rewiring - future proofing
aliby21
Posts: 321 Forumite
in Techie Stuff
(also posted in 'in my home')
Hi all,
I am planning a rewire of a house I've just bought. I think I'm ok with what I am going to need in terms of the the basic electricals - sockets, lights, switches, etc - and I've looked at this thread which has given me some pointers . But I am still stuck when it comes to thinking about more techy type future proofing. Phones, TV, internet, that sort of thing. My thoughts were that most phones now are ones with multiple handsets to one base station, so only need one phone point. Similar with internet, mostly wireless, or if not can use one of these. TV, there is a nicely placed satellite dish and would be very easy to run from that to any room, if I wanted. But I am fairly basic in my wants for anything like this, and even more backward in being aware of future developments, so any advice from those more knowledgeable would be very welcome.
TIA
Hi all,
I am planning a rewire of a house I've just bought. I think I'm ok with what I am going to need in terms of the the basic electricals - sockets, lights, switches, etc - and I've looked at this thread which has given me some pointers . But I am still stuck when it comes to thinking about more techy type future proofing. Phones, TV, internet, that sort of thing. My thoughts were that most phones now are ones with multiple handsets to one base station, so only need one phone point. Similar with internet, mostly wireless, or if not can use one of these. TV, there is a nicely placed satellite dish and would be very easy to run from that to any room, if I wanted. But I am fairly basic in my wants for anything like this, and even more backward in being aware of future developments, so any advice from those more knowledgeable would be very welcome.
TIA
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Comments
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Run a sat cable or pair to each room and some CAT6 cable.
Mostly wireless internet is OK for most but how much speed are you losing? If your internet is slow then OK. But with faster internet speeds coming will your wifi keep up?
I have gone back to cables for most of my systems. Only the phones and tablets use the wifi.Censorship Reigns Supreme in Troll City...0 -
I only use wifi for mobile devices; everything else is wired. Ethernet is just so much faster and more reliable than anything else. So I'd run some cat6 cables.
I don't know anything about TV systems.0 -
Future proofing is difficult to do with technology as you never know what is around the corner!
Consider that fibre is commonplace out and about but not yet in the home normally. So you might think of running in fibre!.....then it may be the wrong type!
Consider the main problem which is retrospectively running in cables of any sort. Might be useful to install buried trunking so that cables can be added at a later stage particularly where retrofit would cause mess or be awkward such as in solid floors/walls, house to garage or outside (provide protection then from rhodents!), to lofts and between floors.
Useful for communications, control systems (for heating/lighting/sensors/alarms etc.) that have not been though of at present.0 -
Thank you everyone, that is mega helpful! I'd never thought of wired being a better option, that is very useful to know. and I like the idea of getting some trunking put in to keep options open. thank you
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Yes some cat6 a couple of runs where possible.
Not only for internet but there are devices that can send things like video camera or HDMI signals, even USB over Cat6
Might give you options for webcams, security cams or home automation later on. Or enough cores for an alarm installation.
Another consideration might be to anticipate where most your IT is likely to be. I would consider putting special outlets on a separate circuit that could be run via a decent sized UPS say in the garage. This does require a bypass switching arrangement so the UPS can be taken offline and serviced. Not everyone's cup of tea I know but I used to be in the UPS business so I know how its done. (I have a gas boiler but it requires mains for ignition and the pump so I would probably connect that too, power-cuts are rare but tend to happen in cold weather!)
Back to the mains, how about a future electric car or plug in hybrid? if you have a garage and drive you may want to consider a dedicated 32A feed on its own breaker to a location near the door where a car might be parked outside. This would be ready for a direct connection of a future wall mounted charger to be installed (on the outside wall) or a normal socket for a portable charger as supplied with an electric vehicle, they are much safer running on their own circuit. Even if this feed is just safely terminated in a junction box for now.
I was fortunate in that I had a no longer in use one for an out building I was able to adopt for my EV charger.European for 3 weeks in August, the rest of the year only British and proud.0 -
Remember that CAT6 has a solid (plastic) core so is difficult to run round bends without needing a large radius ... CAT5e should be perfectly fine - it's can achieve gigabit speeds over the sorts of distances you'd need in a home.0
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Heedtheadvice wrote: »... install buried trunking so that cables can be added at a later stage particularly where retrofit would cause mess or be awkward such as in solid floors/walls...
This is the most futureproof of ideas - allow enough space in the conduit to run whatever you need over the next 50 years or so and then you're not stuck with token ring when ethernet comes along...0 -
Every point you are going to have an aerial / satellite point, also have a double ethernet point (minimum CAT5E). You're going to want to run (potentially) 4K video over ethernet, not WiFi, so position ports where the screens will be. That's also likely to be where games machines will be, so reduce ping time by going cabled. Elsewhere, think about what other bits of kit may need to be connected to ethernet, and position accordingly. Consider then where you are going to terminate all of this cabling - i.e. where are you going to site your network switch.
If you're running cables, don't forget to put the wiring in for speakers. Where your main viewing will take place you should cater for a minimum of 5.1 wiring; for Dolby Atmos think about running wiring to where ceiling speakers would be. Again, think of the termination point - where would an amp be for main viewing speakers; do you want to be able to distribute that audio (and video) signal to other rooms - but certainly don't miss the opportunity to get your audio cables hidden at the same time as you are doing power/network.
Some speakers may not need "speaker cables", just power - for example I've recently installed ceiling speakers in a bathroom which are bluetooth. They are switched/powered via the bathroom extractor fan power feed, and you can only connect via bluetooth - the kids love it as they can blast out their music whilst in the shower, without having to carry around another speaker. You might want this sort of speaker being catered for.0 -
With regards to the data side of things - instead of just running just one cat5 / 6 to each face plate, run 2 or more - even if not used it gives you the flexibility in the future just in case you decide to add a new gadget alongside another.
Wired smoke alarms are also something I wish I had thought about - nothing quite like having that annoying beep bugging you to replace a dying 9v battery in the small hours of the morning!0
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