Cable jacks used to be installed only in the main living room because the television was the only device that needed coax cable. That should not mean that your internet and digital phone can only be set up in the family room. An electrician can install Cat5 cabling (or even faster options including Cat6 and Cat7 cabling) throughout a home or building for cable jacks in new locations.
Don’t settle for slow internet, Wi-Fi dead zones, or unsightly cables running across the floor. Cat5 cabling installation will update your home or allow you to remodel and rearrange furniture as you see fit.
Common reasons to install Cat5 cabling at a home or small business include:
- Add a cable jack so you can move a TV to a different wall
- Set up your modem and router in the best location
- Run cat5 cabling to the second floor or basement
- Wire a smart home
- Install Ethernet for a home office
- Install network wiring for a business
Mistakes to Avoid for Cat5 Cabling Installation
There are many types of coax cable. Each has different bandwidth and maximum data speeds. You can’t go wrong by adding Cat5 cabling for home internet, TV, and phone. However, the wrong types of cables and connections can lead to slow speeds and annoying interference.
Ask a local electrician to install Cat5 cabling to avoid problems with your internet speeds and Wi-Fi reliability. Cable types should match what you already have. Splitters must allow for the proper bandwidth, measured in MHz. Also, you need an electrician to add network cabling without causing interference or harming your electrical wiring.
Is Cat5 Cabling Fast Enough?
Most applications call for Cat5 cabling—or you can make a small upgrade to Cat5e, which has better shielding from interference and potentially faster speeds.
Newer categories include Cat6, Cat6a, Cat7, and Cat7a. Although they advertise much higher speeds, they are not considered necessary because Cat5 cabling can deliver the fastest possible speeds delivered by your TV and internet provider.
- Cat5 cabling: Up to 1 Gbps, no loss of speed up to 328 feet (100 meters), up to 100 MHz bandwidth.
- Cat6 cabling: Up to 10 Gbps, no loss of speed up to 164 feet (50 meters), up to 500 MHz bandwidth.
- Cat7 cabling: Up to 100 Gbps for short distance, or 10 to 40 Gbps up to 100 meters up to 1000 MHz bandwidth.
Cat5 cabling will meet the needs of most homes and businesses for the foreseeable future. It’s enough for crystal-clear Netflix streaming at home and fast networking for office and retail. The more expensive options should be considered only for future-proofing or for short-distance data wiring where extreme speeds are necessary.
Add Cat5 Cabling in Santa Rosa
The steps to install new coax cable depend on whether the new location is interior or exterior, the location of the supply cable, and other factors. Licensed electricians have the skills and tools to install Cat5 cabling and outlets with minimal disruption to your walls.
In the Santa Rosa area, Spyrka Electric provides network wiring and Cat5 cabling installation for both homes and businesses. Contact us to request an estimate.
