Adding 10 Gigabit Ethernet to my 129-Year-Old House!

Problem / Goal

• The house has almost no existing structured networking (only two telephone jacks, no Ethernet throughout).
• Quinn wants to retrofit a 120+ year old home with wired Ethernet to many rooms for better reliability and performance than relying on a single cable router or Wi‑Fi mesh.

High-Level Network Design

• Bring gigabit fiber internet into the home.
• Convert fiber to RJ45 Ethernet (copper) at the fiber termination.
• Use a Ubiquiti Dream Machine Pro as the gateway/router.
• Deploy multiple wired, modern wireless access points (better coverage than a single router/base with repeaters).
• Plan for a future 10Gb-capable wired LAN, with dedicated links from wall ports back to the switch/network.

Planning Guidance (Pre-Work)

• Emphasizes “step zero” planning:
  • Map cable routes
  • Identify wall types
  • Check crawlspace/attic access
  • Place cable drops and access points to avoid rework
• Notes that older-home complexity can quickly lead to frustration without careful planning.

Cabling Retrofit Approaches (How-to Content)

1. Reuse existing cable drops

   • Use telephone or coax runs where available.
   • Pull new Ethernet by tying into the old cable run in attic/crawl spaces.

2. Route along the outside of the house

   • Drill/punch through foundation or use attic spaces.
   • Emphasizes sealing penetrations and presents this as less disruptive.

3. Run through interior walls

   • Easier with drywall.
   • Harder with lath & plaster due to rigidity, nails, and snags.
   • The video specifically demonstrates this approach.

Sponsor / Product Feature Callout (VPN)

• Private Internet Access (PIA) is mentioned as VPN background, including:
  • No logging
  • Many supported apps
  • Up to 10 simultaneous connections
  • Region-unlocked content
  • ~20,000 servers in 70 countries
  • Payment options including Bitcoin
  • 30-day guarantee
• This is not directly part of the Ethernet retrofit, but it’s highlighted as a notable feature segment.

Equipment Recommendations / Choices

• Avoids ISP combo gear
  • The speaker argues modem+router+Wi‑Fi units generally don’t perform those roles optimally.

Gateway / Router

• Ubiquiti Dream Machine Pro
  • Positioned as high-performance and “small-business-class”
  • Rack-mount capable

Access Points (Ubiquiti)

• Uses wired-in Ubiquiti access points:
  • In-wall HD (flush/in-wall)
  • Nano HD (more “AP-like” form)
• Reasoning:
  • Wired APs provide better Wi‑Fi than mesh repeaters because they don’t repeat the signal.

Access Point Planning Tool (Design Center)

• Uses Ubiquiti Design Center:
  • Uploads a floor plan to simulate AP placement and expected coverage.

If there’s no existing floor plan:

• Magicplan (AR/LiDAR-based measurement) to generate one
• Optionally pair with a laser range finder
  • Quinn used a Bosch range finder

Wall material considerations:

• Inputs thick walls (e.g., brick/concrete) vs interior walls
• Marks window locations

Final placement outcome:

• Chooses two In-wall HDs + two Nano HDs
• Emphasizes 5GHz
• Avoids over-deployment to prevent worse handoff/Wi‑Fi performance.

Cabling Guide (Core Technical Tutorial)

Cable Type

• Chooses Cat6 (not Cat5e, not Cat6a/cat7)
  • Cat5e / Cat5: reliable for gigabit, but avoided for future 10Gb goals.
  • Cat6: widely available and easier to terminate/crimp.
    • Rated for 10Gb at shorter runs (notably under 55 meters), which is typical for many homes.
  • Cat6a / Cat7: better shielding but harder to work with (bulkier jacket, tougher termination).
    • Expects little real home advantage vs Cat6.

Fire / Safety Jacket Ratings

• CMR: indoor
• CMP: plenum
• CMX: outdoor/heavy use
• Uses CMX for exterior camera/outside runs, while keeping the rest Cat6 indoors.

Cable Routing Tips (Installation Steps)

• Demonstrates “fishing cable” through walls:

  • Uses an auger drill bit to drill through subfloor while drilling straight down
  • Uses a strong non-stretch pulling line to draw Ethernet cable through after drilling

• Demonstrates cable organization:

  • Uses a rated cable stapler
  • Stresses avoiding pinched/kinked Ethernet, since physical damage can affect 10Gb performance.

Wall Box and Termination Approach

• Uses “old work low-voltage boxes”
  • Easier because they have cavities suited to low-voltage wiring (Ethernet/coax).

Drywall vs Lath & Plaster

• Stud finding differs:
  • Drywall: stud finder
  • Lath & plaster: magnetic stud finder or neodymium magnet to detect nail locations

Termination Tutorial: RJ45 vs Keystone

• Two end types shown:

  1. RJ45 connectors on cable ends
     • Fewer cabling runs
     • Requires high termination precision
  2. Keystone jacks (flush wall ports)
     • Requires more cable
     • Adds modularity and clean patch-cable style

• Quinn’s choice:

  • Uses keystones for flush wall ports.

Termination Workflow (Hands-On Tech)

Tools

• For RJ45: crimper
• For keystones: punch-down tool
  • Prefers modern 110-type punch downs
• Mentions Cat5e/Cat6 cable testers to verify pinout continuity and correctness.

Cable Preparation

• Strip jacket to expose 4 twisted pairs
• Uses the cable’s built-in spine/pole line as a stripping aid, then removes it so it won’t interfere
• Untwists pairs carefully (especially for Cat6) and arranges in the correct order

Wiring Standard Choice

• T568A vs T568B
• He says the order doesn’t matter as long as both ends match
• Notes T568B is most common

Punch-Down and Verification

• Inserts each color pair into the correct keystone contacts
• Uses punch-down tool with impact sensor/click
• Verifies with a cable tester to confirm the cable “passes,” ensuring correct pin mapping

Results / Outcome

• Reports improved speeds in most rooms after installation.
• Teases future work:
  • What he plans to do with the 10Gb LAN
  • How to isolate smart home gadgets (including unsupported ones) and manage them in HomeKit on a dedicated network segment.

Main Speakers / Sources

• Speaker: Quinn (Snazzy Labs)
• Products / references:
  • Ubiquiti: Dream Machine Pro, In-wall HD, Nano HD, Ubiquiti Design Center
  • Private Internet Access (PIA) (VPN sponsor)
  • Magicplan (floor plan generation)
  • Bosch laser range finder (used with Magicplan)