Installing home network, need some help with coax

[kcbass]

I'm in the process of researching/buying parts for a new home network. I'm considering a 6U hinged bracket with a 1U patch panel for data/phone and 2U shelf for routers/switches/misc.

The one thing I have yet to find is a rackmount solution for coax. Is anyone aware of a good place to look for something such as this? I am at this point planning a 1 in and as many as 8 out coax connection to provide cable to every room in the house.

Any advice/sites to look would be appreciated

 

[QuixoticOne]

Well you have to figure out and specify what you're doing a little more to get the appropriate setup.

With coax you can't even do 1 in 2 out without using either a passive splitter or an amplified distribution amplifier type setup. Every signal split on a passive splitter reduces the signal level, so if you split 1 signal 8 ways that means that each of the 8 recipients will get a signal at 1/8th the amplitude / signal level of the original signal. This MAY be acceptable loss using such a passive splitter if the original signal being passively split is very strong / clear and the receivers taking in the split signals have at least moderate sensitivity to accepting attenuated RF signals (which is usually the case).

You could for instance use 1 in 1 out booster amplifier to amplify the signals received from an antenna and then feed that into a 1:2, 1:4, or 1:8 passive splitter to feed the rooms. This might work well for some situations, though any time you use an amplifier you risk the really STRONG signals being over amplified and distorted while having insufficient amplification / gain for the really weak signals to work well.

As for the rack feeds to the rooms, you can just get a coaxial patch panel rack plate and terminate the feeds from the rooms onto the plate and then terminate all your source feeds from antennae / distribution amplifier outputs / signal splitter outputs onto other parts of the patch panel. Then just cross connect as desired with short patch cables.

http://www.pacificcable.com/PatchPanels.htm

Also your capability to split / boost / patch / feed coax will depend greatly on if that coax is a typical RG-59 or whatever coaxial cable with F connectors coming from simple antennae or if the coaxial feeds are to/from DBS antennae or cable TV feeds which may use different types of coax or have length restrictions for the DBS dish feeds, or which may not be able to be split out quite arbitrarily unless you have multiple set-top cable boxes suitably installed in the case of cable TV inputs.

 

[ScottMac]

You'll probably end up with a "multi-media" panel with coax inserts.

A multimedia panel is usually just flat metal with some square cut-outs that the connector modules snap into.

Go to anixter.com, catalog, and search for "multimedia" and / or panels ... they're made by many manufacturers.

 

[skyking]

graybar catalog.
search for atpnl-12
That will give you a look at what Scott is describing. As the first reply above stated, this is just the physical part.
He has the good advice on amplification/splitting.

 

[Modelworks]

I highly recommend this product.
It worked well in a home with 2 cable modems (separate accounts), 6 tv, 2 of which has digital boxes.
Easiest install ever done.
http://www.cabletvamps.com/Products/EDA-FT08100.htm

 

[kcbass]

Great. Thanks for the advice and all the links. This will make my install go much smoother.

 

[kcbass]

Oh, while I'm at it, I need a similar device for my phone lines. Only one line coming in, but I'd like to split it to 7 or 8 rooms. I realize this is a great deal easier than with coax, but I'd like a streamlined solution. Anyone know a good place to look online? 

 

[skyking]

I don't know of a streamlined system for that, and will watch this for links. I do cable plant installation and the old method involves a 'split 50' 66 block and base, interconnect wire, a punchdown tool.
66 block with station cabling on the left, daisychain wiring on the right, and bridge clips connecting line #1.
Note that the station cabling is not punched down properly in this image. It should wrap up through the base, and the top wire should have been routerd over the top of the block instead of in the groove.
The 'split 50' indicates that the two sides of the block are not connected. You can get a regular 66 block if you have 6 or fewer 4 pair station cables; otherwise you will need to put some of the station cabling on the other side or get a second block.
you can strip out some scrap cable to get your interconnect wire, no need to buy a roll of it for a small job.
One of the other members here was wiring his house and I made him a patch panel with half of the jacks daisychained, and a handful of short patch cables. I gave him specific instructions on how to punch down the back and cross connect the front with the patch cables.

 

[QuixoticOne]

I'd more or less follow skyking's advice. I'd probably use a 110 block instead of a 66 block since a 110 block will be more suitable to terminate wires that may carry any kind of high speed data like DSL, ethernet, or whatever. Also they're just a bit more modern and clean to work with.

After you punch everything down on 110 why not add a 110 input patch panel to the picture? Either with 8P8C ("RJ45" type) ethernet style jacks (which normal RJ11/RJ14 phone lines WILL work in) or with the phone sized RJ14's or whatever (wire them for 3pair so you'll have maximum capacity available to each jack). That way you get slightly easier patching capability though usually you can just do it with straight 110 but then nobody who doesn't know to use a punch down tool can change the setup.

Personally I'd just do all the wall plates and jacks with 'RJ45' style 8P8C jacks from the wall plates to the hardware in the closet and use CAT6 or CAT5e cable in the wall and then you can do wired ethernet or analog phone or DSL or whatever you want.

Obviously do the pinout for EIA 568A so everything will be standardized in terms of pair assignment for full on data use if that should ever matter to you:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TIA/EIA-568-B
http://www.ertyu.org/steven_nikkel/ethernetcables.html

110 block:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/110_block

 

[kcbass]

I like the idea, but I think I'm still a little fuzzy on it. All pictures I can find make a 110 block look like a regular patch panel to me. How does a 110 block bring in the phone signal and allow me to split it out to multiple sources? I've been primarily looking on this site at the rackmount version:

http://cableorganizer.com/levi...ac=5&zmap=LE-41AB2-1F4

I'm very familiar with running cables and punching them down, but have not done much phone stuff at all, so have never seen a 110 in person. I just want to make sure I'm buying what I need with as few surprises as possible. Also, if I buy the rackmount off that site, will I need the C-4 connector clips for what I wish to do? 

 

[kcbass]

ok, I think I found my own answer on this page here, just search for the term bridge: http://www.homephonewiring.com/blocks.html 

 

[QuixoticOne]

Yeah you can:
a) splice the line to deliver N pairs fanout from 1 pair in

b) simply punch one pair down in multiple different spots going up the block so it connects to several rows of terminals... this is fine since generally speaking you shouldn't be breaking the wire when you punch it (and you should build in LOTS of slack to handle accidental breakage or rewiring plans).

c) Use bridging adapters to bridge rows or columns of the block.

d) Just use a short single wire as a bridge and punch it down going up a row of the block, repeat as necessary

It isn't necessarily a magic solution to splitting a pair N ways, but it works. Generally one would want the cables to the individual room jacks to be fully independent 8 pair ones per jack outlet and then bridging would basically be just using 1,2,3 rows of the 110 block to terminate a feed and then run it to 2, 4, 6, ... different feeds out to the room jacks. That cross connect bit is why it may be nice to have a patch panel with 110 inputs so you can play plugboard to do the actual pacthing.

 

[skyking]

Originally posted by: kcbass
ok, I think I found my own answer on this page here, just search for the term bridge: http://www.homephonewiring.com/blocks.html 

you just daisychain your interconnect wires through. do be sure to use the non-cutting tool for either the 110 or 66.

 

[kcbass]

QuixoticOne, I'm trying to follow you through your advice above, but it's a little difficult since I've never done this before and don't have the 110 block or any diagrams in front of me. Is there an example online (pic or blog or something) that you can link to to further illustrate your advice? Thanks

bump

 

[ScottMac]

There are modular components that will take one line in, usually punched down (~like a 110 block) that provides a complete breakout of lines for up to eight jacks (the one I have is eight jacks, maybe there are unit with more, but I haven't seen
em).

The one I'm using is from Leviton (http://www.leviton.com/OA_HTML...5O-gnmaUGAaAfVosspA..).

Not only does it give you the fan-out function, it breaks out the pair such that pair 1&2 (line 1&2) are on one RJ-14 (standard for a two-line phone), then separate jacks for pair/line 3 and and pair 4/line 4. (three jacks per line, 1&2+3+4). There is also a full disconnect (for troubleshooting) and an RJ-31x jack (for alarm connections).

I've seen similar things at Home Depot built for a home cabling cabinet, just take off the cabinet mount and screw it to the wall directly on stand-offs. I'm only using the telephone distribution board from the unit I linked to.