Wifi is handy, but it struggles through concrete floors, brick walls and long hallways, and every device on it shares the same airtime. A cabled network gives the home office, the TV and your wifi access points a fast, steady connection that holds up when the whole household is online.
We install data cabling in homes and offices across Wellington, the Hutt Valley, Porirua and Kāpiti: new data points, cabling for access points and cameras, comms cabinets and patch panels. As electricians, we can wire the power a cabinet, wall TV or access point needs on the same job. Data cabling often goes in during a rewire, while walls are already open.
Pricing: a free quote and a fixed price agreed before we start. You get a written, itemised quote, and small jobs can be quoted from photos.
Plan the network around one central point
The usual layout is a star: every data point runs on its own cable back to one central spot, normally a small cabinet or panel near where the fibre enters the building. The fibre ONT, router, network switch and patch panel live there, and any wall jack can be connected to any service by moving a patch lead.
The New Zealand Telecommunications Forum publishes Premises Wiring Guidelines for voice and broadband cabling. They are voluntary best practice and are cited by the AS/NZS 3000 wiring rules. The TCF also has a homeowner factsheet on wiring a smart home, covering where to put the ONT, modem and access points. We follow that guidance when planning a network.
- A central cabinet near the fibre entry point
- One cable per data point, back to the patch panel
- Labelled at both ends so faults are easy to trace
- Spare runs to likely future locations
Wellington houses: hills, levels and subfloors
Many Wellington homes are built down a slope over two or three levels, which is exactly where a single router in a cupboard fails. A wired access point on each level, fed from the cabinet, usually beats one powerful router trying to push signal through floors.
Older timber houses are often easier to cable than people expect. Most have a subfloor you can get under, so we run cables underfloor and drop them up inside walls, needing only a small hole at each jack. Ceiling spaces in villas and cottages can be tight, so we check access at the quote.
- A wired access point per level in split-level homes
- Underfloor runs in older timber houses
- Ceiling points for access points mid-house
- Outside points for cameras and gate controllers
How It Works
Apartments and concrete buildings
Central Wellington has a lot of apartments in concrete buildings, including many in Te Aro converted from former office blocks. Concrete floors and walls limit where new cables can go, so we look for existing risers, ceiling voids and surface-mounted ducting before quoting, and we check with the body corporate before touching common areas.
In some apartments the best answer is a single new cable to a central wired access point, rather than a jack in every room. We will tell you what the building allows. For a full office floor, we cable desks and meeting rooms back to a rack as part of a fit-out by our commercial electrician team.
Cable choice and testing
For most homes and small offices, Cat6 is our default. It handles current fibre plans and home networks with headroom to spare. Long runs, outdoor runs and runs near heavy electrical equipment may call for shielded or outdoor-rated cable, which we specify where needed.
Every cable is terminated on a wall jack and the patch panel, then tested end to end for continuity and correct wiring. A cable with one swapped pair looks fine but runs slowly or drops out, so testing is not optional. You get a labelled schedule of which panel port goes to which room.
Power and data together
Data cable is extra-low voltage, but the gear around it is not. A comms cabinet needs a power point for the router and switch, a wall-mounted TV needs power behind it, and some access points need a socket nearby. That is fixed wiring work, which WorkSafe says must be done by a licensed electrician and comes with a Certificate of Compliance.
Doing both together means one set of holes, one cable route and one visit. We keep data and power cables apart along their routes to avoid interference. Security cameras can often run on power over Ethernet from the same cabinet, which our security camera installation page covers. For extra outlets, see power point installation.
Why Choose Cheeky's Electrical for Data Cabling
Data and power in one visit
We cable the network and wire the power it needs, with a CoC for the electrical work.
Tested end to end
Every run is tested after termination, so you do not find a faulty cable months later.
Labelled and documented
Panel ports and wall jacks labelled, with a schedule of what goes where.
Fixed price per job
Send a floor plan with the points you want and we quote before we start.
Data Cabling FAQs
Is wired better than wifi?
For devices that stay put, such as TVs, desks and consoles, a cable gives a faster, steadier connection. Wired access points also improve wifi across the house.
My house is on three levels. What do you suggest?
Usually a central cabinet with a wired access point on each level, so signal does not have to pass through floors.
Can you cable an older house without opening walls?
Usually. Most older timber homes have a subfloor, so we run underneath and drop cables inside the wall through a small hole.
Can you cable a concrete apartment?
Often, using existing risers, ceiling voids or surface ducting. Concrete limits routes, and body corporate approval may be needed for common areas.
Do I need an electrician for data cabling?
The data cable is extra-low voltage. New power points for a cabinet, TV or access point are fixed wiring work for a licensed electrician, with a CoC.
What cable do you use?
Cat6 by default, with shielded or outdoor-rated cable where the route calls for it.
Data Cabling Across Wellington
We cover every region: Central Wellington, Eastern and Southern Suburbs, Western and Northern Suburbs, the Hutt Valley, Porirua, the Kāpiti Coast.
Related Electrical Services
See the electrician prices guide or every service we offer.