MY System Install-- Step #1--Fiber Optic Cable to Garage Install

[AP514]

Well, I finally have the Fiber Optic Cable Installed....It was a Journey. My house being STEEL FRAME did not make it any easier.
My Garage is detached. Also Steel Frame.
I did not have any open/unused conduit from the house to garage to run New CAT Cable in. So...
The closes thing I had was a conduit that ran from the backdoor of the House to the Garage. It is used for a 3 way switch to lights in the garage. Also a wire for the garage door opener switch (above the 3-way) ran in that conduit.
You are not allowed to run Cat Cable in the same conduit as Electrical wires..So I went With Fiber Cable due to the fact it is Non-Conductive. So it is allowed.
The conduit in house ran from the floor up to the 3-way switch and I would need to fish to the top of the wall to get into the attic with the fiber cable.

The first thing I needed to do was get the Fiber Cable down from the attic into the 3-Switch box. I figured I would just punch-out 1 of the tabs in the Switch box(at the top). This would give me a nice hole to run the Fiber Cable into the box.(Wrong)
I beat the crap out of that box trying to get that dam knock out to give way. It never did. (The box was the big loser in the fight)(Pic). I finally Drilled the Knock out with a 90 degree and a step drill bit. (PITA)
I then installed some Caterpillar in the drilled hole to keep Cable from getting cut as I pulled it thru. You can see the Fiber Cable (yellow tape) ready to be attached to the wires. These being run from the house side back to the Garage.
Well, the wires in the 3/4 conduit needed to be removed and re-pulled with the Fiber Cable in tow. This seemed to be the only way to get the Fiber Cable pulled thru the Conduit without putting too much stress on it.
The Power wires come from the Breaker box in the Garage to the Light switch in house. Then back to garage. (so 5 wires plus the Fiber cable)
A Pic of my Breaker box in Garage with mostly pulled wires. Breaker box(pic)
The pull went well.(the Fiber Cable started from the Top of Wall-in attic) I got the wires back into the breaker box and the Fiber Cable ran thru and out to the Switch in the Garage.
I measured and checked the distance to the closet where the House switch would be..109 feet total.So I purchased a 35M Fiber cable (115 feet) 6 Feet to Spare ! !
So I started to put my Conduit together up in the attic. Out of the Closet ceiling a 90 a short run then do a 90.Then run along the in House Vacuum pipe another 90.
Then a long run to the Point where the Fiber Cable comes up the wall.(I was not going to follow the wall edges on this part of the run but cut across right to the point the cable comes up the wall.
I then changed my mind. If I hugged the wall it would only be about 4 feet extra so I went for it. and to the point the Fiber Cable comes up the wallAs you can see in the Pic this pipe was a tad long. NOTE I went from this point to garage with fiber Cable and I then to closet from here with the Fiber Cable
So conduit was in place and I tied a small paper towel to my pull string. The wife used the in House Vacuum and put end over the opening in Closet and sucked the pull string right thru.
She then pulled the Fiber Cable into the Closet as I made sure it did not Kink up as I feed it from my end in the attic.

I had my switch siting on the top shelf in closet with the Edge 4 Router sitting on top of the switch. I have rerun my old CAT5e Cable from the wall box into the Closet Ceiling next to the Fiber Cable. (All have 2 cables per run.So kind of messy ATM) And what do you know I am 2 FREAKING INCHES SHORT..WHAT THE &*%@
That Dam Conduit I cut long....RRrrrrr..What to do ? ?

Time to Engineer the crap out of this.......I got it ..time to Temp install to make sure it gives enough length. Yup we are good.....

Permanent set up.........


Well that is all for Now...Next installment will be Cams and a few picks of Garage switch.

 

[AP514]

Well, here you go..Installed the Switch in the Garage.
I ran the Fiber cable thru the C/B Panel. A small hole was in the back where the Garage switch from house used to run. It was too small so I took out the old trusty Step drill and made the hole larger. Then installed some Catapillar grommet to keep cable from chafe'n. While I had the panel open I figured I would run a power plug up to the area I was going to install the switch. (I also added a C/B in the panel.) I set a small plywood on top to set the Switch on. . I spent the next few hours trying to get my laptop to PING my BI-PC. (Router setup will be another post) NO JOY..until I cam across a post about Win10 and Firewall default of not letting PINGs between VLANs. What the HELL-Microsoft ! ! ! ARRRrrr.....

So, I just went for it by plugging in my TEMP CAM on a Pole. (thread found here ) And CAM is Working..WOOT

 

[AP514]

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[sebastiantombs]

Knockouts on an electrical box like that are designed to be "knocked out" from outside the box, not from the inside. Even then, I've had boxes suffer damage trying to get a KO out because of poor QC in that "department". Trying to get them out from the inside is a battle you'll never win.

 

[AP514]

Ya I knew that but gave it a try anyway..The Switch box looks a lot better than in the PIC now..Amaz'n what a Pry-bar and a block of wood will do. The box looks almost factory. (Not... but good)

 

[aesterling]

The was a fun read, thanks for documenting and posting it! I’m glad not to have been the one crawling around in the attic in the summer!

What’d you pay for the fiber and SFPs? I wish I’d gone the fiber route to my garage for lightening protection alone.

 

[AP514]

The was a fun read, thanks for documenting and posting it! I’m glad not to have been the one crawling around in the attic in the summer!

What’d you pay for the fiber and SFPs? I wish I’d gone the fiber route to my garage for lightening protection alone.

Well, I purchased 2-- NETGEAR GS728TPPv2 L3--POE+ Swtiches(380w).
Here is a link about the first one I purchased... Got this POE+ Switch-Want to Test- Ideas
It was used..$53. Also never registered on NETGEAR...So I did. Life time warranty. I figured why not.

The second one was for the Garage $105. It was Brand New..a Amazon return due to a small dent on the back(which to this day I can not find).
Over Kill for the cams on the garage...but I figured I could use the extra power for IR lights maybe. I also registered it on NETGEAR

As Far as the Fiber cable it was an Ebay purchase $29..need a link I can dig it up for you. Just ask.
and the SFP's were New. $20 each..I think they did not know what they were selling.

 

[bp2008]

For those looking in the future, SFP (1 Gbps) and SFP+ (10 Gbps) transceivers can usually be had for between $4 and $12 USD each on ebay. Availability will vary of course.

The same goes for network cards with SFP/SFP+ slots. They are a lot cheaper on ebay than buying new at retail. Just be aware the cheap ebay ones are mostly older cards which aren't getting driver updates anymore, so do research on compatibility especially if you aren't going to run them in Windows.

 

[AP514]

For those looking in the future, SFP (1 Gbps) and SFP+ (10 Gbps) transceivers can usually be had for between $4 and $12 USD each on ebay. Availability will vary of course.

Ya, I could have gone with the "Off Brand Compatible SFP" for Dirt Cheap..but wanted the AGM731F Compatibility and the 5 Year Warranty. IMHO---Worth the extra $8

 

[AP514]

New UPDATE on my Install Saga..Post #2

 

[AP514]

as soon as I figure out how to post a clip I will...

 

[Podagrower]

Knockouts on an electrical box like that are designed to be "knocked out" from outside the box, not from the inside. Even then, I've had boxes suffer damage trying to get a KO out because of poor QC in that "department". Trying to get them out from the inside is a battle you'll never win.

And when the panel is already installed and you don't want to screw up the drywall. A couple of different companies have figured out an easier way.

 

[Old Timer]

I spent the next few hours trying to get my laptop to PING my BI-PC. (Router setup will be another post) NO JOY..until I cam across a post about Win10 and Firewall default of not letting PINGs between VLANs. What the HELL-Microsoft ! ! ! ARRRrrr.....

You are not the only one that fought this, Micky Microsoft really screwed the pooch on this. I have switched my test laptop to one with Ubuntu. Another way is use Advanced IP scan. It will cross vlan's most of the time. With all of the versions of win 10, they all work a little different, ARRRG.

Great write up!!

 

[AP514]

And when the panel is already installed and you don't want to screw up the drywall. A couple of different companies have figured out an easier way.

OH...... Now you tell me

Hum.....Do they have 1 for the back Panel Knockouts ??