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Who is responsible for getting my Cat5 to work in my new pre-con?

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  • Dec 12th, 2020 9:42 am
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Dec 8th, 2020 12:58 pm
Disciplinz [OP]
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Jan 12, 2008
457 posts
270 upvotes

Dec 8th, 2020 12:58 pm

Who is responsible for getting my Cat5 to work in my new pre-con?

So I recently closed on a pre-construction house with Mattmy Homes. I paid Mattamy to install CAT5 cables in every room. The end of all the CAT5 cable all leads into my garage where my fuse box is. For some reason they are not plug into anything. They didn't even stripped the wire to put a head on it.

I had a Rogers technician come by last week to have the modem hook up and they set up the modem in my living room.

I called Mattamy and they said the Rogers technician is suppose to hook up the CAT5 to the modem. Modem will probably need to be relocated to the garage.

I call Rogers and they said the builder needs to splice the wire and put a head on it and also install a ethernet panel.

Who is suppose to do what?
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42 replies
Dec 8th, 2020 1:09 pm
smileswithadimple
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Nov 24, 2007
291 posts
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Toronto

Dec 8th, 2020 1:09 pm

Look at your docs from builder, most likely, builder is responsible for rough-in only which is what they have done. Onus is on you to either pay Rogers to do it, or do it yourself.
It’s not too expensive or hard at all to do it yourself. Look up YouTube videos on how to wire Ethernet connectors (cat5e or cat6) and/or keystone jack. Your hardest part is probably figuring out which wire goes to which box/location.

Good luck!
Dec 8th, 2020 1:38 pm
mrweather
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Aug 29, 2011
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Mississauga

Dec 8th, 2020 1:38 pm

Hopefully it was at least Cat5e and not Cat5...
+2
Dec 8th, 2020 1:45 pm
gfnstew
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Apr 17, 2016
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Dec 8th, 2020 1:45 pm

You can purchase a kit from prime cables (or I'm sure amazon as well) that has all the tools and connectors you need, for approx $20. I did so, and terminated about 14 cat6 cables in my house. The first few took some time to figure out, but it went quickly after that.

I also bought a network switch and connected all cables and modem to the switch.
Dec 8th, 2020 1:49 pm
chimaican
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Oct 23, 2008
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Dec 8th, 2020 1:49 pm

Why would the modem be needed to be located in the garage? Once the cables are properly jacked, just use a switch in the garage.
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Dec 8th, 2020 1:58 pm
golden
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Jan 15, 2004
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Dec 8th, 2020 1:58 pm

In my last house, the builder (Arista) did all the work including the plate on the the wall. I'm surprised that your builder left a cable hanging without finishing the work.
Dec 8th, 2020 2:27 pm
JEDI Force
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Feb 25, 2004
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Longueuil

Dec 8th, 2020 2:27 pm

I don't think the Rogers technician will terminate your cables. I also purchased some basic tools from Monoprice in 2012 and terminated all cat6 cables that I installed in my house at that time. It is not really difficult. The keystone ones are really easy, if you terminate with an RJ45 connector it is more of a challenge but you can do it (you just need to get used to it, I had never done it before).

I don't understand however why they would install cat5e instead of cat6. When I did it in 2012 the price difference was really small (and I was not buying in bulk like builders). On top of that, what is expensive is the labor, not the cable itself so it seems like a really bad idea to use cat5 instead of cat6 to save a few pennies.
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+1
Dec 8th, 2020 3:16 pm
torontotim
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Nov 17, 2012
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Dec 8th, 2020 3:16 pm

I installed Cat5e in my house many moons (15 years?) ago and can get gigabit connection over it, but the one most important cable run to my desk is failing and capping at 100mbps sadly. So I stick with the 400-500mbps I get over wifi and connect with ethernet if I need to transfer massive amounts of data.

I've tried redoing the jacks 10 times, but no luck - must have gotten damaged when I installed it or since then somewhere in the wall. I suppose with the right tools I might be able to diagnose it but chances are slim at fixing it.

But yeah, your demarcation point from your service provider should be able to be anywhere you have one of those ethernet runs.

Put their modem there, patch that line to another line in the garage and put your wi-fi router in the room that line serves unless like me you're using the wifi built into your carrier's modem (Bell for me - I've tried many routers and none have improved the signal).

With all the advances in wi-fi, I'm not sure I'd bother spending $1 on ethernet cables in 2020 frankly.
Dec 8th, 2020 3:33 pm
mrweather
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Dec 8th, 2020 3:33 pm

Ethernet will always give a more stable, more secure and faster connection. That's why everything in my home that isn't a mobile device is connected via ethernet.
+3
Dec 8th, 2020 4:58 pm
timofeewho
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Nov 13, 2019
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Dec 8th, 2020 4:58 pm

torontotim wrote: ↑ I installed Cat5e in my house many moons (15 years?) ago and can get gigabit connection over it, but the one most important cable run to my desk is failing and capping at 100mbps sadly. So I stick with the 400-500mbps I get over wifi and connect with ethernet if I need to transfer massive amounts of data.

I've tried redoing the jacks 10 times, but no luck - must have gotten damaged when I installed it or since then somewhere in the wall. I suppose with the right tools I might be able to diagnose it but chances are slim at fixing it.

But yeah, your demarcation point from your service provider should be able to be anywhere you have one of those ethernet runs.

Put their modem there, patch that line to another line in the garage and put your wi-fi router in the room that line serves unless like me you're using the wifi built into your carrier's modem (Bell for me - I've tried many routers and none have improved the signal).

With all the advances in wi-fi, I'm not sure I'd bother spending $1 on ethernet cables in 2020 frankly.
While I can't argue with the convenience and advancement of wifi. I'd take 100mbps wired over 4-500mbps wifi any day

You must be sitting next to your modem to be getting those speeds I bet. It's nice to have these jacks too, to set up access points in places where wifi is crappy
Dec 8th, 2020 5:39 pm
Kursor17
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Oakville

Dec 8th, 2020 5:39 pm

You would have signed an agreement with Mattamy and/or directly with their low voltage wiring sub-contractor. Review this agreement and see if they had stated the wires would not to be terminated with RJ45 connectors at the central location (e.g. your garage).
Which sub-contracting company did Mattamy hire to do your wiring (CAT5e)? How much did you pay per CAT5e?
+1
Dec 8th, 2020 8:24 pm
StatsGuy
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Dec 8th, 2020 8:24 pm

timofeewho wrote: ↑ While I can't argue with the convenience and advancement of wifi. I'd take 100mbps wired over 4-500mbps wifi any day

You must be sitting next to your modem to be getting those speeds I bet. It's nice to have these jacks too, to set up access points in places where wifi is crappy
I can get 300Mbps+ anywhere in the house even with a mesh system , no need to be beside router. 5ghz wifi is fine and I get it all throughout the house and out to garage and backyard
Dec 8th, 2020 11:06 pm
exrcoupe
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Dec 8th, 2020 11:06 pm

When I bought my Aspen Ridge home in 1999, they already ran Cat5e as the "phone" cabling in the house, so all I had to do was to terminate the cables in each room and put in a switch where it all ran to next to the fuse panel.

Why would they run all the internal cable to the garage? Was the only cable option to use Cat5? I don't understand why they wouldn't at minimum use Cat5e, or else even offer Cat6/6a as an option?

Double check your sale agreement fine print to ensure that what you paid for is done. If you only paid for them to run the cables, it's understandable that they're not terminated. Termination and testing is a whole other ball of wax that the builder electricians probably didn't want to do.

As for Rogers, they won't do much, all they'll be responsible for is to run it to the demarcation point where the cable terminates in the house.

There are so many instructions online on how to terminate cable: https://www.instructables.com/Terminati ... AT6-Cable/

I always prefer wired over wireless if I have an option. Gigabit > wifi
Dec 8th, 2020 11:40 pm
Kevin711
Sr. Member
Jan 7, 2006
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Toronto

Dec 8th, 2020 11:40 pm

I'm pretty sure they didn't run cat5, cat5 was superseded by cat5e around 2002. A high volume cabling/electrical contractor would not have any old cat5 stock, but if you hired some old guy off Kijiji who has a garage full of cable he stole from work 20 years ago, then maybe its cat5 but this isn't the case here.

But regardless, I wired my parent's place with cat5 in 1997 or so, rather cutting edge for home use at the time rather then running coax for 10base2. It handles gigabit just fine, no errors at all, longest run is around 60 ft with the worst crimp job possible done by teenager me at the time.
Dec 9th, 2020 12:17 am
exrcoupe
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Apr 26, 2003
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Dec 9th, 2020 12:17 am

Kevin711 wrote: ↑ I'm pretty sure they didn't run cat5, cat5 was superseded by cat5e around 2002. A high volume cabling/electrical contractor would not have any old cat5 stock, but if you hired some old guy off Kijiji who has a garage full of cable he stole from work 20 years ago, then maybe its cat5 but this isn't the case here.

But regardless, I wired my parent's place with cat5 in 1997 or so, rather cutting edge for home use at the time rather then running coax for 10base2. It handles gigabit just fine, no errors at all, longest run is around 60 ft with the worst crimp job possible done by teenager me at the time.
That's what I was thinking but you never know with builders. Easiest way to know is to simply look at the printing on the cables.
Dec 9th, 2020 12:26 am
Gee
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Aug 2, 2004
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East Gwillimbury

Dec 9th, 2020 12:26 am

torontotim wrote: ↑ I've tried redoing the jacks 10 times, but no luck - must have gotten damaged when I installed it or since then somewhere in the wall. I suppose with the right tools I might be able to diagnose it but chances are slim at fixing it.
Have you checked the other end of that CAT5 jack? The one that terminates into your patch panel or switch?
Disciplinz wrote: ↑ Who is suppose to do what?
You’re suppose to terminate it. I don’t know of any builder that hires a contractor to do this. It makes sense to me. they don’t know if you want to terminate to a patch panel or what system you plan to use. Keystone jacks are garbage and prone to data leakage. Go with a good system like Panduit or Belden.

Take @chimaican advice, terminate the ends in your garage and plug all the cables into a switch, you can leave the Rogers modem in the house. I suggest you get a PoE switch and an access point for the second floor

If the builder terminated the cables in the house, check if they are using 568A or 568B and terminate accordingly in the garage
Dec 9th, 2020 12:54 am
EPcjay
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Nov 11, 2008
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Dec 9th, 2020 12:54 am

My friend recently closed last year with Averton. They put the wall plates and the keystones, however the garage side is not terminated.
Dec 9th, 2020 1:38 am
Jerico
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Jan 25, 2007
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Paris

Dec 9th, 2020 1:38 am

My parents closed in 2002. Builder terminated nothing for wires on either end, and I ended up doing it. Coax, phones lines, nothing. All run, no termination either end.
Dec 9th, 2020 9:28 am
torontotim
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Nov 17, 2012
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Toronto

Dec 9th, 2020 9:28 am

Gee wrote: ↑ Have you checked the other end of that CAT5 jack? The one that terminates into your patch panel or switch?
Oh yeah, re-did that a couple of times too. I replaced the male end with a female as well and then connected it with a tested patch cord to the router with the same result. Cut a couple of inches off each end of the cable as well to eliminate any issues with breaks near the jacks too.

I assume there's some sort of tester that would confirm continuity on each of the strands, but I don't have anything like that and frankly it's not that big of a deal. I just have a convenient jack behind my desk and a USB-C gigabit ethernet adapter (tested, works on other jacks) but can't make use of it. I'm 10 feet from the router so my signal is never a problem but would still be nice to be wired.

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