[mythtv-users] OT: Wiring a new construction home for A/V, Ethernet, etc

[R. G. Newbury]

Fredrik Hallgarde wrote:
>>> Any advice, websites, books, etc out there for wiring a home during
>>> construction?  I'll be starting to build my house in the next month or
>>>
>>>     
>> Don't run cable, run conduit then pull cable.  A 1" conduit can probably
>> hold 3-4 cables comfortably.  Run it all to a central location where your
>> hub/server will be with no more than 2 ells and you're golden.
>>
>> You can always pull cable later as needed.
>>   
> 
> I think the suggestion by Yan is very appropriate, but if you have to 
> run (at least some of) the cable at time of construction I have three 
> small suggestions:
> 1. Make sure you are able to put all wanted hardware where the cables 
> end with high WAF (24/48 port switches ususally dont fit in small 
> enclosures, multiple 8ports might work though)
> 2. remember that LAN and other outlets are nice to have in/on the 
> shed/garage/patio too...
> 3. wherever you put one cat 6, may I suggest you put 2?
> 
> Fredrik
>  - who juggles Network/Telephone/IPTV using vlans in a house where the 
> patch panel is located next to the washing machine!

Don't bother with telephone cable as such, just run extra Cat6.
Remember that there are spots, like the kitchen which get overloaded 
with stuff which *also* need outlets for the wall-warts for the 'stuff'.

When I reno'd my kitchen I ended up dedicating a 30" top drawer in one 
section, as the 'office'. It holds the answering machine and base for 
the portable phone, charger for my cell phone, and blue tooth earbud, 
together with calendars, post-it notes, pens, pencils, papers etc....And 
it has all four dedicated powerpoints I fitted in constant use. They are 
in the baseboard level under the cabinet and accessible from the end. 
There are 2 phone jacks and 2 network jacks there too. These are in 
addition to the above-counter outlets.

Flush floor mount outlets might be useful in some spots. It would be 
really nice to have an outlet under the coffee table for the laptop brick!..

In some places, instead of a network jack, you may want to boost the 
signal with a wireless access point, which needs a power point.

Note that there are 'sunken' wall boxes which can be used for some 
things like network, or speakers, but possibly not for power. Depends on 
your local building code...and may require special handling for 
inspection. But they look pretty and are especially useful behind the 
LCD tv.

Don't worry about the extra $20: sister (double) all the studs on the 
wall where the LCD will go...and drill the holes for your cables  and 
power beforehand. Fudge the spacing on that wall so that the studs are 
centred on the centre of the span of the wall: max waste, two extra 
studs ~$5.00. You may have a 32" LCD now, but you might want to mount a 
much bigger one in future (...ok, and that might turn out to be an OLED 
which weighs one-sixth of the present machine!). Pull multiple sets of 
speaker wire down to the basement below the TV and UP into the attic, if 
possible for rear speakers etc.

Consider whether that wall needs to use 6" studs so you can mount 
in-wall speakers more easily.

Don't forget to run a conduit down to the TV spot, from the attic, so 
you can run a sat feed.

Geoff

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