DIY Guide on Wiring Your Home Network Using Ethernet Cables

Author: Jennifer Truong

When it comes to getting an internet connection in the new house, a wifi connection is always preferred over wired networks. However, if you want to have a faster and more secure Internet access, a wired network is a better choice. For wiring the home network, you will need some good quality Ethernet cables. Here’s a little do-it-yourself guide on how to go about it.

Work out a plan

Don’t directly go about laying cables. We need to take a systematic approach here. Firstly, you need to target the room you are going to wire. The length of the room will help you to decide upon the length of Ethernet cable. Secondly, you need to work out the number of ports you need for the location. The wall plates available for the ports have 1, 2, 4 and 6 jack configurations. Thirdly, you need to decide the network speed. And last but not the least; you have to decide the path that your cable will take. If you have a multi-storeyed house, you can start from outside. In order to wire your house smoothly, you must draw a rough sketch of your house.

Purchase the required material

Now, it’s the time to order the materials you need. You can choose to order online instead of going personally and haggling with the retailers. In order to implement an internet cable you might need the following.

Fix the wall plates

Once you’ve figured out the location for fixing the wall plate, line it up and measure its size. Then you can draw outlines on the wall. It is a little complicated to punch a hole during this process. You can make use of stud finder to ensure that you do not hit the stud. Thereafter you can cut the hole and leave wall plates off.

Set the cable

In order to run your cable, you need to check the cable length for each run. Start running a cable to every room from the distribution room. Then gently pull the cable out and run another cable in the same way. Drill holes in the walls, pull the cable out and make sure that no cable remains inside the wall. Thereafter, give labels to the cables and take the measurement of cable length. Keep some extra cables for crimping and stripping.

Attach cables with jacks

The next task is to wire the cables. Strip off one inch of outer jacket from the cable and push wires into the keystone jack by matching the color code which is marked on it. Then, use the punch down tool to punch the cables to keystone jacks. Once the cables are connected, attach the jacks into wall plates. And last but not the least, mount the plate on the wall by fixing it with screws.

Check the network

After everything is fixed, it’s time to test the network with the help of network cable tester. If LEDs on the tester start flashing, it is an indication that the Ethernet plug is connected rightly. Connect the network if you feel everything is in its place.

Establishing a wired network for home is not that difficult. And we have simplified the wiring process for you. If you think the above procedure is too lengthy or complicated, you can always hire a professional to set up the internet connection for you.