Newbie with the most basic installation set-up questions

Z

zz28zz

n3wb
May 5, 2025
4
2
Austin
Hey everybody. Name here is John.

I'm preparing to install my first security camera sys. Have a 16ch NVR on the way and trying to imagine how I'm going to bring 16 cables thru the interior wall in my media room and make it look right.

Wondering if I can install a PoE switch in the attic and just run 1 cable down thru the interior wall. Attic gets pretty hot and A/C power isn't near-by.

Thx!
 
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Some ideas to consider.

1) Many POE switches have either a brick or a power wart for power. Consider cutting the output wire (48 VDC line) and adding an extension of the proper gauge wire to handle the load. Thus the 110 VAC input part of the system can be kept out of the attic.

Have used this system for running CAT-5 to power remote POE switches located under the eaves. Generally use CAT-5 by combining the brown/orange pairs for the plus side and the blue/green pairs for the negative side. Another option is to use a single 18 gauge pair for the 48 VDC line to the remote POE switch.

2) Commercial electronics usually have a maximum 70 C temperature operating limit. It is best to keep any unit well below the max for longer device life.

The cover could be removed for extra ventilation plus adding a muffin fan is another option. These fans are available in 48 VDC from a number of sources and could be run from the same line that powers the POE switch. Fan power requirements are in the 3 to 7 watt range depending on fan choice.

If the POE switch is a directly connected 110 VAC unit then the above suggestions will not be applicable.
 
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Thx guys. My main concern is, that part of the attic isn't really accessible by me. I'm getting a bit old for that type of activity. I was planning on hiring someone to run the cables so if the muffin fan or switch failed, it would be a pain to replace them. Attic temp is still a concern. Pretty sure it hits 60C (140F), maybe more in the hottest parts of summer.

Is there a way to run 16 cables into the media room and have it look decent? I've seen where a ~1 inch wire loom was attached to a wall plate in a video. Suppose another option would be a plate in the wall that has 16 network ports. Not sure how important it is for network cables to not have extra connections. I'm estimating that some of the cable runs will be close to 200ft.
 
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zz28zz said:
Thx guys. My main concern is, that part of the attic isn't really accessible by me. I'm getting a bit old for that type of activity. I was planning on hiring someone to run the cables so if the muffin fan or switch failed, it would be a pain to replace them. Attic temp is still a concern. Pretty sure it hits 60C (140F), maybe more in the hottest parts of summer.

Is there a way to run 16 cables into the media room and have it look decent? I've seen where a ~1 inch wire loom was attached to a wall plate in a video. Suppose another option would be a plate in the wall that has 16 network ports. Not sure how important it is for network cables to not have extra connections. I'm estimating that some of the cable runs will be close to 200ft.
Click to expand...

I prefer to have a patch panel in a basement or closet for a small data center or networking closet.
 
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I have easy attic access in the main hallway where the A/C units are and in the garage. Distance from my media room to the 2 attic access points areas are abt the same distance (~125ft). The garage is un-insulated so the attic may be slightly cooler above the garage? Thinking of trying a cheaper PoE switch (with a fan?) above the garage and if it dies after a year or 2, just replace it. The attic above the garage also has 120V avail. I'm liking this idea more and more.

Need to get some ethernet cabling ordered ASAP. Any suggestions on brand/type? Should I use Cat5 to cameras and Cat6 between switch and NVR or does it matter?
 
Glad you found a solution.

Cat-5e is fine for the POE cameras. Most only use about 10 megs per camera so it would take a lot of cameras to exceed the bandwidth of Cat-5e. Some like to future proof with Cat-6, but the choice is yours.

Make sure that whatever you purchase is pure copper. NO CCA!!!!

For my setup with 29 Dahua cameras the bandwidth from the switch to Blue Iris is 324 Mpbs.

When running cable it is advisable to use run some extra runs for future needs and as spares in case something goes wrong.
 
Lots of great replies! I really appreciate the help.

The ethernet cabling is something I really don't want to do again so I'm willing to splurge on that a bit. Found some Belden Cat6 UTP Plunum-type cable that looks promising, but not cheap at all at 35 cents/ft. May need more than 1000 ft?? I love Belden cables in general, but is this overkill or future-proofing? What ever I go with, I know to leave a lot of extra in case I want to move a camera or repair a cable end.

With my internet, I have a modem that connects to a wifi router with 3 ethernet ports. Using 2 already, (TV and Xbox) only 1 open port left. NVR only has one LAN port. Does this mean I need to run 2 cables from the media room to the switch in the attic (1 from router and 1 from NVR) OR can I use another splitter to put the TV and Xbox onto one router port and then connect the switch and NVR to the router?

At some point , when I'm at home, I'd like to be able to get push notifications to my phone from NVR without the cameras connected to the net. while still having internet to the TV's / wifi thermostats, etc.. . At the same time, I want to be able to easily switch so cameras can be monitored remotely when I'm away. Still scratching my head over that one..
 
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True Cable out of Kansas City is another option for cable. Good call on Belden and it is a great cable, but costly.

Plenum is not needed unless the cable run is part of a ceiling or other space that is being used as part of your air return or supply system. What is generally required is riser if going between floors, etc.

Here use Blue Iris with a 24 port POE switch. The Window's computer runs two NIC's. One for the local LAN and the other on a different subnet for the cameras. That way the cameras have no internet access. Plus some go an additional step of also restricting internet access on the BI computer LAN to stop all MS Window's updates.

Then for camera access, on a tablet or cell, many use TailScale to view their feeds from any world wide location. With an NVR other options are available.
 
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