who do I call to install ethernet cables?

I'd call some local AV companies, and ask if they do that sort of thing. Also, consider other cables you might need in the future, e.g. for wireless access points, in-wall and in-ceiling speakers, keypads, tablet docks, cameras (front door?), lighting control, motion sensors, surround sound, kitchen TV.

Ghostbusters!!!

What are you connecting to the Cat5e cables? I mean, what are you intending to use the wiring for?

The OP said they are going to be for Ethernet.

Those must be UNION electricians and/or geezers who don't know what Facebook is ^)

The reason that the electricians will not do it, is because it is not a large enough job for them. Same for IT Networking companies. And do not even think about calling Best Buy. You need to either talk to your local mom & pop computer shops, or do it yourself. For four runs, it would not be that hard to do it all yourself.

All the AV installation companies in my area do resi networking too. At least all the ones with websites. Not sure of the trunk slammers on craigslist.

A few years ago, one of the local AV Installers quoted me a price of $100/cable, retrofit.

Was that terminating, testing and hooking up your equipment, or just pulling the raw cable? I do it for a meal or a six pack of good micro-brew beer for friends. I ended up getting out of doing computer & networking work for people other than close friends, due to got tired of them either not paying for the small work that I did for them, or wanted the bare min.

Money can not be made in pulling four drops, unless you make the price high enough (ie $100 per drop), in order to break even for your time. Most of those guys get paid around $15 that pull the drops, and most jobs take no more than maybe two hours max, unless it is a huge job, then it can take weeks to complete. When I did it for a company back in the 90's, I was taking home some good money, which also included the company paying for hotels.

Do anybody think those guys who camp out at Home Depot pull cat5?

Once I got a guy to help me move, 1 hr+ and I offered him $20, but he complained so I gave him $30 just to feel sorry for the old guy. The stupid was answering his cell calls! WTF.

try here instead: http://www.cedia.net/

You may have some luck with a local security (alarm) company, it also won't hurt to stalk the cable aisle at your local home depot or lowes... Thee usually have contractor cards placed some where in there too.

Another tactic is find out where the home builders are and stalk a wire puller from there (the guy not the company). You local it guy may have the chops, but don't bet on him.

PS these days they are called 'switches' not hubs. Also you should carefully supervise your Internet installer so they don't mess things up. (that is another person you could probably contract on their day off)

How large is the chase? Are Romex cables also in this chase, retrofit? Or was the chase built around the stapled Romex?

If the Romex is in one corner of the chase, you may be able to confine the LV cables into another corner with 2" conduit.

I retrofitted 4 runs of 2" LV conduit into an existing chase, basement to attic. A challenge, but not impossible.

+1, check the CEDIA website for experienced installers.

I think a few Ethernet cables will fit in there just fine. The custom installer that you find on the CEDIA website will take care of it, no problem.

If you're interested in turning it into a big drawn-out project, then DIY. If not, pick up the phone tomorrow.

modw220, keep it simple. Pull the four runs of ethernet to a central point. That means that if you have CATV & telephone all where the breaker panel is, that means pull your ethernet there also.

I have both my telephone & catv coming in where my breaker panel is, and have a 3 foot A/V rack that I have two shelves attached to, and a patch panel. All of my drops are to the patch panel, and on a shelf near the patch panel on the rack, sits my RG for ATT U-Verse & the Netgear GS-108 switch.

If all it is is four drops period, get a Single gang box, that you can place a six Keystone wall plate on to, and that way you can use the keystones as your "patch" panel. Put in two "blanks" that there are not the two keystone jacks. From the "Patch Panel", then you can run patch cords to a switch, or use the patch panel if you are going to use HDMI over ethernet.

I tend to pull everything to a central point. Only time that I would place a switch up on another floor, is if I wanted to not pull very long runs down to the main panel, so that everything is kept simple. That would mean if it is two or three floors, you would have a switch on each floor, then from there a run of ethernet would be from that floor to the main switch that has no other feeds attached to it. Now of course the catch is, you would be using "smart" switches for all of this, not "dumb" switches which are typical in the majority of home installs.

For yours, use a single dumb switch, and pull everything to a central point.

Learn how to terminate Ethernet cables. It's easy, with keystone wall plates and female connectors.

Skip the pre-made cables.

In the 'home run' location / wiring closet, punch down to a patch panel. There, use pre-made patch cables to connect to the switch.

Don't' worry about it and just use standard CAT5E cable.

1) Wood would have been useless as an electrical shield in the first place.

2) Ethernet is pretty much immune to interference from power cables. It's rather high frequency and electrically balanced transmission.

3) The NEC doesn't like low voltage cables run directly with power cables for safety reasons but in a retrofit job it's OK.

4) Shielded CAT cable can cause other issues due to the higher capacitance and if the shield is not terminated properly, it does nothing anyway.

IIRC, you can't use the monoprice cat6 keystones in the 6-hole plate. Fitment issue.

I think Leviton connectors and keystone plate work, though, for the 6.

Can't guarantee it, though.

If you use Leviton from Home Depot, easy returns.

I posted one some time before. I have a pic over at diychatroom.com You should be able to see the picture without signing up. http://www.diychatroom.com/f11/my-ne...set-up-117707/ Don't ask where I got the rack from. It has been about twelve years since I got it off of ebay. It is a 3 foot a/v rack that is made out of steel. I have two shelves in it. A deeper one at the bottom that has become a catch all, due to I no longer run a server for testing websites & databases on my network.

As for punching down, it is really easy to do with the keystones. Just get the ones from Lowe's or Home Depot. The wiring is all cat-5e with my network, and as for the two different colored patch cords. The white ones are for the three U-Verse set tops, the red is for computer & media. All media goes to the switch, which is a Netgear GS-108.

Believe it or not, I started with a rack mounted 10/100 switch and only four drops, and when we moved into this place, it has evolved into 9 drops, and everything else is WiFi. I can get at least 100 feet from my house before the WiFi drops, so I do not worry about the Uverse RG being in the basement.

Here is where I got mine: http://skeletek.com/index2.html

Lots of pics, and additional help, at cocoontech forums. Very helpful group.

Without knowing anyone in your area your best bet is probably Angie's List. You might also put the word out at your work that you are looking for some basic network retrofit work to be done in your home and would be willing to compensate someone for their time. Many guys in computer oriented jobs have had to wrangle a network in their time (like myself) and end up with sufficient skills to do a basic network installation.

A basic 4 network drop installation isn't in any way "complex" from a technical standpoint, it's being creative with pulling the wiring through walls and crawlspaces that eats up your time.

As far as pictures of installations, when I bought my 1979-vintage home 4 years ago I went slightly overboard pulling a wired network but I regret nothing! Having the option to plug in anywhere in the house (and the garage) and have access to a Gigabit network without Wi-Fi headaches was very much worth the 5 weekends spent in the attic.

Everything on my network is pulled back to central patch panels and then cross-connected to a Gigabit switch.




Behind the plasma


HT Equipment Closet

KingLeerUK, have you noticed that someone stole all of your patch cords.

Nah, that's the only drop he ever uses. The rest is wifi.

J/K, I have probably 40 runs of cat6 retrofitted myself, about 12 of which are run to a switch for Ethernet.

Yes, but I made them pay.

Dearly.

The original picture was taken during initial installation, this is what it looks like in use.

Yeah... I have far too much stuff networked for a house.