Rewiring my apartment - sick of the clutter...

[Al Neri]

I want to run cat5e and speaker wire around my apartment -- My apartment diagram - red is where I need to run cat5e, blue is where i need to run speaker wire. I'd like to have wall plates a la http://www.radioshack.com/prod....jsp?productId=2062685 at all of the speaker ends (and a big one by where they wall meet) and something similar for the cat5e.

N.B My apartment has some metal / some wooden studs.
N.B. 2 I own it

How do I run this stuff into the walls? do I just literally block out a huge patch across my walls and install the "in wall wire" and then patch and repaint?(I plan on painting the apt after this project)... Do i use a conduit (what is a conduit? research unveiled nothing)? How do I get around the wooden studs? What about the metal? I really would like a DIY approach any help is appreciated!

N.B. I own the place and can do what I want to it.

cliffs:

My apartment diagram
1. Know nothing about wiring.
2. Want to run speaker and cat5e wiring around my apartment (that i own and can do this in)
3. What is a conduit?
4. What do I do?

Thanks



Don R.

 

[Al Neri]

fixted

 

[Canun]

Are you just running wire to connect one place to another? Setting up a central hub? IIRC, they usually drop it down from the ceiling. Drilling through studs and other items isn't very good.

Aside from that, depends on the code whether you need conduit or not. I've never done it before, but sounds interesting.

 

[Kelemvor]

Going through the studs would be a huge pain in the ass. Normally you go up through the attic or down through the basement.

For that small of an area, I'd just go wireless. Can get wireless internet and wireless speakers...

Of you could talk to the apartment manager and let them know you want to wire up the place, maybe they'll let you go up or down if you pay for it yourself since then they can use that as a selling point when you move out.

 

[Al Neri]

i can't go up in the attic unfortunately its a condo/apartment building.

 

[Al Neri]

In terms of wireless - maybe I can get speakers - but the internet I need wired - it's for dedicated video

 

[zoiks]

For the network I'd use wireless. For the rest of the stuff, I'm using the in-wall monster cable speaker wire which is basically 4 wires with a white plastic sleeve that I got off ebay. The wire itself, I am running outside of the wall and to tell you the truth it's pretty inconspicuous even though I'm running it over a door and along the wall etc.
I'm using something like this though I got it by the foot.
http://cgi.ebay.com/14-4-gauge...ameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem

 

[ViviTheMage]

you OWN your apartment? Isn't it then called a condo?

 

[Squisher]

Originally posted by: Don Rodriguez
i can't go up in the attic unfortunately its a condo/apartment building.

And, the basement?

 

[tw1164]

Do you have a baseboard? you can use a router to create a channel to run your wires in. When you get to the stud you want your box at you can just put a small hole (that will be hidden by the baseboard) and fish your line through.

 

[sygyzy]

What does "N.B." stand for?

 

[syee]

The conduit they are referring to is probably this. It just depends on your local code.

Can you actually run it outside (i.e. is it physically impossible because you're on say the 4th floor or higher of an apartment?)

I can't really see the cabling being an easy task if you can't run it outside. Without a basement or attic to get access, the only other option is to cut into the drywall to run it where you want. It's going to be a pain since you have to patch it up.

Probably would be better to try do it wirelessly. Perhaps get some gear that works on 802.11n if the bandwidth provided by 802.11g isn't enough. (not sure what you're trying to hook up so I don't know if an 802.11n variety is available).

Speaker is going to be a pain - can you not just have speakers on the other end that plays via some kind of onboard sound solution so you can run one less set of wires?

 

[Al Neri]

nb= nota bene (i.e. please note)

what do you mean "can you not just have speakers on the other end that plays via some kind of onboard sound solution so you can run one less set of wires? "

Is there any way that I can install some sort of a transmitter at the receiver and then plug into an outlet a receiver(or some other type of satellite) that I can connect each speaker to?

eg
[transmitter]?[receiver]
?...|
?...|
..../.|..
.../..|?
../?|?.\[plug]---speaker
/\ /
P P
L L
U U
G G
\/ \/____________[speaker]
|
[speaker]