New House: Pre-Drywall

Hello!

I just started researching all of this (mainly due to the release of the hub v2), and I wish I had done so earlier: tomorrow I need to go in and specify where all outlets/jacks (ethernet/coax/etc) need to go throughout our new house build before they get drywall up.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how they’d have their rooms setup if they could go back and do it over again? If I wanted to put up a couple cameras (baby/pet monitoring), would you recommend putting up ethernet jacks in those areas? Would I also need an electrical outlet (just started reading about PoE, so I don’t know if that’s the route to go or what)? Is there anything else I should be thinking about in other areas for the various sensors?

Thanks!

You can’t install enough Ethernet. I built my house 10 years ago and wired Ethernet and fiber. Fiber was overkill as it has not built out in my area but I wish I installed more Ethernet. Also there are Ethernet to hdmi connectors now so it makes video/audio distribution easier. 4K capable if you run Cat6 or if you really want future proofing use Cat7.

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I would suggest at minimum 1 ethernet line to every room. Best 2 if possible. Some of the modern cable tv options like AT&T U-verse can be run over ethernet. Also, you don’t know what tech you may want to add to rooms in the future.

If you have an idea of where you would like to place the cameras, an ethernet port close to that location would be nice. If you combine that with POE for the camera it would make for a clean looking installation of the camera. You would only have 1 connection to the camera instead of 2. In my small home, i’ve opted for wired cameras where ever possible. I get better video frame rates with less stutter that way.

I hope that is some help.

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I second the comment about you can’t have enough Ethernet. I’ve several times wished i’d run just one more line when I was in the crawl space running cable the last time.

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  • keep one or two power outlets on top in each room to have the wireless sonos speakers
  • Have additional power outlets in master/kitchen/bath to support hue strip lights
  • Run CCTV cable wires wherever required. You can use that power line to connect to an IP camera later
    -Have smart switches for every room to control lights and fan
    -Have one or two usb power outlets in every room
    -Have one clock receptacle power outlet to connect your old tablets (smarttiles dashboard) in great room or wherever required
    -use smart locks in main, back or basement entrance
    -have decent space to have a large touch screen monitor in kitchen area
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I built my house a little over a year ago. I thought about Ethernet in the house, but decided to go with wireless. I’m a network guy, so this want a problem for me. My wife had a brilliant idea. There is an electrical outlet in every closet and under every sink. It’s great that she doesn’t have the hair dryer and curling irons plugged in on the bathroom shelf. Also, decide where you are going to put your tv in each room. Plan on a tv in every room, just in case. Most tv’s are now mounted on the wall so put the cable jack as well as the plug behind where the tv would hang, so way up off of the floor. Then they are hidden when installed. If you have a gas fireplace the switch that is installed is most likely not on house power, have house power ran there and at least capped for future HA. If your kitchen cabinets do not go all the way to the ceiling (I have 11 foot ceilings) put an electric outlet above each section and run then all into a single switch.

If you have the space above the cabinets for the outlets, have them run a cable jack up there next to one. It’s a great place to connect your modem and router if you have cable internet, especially in a two story house.

Sounds a little extra and put an electric plug no less than every 8 feet, trust me you won’t regret it.

In any room with a ceiling fan option, have them put in double switches, one for the fan and one for the light.

In the kitchen put a light in the pantry, no matter how small. We put an outlet in ours and I installed led strips around the door frame on the inside. It has even lighting and no shadows on every shelf.

Note, this may not sound like a lot of HA stuff, but if you can hide your electronics a central place and you never have to worry about power, then you are set for any HA you want in the future.

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Always, always, always over plan…

Heck, put in twice as many outlets, ethernet, co-ax as you figure you’ll need. Maybe even three times as many. I just moved into a new work space (not home, business) and even just a few months later I’m wishing I put more connections in some areas.

Worst case is that you’ll end up covering up something with a white plastic plate cause you don’t want the “ugly” outlet or jack visible.

As for cameras, yes, I would 100% put power there. Yeah, hopefully POE will take care of your needs, but by putting the power there you give yourself the flexibility to put in the camera you want, even if it doesn’t have POE.

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I would seriously run Cat7 instead as they are shielded! And further future proofing! :wink: Seriously, the entire network in my house is Cat7 and the area behind my TV looks like an old telephone office! Do it since you have the luxury of having a house where you can do it now… Mine is from late sixties! :frowning:

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Thanks everyone, this is very helpful!

I meet with them in a couple hours, but I’m not sure which way to go regarding camera placement: CCTV wiring, or an outlet + ethernet? Probably safer with power + ethernet?

i don’t think PoE is going away any time soon, so should be safe with just ethernet, but if cost difference is negligible, power+2xethernet+coax!

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I’d second that. Like I said above, you can always cover up what you don’t use. And more options makes it possible to pick or upgrade hardware according to what you like best rather than being stuck with what will work with the options you have.

For example, what is three years from now you find a great cheap wireless camera? If you just have PoE and no outlet, you can’t do wireless easily.

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THIS! WITH BELLS ON!!! :smiley:

However not sure what you’re talking about Cat6 being ‘4k capable’ UNLESS you’re talking about running HDMI over Ethernet in which case that may be so, if you’re talking about just streaming 4k content than you’d be just fine on Cat5e… running at 100Mb.

As for what type of cable to run? DON’T run Cat7, run Cat6, Cat6a at the most. There’s a very good reason for not running Cat7 other than just the costs which can get insane and that is, unlike Cat5e/6/6a which is silly easy to run/crimp/install/etc and have run within spec, Cat7 on the other hand, if you do not get the shielding properly crimped on both ends correctly to the wall plates or the RJ45 plugs, you’ll actually make things worse, MUCH worse. Additionally Cat7 and to an extent Cat6a cable can be very thick and tough to run.

At the end of the day Cat6 and 6a can go as fast as Cat7 (10Gb) so you’re not even really future proofing yourself until you use Cat7a which can (in test situations) run 40Gb but frankly even once 8k TV comes along, 10Gb is still going to be plenty enough. Cat6a is plenty enough future proofing, it’s certainly what I’d use and I am a networking guy having both worked in datacenters running the stuff and now these days configuring the devices that are connected by it.

Cat7 is easy to screw up and make you much worse off than if you run Cat6. Make sure any patch panels and/or Ethernet jacks you use are up to the SAME standard as the cable you are running, Cat5e wall jacks running with Cat6 cable might get you within Cat6 spec but it’s highly recommended against.

Don’t bother with CCTV cable and I honestly probably wouldn’t bother with power where you would want the cameras unless you think it might be useful for something else. IP cameras are cheap enough (and better quality) now and PoE will power them just fine and PoE is never going away, seriously.

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