Stupid Question

[JCuatro]

Hey guys,

So I'm new to this whole POE thing. I think I have a pretty decent grasp on what order things should be connected in and whatnot, but as far as the easiest way wire without drilling unnecessary holes, I am not sure.

The layout of my home is like this...roughly:


I was planning on sticking two poles (or even possibly placing on fence) up and mounting the cameras to capture the back of the house as well as the side of the fencing. And I was going to use two in the front and criss cross the angle of view.

To the questions...

1) I was planning on having to drill a hole at 4 different points (likely in the soffits on each corner of the home) and then route each cat 5 cable to the central location that I will have my POE switch, NVR, and router. I've heard that a POE switch is not a good idea in the attic, so is this the most reasonable way to do this or am I missing something?

2) I know I should review local electrical codes, but is there any other crazy safety precautions I should consider when running the cable through the attic? I significant portion will permanently remain in place there.

3) Any other installation advice you could provide would be great.


I have done a lot of research but there is little that caters to someone like me who has absolutely no clue about the basics. I appreciate any guidance or advice y'all can give.

 

[biggen]

1. Yeah dont put switches in attics. Keep them in the house. Your plan sounds great.

2. Use outdoor rated Cat5e/6 that is shielded and don’t run it in air ducts. I usually buy pre-terminated outdoor rated Cat 5e so I don't have to mess with crimping shielded connectors to shielded cable. If you go that route, buy more cable than you need for each run to give you extra slack.

Sounds like you have done quite a bit of research. Good on you.

 

[TonyR]

I've heard that a POE switch is not a good idea in the attic, so is this the most reasonable way to do this or am I missing something?

Assuming proper cable is used the POE switch or POE NVR can be over 300 feet from the cams...place the POE switch(es) near the NVR, ideally in a location that a human would be comfortable in. Heat is an electronic device's worst enemy.

.....is there any other crazy safety precautions I should consider when running the cable through the attic?

Insure the conductors of your CAT-5e or CAT-6 is solid (not stranded) copper, not CCA (Copper Clad Aluminum) and the cable jacket is rated at least CMR ("Riser") for use in walls, between floors and in attics and crawl spaces.

Any other installation advice you could provide would be great.

I suggest mounting the cams on the appropriate junctions boxes to protect the cam's pigtail from the elements. This also allows a smaller hole (3/8") for the cable to be drilled as opposed to a hole twice as large to accommodate the pigtail
Be sure to use dielectric grease on the RJ-45 and wrap the connector with self-vulcanizing tape to waterproof it, as discussed here.

 

[sebastiantombs]

Outdoor rated cable is fine outdoors but inside you should be using a plenum rated cable. Pre-terminated cable is nice, and saves needing a crimper and tester, but needs a significantly larger hole to be drilled to get the RJ45 through and the RJ45 can be damaged while pulling the cable. You should also use a fire rated calk for any holes that provide inside wall access. If you need one cable to each location, install at least two. Cameras and rabbits seem to multiply exponentially.

Depending on your soffets you may be able to remove a section, assuming it's vinyl or aluminum panel type, and not have to drill any holes at all. The cameras can be mounted to a piece of aluminum flat stock that spans the channels used to retain the soffett. There's a few threads, with photos, here on IPCT. Have a look around.

Above all, don't mount the cameras too high. Eight feet or less is the most desirable height to insure getting good facial shots.

Read the Cliff Notes in the Wiki in the blue bar at the top of the page. There's a lot of solid information in there to help you along with any installation.

 

[samplenhold]

the central location that I will have my POE switch, NVR, and router

Don't you already have a router? Where is it located? I live in the Houston area and putting electronics in the attic would not be good. They will over heat the first warm, sunny day here.

 

[sebastiantombs]

Just to clarify cable types. CMR, riser, will work inside walls and meet code. Plenum rated cable will also meet code in air handling areas, plenums, as well as inside walls which means it fits any situation you may encounter without having to change cable types. Plenum rated may be "overkill" but it is cheap insurance.

 

[DewMan]

Just to clarify cable types. CMR, riser, will work inside walls and meet code. Plenum rated cable will also meet code in air handling areas, plenums, as well as inside walls which means it fits any situation you may encounter without having to change cable types. Plenum rated may be "overkill" but it is cheap insurance.

Agreed. But you do unfortunately pay a price premium for plenum cable. The plenum cable I've dealt with is also noticeably stiffer which can be good or bad depending on the situation.

 

[DsineR]

I prefer working with plenum vs non-plenum cat cable. It is much easier to strip & terminate due to the jacket type.
As mentioned, it is a little more rigid then non-plenum - which it not a bad thing during installation.

 

[sebastiantombs]

If we were talking about tens of thousands of feet of cable the price difference can be significant, but in the case of a homeowner running, maybe 2000 feet or so, it really isn't that big a factor.

 

[JCuatro]

1. Yeah dont put switches in attics. Keep them in the house. Your plan sounds great.

2. Use outdoor rated Cat5e/6 that is shielded and don’t run it in air ducts. I usually buy pre-terminated outdoor rated Cat 5e so I don't have to mess with crimping shielded connectors to shielded cable. If you go that route, buy more cable than you need for each run to give you extra slack.

Sounds like you have done quite a bit of research. Good on you.

Thanks for the info. Any reason in particular why you prefer shielded? From what I see it helps with interference?

Assuming proper cable is used the POE switch or POE NVR can be over 300 feet from the cams...place the POE switch(es) near the NVR, ideally in a location that a human would be comfortable in. Heat is an electronic device's worst enemy.

Insure the conductors of your CAT-5e or CAT-6 is solid (not stranded) copper, not CCA (Copper Clad Aluminum) and the cable jacket is rated at least CMR ("Riser") for use in walls, between floors and in attics and crawl spaces.


I suggest mounting the cams on the appropriate junctions boxes to protect the cam's pigtail from the elements. This also allows a smaller hole (3/8") for the cable to be drilled as opposed to a hole twice as large to accommodate the pigtail
Be sure to use dielectric grease on the RJ-45 and wrap the connector with self-vulcanizing tape to waterproof it, as discussed here.

Thanks for the info! Would it be true to say that plenum rated jacketing is just as safe or safer than CMR? Most of the cable will travel in the attic so I was thinking I would likely just use all Plenum rated if so. Also, do you think there would be any need for any type of lightning protection for the small 20 ft run from the poles (2) to the attic?

Outdoor rated cable is fine outdoors but inside you should be using a plenum rated cable. Pre-terminated cable is nice, and saves needing a crimper and tester, but needs a significantly larger hole to be drilled to get the RJ45 through and the RJ45 can be damaged while pulling the cable. You should also use a fire rated calk for any holes that provide inside wall access. If you need one cable to each location, install at least two. Cameras and rabbits seem to multiply exponentially.

Depending on your soffets you may be able to remove a section, assuming it's vinyl or aluminum panel type, and not have to drill any holes at all. The cameras can be mounted to a piece of aluminum flat stock that spans the channels used to retain the soffett. There's a few threads, with photos, here on IPCT. Have a look around.

Above all, don't mount the cameras too high. Eight feet or less is the most desirable height to insure getting good facial shots.

Read the Cliff Notes in the Wiki in the blue bar at the top of the page. There's a lot of solid information in there to help you along with any installation.

I will likely terminate on my own, it doesn't look too terribly difficult. Is Plenum rated okay outside then? Thanks for the info on that. Just to be clear, when you say inside wall access we are talking about about a vertical wall, meaning holes in the ceiling would not apply?

Thanks all, this helps tons.

 

[TonyR]

Thanks for the info! Would it be true to say that plenum rated jacketing is just as safe or safer than CMR? Most of the cable will travel in the attic so I was thinking I would likely just use all Plenum rated if so. Also, do you think there would be any need for any type of lightning protection for the small 20 ft run from the poles (2) to the attic?

just replying to what was appears to be addressed to me from my earlier reply:

1) Yes. CMR would comply with all your indoor needs if you use as you stated; CMP would exceed it, as mentioned by @sebastiantombs and @DsineR above....your choice.
2) Lightning suppression in your geographic location is never a bad idea. Please note I did not say "protection" as that word can lend a false sense of security from ESD.

 

[sebastiantombs]

Out door cable runs require a cable rated with UV protection, specifically made to be used outdoors. Some are also gell filled for additional protection but that can be messy and hard to work with when terminating. When terminating your own cables be sure to use the 568B color code on both ends and invest in an inexpensive cable tester to insure continuity, at least, of every conductor.