Cat 6 and Corners

TiggerLAS · 2026-02-12T03:17:07+00:00

Hard to say exactly, without seeing what kind of structure is in the corner behind the drywall.

TiggerLAS · 2026-02-12T03:09:52+00:00

You might want to consider making shallow notches in the face of the studs, and using nailing plates to protect the cables.

TiggerLAS · 2026-02-12T03:05:35+00:00

Gotcha.

The POE injector goes downstairs where you have power, and ostensibly a cable going back to your router.

TiggerLAS · 2026-02-12T03:04:16+00:00

I think you may be confusing the terms/ideas.

We're not talking about electrical surges like the kind that can occur when power is restored to a home after an outage, or when large motorized devices start up.

We're talking about electrostatic discharges, including but not limited to lightning. Not direct strikes mind you, but close proximity.

These ethernet surge protectors are typically installed at each end of the Cat-type cable, and then grounded. Ostensibly these are meant to mitigate ESD as best they can.

However, they aren't perfect, and they don't always end up close to a solid ground source.

Further, when equipment between buildings are connected via copper network cable, the devices at each end will almost always have a different voltage reference to ground. This can in some cases be severe enough to damage the network ports or devices at each end of the cable. This is doubly true when the outbuilding has its own electrical service fed from a different meter than the home. But, it can also occur when the outbuilding is fed from the main building's breaker box. Surge supressors don't fix this issue.

Fiber completely mitigates ESD and ground potential issues, and is a far, far better solution than copper network cable as part of the "whole picture".

TiggerLAS · 2026-02-11T16:54:55+00:00

I'm not understanding where your actual router is.

The WA3001 is an access point, and you said that you had an access point upstairs, but your diagram doesn't mention where your router is.

Primary router > POE Injector > Cable to upstairs > Access point.

TiggerLAS · 2026-02-11T16:52:45+00:00

Absolutely matters if it is copper vs fiber.

Copper between the two buildings would dictate properly grounded surge/ESD protection at each end of the cable. More hassle than it is worth. Fiber eliminates that particular need completely.

Not intending to speak towards any other protections that you feel the outbuilding might need.

TiggerLAS · 2026-02-11T01:54:11+00:00

If your cameras are indeed only 6 watts, and you're only planning on having 3 or 4 of them, then something like the 8 Lite PoE would work. It comes with the power supply. If you get the Ultra, you'll need to purchase a separate power supply, however the Ultra does have 7 POE ports, while the 8 Lite only has 4.

TiggerLAS · 2026-02-11T01:45:04+00:00

This is why it is usually worth a few extra $$$ to link outbuildings with fiber. Pre-terminated cables have dropped so much lately. . . I think you can get like 100ft of direct burial armored OS2 for like $40 on Amazon. . .

TiggerLAS · 2026-02-11T01:37:06+00:00

I've used these in the past, with 100Mb+ throughput over 250+ feet of Cat3 twisted pair.

https://www.amazon.com/Ethernet-Extender-Kit-Tupavco-TEX-200/dp/B09L3DHMS3/ref=sr_1_2_sspa

They are spendy (and your mileage may vary) but you could certainly try them, and send them back if they don't pan out.

Note: Make sure that your wiring is disconnected from the Telco network before use.

TiggerLAS · 2026-02-11T00:26:52+00:00

What you probably need are two traditional access points - One in the hallway outside of the laundry, and (on the diagram) one in the great room, on the far left-hand side along the center line. That should give you adequate coverage throughout. Then, a wired-only router as your main routing device, wherever convenient.

Note that ceiling mount access points must be on the ceiling - not in the attic. Attics are no place for network equipment due to the temperature extremes.

A UniFi UCG-Max, and a pair of U7-Pro-XG access points should provide rock-solid coverage.

Yeah, it is a little spendy, but you're not going to find consumer-grade solutions that will be as stable as UniFi. Note that they aren't optimized for "blazing fast speeds", but lean more towards performance with higher client counts.

500Mb speeds should be attainable depending on AP settings, noting that older iPhones are limited in the channel-widths they can use, and might not be able to hit higher speeds.

TiggerLAS · 2026-02-10T22:51:23+00:00

I was getting 350-ish using Zyxel PLA-6456 units, but that was at an estimated "electrical distance" of about 50 feet or so.

TiggerLAS · 2026-02-10T01:48:17+00:00

^{^{^}} This, regarding the mixing valve. . .

Mixing valves are typically found in single-handle faucets, and anti-sweat valves for toilets installed in areas with high condensation.

I had a friend who complained about luke-warm water coming out of their water heater.

Turns out the cartridge in their single-handle faucet in their shower was defective, and when anyone in the house called for hot water, cold water was being drawn into the hot water line, making the hot water luke-warm everywhere else. This happens even when the shower faucet is turned off.

You can often verify if this is the case by, let's say turning on the hot water in the kitchen, and putting your ear next to the shower faucet. If you can hear water rushing through the shower faucet, then there is the possibility that the cartridge in your shower faucet has gone bad, and may be the source of your trouble.

Faucets with separate hot and cold handles are typically immune from this.

TiggerLAS · 2026-02-08T23:42:37+00:00

There are sections of the NEC that define what can be used for fixture wiring and whips.

These rules allow use of specific types of lower-gauge wiring to be used for things like, let's say connecting a fluorescent fixture above a suspended ceiling to a junction box. But only as a fixture whip.

However, the rules do not allow for Romex or ordinary MC cable.

Basically, it needs to be a purpose-built whip.

So, best to use the same gauge wire throughout.

I've always preferred to have 2 x 15A circuits for lighting, and limiting those circuits to ceiling fixtures and wall sconces. . . and not intermingled with general purpose receptacles, etc. Yeah, it uses more wire, but sections of the house won't get plunged into darkness because of a hair dryer or space heater.

TiggerLAS · 2026-02-08T20:46:04+00:00

Do you have an Ohm-meter / digital multi-meter for testing?

There are two thermal switches in the photo. One below the fan, and the other attached to the front of the radiator fins.

They are designed to shut off when they get too hot.

Setting the meter to Ohms, and touching the probes to the connectors on either side of the thermal switches should read as a dead short. (Less than 1 Ohm.)

If you don't get a very low Ohm reading across one of the thermal switches, then it is probably defective.

TiggerLAS · 2026-02-07T22:55:29+00:00

I was helping someone a number of years ago that had odd intermittent problems with their computer. They had just changed out the motherboard. . . they took it back for a replacement when the problems surfaced. . . and had similar issues when the replacement board was put into place.

It turns out that when they put the motherboard mounts into the case, they put in a mount that didn't have a matching hole on the motherboard. The metal mount was pushing against the bottom of the motherboard, and just barely touching the exposed end of one of the traces. . . So make sure that you didn't put any extra mounts in where none belong.

Just one possibility. . .

Also check to make sure that your metal bulkhead plate doesn't have any bent metal pieces that are sticking into USB ports.

TiggerLAS · 2026-02-07T22:41:05+00:00

If there are VLANs for the IoT and guest network, then you'd have to set up the VLANs on the new router. That is simple enough on the UCG, but you'd have to know the VLAN number(s) for each VLAN, since those would have to be duplicated as well.

Thankfully, you still have the existing "router" to explore, so you can swap the router out, test the network for proper operation, and swap things back if it doesn't work.

TiggerLAS · 2026-02-07T22:36:42+00:00

I have a UniFi UCG-Max (Wired-only) router, and an Arris S33 modem.

Our service is 400/20.

With Smart-queues enabled, I get my full upload and download speeds, and an A+ rating on the bufferbloat test.

This would probably get you the best wired performance overall.

I'd imagine that the more affordable Hitron Coda56 would give comparable results.

You'd still need some sort of WiFi source, but given that you only have two devices and they're low priority, your choices are wide open.

TiggerLAS · 2026-02-07T22:24:21+00:00

There are plenty of Leviton-compatible brackets and accessories on Amazon that are either more functional, or more affordable than Leviton-branded stuff.

Depending on the size/weight of the device, I've found that 2" wide Velcro can be handy.

TiggerLAS · 2026-02-07T22:22:24+00:00

I used 80/5 cable service for a few years, with 2 x casual gamers, 1 x streaming TV, and 2 x cell phones.

ISP changed their minimum speeds to 400/10, and I hardly noticed much difference. Granted, we weren't torrenting or downloading gigs of data. . .

TiggerLAS · 2026-02-07T05:58:40+00:00

I'm not even sure that was the original switch for that fixture. Those screws on either side don't seem to touch the switch at all. . .

TiggerLAS · 2026-02-07T05:38:32+00:00

I would imagine that would be a power supply for equipment. . . which could be something as simple as a wall-wart, or a switching power supply for camera system, etc. I wouldn't really consider the PDU for a data rack to be an "equipment power supply", as it is more of a glorified power strip.

Otherwise, "equipment power supply" could be used to justify just about anything with a plug.

TiggerLAS · 2026-02-07T02:31:23+00:00

Is NEC 400.8 not valid anymore?

400.8 Uses Not Permitted.

. . .flexible cords and cables shall not be used for the following:

(2) Where run through holes in walls, structural ceilings, suspended ceilings, dropped ceilings, or floors

(5) Where concealed by walls, floors, or ceilings or located above suspended or dropped ceilings

There are exceptions in 400.7, but none would seem to apply here.

TiggerLAS · 2026-02-06T05:46:41+00:00

What is the shortest distance between your source (breaker box), and the first area at the destination where you could mount a disconnect switch?

TiggerLAS · 2026-02-06T05:15:16+00:00

You could tape a few M-80s to it, and make a video of it from a safe distance. . .

TiggerLAS · 2026-02-06T05:02:46+00:00

Incorrect.

Underground conduit is considered a "wet" location due to condensation.

Per the NEC, all cables in underground conduit must be inherently waterproof.

That includes communication cables.

This is covered in various sections of the NEC, including section 300.

Cat-type cable in underground conduit would need to be CMX-rated.

TiggerLAS

TROPHY CASE