hard wiring computers within new walls

Enterprise_1701C

If you are cabling out the house, then it is probably a good idea to double up on the points now, you never know when you may need extra points. You need Cat 5E cable, Cat5 sockets, back boxes, and the punch down tool is a Krone Tool.

The suppliers we use are http://www.cmsplc.com/, http://cpc.farnell.com and http://www.rapidonline.com/.

We use the face plates with separate modules, you can get doubles and quads, and you get blanking plates too if you only want a single or a treble.

In your shoes I think I would take all the cables back to a patch panel, this being a distribution point for all the cables. You terminate the cables in the back of the patch panel and all the hard work is done, make sure you number all the points and the corresponding cables on the patch panel, then you link these to the switch or router when you want the points active. This also means it is very easy to turn the sockets off if you want to.

What you could really do with as well is a Cat5 cable tester, just to make sure you get all the cables punched down properly, not sure how much these are but you may well be best off getting one off ebay.

Cat 6 would be extreme future-proofing, we have used it on one job in the last 5 years or so, and the cable is about double the price of cat 5. All the data cabling we are doing at the moment is Cat5.

JasX

Other things to consider might be a few long lengths of HDMI..... No need for Sky/Cable multiroom packages then

firbyfred

Jane_Blackford wrote: »

If you are cabling out the house, then it is probably a good idea to double up on the points now, you never know when you may need extra points. You need Cat 5E cable, Cat5 sockets, back boxes, and the punch down tool is a Krone Tool.

The suppliers we use are http://www.cmsplc.com/, http://cpc.farnell.com and http://www.rapidonline.com/.

We use the face plates with separate modules, you can get doubles and quads, and you get blanking plates too if you only want a single or a treble.

In your shoes I think I would take all the cables back to a patch panel, this being a distribution point for all the cables. You terminate the cables in the back of the patch panel and all the hard work is done, make sure you number all the points and the corresponding cables on the patch panel, then you link these to the switch or router when you want the points active. This also means it is very easy to turn the sockets off if you want to.

What you could really do with as well is a Cat5 cable tester, just to make sure you get all the cables punched down properly, not sure how much these are but you may well be best off getting one off ebay.

Cat 6 would be extreme future-proofing, we have used it on one job in the last 5 years or so, and the cable is about double the price of cat 5. All the data cabling we are doing at the moment is Cat5.

If I terminate the cables into a patch panel (I could have about 8 cables) is there a neat way to bring them through the plaster?

Enterprise_1701C

Not really unfortunately, we normally have a patch cabinet in front of them (you can store your switch in there too or router). You can get small ones fairly cheaply, and they can be hidden behind something.

aliasojo

I ran 2 lengths of cat6 from every room (4 from the living room) and they all ended in a central cupboard. I used a double plasterboard socket (with a large section cut out from the back)with a brush plate on the front and had the cables coming through that into the back of a small cabinet and then to the patch panel.

http://www.av4home.co.uk/acatalog/Brush_face_Adaptor_plates.html

prosaver

The DHP-343 PowerLine 4-Port HD Starter Kit gives you everything you need to connect computers, digital media players, game consoles and other Ethernet-enabled devices in a network via your home's existing electrical wiring. Simply plug in both the one-port adapter and the switch to power outlets in your house and you're ready to connect your Ethernet-enabled devices.
try this saves messing about
D-Link's Powerline HD Starter Kit delivers up to 200Mbps over the pre-existing electrical wiring in a building. This fast transmission speed provides ample bandwidth suitable for streaming high-quality video HDTV signals, while simultaneously providing high-speed Internet access throughout an entire home. Using Quality of Service (QoS) technology, this adapter is able to ensure that low-priority traffic does not interfere with bandwidth-sensitive applications such as VoIP phone calls and online games.
might cost more .........not being mse though