How much does it cost to get ethernet installed?
By Jon Grant, Manchester Home Networking. Updated .
Short answer
To run a wired connection to one room round the outside of the house, we charge from £450. That covers the survey, the cable, a wall socket, everything you need to plug in, and testing. The final price depends on how many rooms, how far the cable has to go and how high it has to reach.
What’s in the price
- The survey, free, whether or not you go ahead
- Weatherproof cable round the outside of the house
- A sealed hole where it comes in
- A socket on the wall where you work, plus the leads to plug straight in
- Testing before we leave, with you there
Routers and wifi equipment aren’t included. If you need anything, we’ll tell you what to buy rather than sell it to you.
What makes it cost more
- More rooms. Each room gets its own cable and socket. Doing a second room on the same visit costs less than coming back.
- A longer route. Router at the front and desk at the back of a long house is more cable and more time than a room directly above the router.
- Height. A bedroom on the first floor is a short climb. A loft room needs longer ladders and more time up them.
- Awkward access. Conservatories, extensions and narrow side passages can add time. You’ll hear about it at the survey, not on the invoice.
Why do some prices online look lower?
Prices from around £50 are usually for a single socket where the cable route is a few metres, or where the cable is already in the wall. Getting a connection from the front of a house to the back or the top is a different job.
A tradesperson who already runs cable for cameras or alarms may quote less, and for a simple run that can be a good deal. Whoever you ask, check what the price covers: the whole route from the router to your desk, how the cable gets inside, a socket where you sit, and a speed test at your desk before they leave.
Is it worth it?
Compare it with what you already spend. If a far room is the problem, you’re paying for fast broadband every month and using a fraction of it there, and you may already have bought an extender, powerline adapters or a mesh system. A mesh alone often costs £400 to £600, and still struggles at the far end of the house. A cable is a one-off cost and works for as long as you live there.
How to get a fixed price
Book the free survey. It takes about half an hour, and you leave with a fixed price in writing. Nothing gets drilled until you’ve agreed it. If a cable round the outside won’t work at your house, we’ll say so there and then.
Want to know if it works at your house?
The survey is free and takes about half an hour. You get a fixed price in writing, or an honest no.