Organizing Home Network Cables? 85
not-so Anonymous Anonymous Coward asks: "A few years ago, while finishing our basement, we wired each room of our house with two CAT-5 and two RG-6 cables. All of the cables were run to a central place in the basement, with the intent of building a "cabinet" to house and better organize the cables. Well, it is time. As you can see from the pictures, it is a jumbled morass of spaghetti. So I'd like to get ideas from the Slashdot crowd as to how to finally organize this mess, build the cabinet, etc., etc. No doubt there are many other readers in a similar situation, wanting ideas for organizing all the communications/network cables in their home."
rack (Score:3, Informative)
You should probably get a couple of patch panels and mount them in a rack..that's the most elegant solution!
Re:rack (Score:4, Insightful)
Something more appropriate is the Leviton [leviton.com] Integrated Networks system that has a panel and modules that are DESIGNED for smart-home systems. Reading comments further down I'm hearing "go wireless" - my answer is that there are MANY other things you can run over cat 5 - like an IR repeater system, digital AV senders, intercom, cameras, digital volume control for whole house sound systems, etc. - you should think outside the box.
When I did some major rewiring of my house, I actually put in 2 sets of jacks in bedrooms allowing for easy reconfiguration. That puts 4 RG6U and 4 Cat5e in each bedroom. For the main entertainment system, I ran 8 Cat5e and 8 RG6U to the back panel of which most is already used. The leviton boxes I felt were a little limiting, but some of the components were useful such as the IR and AV modules. The little 8 port switch was not enough - I use an HP Procurve 2400 24 port switch that I got on ebay for $200 (new). I ALSO use wireless, but limit the use to laptops. 802.11g is pokey in certain cases - I do network backup to a server with an autoloader DLT drive, but still use the server for most storage.
One thing I reccomend is putting a 4'x4' 3/4" plywood on the wall behind everything (in my case 4x8). Makes attaching stuff easier - not everything rack mounts nicely. For the few bits of rackmount equipment I have, I built a simple frame out of 2x2's, glued and screwed (and even some angle blackets) and used some door hinges to make it swing out from the wall. Total cost was about $10 compared to several hundred for a commercial wall mount rack system.
OK, I admit it, this is over the top, but I'm a geek. Wife thinks I'm nuts but also doesn't complain about the whole house audio, being able to watch her soaps that she has tivo record (which is in the basement) on any TV in the house, etc. Oh yeah, did I mention the Asterisk [asteriskpbx.org] VoIP phone system? She likes that too - no more telemarketers. Power bill is a little high though
Re:rack (Score:1)
Got any pictures?
John
Not too hard (Score:4, Informative)
Krone [ebay.com.au]
Siemon [ebay.com.au]
Small, shallow rack enclosure:
here [ebay.com.au] Connect the leads coming out of the wall to the back of the patch panels and use short cat5 leads to link them together (or into a rack mountable hub/switch, like this one here [ebay.com.au]). If you do buy a rack mountable switch, make sure it's not too deep for your cabinet.
Not sure what to do about the RG6 cables, but I imagine you can get patch panels for them too (although too many joints may kill your signal..)
Re:Not too hard (Score:2)
Yup, Usually you put BNC's on the end and plug them into the bottom row of a MUSA ulink bay [ebay.com.au] (Dont forget the u links [ebay.com.au]. The sources go into the top row (probably a UHF distributer in this case, or the outputs of a matrix). But if you're talking about the same RF signal, you'll probably be fine plugging straight into the DA, as you'll never want to re-patch (it's hard
Comment removed (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:all you need (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:all you need (Score:2)
Re:all you need (Score:2)
Re:all you need (Score:2)
One word: Ether... (Score:2, Insightful)
Why does a single house need that many cables in the closet anyway? I know that I have a mess of power, 10baseT and USB cables next to my workstation (many of them belonging to the broken/obsolete appliances and totally unused), but how many places in your house do you need to run a real cable connection to?
Paul B.
Re:One word: Ether... (Score:2)
Re:One word: Ether... (Score:1, Insightful)
Re:One word: Ether... (Score:4, Funny)
Are you serious? 2 + 2 = 4. Bathroom = Sitting. Sitting = Laptop Use.
Re:One word: Ether... (Score:2, Insightful)
WiFi is great, I like being able to work on my back deck with my laptop when it's nice out. But sometimes I need to transfer large files to or from my desktop. That's why I chose to run a buttload of cable everywhere while the plumbers were in installing our central air and the holes existed. I ju
Re:One word: Ether... (Score:2, Informative)
-Box 1---
(2) blue cat5e (data)
(1) white cat5e (voice)
(1) RG-6QS (CATV)
-Box 2---
(1) blue cat5e (data)
(1) white cat5e (voice)
(1) RG-6QS (CATV)
In an existing home (esp mine with finished drywall ceilings in the basement[Uck!]), this project for the weekend warrior could take a couple weeks. But, it now has GigE capable drops to each room in the house (at least one in -every- r
Re:One word: Ether... (Score:2)
Re:One word: Ether... (Score:1)
Re:One word: Ether... (Score:2)
Re:One word: Ether... (Score:1)
Its oxymoron.
What was is that WEP stand for?... (Score:2)
Paul B.
Re:What was is that WEP stand for?... (Score:1)
Re:One word: Ether... (Score:2)
No it isn't. Attach your wireless access points to a router, set the router to reject non vpn connections, and use strong crypto to encrypt and authenticate vpn connections.
If your attackers can get through that then give up since they've probably already installed loggers and bugged your home.
Re:One word: Ether... (Score:1)
1 Rogue acces point and all your passwords are belong to us.
2 deassociate the hell out of them waiting as long that they give up those fancy dandy little VPNs of their, or wifi all the way for cable.
Re:One word: Ether... (Score:2)
Nothing prevents users from installing a rogue access point on a regular wired connection so that point doesn't really count. If y
Re:One word: Ether... (Score:1)
well, but its only a part of the plan
Re:One word: Ether... (Score:2)
Our new house (over 7000 square feet under-roof) will have 12 audio/visual sources routed to 12 separate zones (some of which have multiple output points per zone) via an AutoPatch Modula matrix switcher, almost all of which runs as baseband signals on CAT5e. IR signals are also sent back to the AV closet via CAT5e, and telephony runs on CAT5e. Additionally, we have LAN jacks in 10 locations.
So: one house, 38 CAT5e cable runs.
Easy.
Re:One word: Ether... (Score:1)
Re:One word: Ether... (Score:2)
The funny part is, we do also have a wireless point almost dead-center in the house. However, my wife does a lot of video editing at that sort of thing, so we can't realistically get away from the wire yet.
I personally have great hopes for the new HomePl
Well. In the end, how much do you want to spend? (Score:5, Informative)
Assuming you are putting these cables in a Patch panel [levitonvoicedata.com] you can just masking tape label them until you get them into their ports. Worst case is the tape comes off and you have to retone your wires (you didn't seem to have more than 30?). As for Making it look pretty [levitonvoicedata.com] just go with whatever cable management [chatsworth.com] fits your budget and your mounting method. If it's in a basement and the stuff isn't gonna be bumped, you might as well go with an open relay rack [chatsworth.com] bolted into your floor (you can hacksaw them down to size fairly easily since they are usually aluminum).
Supplied links are my personal hardware preferences . . .
Re:Well. In the end, how much do you want to spend (Score:2)
Re:Well. In the end, how much do you want to spend (Score:1)
Re:Well. In the end, how much do you want to spend (Score:2)
Total cost less then $5 including the meter.
Spending $80 on checking a few cables for home use is stupid. You'll do it once and that's it.
Re:Well. In the end, how much do you want to spend (Score:2)
Leviton is your friend (Score:5, Informative)
They also make "universal" patch panels that accept up to 12 snap in connectors (like you can get at Home Depot -- they're cheaper in contracter packs). These come in 8P8C, 6P6C, Cat5, Cat5e, Cat6, RF, line level audio, and blank varieties. Terminate the incoming lines to a connector on a patch panel. Then you patch from there to whereever (a satellite multiswitch, or RF amp, or router/firewall) as appropriate.
For POTS (telephone lines), you can use cheap BIX-66 blocks (which happen to be the same size as the universal ones): you don't need fancy patch panels for that if you get good with a punch-down tool. Hint: get a good one, like a Greenlee. Last time I checked, they were about US$45 at Home depot, and the extra blade was another $15: you'll want a 66 and a 110 blade.
Save $$$ and make your own patch cables: get a spool or Cat5e and a crimping tool -- I happen to like Greenlee, but that's just from personal experience and satisfaction. The crimping tool goes for around US$60 and comes in a kit with a bunch of 8P8C and 6P6C plugs.
I did this in the first house I wired, as a retrofit withe the enclosures mounted on-wall. I used two enclosures: one for RF stuff, and one for voice and data. this was for a five bedroom 3200 square foot house. Yeah, 2xCat5e and 2xRG6-U cable to each drop.
Don't forget to allow for incoming lines: like from the phone company, cable company, and/or satellite dish. Hint, wire TWO cables to the POTS and cable entrances: that way you can "return" a feed to legacy house wiring (all in parallel) from your head end to the point where it used to enter the house.
In the next house I wired, I actually got an on-wall SwingLine rack (Ebay is great!), and rack-mountable patch panels. This costs a bit more, but lets you mount rack-mounted equipment, like multiswitches, routers, etc. Do leave a "universal" mounting board (plywood) nearby where you can mount equipment that can't be mounted in a rack. Alternately, have a shelf for such equipment (though I prefer wall mounts wherever possible).
Re:Leviton is your friend (Score:3, Interesting)
Here's another hint... Phones take 2 wires and 10baseT takes 4. So if all you have is one cat5 cable going to some obscure location in your house, and you don't need high bandwidth, you can get 1 ethernet connection and 2 phone lines. Useful...
Re:Leviton is your friend (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Leviton is your friend (Score:2)
Re:Leviton is your friend (Score:1)
Re:Leviton is your friend (Score:2)
Re:Leviton is your friend (Score:1)
Re:Leviton is your friend (Score:2)
For flexability, I still recommend standard 8-pin RJ45's.
Re:Leviton is your friend (Score:2)
Re:Leviton is your friend (Score:2)
I have seen some projects where people have added POE at the patch panel by just supplying voltage on the correct pins, but this looks dangerous if you plug in a normal phone or other device. It's best to get an 802.3af unit (or whatever your device needs.
Re:Leviton is your friend (Score:2)
Re:Leviton is your friend (Score:1)
Re:Leviton is your friend (Score:2)
Sigh...
Re:Leviton is your friend (Score:2)
Lets be realistic. It take time (and wrongly crimped ends) to crimp patch cables. Assuming you dont alread have one, spend $50 on some very short molded patch cables instead. Or borrow a crimper from your local computer shop.
Re:Leviton is your friend (Score:2, Interesting)
Add to that that you can make the enclosure look nice and professional looking by having little slack in the cables. Makes for a ni
Re:Leviton is your friend (Score:2)
But when the only time you'll use that skill is a few cables in your own home, it's not wort
Re:Leviton is your friend (Score:2)
Re:Leviton is your friend (Score:2)
Well, "you pays your money and you makes your choice". Yes, the $60 model included a wire stripper, could crimp 8P8C and 6P6C connectors. It also included a bunch of 8P8C and 6P6C plugs. It came with a nice plastic case, which included storage compartments for the plugs. So, I only have to grab one box and a spool of cable if I'm on the r
Me too! (Score:2)
Trouble is, I'm at a bit of a loss as to how to wire phones properly over one of the two cat5e lines. I'd really like to have them terminated in a 48-port patch panel I have, so I can just run around and swap the terminator key jacks on the outlets when I want to go RJ45 everywhere.
So, it looks like this: Top row (24 ports) of the
Re:Me too! (Score:1)
Re:Me too! (Score:2)
What is with all you morons that don't know that bridge clips for 66 blocks exist exactly for this purpose?
This is like the fourth post I've seen where someone recommends "jury-rigging" a 66-block when at any reasonable store there's a box full of bridge clips right next to the damn 66-blocks on the shelf.
Re:Me too! (Score:1)
And for
Re:Me too! (Score:2)
'Managed Cabling' and Phone Systems (Score:1)
I have a 'managed cabling' system where I work that handles the telephone system as well as data networking. All the distribution cables come into one set of (RJ45) patch panels in a rack; the incoming telephony copper pairs also come into one (RJ45) patch panel. We can patch through the phone lines to any distribution drop and plug in the phone using a PABX Master RJ45 to BT Adapter [best4systems.co.uk]. Note that these act as a 'master' socket, so we don't have to have them lined up on the wall next to the rack. Of course, th
Re:Me too! (Score:2)
So, wire your RJ45 using only the center 4 wires, exactly like an RJ11 jack. The phone cables will snap in, lock, and connect just fine.
2 RG6 to each room? Who are you Jennicam? (Score:4, Insightful)
Forget the cabinet. Just buy a little 19" rack with about 12 RJ45 jacks (modular racks are much more expensive but then you could probably terminate your RG6 into it) and terminate all your cat5 wire neatly. Punch down all 8 conductors. That way you may be able to do 1000Mbit networking on your cat5 wire IF the runs are short and IF you bought cat5e connectors for both ends and IF you terminated to 5e spec using the 568a or b wiring standard.
Also make sure that the rack you buy lets you plug RJ12 into the same connectors so you can use the wiring for phones if you feel like it. Of course you would need dialtone down there to do that and a way to split it out. That's why I suggested a rack with 12 connectors. Punch down several of those to a 66 block and then you can cross connect dialtone to any of the new connectors.
You don't need a 19" switch to mount in the rack. Just mount your little switches or routers above the rack to the backboard using woodscrews. It will still look very nice and neat. Use 3' patch cables to reduce clutter. This whole project should cost you about $120 not counting the drywall or the short patch cables.
as you can see from the pictures?? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Wireless. (Score:2, Funny)
I take it you're one of the
Re:Wireless. (Score:1)
uhh.. (Score:1, Funny)
Dryer Exhaust Hose = Great Conduit (Score:2, Interesting)
A web site for everything (Score:5, Informative)
My weird setup. (Score:2)
Re:My weird setup. (Score:1)
I am curious... (Score:2)
Solid core or stranded? (Score:1)
I have also run into problems where CAT3 runs have been put stereo companies or electitions, sometime even marked as CAT5. (or even better have CAT5 spliced at the ends of the runs in the wall.) What are the limits when using ethernet over CAT3?
Re:Solid core or stranded? (Score:2, Informative)
You can run standard 10Mbps Ethernet over Cat3 all day. FastE wants CAT5 to run clean, but you can get away with it for really short runs.
Re:Solid core or stranded? (Score:1)
Re:Solid core or stranded? (Score:1)
Re:Solid core or stranded? (Score:2)
Just buy the right tools for the job. If the connectors aren't specifically labeled for one use or another, the manufacturer is clueless.
Buy Amphenol or one of the big brands that has a clue and labels their boxes.
Don't get suckered into buy
Re:Solid core or stranded? (Score:3, Informative)
Some of the better solid ones have two blades that hit both sides of the wire. There are also cheap ones that happen to crimp into foil wire which tends to be found in the cheap flexiable cords used in phone handsets.
You also need to get the jacket shape right. They come in round and flat and short and long body. Most of the Rj11 ones are short and most of the RJ45
Re:Solid core or stranded? (Score:1)
Moral I guess is to use the appropriate ends for each type of cable.
Oh so easier (Score:1)
Mini Rack and patch panel (Score:2, Informative)
Also just get a mini (or a full-sized if you want to be the big dog among your geek friends) rack and mount the panel in there, as well as all of your other servers or whatever, and you shouldn't have to worry about noise from fans or even heating/cooling (assuming that your basement is all underground, and n
Final conflict? (Score:2)
2 Inch PVC pipes worked for me. (Score:1)