If your wireless devices or a home entertainment system fail to perform the way you’d like, don’t be so quick to blame the internet provider. Chances are good that the internet coming into your home provides the speeds advertised by the utility, but your home wiring and wireless network have a problem. A Cat5 cabling installer can help.
Are you experiencing any of these problems?
- A smarthome device needs to be reconfigured almost every time you use it
- You need to reboot the router all the time to fix your internet
- Wireless audio cuts in and out or sounds low-quality
- Streaming video looks pixelated or you get the buffering icon
- Home security cameras get disconnected too often
- Your home or office has Wi-Fi dead zones or slow speeds
These issues are most common in homes and buildings with one modem and router. You’re asking dozens of devices to share Wi-Fi, and the channels get crowded. Long distances and solid building materials block the wireless signal.
Extend Internet with More Cat5 Cabling
Of course, some devices only use Wi-FI and don’t even have an ethernet port. You can still improve the data speeds, streaming quality, and reliable uptime by running Cat5 cabling to a nearby router on each floor or to multiple areas of a home or office.
Simply configure each router with the same name and password, and mobile devices can smoothly pick up the best connection no matter where you are. The movie room in the basement will have excellent streaming, and your front door camera will work as it should.
Should I Use Cat5, Cat6, or Cat7 Cabling?
Once you look into a wired network, you’ll find that there are many kinds of ethernet cables: Cat5, Cat5e, Cat6, Cat6a, and Cat7. Any of them can deliver fast, reliable internet. The higher numbers are ones that have been developed more recently and offer higher maximum speeds and longer distances.
Premium cables can be worth it for your TVs and routers, but it’s not always necessary. For example, a hardwired security camera probably does not need fancy Cat7 cabling.
Powerline Adapters and Wi-Fi Extenders
Even the most expensive Wi-Fi extenders provide a connection with degraded quality and speed. The signals are constantly bouncing around, and something like a smarthome device connected to a plug-in Wi-Fi extender will be likely to drop its connection frequently.
Powerline adapters run internet data through the electrical wiring in the walls. It’s surprising that it works as well as it does, but it’s really only a solution for small problems like checking email on your phone while you’re in bed. Powerline is not the solution you want for strong networking.
Ask an Electrician to Install Cat5 Cabling
Electricians can neatly run any kind of wiring through walls, and they also know how to terminate Cat5 cabling at each port or wall jack for a clean, easy solution. If you want to add wired internet with ethernet port wall plates or hardwired smarthome and entertainment devices, talk to a local electrician.
For help with home networking or any Cat5 cabling installation project in the Santa Rosa area, contact us.
