We Should Have Hired Someone to do this…

Planning the Infrastructure [00:00]

• The team reviews a plan that calls for an excessive number of Cat 6A runs throughout the house.
• They decide to ignore parts of the original plan, opting to install only about half of the proposed drops to save time and effort.

  The people have spoken, and we will be cabling up the tech house with Cat 6A, whether it makes any sense or not.

Division of Labor [01:21]

• The team assigns roles, with one person navigating the crawl space while others manage terminations and cable organization.
• They discuss the importance of pulling multiple cables at once to reduce the number of trips required through the house.

  I'll be crawling around in the tight spaces. We'll cheer you on from down here. Okay. I'll catch you if you fall.

The Kitchen and Living Room Strategy [02:37]

• The team debates the necessity of Ethernet in the kitchen, eventually deciding to run lines to the island for future-proofing.
• They finalize placement for the main TV and security cameras, prioritizing functionality over the original, denser plan.

  I imagine for the camera, it would be on the side of the house, looking down where someone would enter.

Bedroom Connectivity [04:41]

• The team questions the need for Ethernet in bedrooms, ultimately deciding to run lines only to areas where a desk or TV might realistically be placed.
• They discuss the benefits of having redundant cables coiled up in the wall in case of future failure.

  Truly, a plan made by the person who will not have to actually crawl around and do the runs.

Drilling and Routing [06:06]

• The team performs manual labor to route cables through walls and floors, highlighting the physical difficulty of the task.
• They emphasize the importance of inspection-ready work while navigating the house's structure.

  And the Europeans ask why we build our houses out of cardboard. Watch this, Europeans. Let's see you do this with your brick.

Termination Mishaps [08:15]

• A conflict arises when the team realizes they are using 'tool-less' keystone jacks rather than the traditional punch-down tools they expected.
• The team members struggle to master the new hardware, leading to initial testing failures.

  I hate it here. In fairness to him, I probably wouldn't have known that either because I have not actually worked with female patch panel terminations much.

Testing the Lines [10:14]

• The team uses a Fluke tester to verify their work, discovering that early attempts resulted in failed connections due to improper termination.
• They re-terminate the cables, demonstrating that both punch-down and tool-less methods are viable when executed correctly.

  If you and I both manage to do this correctly on our first attempts, that will be a fluke.

Project Completion [12:05]

• The team reflects on the significant progress made in just two hours, having completed all necessary runs for the house.
• They confirm that the remaining work involves only final terminations and camera installation.

  For only having two hours, I'm kind of surprised we got as much done as we did.