Jeffrey J. Kosowsky wrote:
As part of an electrical upgrade, we are considering installing
ethernet connections in several rooms.

Couple of questions on best practices:
1. What type of cable should we be using? Is Cat 6 the best
choice for now given that Cat 7 uses different connectors and has
only just been ratified? How much more does Cat 6 cost than Cat 5/5e
and is it worth the cost differential?

2. I know that best practice recommends keeping Ethernet cabling 6-12
inches away from electrical conduit, but is this really necessary?
Specifically, one of the reasons we are considering installing
Ethernet as part of our electrical upgrade is the hope that we
could use the same fishing and cable pulling holes that are being
used to bring up new electrical power.

3. How much cable slack should we ask the electrician to leave at the
jack and patch panel ends?

4. How different is the quality between two different cables of the
same "CAT" rating? Are there any brands of cable and connectors
that we should go for or stay away from?

5. Since this is a multi-story *old* house, there is no easy way to
install conduit that we can use to change wires as needed over
time. Given that, is there any other way to allow for future
changes in wire type? Can one for example leave a pull-wire?

5. Any other words of wisdom?
Hi,
How about going wireless?
Tony