My feeble attempt to network my home..

[dabuddha]

You forget the security issues with wireless vs wired.

 

[Jzero]

Originally posted by: Xiety
he doesn't have to. he said he doesn't want wireless. end of story.

I just want to know what the reasoning is.

Network games seem to run lag-free over 22MBps enhanced WiFi. Streaming audio/video seems to work fine, too.
File transfers between terminals in the house will be noticeably faster, but do you really move huge files from one computer to the next often enough to justify the added expense?

Unless you've got an absurdly fast pipe to the outside world, it just seems to be spending a lot of money and effort for very little tangible gains.

 

[Shyatic]

Frankly... I have a few reasons to prefer wired internet, and since you're all so keen on hearing them...

First, I have a HTPC that streams its videos to other PCs in the house. One PC records all the shows, and I can set up clients (with SageTV 2.0) to view them on any PC in the house. I have an in-house server that I use to distribute MP3s and also acts as the 'My Documents' holder for all users. I set up a VB program that re-maps their My Docs folder to a share on the network with their name on it.

Since my brother does obscene amounts of research for his thesis, he has ~3GB of files he access on a regular basis. In addition to which, I also use that server as a fileserver for ~50GB of movies and stuff. I have car videos I keep, uncompressed images from my digitial camera and uhm... shall we say ... a 'stuff' folder?

My dad has a laptop he uses and it's wireless... he can roam around the house and read the paper wherever he is online, which is why I set up wireless to begin with. My sister does her reports on the computer and it's a minimal use of the computer. I think between me, my brother and my uncle who day trades at home... we require hardwired ports for the network and the resources I have on it. Wireless is too slow to stream video, and considering I can crack WEP encryption... I don't feel it's entirely safe anyway.

So it's $150 per jack?

 

[Jzero]

As long as you've thought it through and have sound reasoning. Thanks for indulging me

 

[MrScott81]

scribe, have you considered doing it yourself? It's really not that hard, and would be much cheaper...You can get all your supplies for around $40 and have plenty left to spare.

 

[Shyatic]

I tried doing it myself... it's a crap job. The upstairs of my house (nearest to the attic) came out perfectly; I got every room networked up and running. However I could not, for the life of me, get a cable to run from the top of my house to the basement, so I put a hole in the wall, drilled outside, and dropped the cable to the basement against the vinyl siding. It's an unelegant solution at best, and since I want to upgrade to Cat6... it will be something of a 'job' to get that done, and I don't have the time any more to do it (i did it when I was in college).

So that's why I want to figure out how to get a proper patch panel put in and all that other good stuff.

 

[Shawn]

Went wireless 2 years ago....... will NEVER go back.

 

[oog]

It could be that he wants faster access within his local network.

I don't know how to go about determining a price for wiring a home. I have a friend who did it recently, but he isn't online for me to ask.

 

[psiu]

Do you have forced air heating? You should be able to find a cold air return then...

You also might want to consider having phone and cable installed with some/all as well...

Your best bet is probably to call some local electricians and get estimates from them though.

 

[Lonyo]

Wireless: slow as sh!t compared to wires.
125MB/s max (1GB) vs 7 MB/s if you're lucky (wireless g) - and wireless never gets near its max, so you're thinking 4MB/s, IIRC.
I get less than 3MB/s with my G wireless connections, 1.5MB max with one a room away (2 walls) and probably 2MB with laptop downstairs.

And that's good?! No, wired is much better.

 

[Ornery]

"...dropped the cable to the basement against the vinyl siding..."

Is there a chimney in the middle of the house? You may be able to run it down the side, from attic to basement.

 

[Nebor]

I tried wireless in my one story house. I want my network to function perfectly 100% of the time. I tried adding in repeaters, antennas, you name it. I would still lock onto other peoples wireless connections in the neighbor hood, get knocked off by microwaves and telephones, etc. Plus there's the security risk inherent to wireless. No one is going to hack into my network unless they're in my house, plugging their computer into my router. Aside from internet peoples, that is.

 

[bmacd]

have you thought about wireless? j/k

-=bmacd=-

 

[Vertimus]

Go wireless.





















Edit: had way too many spaces.

 

[TwoBills]

Instead of dealing with an electrician, might I suggest an alarm technician? You're talking about low voltage wiring and this is what ATs specialize in. Electricians would just as soon strap your network wires to a 240vac cable.
As to cost: a top tech., working "on the side" would probably charge around $80/ outlet incl. wire, outlets, and labor. If your basement is unfinished, it might be less.
The only problem you'll have is finding a tech. that has the time, or inclination, to do it. The networks I have wired are always service hassels. It goes like this: There's a problem on the network, the network gurus (wireless types), always blame it on the wires, wire tech. shows up, spends an hour or two (enough to trash his day), finds nothing wrong with the wires. Meanwhile the gurus are having a "eurecka!" moment. Say nothing. Tech. leaves. System works. Had to be a problem with the wires. Yeah, right. That's why we no longer wire networks (except to "future proof" a new pre wired house), unless we sell and service all the equipment.
As to self installation, attic to basement runs, psiu hit on one good solution with the return air shaft. Use plenium cable if you want to do it "right". Another way is to run beside the vent shaft for the house drains (never liked this one so much). If you have stacked closets run it inside the closets. Or my favorite for a 2 story house, get out the 20' drill bit out and poke it down thru stacked interior walls. There are a lot of little tricks used, just takes a lot of "stick time" to learn to apply them.

 

[gordita]

my advice: just find a sys admin or a network admin who is a friend's friend/cousin to come over with a few tools (fluke tester, crimper, cat6 spool, RJ45, wall jacks) over a weekend and pay him like $250 for wiring the entire house.

this is what my friend did (err....he called me).
keep it simple!

 

[StormRider]

Originally posted by: MrScott81
id rather have gigabit ethernet than wireless too....granted for the internet it won't make a difference, but the intranet will be much faster for transferring files, etc...don't have to worry about signal quality. When I move into my house, that's one of the first things I'm doing. I'm going to do it myself though, it's really not that hard...just get up in your attic and drop lines between the walls.

My townhouse styled condo doesn't have an attic.

 

[TwoBills]

Originally posted by: gordita
my advice: just find a sys admin or a network admin who is a friend's friend/cousin to come over with a few tools (fluke tester, crimper, cat6 spool, RJ45, wall jacks) over a weekend and pay him like $250 for wiring the entire house.

Gotta get the wires in first. Might need a few more tools. Drill motor, screw gun, fish tapes, long drill bits, 3 or 4 boxes of cat 6 (don't want to spend all day doing this), drive rings, staple gun, low voltage back plates, and a sheet rock knife should do it. Couple of bushings for the return air shaft run would be nice, too. Along with 500' of plenium. We do want to home run to the control room in the basement, don't we. Oh, wait, that's what's in the 4th box of wire.