First-time house renovation

andrew-b

My wired "network" consists of a faceplate either side of a wall. Just looked and i got the modules from Telephones-Direct (Austin Taylor faceplates/modules). Not sure where i got my cable from don't recall. Very rarely use the network ports and connect wirelessly most of the time but they are there if i want them. Main pc which is rarely used is hooked straight up to the router though. It was more to future proof and will probably prove useful to hookup the Sky box when Sky Anytime+ materialises.
I think keystone jacks are smaller and so likely more fiddly to wire up. If you go for modules makes sure you get an IDC punchdown tool (cheap on ebay) as it makes the whole job so much easier.

My setup is master BT socket in the hall, filtered ADSL faceplate (from AdslNation) on the master socket. Then i've got a cat5e cable that runs from the master socket to a quad faceplate in the spare room - three conductors for the filtered output used for telephone extensions, then one pair of conductors for unfiltered ADSL signal. So at the quad faceplate in the spare room i've got one secondary (i.e not master) telephone module and one RJ45 module connected to the unfiltered adsl wires (RJ11 socket fits in the middle - don't plug a network cable in though as you'll fry the network card if the phone rings!). Then i've got 2 RJ45 modules which share a single cat5e cable to connect to 2 RJ45 modules on a quad faceplate in the lounge - ADSL router has two network cables hooked upto those. Another single cat5e cable carries phone signal to the lounge and unfiltered ADSL signal to another RJ45 module. So i've got the option of putting adsl router either in lounge or spare room. I like not having to have stupid little adsl filter hanging out of phone sockets which was the whole point of my design. I need to alter it slightly though as at the moment the phone socket in the lounge has an adapter connected so that we could hook up the sky HD box.

suisidevw

Gosh, all that sounds incredible complicated! I think I'll just stick to wirless and external HD for important things!

andrew-b

Easier than it sounds but it does look a bit like spaghetti junction inside the sockets - particularly in the spare room! All you can see though is sockets labelled "phone, ADSL, Net1, Net2" in both rooms. If the BT master socket had been anywhere other than the hall it would have been a whole lot easier but my wiring was far cheaper than getting BT to relocate the master socket! The other simple no-mess alternative to wireless is network(ethernet) over power adapters which use the electric wiring to piggy back your network onto).

latecomer

@andy - thanks for that.

We're on cable and the cable modem is mounted in the hall cupboard, ew've got a wireless router which used to live next to the PC when it was in the room next to the cupboard (connected by a long cable just tucked round the bottom of the skirting board. Now I plan to put it in the same cupboard as the router. What I plan to do is put a 1 or 2 port faceplate in the cupboard and then run a cat5e cable up to the loft to a single port faceplate which I'm going to use to connect to the PC. the additional port wont be used just ow or probably ever but might as well put in the provision for it now in case I get evicted from my new hidey-hole and need another network point.

Think I'll have a look for equipment and see what I find.

latecomer

andrew-b wrote: »

If the BT master socket had been anywhere other than the hall it would have been a whole lot easier but my wiring was far cheaper than getting BT to relocate the master socket!

I asked the cable guy to put our master socket in the cupboard and he said he couldn't so I moved it as soon as he left. I also installed 4 extensions too as they were not keen on doing this when the phone was connected as I hadn't requested any (nobody has asked if I wanted any extensions!). And of course it would be a call out charge plus £x per extension if I wanted them to come back.

Roll of phone cable, one cheap insertion tool and a couple of extra extension boxes did the job, and it was even pretty cheap despite buying all in B&Q

andrew-b

Not sure about Virgin cable but legally your not supposed to touch the BT master socket other than the extension wiring to the faceplate...though i'm not sure why that stopped me TBH!!

Those cheapy insertion tools are fine for about one telephone extension then they are blunt. The proper krone/IDC tool clips off the excess wire as well as pushing it in to the idc block so anymore than one socket makes it really worthwhile.

With putting the wireless router in the cupboard it might possibly reduce your network speed a bit or reduce the range.
If i were you i'd just put a single port faceplate in the cupboard and one the other end in the loft that you can just use as a link for equipment either end. If you really want to future proof yourself put in cat6 cable (comes in shielded and unshielded flavours) in between and use cat6 modules - though cat5e will support upto 100mbps which is adequate for most people. I only used cat5e but i know i can replace it relatively easy if i ever want to as it's in conduit or clipped around the loft. Cat6 cable is a bit stiffer so a bigger bend radius to change direction. If it turns out that you want more than one device hooked upto the network in the loft then you could just plug in a network switch up in the loft. Avoid routing cable anywhere near a power cable..if you have to cross a power cable cross it at 90 degrees. If you need to run it outdoors then use proper outdoor network cable.

typeractive

stolt wrote: »

Ha ha, thanks for that.. its abotu time something started going smoothly for us. The building company that built the extension went bust and in turn so did the electrician so they couldnt issue a part p cert. We have had untold problems with the granite floor tiles!! my blogs about somewhere
the garden was about the only thing that went smoothly...and to plan.

Very sorry to hear that mate. On the plus side look at what you're achieving! Have you managed to get around the certificate issue problem? Surely if you can get another sparky to complete the work and check it over then you will be ok?

I'll have a looksy at the kitchen companies and a scout about on your blog.

latecomer wrote: »

@typeractive - car in garage? Thats not what they are for. Fill it with junk like everyone else - solves the problem of needing a wider entrance
/QUOTE]

I know latecomer! I'm so 'off the wall'! hehehehe Well considering I have a large house (well for just me), I will have plenty of other spaces to store junk...though I'm going to have to acquire a lot of junk first to fill the place!

Jokes aside I really want to keep my car locked away on a night time. The street does look fine in terms of crime etc but I'd sleep better at night I think.

Had the gas engineer out tonight, it's certainly not going to be a cheap fix :eek: but we had a real good chat about everything, and he can come soon for a first fix.

On a lighter note my custom built stair case to the loft is coming on great!! It's without doubt my favourite area of the house. I'll get some pics up on the blog but I still have backdating on the blog to get through yet - stand by!

stolt

typeractive wrote: »

Very sorry to hear that mate. On the plus side look at what you're achieving! Have you managed to get around the certificate issue problem? Surely if you can get another sparky to complete the work and check it over then you will be ok?

I'll have a looksy at the kitchen companies and a scout about on your blog.

latecomer wrote: »

@typeractive - car in garage? Thats not what they are for. Fill it with junk like everyone else - solves the problem of needing a wider entrance
/QUOTE]

I know latecomer! I'm so 'off the wall'! hehehehe Well considering I have a large house (well for just me), I will have plenty of other spaces to store junk...though I'm going to have to acquire a lot of junk first to fill the place!

Jokes aside I really want to keep my car locked away on a night time. The street does look fine in terms of crime etc but I'd sleep better at night I think.

Had the gas engineer out tonight, it's certainly not going to be a cheap fix :eek: but we had a real good chat about everything, and he can come soon for a first fix.

On a lighter note my custom built stair case to the loft is coming on great!! It's without doubt my favourite area of the house. I'll get some pics up on the blog but I still have backdating on the blog to get through yet - stand by!

Yes in the end i got round it but it took alot of mess and trouble to sort out, not something i would thnak the building company for, as it was them going bust hat made the electrican go bust so definatley some lessons learned there.

yeah check out the blog its here...
http://stirlingjob.blogspot.com/?zx=5fb4b40e985837cb

it may be passeword locked so if you or anyone wants a read please PM me your emals address and i'll add it.... the reason i've done that is that the building company etc are on here too and i dont want them shfting through the photos and using them for the advertising or something like that (which is what they wanted to do originally) plus even though i owed them about £800 i still had to pay for another electrician, another plasterer and then get the floors leveled before th tiles went down so I reckon i'm down but i guess im lucky to have had the build finished! Good luck with the blog, its hard sometimes to keep it going and even harder when your trying to catch up but i'm so glad i did mine it still amazes with the little things that get changed and you completely forget they were ever there in the first place. With regards to the garage we are lucky to have a double garage and a couple of my neightbours picked these houses because of the double garages because they are car nuts so they have the family cars on the driveway then there weekend cars in the garages.. there morified that mine are left standing there with a load of stuff that i really dont need or will use ever in my lifetime and not a car in site in mine!!!!:) Everytime we get a skip in i end up giving it a clearout and dumping stuff but it soon fills up again.

latecomer

andrew-b wrote: »

Not sure about Virgin cable but legally your not supposed to touch the BT master socket other than the extension wiring to the faceplate...though i'm not sure why that stopped me TBH!!

I'm not letting a little thing that like stop me.
Besides as BT claim there is no connection to the house I dont see they have any right to dictate what I do with the wiring thats inside

I've also been speaking to OH and she recently read a report which suggested wireless networks may be bad for young children and hence seems to be in favour of a couple of network points so the laptops can be plugged in rather than wireless. So I'm probably going to go with a 4 module faceplate in the cupboard and put in couple of extra sockets in the other rooms downstairs.

We've been having fun with the plumber this morning - he's not going to commision the boiler or do some of the other work either as he claims he never quoted for this. He also claimed that he wasn't allowed to commision the boiler by Gas Safe. A quick call to them proved that to be nonesense but he's still not touching it as he didn't install it and claims to have had a bad experience in the past with this sort of thing. so I've now got a plumber who's only use is to connect the gas hob and disconnect the old appliance and remove the pipework below ground level. The rest of the stuff I not only could have done myself but I could have done it a long time ago before the kitchen was fitted. OH is extremely p****d off.

Also just heard that the roofers believe they have finished what they quoted for and have packed up and left. Oh has spoken to builder who is apparently going to sort it out. Feel a "discussion" coming on with builder which probably would already have taken place if I hadn't left my mobile at home this morning.

Canucklehead

latecomer wrote: »

I'm not letting a little thing that like stop me.

We've been having fun with the plumber this morning - he's not going to commision the boiler or do some of the other work either as he claims he never quoted for this. He also claimed that he wasn't allowed to commision the boiler by Gas Safe. A quick call to them proved that to be nonesense but he's still not touching it as he didn't install it and claims to have had a bad experience in the past with this sort of thing. so I've now got a plumber who's only use is to connect the gas hob and disconnect the old appliance and remove the pipework below ground level. The rest of the stuff I not only could have done myself but I could have done it a long time ago before the kitchen was fitted. OH is extremely p****d off.

Good afternoon: not sure if I'm reading you right.... today's RGI didn't install your boiler? If he hasn't then it is not the case that he can't commission etc. it is just that he won't....if he signs off the installation it becomes his responsibilty/liability and many RGIs (my OH included) will not put his/her name on another RGI's ( or other's) installation...perhaps this is the case?

Hope you get a desired result.

HTH

Canucklehead