How Much Do Ethernet and Computer Networking Cost to Install?

Ethernet Prices

Ethernet prices range from $0.05 to $4.50 per foot, depending on your cable type. For 2,000 feet of Ethernet cable, you'll spend between $100 and $9,000 on materials alone.

Coaxial Cable Cost

Coaxial cables cost around $0.05 to $0.20 per foot, making them the most affordable option for an Ethernet installation. Though budget-friendly, coaxial cables are the oldest type of Ethernet cable and can’t offer the reliable high speeds you’ll get from twisted pair and fiber optic cables.

Twisted Pair Cable Cost

Twisted pair cables, also called CAT cables, can range in price from $0.10 to $1.15 per foot. The CAT family of cables has several types, with CAT-5, CAT-6, and CAT-7 being the most popular at this time.

CAT-5 cables are twisted copper, also called unshielded twisted pair (UTP). CAT-6 are standard Ethernet cables, while CAT-7 refers to shielded twisted pair (STP). UTP is less expensive and the most common, while STP provides greater security for your network.

Fiber Optic Cable Cost

Fiber optic cable pricing ranges from $0.75 to $4.50 per foot for materials alone. Though the fiber optic cable price per foot can be as much as 90 times higher than basic coaxial cables, these cables provide the fastest speed and most security.

It's also an excellent long-term investment: The signals in fiber optic cable don't degrade as quickly as those in copper wire like CAT or coaxial cable. While the price point may be intimidating, you can find many quality fiber optic cables within a $1 to $2 per foot range.

Ethernet Installation Cost

Most homeowners and small businesses hire a local electrician for large-scale Ethernet installation. You’ll need to budget for both the wiring and the port installation, but expect to spend anywhere from $1,240 to $4,200 in labor costs alone for a 2,000-foot installation.

Cost to Wire Ethernet in the House

Paying a professional to wire Ethernet in your house can be expensive. Electricians charge about $40 to $100 per hour for this work, and a large-scale project with 2,000 feet of cable and eight Ethernet connections might take 30 to 40 hours. This is about $1,200 to $4,000 in labor charges alone, plus the cost of the cable.

Cost to Install an Ethernet Port

The cost of installing an Ethernet port is about $150. This price primarily consists of labor, which requires one to two hours at around $40 to $100 per hour. The port itself costs between $25 and $50.

Other Home Networking Installation Costs

While the cable wiring and port—along with the labor to install them—make up the largest portion of network cable installation pricing, setting up your computer network may involve additional costs, like the following:

• Modem

• Router

• New computer

• Monitor, keyboard, and wireless mouse

• Office chair

• Electrical outlet installation cost

• Network switch

Small Business Network Setup Cost

If you're wiring an office with Ethernet cables, the project price could be dramatically higher than what's explored here, depending on the size of your office and the resulting network size you'll need. The Ethernet prices above reflect those for a typical home with a few computers connected. Small business prices could double, triple, or more based on the size of the office and the number of employees.

What about a home office? If you work remotely and are wiring your home to support your home office, the Ethernet installation cost estimates throughout this guide should suffice. However, if you rely on fast speeds, you'll likely want to go with fiber optic cables, meaning the cost of your home office network will be higher than our projected cost range.

Network Cable Installation Cost Factors

The amount of cable you need for your home computer network and the type of cable you choose will have the most significant impact on cost, but additional network cable installation cost factors can impact your overall price.

Hardware Options

The hardware costs of a home network include $800 to $1,000 for each computer. A router costs about $130, while a modem costs about $75.

The cost of installing telephone jacks like RJ45 jacks, plates, and plugs can range from $100 to $280, although these costs are almost all labor. Off-the-shelf Ethernet switches cost between $50 and $100, but each port can cost about $10 to $15 to configure if you need custom settings.

Once you have a properly configured network, you can save money by sharing peripheral devices such as monitors, modems, and printers.

Internet and Wi-Fi Installation Cost

Setting up an internet connection ranges from $75 to $150. Providers often waive their setup fee as an incentive for signing up, assuming a site visit isn't necessary. However, the provider will need to send a technician if your home's current wiring doesn't support the speed you want.

For a Wi-Fi installation, you'll spend around $240. This price assumes CAT-5e cable with a maximum run of 150 feet from the hardwired internet connection to the wireless access point. A Wi-Fi installer near you can install the access point at your chosen location and connect it to your local area network (LAN). The technician should also test the network's connections and wireless coverage.

New vs. Existing Building

Installing Ethernet cables in an existing building is more difficult and expensive than wiring a newly constructed home, adding up to around $2,000 to $3,000 more in labor costs. Your electrician can install the wires with a newly built home before the drywall goes up.

With an existing home, the electrician may need to tear down walls and patch and repaint them. They may even need to remove old wiring. No matter the scenario, existing infrastructure generally increases the labor time required.

DIY Network Installation vs. Hire a Pro

Anyone can plug cables into the appropriate port on a computing device, but network installations are usually more complex than this. Installing a cable in a home usually involves routing cable through walls. For this process, you should almost always hire a computer professional or electrician. 

Why go with a professional? Custom cable lengths require pros to cut the cable to the desired size and install a connector on the end. Configuring the network, especially one with unusual architecture, is also challenging for novices.