Structured Wiring Newbie

[georgemeaders]

We are remodeling our basement, and have it down to the studs, so with the basement open, along with the crawlspace, we have relatively easy access to get up into the main floor walls and decided to set up a central wiring panel in the basement laundry room. We are planning on 2 data (cat5e) lines, 1 voice (cat5e), and two cable (r6) lines for each termination point. The one thing I am having a hard time figuring out, is how to run a line from the network interface box outside the house to what will be my central wiring panel inside. Do I run one cat5e cable with a just one single wire pair (blue/white blue for instance) hooked up for my data inside, and then run another separate cat5e cable with a different wire pair hooked up for the voice line distribution? I'm sure more questions will come, but this is one I can't seem to find anywhere, probably because it's something obvious to most people....

 

[hucker]

We are remodeling our basement, and have it down to the studs, so with the basement open, along with the crawlspace, we have relatively easy access to get up into the main floor walls and decided to set up a central wiring panel in the basement laundry room. We are planning on 2 data (cat5e) lines, 1 voice (cat5e), and two cable (r6) lines for each termination point. The one thing I am having a hard time figuring out, is how to run a line from the network interface box outside the house to what will be my central wiring panel inside. Do I run one cat5e cable with a just one single wire pair (blue/white blue for instance) hooked up for my data inside, and then run another separate cat5e cable with a different wire pair hooked up for the voice line distribution? I'm sure more questions will come, but this is one I can't seem to find anywhere, probably because it's something obvious to most people....

I think we need more info to answer this (i.e. what services do you have). Worst case you'll need a CAT5 or a coax for each service. I wouldn't bother breaking out a single cat5's wires for phone and data unless I was VERY desperate. (BTW 10/100 Ethernet uses 4 wires not 2) When I had the sheet rock off I just ran what I needed and then extra. The wire was cheap and I still have about 500ft of Cat5e around here.

I ran a bundle of 2 Cat5e/2 RG6 out to the utility box because I didn't know what provider I'd be using. That gave me options. Since Comcast provides us with phone/data/tv it all comes in on a single coax to a modem in my panel that splits everything out. I'm going to use the other wires for security/wildlife cameras. I have one of the cat5 pairs wired up to my alarm. Were I to do it over again I would run fiber out there.

BTW, listen to everybody when they say run all the wires you can now, put in chases to attic and crawl spaces as needed. What takes minutes now will take hours later. It feels really good to hook something up to a spare that you put in just because...

YMMV

 

[sic0048]

I agree - 1 cat5e wire for phone, 1-2 RG6 for cable/satellite, 1 RG6 if you have an antenna and perhaps 1 cat5e wire for a spare. This is the wire that you would run from the central wiring closet out to the service entrance (demarcation point). If this run will be difficult to add more wire to in the future, then I probably would add another cat5e wire or two and perhaps another RG6 cable as well. You'll probably never use them, but better to have and not need than need and not have .

Most broadband cable sources are going to come to the house in some other form (ie over the cable or telephone or satellite lines) and that main line gets terminated at the central wiring closet. It is at that point that you attach the broadband modem and hook your LAN wire to it. You don't generally put the modem at the outside service point.

 

[georgemeaders]

We have DSL internet service and phone service through Qwest and also have cable television through Comcast. The link below shows an image of what it looks like outside the house, with one telephone cable (single wire pair) running to the bedroom jack where dsl modem is located, and another telephone cable plugged in, running around the other side of the house to the jack in the kitchen. My plan is to tear both of these telephone cables out and run a cat5e straight through the wall through the crawl space and into the basement and a central wiring panel. I just don't know what the hookup should look like at the NID; I know there are 4 single wire pairs (8 wires total) in a cat5e cable, so do I just need to hook up a single wire pair (2 wires) at the NID and run that inside to the basement, or do I need to hook up 2 single wire pairs (4 wires)? And lastly, do I need to hook up another single wire pair (2 wires) of the same cable for the voice line, or will the ones for the DSL serve for the voice as well? A lot to think about, but I want to get this right. Since the run is through the crawlspace, it will be relatively easy to make changes to this part of the setup in the future.

themeaders.org/zmoreinfo/NID_Fig1_0209.jpg

 

[felixrosbergen]

the fiber argument is compelling with Fios rolling out around the country...but i would suggest a 2" conduit from the wiring panel to the 'outside', this will take all you will ever want to put there and you don't even have to think about it now.

Even if you were to run a fiber (i don't even know where to buy this in such small quantity) it seems unlikely guys like Fios would want to use what you installed. If you however show them you have a conduit from the outside to your wiring room i'm sure they will be all smiles.

Beside the above mentioned conduit a 2 incher to your main TV is not a bad idea when you have things open. When HA functions started to progress i ended up with around 12 cables (mix of cat5 cat6 and RG6) from the wiring room to the main TV area (5 RG6 for component video/audio, 2 Cat5 for LAN (SageTv and Wii), 1 cat5 for IR, spare cat5 for serial control of future surround receiver, etc, etc).

 

[sic0048]

You need 1 pair of wires for each separate telephone line. Most people only have 1 telephone line - so 1 pair of wires is all you would need to hook up. When I was younger, my family had two telephone lines coming to the house (long before cell phones) so that would require 2 pairs of wire.

That being said, if you are hooking up one pair of wires at the demarcation, you might as well hook up two pair. Normally you would use the orange and blue pairs for telephone, but what ever pairs you use, just make sure it is hooked up the same at both ends of the cable.

You might want to look at this link about telephone wiring. It does a good job of explaining what to wire and the differences between the old wiring method (cat3 wire) and the new wiring method using cat5.

Welcome to the site and keep the questons coming.