ᐅ Is it necessary to have LAN cables installed in the garage?
Created on: 11 Sep 2022 11:38
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FrankChief
Hello
I wanted to ask what the essential use for a LAN connection in the garage would be?
Our electrician is reluctant to install a Cat cable in the garage.
He is charging twice as much as for a Cat cable inside the house (€500 in the garage) just for a Cat socket.
Why do you absolutely need LAN in the garage?
Wallboxes usually all support Wi-Fi anyway.
We are also planning to install photovoltaic panels later on.
I wanted to ask what the essential use for a LAN connection in the garage would be?
Our electrician is reluctant to install a Cat cable in the garage.
He is charging twice as much as for a Cat cable inside the house (€500 in the garage) just for a Cat socket.
Why do you absolutely need LAN in the garage?
Wallboxes usually all support Wi-Fi anyway.
We are also planning to install photovoltaic panels later on.
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FrankChief12 Sep 2022 08:17Conduits outside the building envelope are not offered, so using a conduit is not possible.
The electrician installs a 5x6mm (5x0.024 inch) cable to the garage and connects it to a small sub-distribution board.
1x 40A circuit breaker
and 4x 16A residual current devices (RCDs)
for power in the garage and garden, and for an 11 kW wallbox.
I checked the prices again (for the interior).
€220 net for duplex
€190 net for simplex
However, the patch panel will be gold-plated, and he insists on installing it (how else could he test the cables).
8-port €200 net
12-port €320 net
16-port €450 net
The electrician installs a 5x6mm (5x0.024 inch) cable to the garage and connects it to a small sub-distribution board.
1x 40A circuit breaker
and 4x 16A residual current devices (RCDs)
for power in the garage and garden, and for an 11 kW wallbox.
I checked the prices again (for the interior).
€220 net for duplex
€190 net for simplex
However, the patch panel will be gold-plated, and he insists on installing it (how else could he test the cables).
8-port €200 net
12-port €320 net
16-port €450 net
I’m trying to make sense of these prices... but I just can’t. A really good modular patch panel (24 port, Metz Connect / BTR) costs around €160 net. For a 24-port, that would be at least €650 as he charges, so about €500 remains for termination and testing. That means roughly one day of work (around €60 net for an electrician?). I find it outrageous 🤨
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DaGoodness12 Sep 2022 08:30Reading through this forum, it seems not uncommon that some contractors charge extra when there are no alternatives. In the end, you just have to bite the bullet.
This was also one of the reasons we chose to work with an architect and contract individual trades separately.
I can't remember exactly what it was about back then—it’s been a while—but our electrician once acted unprofessionally. I kicked him off the site and that was it. He later loudly complained to the architect about how this could happen and that he had never experienced anything like it. We let him calm down first, then I made it very clear that I am the client here, the one paying him and setting the guidelines. If he had a problem with that, I could find another electrician.
This was also one of the reasons we chose to work with an architect and contract individual trades separately.
I can't remember exactly what it was about back then—it’s been a while—but our electrician once acted unprofessionally. I kicked him off the site and that was it. He later loudly complained to the architect about how this could happen and that he had never experienced anything like it. We let him calm down first, then I made it very clear that I am the client here, the one paying him and setting the guidelines. If he had a problem with that, I could find another electrician.
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FrankChief12 Sep 2022 09:29Yes, I also find the prices outrageous.
But unfortunately, we have to accept it that way (it's a developer after all).
That's why I'm considering where we might save on Cat cables to reduce costs.
For example, if having internet in the garage makes sense.
Or maybe for a LAN connection in the garden, an access point in the garden (if the access point in the living room isn’t enough), or a wall box.
In those cases, we’ll have to bite the bullet and run LAN cable to the garage.
The idea was to switch from duplex to simplex sockets in the garage and on the top floor to reduce the number of ports from 10 to 8, so only an 8-port patch panel is needed.
Currently, on the top floor, we have 2 duplex sockets in the two corners.
Behind the desk, a single simplex socket would also be sufficient, and then you can just place a switch for around $15 there.
But unfortunately, we have to accept it that way (it's a developer after all).
That's why I'm considering where we might save on Cat cables to reduce costs.
For example, if having internet in the garage makes sense.
Or maybe for a LAN connection in the garden, an access point in the garden (if the access point in the living room isn’t enough), or a wall box.
In those cases, we’ll have to bite the bullet and run LAN cable to the garage.
The idea was to switch from duplex to simplex sockets in the garage and on the top floor to reduce the number of ports from 10 to 8, so only an 8-port patch panel is needed.
Currently, on the top floor, we have 2 duplex sockets in the two corners.
Behind the desk, a single simplex socket would also be sufficient, and then you can just place a switch for around $15 there.
Conduits outside the building envelope are not offered, so running the conduit as planned is not possible.
Ask him where he would then install his LAN cable—surely not without a conduit (protective pipe in this case), because that would be even worse workmanship. Don't let yourself be brushed off so easily. How far along are you with the construction at the moment? Then you can get the conduit yourself and install it.
Ask him where he would then install his LAN cable—surely not without a conduit (protective pipe in this case), because that would be even worse workmanship. Don't let yourself be brushed off so easily. How far along are you with the construction at the moment? Then you can get the conduit yourself and install it.
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FrankChief12 Sep 2022 10:50The Cat cable will be installed inside the conduit,
but he does not want to install an empty conduit.
We are building with a developer, and the problem is that we could be overcharged.
We are not allowed to make any changes before the final handover and cannot install conduits ourselves.
We either have to take what the electrician provides or not.
Alternatively, we can simply skip the Cat outlet and only use Wi-Fi in the garage.
The access point in the living room should actually have enough power to cover the 11m x 20m (36ft x 66ft) garden and also reach the garage (which is directly on the opposite wall).
Does anyone have experience with this?
but he does not want to install an empty conduit.
We are building with a developer, and the problem is that we could be overcharged.
We are not allowed to make any changes before the final handover and cannot install conduits ourselves.
We either have to take what the electrician provides or not.
Alternatively, we can simply skip the Cat outlet and only use Wi-Fi in the garage.
The access point in the living room should actually have enough power to cover the 11m x 20m (36ft x 66ft) garden and also reach the garage (which is directly on the opposite wall).
Does anyone have experience with this?
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