[mythtv-users] Wiring new construction

[David Brodbeck]

Oh, one thing I haven't seen mentioned yet.  Maybe this goes without
saying, but LABEL EVERYTHING.  Your patch panel will probably have
numbers on it.  Put matching numbers on the wall jacks.  Otherwise
you'll be playing "guess the cable" later.  This works far better than
writing room names on the patch panel, because there will be more than
one jack per room and the purpose of the room might change some day.
(e.g., "Billy's bedroom" may some day be your home office.)  Use a label
maker and make a neat job of it.  If that looks too much like an office
park for your decorating sense, write the numbers on the *inside* of the
cover plate or on the keystone jacks.

There are two ways to identify cables, so you know what goes where as
you terminate them.  You can keep track of them as you pull; I find
writing on the jacket with a Sharpie works better than masking tape,
which can get stripped off as the wire is pulled.  You can also identify
them after the fact with a tone generator and an inductive probe.
They're not very expensive at stores like Home Depot, but you won't get
a lot of use out of one at home once the job's done.