Ethernet Installation in Portland, OR
We run new Ethernet cable in Portland-area homes, and in offices too: Cat6 from your router or network closet to a desk, a TV, a Wi-Fi access point or a detached garage. In a home, a run is $499 for up to 300 feet, with the wall jack, an end-to-end test and labeling included.
- A Cat6 run in a home$499, up to 300 feet
- IncludedJack, faceplate, test and labels
- Most networking jobsOne to two days
- First walkthroughFree
Ethernet Cable Installation: What We Wire
A cable gives a device a steady connection that walls don't slow down and other devices don't share. Each run goes back on its own to one central spot, where the router and a network switch sit. These are the runs we put in:
- A home office. A wired desk, so video calls don't depend on the Wi-Fi. On request, we also put work devices on their own network, apart from the family's, and set up VPN access so you can reach your home network when you're away.
- TVs and game consoles, which stay put and use the most data.
- Wi-Fi access points. Each one mounts on a ceiling or wall and gets its own cable, which also powers it (Power over Ethernet, or PoE). Most of the networks we install run on UniFi.
- A detached garage, shop or ADU. For a buried run, you arrange the digging and we run the cable.
- Jacks that don't work. We trace the line back, put new connectors on both ends and test it; in a home, on its own, that's our $399 service call. If the old cable is damaged, a new run is $499.
- Offices. We work mostly in homes, and we do commercial work too, offices included.
Other ways to get Wi-Fi out to a garage, shop or dock, with what each costs: How to Extend Wi-Fi to a Detached Garage, Shop or Guest House.
What a $499 Cat6 Run Includes
In a home, our standard run covers everything for one cable, up to 300 feet:
- The Cat6 cable, from the central spot to the room.
- The wall jack and faceplate.
- The connection at the patch panel, where the run ends at the central spot.
- Sealing the holes the cable passes through.
- An end-to-end test, and a label so you know which jack is which.
Not in the $499: a run longer than 300 feet, which costs more and may need an extender partway; the device at the end, such as an access point, which is $99 to mount and $99 to set up, plus the device itself; and, for a run out to another building, the surge protectors. We don't dig: for a buried run, you hire someone for the digging, and we run the cable. We don't patch plaster either. After the free walkthrough, your quote is a fixed price. If a route turns out harder than expected, we say so on site, before any extra.
Recent Job: Four Cat6 Runs in an Older SW Portland House
In April 2026 we wired an older house in the SW Portland hills, with an upstairs and a basement. We ran four new Cat6 cables from the living room, where the network starts, to a bathroom closet, a bedroom closet, an upstairs office nook and the basement. Each run was wired, sealed where it passed through, tested and labeled. We also installed the house's new UniFi Wi-Fi 7 access points and gateway, and in the office nook and the basement we cut in a wall jack beside the access point. The install took two days.
The job came to $4,116.42 at our early-2026 rates. The cabling was four Cat6 runs at $599 each, a rate that then included one $99 device charge, and two wall jacks at $35 each. The rest covered the access points, the gateway, and miscellaneous parts and tool use. Today a run in a home is $499, with the jack and faceplate included, and mounting and setup are $99 each per device.
“Izaac at Velara knows his stuff. He did an advanced WiFi network installation in my older house, putting in new access points, all the while answering my litany of nonsense questions with patience and enthusiasm. He put things into terms I could understand and explained what the pros and cons of the installation options were. He also went above and beyond, helping me configure multiple networks in my house, a primary, an IOT network and a guest network. It was expensive but I am so grateful for his expertise, and wifi coverage in my home is finally reliable in every room.”
How runs like these get through an older house, and what to check before anyone drills: How to Run Ethernet Through an Older House, and What It Costs.
Running Ethernet in a Finished House, Plaster Walls Included
We route each run from the basement or crawl space or the attic, whichever the house allows, to a small opening where the jack goes. We cut each jack opening with an oscillating multi-tool, and the faceplate covers it, so a run up a plaster wall is usually still our standard $499. An outside wall sometimes needs a larger cutout to get the cable through. We don't patch plaster, so a plasterer or painter would close an opening like that.
Licensed, Bonded and Insured, With the Permit Handled
We're a licensed, bonded and insured low-voltage installer (Oregon CCB #256333, CLE #771). Oregon counts network cabling as limited-energy electrical work. A typical Ethernet job in an existing house, up to 10 new jacks or access points, can go under an electrical minor label, while a buried run, a run through a fire-rated wall or a bigger job needs a regular permit. We take care of the label or permit on our jobs.
We do low-voltage work only. When a job needs line voltage, such as a new outlet where the router and switch go, we bring in a licensed electrician.
Ethernet Installation Cost in Portland
Apart from the free walkthrough and our standard home rates, these prices come from Velara's own 2026 quotes and jobs. Your home gets a fixed-price quote after the walkthrough.
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| First walkthrough: we walk the house with you, talk through which rooms need a cable and where it could run, and recommend what we'd do | Free |
| One new Cat6 run, up to 300 feet: the cable, the wall jack and faceplate, the patch-panel connection, sealing, an end-to-end test and labeling | $499 per run |
| Mounting a device at the end of a run, such as a Wi-Fi access point | $99 per device |
| Setting up each device on the network | $99 per device |
| A dead jack, as a job on its own: our service call (travel and the first two hours) to trace the line, put new connectors on both ends and test it | $399 |
| One Cat6 run from a home's network to its garage, so the Wi-Fi there gets a wired connection: quoted in October 2026, approved in November | $499 in total |
| Four Cat6 runs in an older house in the SW Portland hills, April 2026, plus two wall jacks, the house's new Wi-Fi 7 access points and gateway, and parts and tool use, at early-2026 rates | $4,116.42 |
A run longer than 300 feet costs more and may need an extender partway, and Cat6a is quoted per job. If a dead jack's old cable is damaged, a new run is $499. For a run out to another building, the access point at the far end and the surge protectors are extra; for a buried run, you hire someone to dig, and we run the cable. These are our rates for homes; an office is quoted on its own.
How an Ethernet Job Runs
- Free walkthrough. We walk the house with you, talk through which rooms need a cable and where it could run, and recommend what we'd do. It's a consultation, with no hands-on work.
- Fixed-price quote. If a route turns out harder than expected, we say so on site, before any extra.
- Install. We run the cable, put in the jacks, seal the holes and connect each run at the patch panel. Most of our networking jobs take one to two days.
- Test and label. Every run is tested end to end and labeled.
- After it's in. Labor carries a 90-day warranty.
What a Client Says About Our Cabling
“Working with Izaac and the crew at Velara was a great experience. They did an excellent job networking my home in Mt. Tabor, installing Cat6 cabling, setting up my WiFi access points, and getting all of my devices connected and working together seamlessly.”
Ethernet Installation FAQs
Who do I hire to run Ethernet cable in my house?
A low-voltage cable installer, sometimes called a network-cabling or structured-cabling contractor. Oregon licenses network cabling as limited-energy electrical work, separate from line-voltage wiring, so you don't need an electrician for the network cable itself, only for line-voltage work such as a new outlet. Check the company's contractor license on the Oregon Construction Contractors Board's license search, and ask what a run includes, whether every run gets tested and labeled, and who takes care of the permit. Velara is a licensed, bonded and insured low-voltage installer based in Clackamas (Oregon CCB #256333, CLE #771), working across the Portland metro, usually within 25 miles of Clackamas and often up to about 50. We work mostly in homes, and we do offices too.
How much does Ethernet installation cost?
In a home, a new Cat6 run with us is $499 for up to 300 feet. That includes the wall jack and faceplate, the connection at the patch panel, sealing the holes the cable passes through, and testing and labeling it. A longer run costs more and may need an extender partway. A device at the end, such as a Wi-Fi access point, is $99 to mount and $99 to set up, plus the device itself. A jack that's already there but doesn't work, as a job on its own, is our $399 service call, which covers travel and the first two hours; if the old cable is damaged, a new run is $499. In April 2026, a job with four runs in an older SW Portland house came to $4,116.42 at our early-2026 rates, including two wall jacks, the new access points and gateway, and parts and tool use. The first walkthrough is free, and the quote after it is a fixed price.
How long does Ethernet installation take?
Most of our networking jobs take one to two days, including ones with about four access points and a few cameras. The job on this page took two days, access points and gateway included. Bigger jobs take longer.
Should I get Cat6 or Cat6a?
Cat6, for most houses. It carries gigabit and 2.5-gigabit, the port speed on many Wi-Fi 7 access points, over the full 100 meters (328 feet), and 10-gigabit up to about 37 meters (121 feet). Cat6a carries 10-gigabit the full 100 meters, so it's worth it where you want 10-gigabit over a long run, but it's thicker and stiffer, which makes it harder to pull through finished walls. We install Cat6, Cat6a and fiber. In a home, a Cat6 run is our standard $499; Cat6a is quoted per job.
Do you need a permit to run Ethernet cable in Oregon?
Usually, yes. Oregon counts network cabling as limited-energy electrical work, and the state's Building Codes Division lists computer systems among the low-voltage work that needs a permit. A licensed low-voltage or electrical contractor can cover a typical job in an existing house, up to 10 new jacks or access points, with a minor label, the state's inexpensive permit for small jobs. A buried run, a run through a fire-rated wall, such as the one between the two units of a duplex, or a bigger job needs a regular permit. We take care of the label or permit on our jobs. If you're wiring it yourself, ask your city or county building department first.
Will running Ethernet leave holes in my walls?
Small ones, where the jacks and access points go. The cable travels inside the wall from the basement, crawl space or attic, and we cut each jack opening with a multi-tool, so the faceplate covers it. In a home with plaster walls, a run is usually still our standard $499, though an outside wall sometimes needs a larger cutout to get the cable through. We don't patch plaster, so a plasterer or painter would close an opening like that. If a route turns out harder than expected, we say so on site, before any extra.
Ethernet port in wall not working?
Start where the cables meet, usually a patch panel or a closet near where the internet line comes in. A wall port works only when its cable is connected to a router or switch at that end; ports aren't connected to each other. Match the label on the jack to the labels there. Check the jack type: RJ45 is the wider Ethernet jack, and the narrower RJ11 is a phone jack. Read the category printed on the cable's jacket: Cat5e or better can carry gigabit if it runs straight back to that spot. A failed test with a cable tester can mean the line is daisy-chained, with one cable looping from jack to jack, or unterminated, with an end that was never connected. In a home, a dead jack, as a job on its own, is our $399 service call, which covers travel and the first two hours; if the old cable can't be used, a new Cat6 run is $499 for up to 300 feet. The first walkthrough is free: we talk through what you found and recommend what to do. It's a consultation, with no hands-on work.
Can you run Ethernet to a detached garage or shop?
Yes. For a home, our standard Cat6 run is $499 for up to 300 feet, and a copper run out to another building also needs outdoor cable, a surge protector at each end and usually a trench, unless an empty conduit already runs there. We don't dig: you hire someone for the digging, and we run the cable. A buried run needs a regular permit rather than a minor label, and we take care of it. Whatever goes at the far end, usually an access point for Wi-Fi out there, is extra, and so are the surge protectors.
Do you install Ethernet in offices?
Yes. We work mostly in homes, and we do commercial work too, offices included. The prices on this page come from our home jobs and quotes, so an office is quoted on its own.
Will you just run the cable if I set up the network myself?
Yes, cable-and-mount-only jobs are fine with us: we run, test and label the cable and mount the access points or other devices, and you set up the network. In a home, a run is $499 for up to 300 feet, and mounting is $99 per device. We'll also install equipment you've already bought, though we'd rather supply it, so that if a unit fails we handle the warranty return (the RMA) instead of you.
Book a Free Walkthrough
Tell us which rooms need a wired connection. We work Monday to Friday, 9 to 5, and usually reply within 24 hours.
Velara LLC is a low-voltage and home networking installer based in Clackamas, Oregon, serving the Portland metro.
