernet LAN Cables vs Fiber Optic Cables

Make your choice wisely and choose your cables for futureproofing say planning for 25G/40G instead of the current 10G broadband. Read below

https://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/threads/ethernet-lan-cables-vs-fiber-optic-cables.7034739/

For why I chose Single Mode Duplex LC/UPC-LC/UPC 9/125um 1310/1550nm 2.0mm OD OS2 fiber optic cables you can read at post number #28 onwards below

https://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/...ables-to-10-25-40g-fiber-optic.7028716/page-2

 

[Apparatus]

Tools Needed

You can buy the tools/trunking from your neighbourhood hardware store. See below photos

1) Two hammers – A large square head and a small ball-pein hammers
2) Two sizes of flat head screw drivers
3) A cutter for the cable trunking. This cutter is for cutting branches/twigs of potted plants
4) 3M 3.3Kgf double-sided tapes. Many rolls will be needed. Quite expensive like about $9 - $11+ if buy from your neighbourhood hardware store. Buy from Shopee will be cheaper. Don’t buy those cheap paper type double-sided tape for they will be very difficult to remove later.
5) Depending on whether using ethernet LAN/fiber optic cable and how many cables are needed to be run inside the plastic trunking will determine the size of it. There is even larger size trunking than shown. Also, must factor in other cables like audio, dc/ac power cables etc. I chose the largest size shown and it meets my needs.
6) The wall nails shown come with an attached washer. Your neighbourhood hardware store is unlikely to have such nails. You can buy them from hardware shop in the industrial area.

Nailing Tips

1) Nailing is to be carried out about 4 – 5 inches apart. Too far apart will cause the trunking to come off from the wall if you try to pry open to lay the cables.
2) Do NOT nail too close to the edge of the wall for it’ll crack the edge. 1 inch away from the edge of the wall is needed.
3) And don’t choose the largest size nail for it needs the greatest force to hammer it down and likely to crack the concrete.
4) Lastly, don’t whack the nail all the way in otherwise removal will be very difficult if not impossible

Tools - Scissors is not required as using the cutter can give a cleaner cut to the double-sided tape

Plastic Trunking Sizes

Wall nails come with washers

 

[Apparatus]

Cutting/Laying Trunking And Applying Double-sided Tape

You need skills in both. Prepare to buy extra trunking for you’ll cut the wrong length and wrong type of cuts. I prefer to cut the trunking straight when they meet at right corners. Some may prefer to cut each trunking at 45 degree and match nicely at the corner. I prefer to build a bridge over existing trunking whilst others may prefer to build a highway over existing trunking.

Building a highway across existing trunking

Building a bridge across existing trunking

There are situations where you need to improvise to run trunking like bridging from the wall side trunking to my work table below.

For certain difficult to access corners it’s advisable not to totally close the trunking for they’ll be very difficult to open later.

There’s no need to tape the entire trunking length with double-sided tape. Cut double-sided tape about 3 inch per piece and spread along the trunking will do. Some parts of the walls are not straight and a gap will be shown in these areas.

Wall not straight causing gap between it and the trunking

Tight corners - Do NOT totally close up trunkings at the corner

Bridging the trunking from the wall side trunking to my work table leg

 

[Apparatus]

Running Cables Below The Door

Make sure the gap below the door is large enough for the cables to go through. Ethernet LAN cable maybe a problem as they are thicker than fiber optic cables. After laying the cables use double-sided tape to protect over them against any chance of the bottom side of the door rubbing against the cables. For hall-to kitchen door make an opening in the metal support frame to allow for the plastic trunking to go through like below.

As the fiber optic cable is below the LAN cable so no need to use double-sided tape for protection

Using double-sided tape to tape over the cables for protection

Running cables between the hall-and-kitchen door by cutting a slot in the door frame

Finishing Touches

After installing the trunking and laying the cables you can use white paintable silicone to seal up any gaps in the trunking and above/below the trunking and the wall, as appropriate, to give it a professional look. You can also paint the white trunking the same color as the wall, if needed.

Prepare To Sweat Like Me.......Shiny.....Shiny

Final Words

Don't be too hard on yourself as there's no perfection. Appreciate and be proud of your hard work

 

[xiaofan]

I guess most of the people will probably engage a contractor to help laying the cables in this case. But it is great to see such detailed sharing. Nice job!

Other sharing by Apparatus.
1) Ethernet LAN Cables vs Fiber Optic Cables
https://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/...vs-fiber-optic-cables.7034739/#post-152610606

2) Upgrading Copper RJ45 LAN Cables To 10/25/40G Fiber Optic
https://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/...5-lan-cables-to-10-25-40g-fiber-optic.7028716

 

[xiaofan]

Recently I watched quite a bit of Youtube video on laying Ethernet cables and Fibres. I also watched some similar videos in Douyin (Chinese counterpart of TikTok).

I do not know if there are such 穿线大师 (cable laying masters) in Singapore like the Chinese Youtuber 沈阳穿线大师. They are really great in laying cables (usually CAT 6) and Fibre. No matter how diffcult, they have ways to sort out the issues, including the following difficult case caused by lousy renovation job by the developler or by the contractor engaged by the owner.

Examples:



I think Singapore HDB or private developers in general do a better job in BTO/Condo build quality but sometimes the renovation job may not be good and may even render some of the room LAN ports useless. Other than that, probably there will not be such a difficult job as the above.

 

[xiaofan]

As for how to plan for the cable laying job, it depends on the needs and budgets.

For BTO flats, it may often be a good idea to pull one more cable in the living room so that you do not run into trade-offs to be made with Option 1.

1) Option 1 -- main router in DB box, good if you use wired router or ONR.

For flats without LAN ports, the owner may choose to renovate the rooms and put the patch panel in the living room, together with the ONT/ONR and main wireless router.

2) Option 2 -- to have two LAN ports in the living room (or the location where you would like to put the main wireless router), then put a switch in the DB box

3) Option 3 -- niche use case to use two VLAN capable switch

More detailed reference:
Option 1/2/3 to be able to put the good wireless router in a central location and not in the DB box.
https://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/...home-networking.6653421/page-3#post-149431568

 

[xiaofan]

CAT 6 vs CAT6A vs CAT8 -- most home users will probably be okay with CAT6 or CAT6A. Fibre is the way to go post 10Gbps.

Reference:

 

[xiaofan]

From what I read, you need certain equipment to lay Fibre cable which may not be cheap (eg: Fusion Splicer). But you can always buy ready made Fibre patch cables with careful planning of the length needed.

For example, FS.com sells them.
https://www.fs.com/sg/c/fiber-patch-cables-261

References if you are interested in Fibre:
1) Introduction to Fibre, SFP+ modules, Media Converters and more.


2) The ULTIMATE Guide to Fiber Optic Home Networking
https://www.apalrd.net/posts/2023/network_fiber/


3) A nice video in Chinese from mainland Chinese Youtuber：including 隐形光纤、熔接、冷接


4) Another one -- using cheaper tools to DIY 光纤冷接, from Taiwanese Youtuber (Hokkien included)

 

[xiaofan]

Singtel FTTR may have some niche use cases -- using transparent Fibre cables. This one is difficult to DIY.


But if we have Cable Laying masters here in Singapore, we can ask them to carry out the job as well.

 

[Mach3.2]

This one is difficult to DIY.

actually I'd say this one probably the easiest and most accessible to DIY. The specialised tools made it a lot easier and faster to run, but you really just need a hot glue gun and a lot of free time to pull this off.

the translucent fibre optic is just like a fishing line, very easy to route and keep out of the way.

 

[xiaofan]

actually I'd say this one probably the easiest and most accessible to DIY. The specialised tools made it a lot easier and faster to run, but you really just need a hot glue gun and a lot of free time to pull this off.

the translucent fibre optic is just like a fishing line, very easy to route and keep out of the way.

I probably dare not to do that. But you are right -- those who have good DIY skills may be able to do that. The following is a good tutorial.

 

[Mach3.2]

ya, forget to mention if you do a good job, the wife approval factor will be pretty high vs running trunking

 

[xiaofan]

This 顺哥 is another cable laying master.

The following is a job with Ethernet cable + Fibre. Same thing it is good to pull two Fibre plus two Ethernet cables to the living room. Interesting thing is his comment about Earthing point in the DB box for those who want to use shielded Ethernet cable.

 

[xiaofan]

More about DIY transparent fibre cable laying at home, by HK Youtuber, in Cantonese.

 

[xiaofan]

Continue my studying before I try my first cable laying DIY job at home (not so sure when I will do that)

 

[lunaraven]

perhaps lay MM or OS2 cable for ptp connection.
to purchase a xx (12,24 etc) core cable, requires patch panels - seems quite daunting..

 

[xiaofan]

Related topic for those who have quite a bit of home lab equipment.

 

[Apparatus]

Related topic for those who have quite a bit of home lab equipment.

For homelab equipment please post at the other thread under homelab. More appropriate ok?

 

[xiaofan]

For homelab equipment please post at the other thread under homelab. More appropriate ok?

Good point.