Data cabling and network points
Wi-Fi is convenient. Cable is reliable. For anything that matters — or anything 80 metres from the house — you want cable.
Why cable still wins
Mesh Wi-Fi has genuinely improved, and for a small home it's often enough. The trouble starts with the houses common in the Hills: large single-storey floorplans, double brick, foil-backed insulation, and outbuildings a long way from the router.
Foil sarking in particular is close to a perfect radio barrier, and a lot of Hills homes built in the last twenty years have it throughout the roof. It's why the Wi-Fi is fine in the living room and useless in the back bedroom despite there being one wall between them.
The fix isn't a bigger router. It's cable to well-placed access points, so each one covers a sensible area and hands off cleanly. Two properly located access points on cable will beat five mesh nodes daisy-chaining through brick.
What we install
Cat6 and Cat6A points
Terminated properly at both ends and tested, not just pulled through and hoped for.
Wi-Fi access points
Ceiling-mounted, PoE powered, positioned for coverage rather than convenience.
Comms cabinets and patch panels
Somewhere for it all to land that isn't a pile of adapters behind a cupboard.
Network to sheds and studios
Where distance beats Wi-Fi entirely — often alongside a power submain.
TV and streaming points
Hardwired where buffering isn't acceptable.
Cabling for cameras
PoE runs for CCTV, usually done at the same time.
Getting network to an outbuilding
This is the Hills-specific version of the problem: a studio, office or shed 80 metres from the house that needs real connectivity.
Ethernet over copper has a practical limit around 100 metres, and that assumes a clean run. Beyond it — or where the run shares a trench with a power submain and you'd rather not have the two coupled — fibre is the better answer. It's immune to the electrical noise a nearby submain produces, and it removes any concern about surge travelling between buildings on a copper data link, which on a rural feeder is a real consideration.
If you're already trenching for power to the shed, putting a data conduit in the same trench costs very little. Doing it afterwards means digging twice.
What data cabling costs
Sydney, 2026. Like most cabling work, the run is the cost — not the socket.
| The job | Price |
|---|---|
| Additional Cat6 point, existing homeDepends heavily on ceiling and wall access | $180 – $400 each |
| Multiple points on the same runMuch cheaper once we're in the roof | from $130 each |
| Ceiling-mounted Wi-Fi access pointCable, mount and PoE. Excludes the hardware | $250 – $500 each |
| Comms cabinet with patch panelSomewhere sensible for it all to terminate | $450 – $1,200 |
| Data run to an outbuildingCopper under 100m, or fibre beyond it | $800 – $3,500+ |
| During construction or renovationRough-in before plaster is dramatically cheaper | ask |
These are indicative market ranges for Sydney in 2026, not a quote. What you pay depends on your switchboard, access and what we find. We confirm a fixed price before starting, and it doesn't move.
Data cabling questions
Isn't mesh Wi-Fi good enough now?
For a small home, often yes. For a large single-storey Hills home with foil-backed insulation, no — foil sarking is close to a perfect radio barrier. Two cabled access points will outperform five mesh nodes trying to talk through it.
Cat6 or Cat6A?
Cat6 handles 10 gigabit over the distances in a normal house and is fine for almost everyone. Cat6A matters for longer runs at 10 gigabit. The cable is a small part of the job cost, so if you're running it anyway it's worth asking about.
Can you get network to my shed?
Yes. Under 100 metres, copper works. Beyond that, or where it shares a trench with a power submain, fibre is better — no electrical noise coupling and no surge path between buildings.
Should I run data while I'm renovating?
Absolutely, and it's the cheapest it will ever be. Rough-in before plaster costs a fraction of retrofitting through finished ceilings. Run more points than you think you need.
Do you configure the network too?
We install and test the cabling and mount access points. For switch and router configuration we'll either set up straightforward gear or work alongside your IT provider on anything more involved.
Is cabling work licensed?
Yes. Fixed data cabling in Australia must be installed by a registered cabler, separately from electrical licensing. Both apply to us.
What customers say
He was a very kind and pleasant person. He fixed the internet issue very quickly, and didn't leave any mess behind. He will definitely be the first person I call for any electrical problem.
Jason solved a really complex problem for our house with excellent professionalism and workmanship. Highly recommend, would def work with him again. On time delivery and within budget.
Jason onsite quickly and completed the work on the spot, giving us a good price and was very polite. Would highly recommend.
These are Google reviews for our team at Cync Electrical & Automation — the licensed contractor behind Hills Electrician. 5.0 from 20 reviews. — see the profile