Looking for advice.

J

JoeBlack

Member
Hello Everyone,
Just purchased a single family home and I are thinking about adding some modern tech stuff.
The first thing that has done is wire the house with Cat 5e to a main walking closet were is planning to install all of my equipment.
First thing I am thinking of buying is a 28" Structured Wiring Enclosure for my Data, Phone, Fax, and Video.
I been doing a little research and I have found a few brands that pic my interest but I am not too sure about.
I am here thiking some advice from you guys.
I was looking at products from On-Q, Leviton, Chanel Vision and Wired Home.
First I am going to buy the 28" Structured Wiring Enclosure and then all of the components needed.
If you guys had a choice of a brand witch one will you use and why.
Thanks in advanced for your response.
 
On Q panels are a pain because they are made to fit on q components... Which is not a bad thing if you go with all on q equipment. If not you will surely have to drill into the can to mount other brands products. I went with a 42" can from leviton. If there is any chance of upgrading and doing more in the future you will want the larger can. Home depot actually stocks them. It is where I got mine. And not too bad of a deal either. I did a write up here showing the can in action.
 
Yup - OnQ is kind of a closed system.  Leviton and Channel Vision are nice cans, and so is the Elk 28" actually.  Leviton stuff is easily sourced at Home Depot - including holders, distribution modules, etc - which is convenient.  Channel Vision has the potential to be the fanciest of them all IMO with the smoked plexi doors.
 
iostream212 said:
On Q panels are a pain because they are made to fit on q components... Which is not a bad thing if you go with all on q equipment. If not you will surely have to drill into the can to mount other brands products. I went with a 42" can from leviton. If there is any chance of upgrading and doing more in the future you will want the larger can. Home depot actually stocks them. It is where I got mine. And not too bad of a deal either. I did a write up here showing the can in action.
Click to expand...
 
 
Work2Play said:
Yup - OnQ is kind of a closed system.  Leviton and Channel Vision are nice cans, and so is the Elk 28" actually.  Leviton stuff is easily sourced at Home Depot - including holders, distribution modules, etc - which is convenient.  Channel Vision has the potential to be the fanciest of them all IMO with the smoked plexi doors.
Click to expand...
Thanks guys.
I think I will jump on the Leviton 28" as seems to be selling for about $50.00
The components seem to be on the pricey side.. I am looking at this http://cache2.smarthome.com/images/36545.jpg
for Data, phone and fax...
What do you all think about this component..
 
I just looked at the Open House components and they look nice also..
What do you all think about Open House Brand name and Quality...
 
I am not sure why this manufactores don't make their distribution patch panel more like the Leviton were the Cat cable is patched on the back of the panel to hide the cables..
The Idea of the Structure media center is to keep everything Neat and protected in one place but with all them wire in-front of the distribution panel it will not look as neat. 
 
Here is what I mean
cp-h628_1.gif

 
36545big.jpg
 
Welcome to the forum Joe.
 
You wil fine much information here relating to your endeavor as many folks here have done the same as you.
 
Here too started with a 42" Leviton can and used the little (multiples of) Leviton patch panel stuff.  Over the years I have expanded out of the panel.  That said they are a bit difficult to work with once totally populated.  But you only have to do it once anyways.
 
The cables are labled and tie wrapped in my front punched down patch panels.  It does look nicer to have them in the back. 
 
I did also go with mostly Leviton stuff in the can (power et al) except for router/switch stuff.  I fit a 24 port Gb mini switch inside of my can.  Its a bit tight and the ventilation fans are on the side of the switch.  I used the holes in the can to mount the switch as it fit nicely that way.  I also have two netCID boxes and two W2Call boxes patched into the telephone stuff.  The very top of the can is dedicated to 1-wire sensors.  I utilized Leviton little brackets and such to mount said sensors wiring.  At the time I utilized a lot of RG-6 cabling.  Said cabling is routed over to another section of the wall as its a bit difficult to work with inside of a can.
 
Way a long time ago I did purchase some On Q stuff at the local big box stores.  I noticed it was priced a bit higher and it was more proprietary.  IE: their older looked a bit like keystone sized jacks but were not.  Later on (early 2000s) removed all of the stuff and replaced it with standard keystone plates and jacks.
 
pete_c said:
Welcome to the forum Joe.
 
You wil fine much information here relating to your endeavor as many folks here have done the same as you.
 
Here too started with a 42" Leviton can and used the little (multiples of) Leviton patch panel stuff.  Over the years I have expanded out of the panel.  That said they are a bit difficult to work with once totally populated.  But you only have to do it once anyways.
 
The cables are labled and tie wrapped in my front punched down patch panels.  It does look nicer to have them in the back. 
 
I did also go with mostly Leviton stuff in the can (power et al) except for router/switch stuff.  I fit a 24 port Gb mini switch inside of my can.  Its a bit tight and the ventilation fans are on the side of the switch.  I used the holes in the can to mount the switch as it fit nicely that way.  I also have two netCID boxes and two W2Call boxes patched into the telephone stuff.  The very top of the can is dedicated to 1-wire sensors.  I utilized Leviton little brackets and such to mount said sensors wiring.  At the time I utilized a lot of RG-6 cabling.  Said cabling is routed over to another section of the wall as its a bit difficult to work with inside of a can.
 
Way a long time ago I did purchase some On Q stuff at the local big box stores.  I noticed it was priced a bit higher and it was more proprietary.  IE: their older looked a bit like keystone sized jacks but were not.  Later on (early 2000s) removed all of the stuff and replaced it with standard keystone plates and jacks.
Click to expand...
Good Info.
I think I will start with the 28" and If I need more space for Security system or maybe music in all the rooms or alarm then I will add another 28" right next to it.
I think I am going with the leviton Can and then add things here and there.. All I need for now is the Phone/fax panel and the Data panel.
I got Direct TV and they gave me a video Module that is working great right now, all Am going to need is an adapter to hand it in the Can..
I'll be taking picture of the closet tomorrow and post them up.. ill then take picture of the can when it gets here and more pictures after I install it..
 
Whats a good color for the wall in the "Media" Room.. I am thinking Gray for the wall were the can is going to be install and white all around...
 
In FL on a tear down and new home build I put the comm closet in a closet and two stacked smaller cans.  That said the closet in question is a bit customized as its twice the depth of a regular closet such that it is multipurpose and has worked well over the last 10 years.  This setup is much more compact than what I have in the midwest (which is more of a sandbox).
 
Top is just the HAI OPII can and bottom is a 28" (?) Leviton can.  Literally though the entire wall from ceiling to almost floor is wired.  The wire feeds are from the attic.  The can's actually did go into place until maybe a year after as concern was mostly was home running all of the cabling to designated area and wiring up for electric in the same said area.  I went really slow terminating the cabling in stages in bit over the years.
 
I had much less space to work with.  The 28" can does have the telco, network patch panels.  It also has a network switch and all of the RG6 plus speaker cabling runs into the box.  It is a bit tight.  I wired for both BB cable and DTV.  Originally TV was DTV and Internet was DSL.  Over the last 10 years I switched to FIOS and have combined the TV, Internet and telephone there.  Sound / audio was set up for 6 zones using 4/16, 2/16 and cat5e cable to each zone.  That said all of the cabling already went to the Leviton 28" can such that it was just moving some of the cables around.  One of the concerns was heat.  So far its been about 10 years and no issues to date. 
 
The alarm pre wire was done by an alarm company and I had them home run all of the cabling where the alarm panel can was going.  Some of the rest of the LV wiring was done by the contractor (some telephone and RG6) and my wife and I did the rest of the LV cabling as the contractor gave us about a weeks window to do said stuff.   
 
The wiring closet in Florida is painted white same colors as the cans and behind two doors (a room with a door and the closet has a door for its entrance). The wiring closet/cans are very much unobstrusive.  
 
pete_c said:
In FL on a tear down and new home build I put the comm closet in a closet and two stacked smaller cans.  That said the closet in question is a bit customized as its twice the depth of a regular closet such that it is multipurpose and has worked well over the last 10 years.  This setup is much more compact than what I have in the midwest (which is more of a sandbox).
 
Top is just the HAI OPII can and bottom is a 28" (?) Leviton can.  Literally though the entire wall from ceiling to almost floor is wired.  The wire feeds are from the attic.  The can's actually did go into place until maybe a year after as concern was mostly was home running all of the cabling to designated area and wiring up for electric in the same said area.  I went really slow terminating the cabling in stages in bit over the years.
 
I had much less space to work with.  The 28" can does have the telco, network patch panels.  It also has a network switch and all of the RG6 plus speaker cabling runs into the box.  It is a bit tight.  I wired for both BB cable and DTV.  Originally TV was DTV and Internet was DSL.  Over the last 10 years I switched to FIOS and have combined the TV, Internet and telephone there.  Sound / audio was set up for 6 zones using 4/16, 2/16 and cat5e cable to each zone.  That said all of the cabling already went to the Leviton 28" can such that it was just moving some of the cables around.  One of the concerns was heat.  So far its been about 10 years and no issues to date. 
 
The alarm pre wire was done by an alarm company and I had them home run all of the cabling where the alarm panel can was going.  Some of the rest of the LV wiring was done by the contractor (some telephone and RG6) and my wife and I did the rest of the LV cabling as the contractor gave us about a weeks window to do said stuff.   
 
The wiring closet in Florida is painted white same colors as the cans and behind two doors (a room with a door and the closet has a door for its entrance). The wiring closet/cans are very much unobstrusive.  
Click to expand...
Thank you so much Pete C... 
You providing me with invaluable information.
I am just collecting ideas right now as I am not too sure on the proper path..
I will be posting some pictures soon and hope to get as many ideas from you guys as possible..
Thanks again Pete.
 
Joe
 
Late to the thread, but welcome to CT, Joe.
 
I suggest you install the enclosure slightly higher than normal - you can then install a 2nd below it, if needed.  Not as easy to work with, but can save some space.
 
I ended up with the 50" Channel Vision can above an OnQ 20" that came with the house - if I ever finish things out, the bottom will just be power strips/distribution and the top is really just the Elk today.  My IT roots run too deep and I mounted a 12U wall-mount rack up high and to the side of the in-wall enclosure.  That's where I put things like my traditional switch, large rack-mount router, and the patch panel - and on a shelf below I have my MediaSmart Windows Home Server which acts as central NAS/backups for the house and also runs my home automation software.
 
When I sell the place, I'll likely fit it all into the 50" can nicely again with a normal economical router/switch and throw a little miniature PC inside the 50" cabinet hooked up for the lighting/automation for the next homeowners. 
 
Work2Play - could you post a snapshot of your wall mount rack? Not to hijack but I've been considering this as well.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

G
Is Charmed Quark gone?
2 3
Replies
39
Views
3K
kevinflynn
K
B
Russound Advice
Replies
3
Views
550
Neurorad
Neurorad
J
Patch Panel for ELK Data Bus
Replies
2
Views
355
johngalt
J
S
HAI UPB PIM + UPStart connection
Replies
8
Views
589
pete_c
pete_c
N
Looking to pick up Amcrest NVR. Any suggestions?
Replies
6
Views
402
electron
electron
Back
Top