Anyone use a structured wiring kit for cable, internet, etc.?

[potentz]

I found this product and thought it would make for a clean install for cable, phone, internet, etc.

http://www.home-technology-store.com/structured-wiring/C-0020-KIT.aspx#

Does anyone use anything similar or know of other options? I am looking at putting this in my house to route the cable, Cat5, etc. I was also looking for a box that had enough room to mount my alarm panel.

 

[Gary S]

If it serves your needs, then go for it. For me, it looks like overkill. Lots of stuff I don't need to get the job done.

I picked up dual wall jacks that handle my ethernet on one jack RJ45, and phone on the other one with RJ12. Then I pulled the old single phone jacks off the wall and replaced them with the dual ones. I ran Cat 5E from all rooms with the dual jacks to my computer room in the basement where I put in RJ45 quad wall jacks to bring it all together where I have my ethernet switches and my modem. Now all my wiring is invisible inside the walls and I can reroute simply by moving Cat 5 patch cables from jack to jack.

I don't have cable tv, so I don't need any method of handling cable wiring.

Menards sells wall jacks and covers to do ethernet these days, and you should be able to get the stuff even cheaper at www.computergate.com

 

[Costner]

Does anyone use anything similar or know of other options? I am looking at putting this in my house to route the cable, Cat5, etc. I was also looking for a box that had enough room to mount my alarm panel.

I have something similar in my home - I think my is made by Eaton. I'm the second owner so I didn't spec it, but after owning it I wouldn't ever waste the money on one of those boxes.

Sure it looks nice when it is closed up, but any metal box can make that happen. In my case I end up not using it for much because I had DirecTV installed and they don't use the integrated splitter for RG6. Instead, they have all of their equipment mounted outside of the box and just feed cables into it - which sort of defeats the purpose.

As to the Cat5 cables, it looks better than it really works. My cable modem would fit inside, but my router wouldn't - and besides I want my router to have the antennas exposed - so in my case the router and modem are mounted outside of the box with cables running into the box.

At the end of the day the box doesn't really work as well as one might think. If I was to start from scratch and do my own system, I'd go to monoprice and buy keystone jacks for each RG6 and Cat5 wire, and then pop them into a patch panel plate like this: http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10516&cs_id=1051603&p_id=1014&seq=1&format=2

Then you simply mount the patch panel to a standoff bracket so it is a few inches off the wall (also available from monoprice) and then you can patch across terminals with short jumper cables as needed. It is a lot cheaper and just as functional. It won't be in a pretty box though - so if that trips your trigger you might have to spend a few hundred bucks to get one.

 

[2_lude]

I just installed my structured wiring panel a few months ago. I needed hard wired Ethernet, wireless just doesn't cut it for me. Plus I did not have any cable outlets or phone jacks on the second floor. I probably spent $100 on the project which includes the enclosure and all the distribution blocks. For me since i don't have nice basement, this was the only option and I hate wires. But yes you pretty much set it up once and forget.

As for Satellite you could probably get a specific module to deal with satellite in your enclosure. For Wireless i just mounted the antennas on the outside of the cover.

I would get the biggest enclose that can fit in your wall, 19" is probably not going to cut it if you want to put your alarm in there as well. Check out Leviton and Open House as well.

 

[67gto]

When I built my house I bought the Leviton structured cabinet & their 8 port router / firewall. I ended up just using the cabinet & surface mounted all of my cat5e jacks, phone jacks, & cable tv connectors on the front of it. The Leviton router was continuosly locking up, so I took it back to home depot & got my money back. I have a Terk brand multiple satelite dish distribution box that works great, never had a problem with it.

 

[Roweski]

Well, It may not be as pretty as the pre-fab panels, but it's definatly functional. I still need to add some cable management and make some new Cat6 cables that are sized correctly. Once that is done it will look much cleaner.

I also recommend going with a patch panel for you ethernet. I'm using a 12 punch down panel but I will likely upgrade to a 24 port patch panel.

Like Costner, I'm a fan of monoprice for cable/connectors/panels/ect.

For the rest of the hardware I'd recommend Newegg.com.

 

[ultgar]

I'd go with the mid-sized panel (if you have the space) and buy the modules as you need them. Lots of cat 5 these days for distributed HD video, network pc, poe camera's, etc. I ran lots of RG6 when I did my garage 6yrs ago...now it looks like I won't be using any of it. SD

 

[Cryptic1911]

At the end of the day the box doesn't really work as well as one might think. If I was to start from scratch and do my own system, I'd go to monoprice and buy keystone jacks for each RG6 and Cat5 wire, and then pop them into a patch panel plate like this: http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10516&cs_id=1051603&p_id=1014&seq=1&format=2

hah, I actually just ordered one of those keystone patch panels, the wall plates, and all cat6 & rg6 keystone ends. I'm actually mounting everything in a rack though.. have a rackmount 48 port gigabit switch and some rackmount servers and stuff

www.monoprice.com and www.deepsurplus.com have the best deals on that kind of equipment

 

[ultgar]

hah, I actually just ordered one of those keystone patch panels, the wall plates, and all cat6 & rg6 keystone ends. I'm actually mounting everything in a rack though.. have a rackmount 48 port gigabit switch and some rackmount servers and stuff

www.monoprice.com and www.deepsurplus.com have the best deals on that kind of equipment

Any pictures of the rack install? I want to do the same in my garage but don't want the wires all coming out the front as I have in my office...

 

[Cryptic1911]

Its going into the addition that isn't quite finished yet, so it'll be a while. As far as your wiring coming out the front, you can get wire management with cover panels that stick out the front to box in the wires

something like this is kinda what I'm talking about, but I don't think this exact one would work because of the way it mounts:

http://www.deepsurplus.com/Network-Structured-Wiring/Horizontal-Cable-Management-Channels/2U-Horizontal-Cable-Management-2-Hole-Black-PVC-Type-with-Front-Cover-19

 

[ultgar]

From Aug 2005........

and finally 4 years later, I finally finished the a/v rack for the garage.....the other rack will be for network, security and lighting controls. Lots of changes and rethinking about what to put in a garage for audio & video. A Denon 4310 replaced 7 separate components....

SD

 

[Cryptic1911]

****, i need me one of those slide out racks for under my stairs.. just don't want to pay the $$ for it

 

[Costner]

ultgar - I have to ask... where did you get that rack, and how much did it cost? That thing is beautiful.

I have a simple two post rack right now and it works great for components but isn't beefy enough to mount my rack mount UPS to, so I'd like to get something like what you have.

Also, in the first image you show that 1U wire management (with the bristles) under the Netgear switch. Where the heck did you find that one?

 

[ultgar]

ultgar - I have to ask... where did you get that rack, and how much did it cost? That thing is beautiful.

I have a simple two post rack right now and it works great for components but isn't beefy enough to mount my rack mount UPS to, so I'd like to get something like what you have.

Also, in the first image you show that 1U wire management (with the bristles) under the Netgear switch. Where the heck did you find that one?

The rack and all of the rack accessories are Middle Atlantic. I use their gear for most of my garage A/V needs. For any local (NY/NJ/PA/CT) folks, I've got a great installer working with me now and can offer great pricing on labor and hardware. SD

 

[cochise7969]

Here's a YOU TUBE video of the one I used.

 

[Stuntmonkey]

I despise those structured cabinets. Either use a rack, or don't do it at all. Those in wall cabinets are great for apartments and such, but not suited for the garage.

Thats a nice rack install ultgar - you've gotta be in the AV industry

 

[potentz]

Thanks guys for all your help. I am going to just buy the components from Monoprice. I am going to be running the main wire in from the internet antenna and I then need to distribute to many rooms in my house. I want to have my entertainment system hooked up all the time as well as many different wall jacks (for computers, etc). Should I go with a router that feeds a multi port LAN switch or should I just use a patch panel? I am not sure how much of a pain it would be to patch when needed. Any suggestions as to the preferred method.

Thanks

 

[FastEddieG]

We just bought this house and it's 3 years old. It has a media panel that has my cable tv/internet, directv, phone, and network jacks all tied into it. When I finish the basement, all of the wires will have a home that is accessible.

To patch, or not to patch. The preferred method is whatever is easiest for you. If you drop all of the cables into a patch panel, you'll need many short patch cables to plug into a switch. You can just as easily put RJ45 ends on the cables and plug them directly into a switch. The reason patch panels exist is for large scale implementations with oodles of cables. Of course smaller instances can benefit from the organization, but they are not necessary like they are in a datacenter.

Also note, the patch panel is not a switch nor a hub. You still need to terminate the wires into a communication device. For home applications, I always prefer to stick with a cheap/small router device as your end point, and a higher quality switch between it and your network nodes. So your devices plug into your switch, and your switch plugs into your router. I think it's cheaper to do it this way and arguably better because you are getting devices that perform each function well.

At the end of the day, technology has a limited lifespan before something bigger and better comes out. I personally do not subscribe to always having the latest and greatest. But over time and use, things age, wear out, or just get old and an upgrade is necessary. So because of that, buy what meets your requirements but within your budget.

Hope that helps,
-Ed

 

[Stuntmonkey]

I agree.

Anything more than 12 cables becomes a mess and a 16 port patch panel will clean things up. You can get some small 3RU racks that will do the job fantastically, and with a small 1RU shelf on the bottom you can simply have your router sitting there.

Don't be fooled by someone telling you the need for a rack mounted switch. They are expensive and more than likely going to be overkill for what you need. In my experience I've never come across a home with more than 6 network cables plugged into the switch/router.

Patch cables are obviously a necessity if your going with a small patch panel, but again don't be fooled by the fancy looking cables that come in bunches, and are expensive. Buy yourself some RJ45 ends and a crimping tool, and do it yourself. Its not hard and you can use the left over cable from your Cat5 runs.

 

[travisd]

Its not hard and you can use the left over cable from your Cat5 runs.

Careful here.

In-wall runs are usually done with Solid wire, since it doesn't need to flex.

Patch cables are done with Stranded wire, since they need to be flexible and get moved around.

Crimp ends are frequently only designed for one type of cable or the other. Be careful of which kind you get. Most of the time they'll work OK at first -- but over time start to fail.

A lot of time what I do is take longer patch cables and cut them in half to make shorter ones. Saves having to crimp the other end. Buy 3' cables, halve them and re-terminate the end into 1.5' jumpers. Put a piece of cable management by the switch and it should still look neat and be maintainable. Even for a small residential isntallation like mine, I find that things get swapped around now and then (different switches, network configs, etc.

If you're thinking of wiring everything with Cat5/6 and using it for phone -- it will work, including using RJ-11 plugs in RJ-45 jacks, but the RJ-45 jacks may take some wear/damage due to the outer pins being pushed up by the RJ-11 plug.

Finally, if you look around, patch cables are available REALLY cheaply, and the pre-made ones have a gernally higher success rate of working the first time. It's not usually worth your time when you can get cables for $1-2 each.

 

[Jeepskate]

Definitely have to look at your particular setup to determine if structured is the way to go. I've thought about doing it, but in the end it just doesn't make much sense for me. I have DirecTV and the dish is mounted next to the top of the chimney. Since DTV does it's own splitting outside, 2 RG6 cables come off of it and run into the attic to feed my son's room (the other originally fed the master suite, but I disconnected that when I put in my wall plates as the cable dropped down in my closet and then was run along the baseboard halfway around the room. I put wall plates in the two spare bedrooms and can connect it to one of them later should the need arise) and the other two run down into the basement to feed the TV room on the first floor (the other was originally unused, but it's now hooked to the master suite; ran across the basement, up through the mud room closet, into the garage attic, to the wall of the bedroom). Strike 1 for the panel. The phone line comes into my office in the basement next to the main panel and when I ran all of my CAT5e, I left plenty of slack so that it could go to the same area, but it's not really practical to mount a box there. Strike 2. I work for an e-recycling company and we often get tons of rack mount stuff in (keyboards, KVM's, LCD's, shelves, power strips, cable management, UPSes, and racks in all shapes, sizes & colors) so when I see something come in that I think I might use, I grab it before it heads to the shredder (you guys don't want to see how much stuff you pay good money for that we send through the shredder and sell as scrap for pennies a pound...I can't tell you how many of those covered cable management brackets have passed through here in the past few months, I kept a couple of them. I actually found a Sony PS3 a couple of months ago.). I've got a really nice wall mount rack with locking doors and I'm going to put a patch panel in there and move all of my networking gear into it (downsizing from 2 rack mount servers to 1, 16 port gigabit switch...I'm *not* average, rack mount UPS to keep things running while the standby generator kicks in). I keep my WAP in a closet under the stairs on the first floor that's pretty much in the middle of the house and there's a 5-port gigabit switch in the attic that feeds the second floor except for the master, a 4-port Intellijack in the family room that feeds a docking station and two printers, and a 5-port gigabit switch in the basement for my son's game consoles. With the phones, I only use two jacks since the cordless unit supports 4 handsets, so even putting in a punch block for that is pointless nowadays.

If you guys need stuff like patch panels, shelves & cable management brackets, drop me a line and I'll keep an eye out for you. Better to use this stuff than have it come back as the dash in your new car

 

[Jeepskate]

Careful here.

In-wall runs are usually done with Solid wire, since it doesn't need to flex.

Patch cables are done with Stranded wire, since they need to be flexible and get moved around.

Most DIY'ers just grab a box of stranded off the shelf at Home Depot. Good point, though.

A lot of time what I do is take longer patch cables and cut them in half to make shorter ones. Saves having to crimp the other end. Buy 3' cables, halve them and re-terminate the end into 1.5' jumpers. Put a piece of cable management by the switch and it should still look neat and be maintainable. Even for a small residential isntallation like mine, I find that things get swapped around now and then (different switches, network configs, etc.

Excellent suggestion & something that I do too.

Finally, if you look around, patch cables are available REALLY cheaply, and the pre-made ones have a gernally higher success rate of working the first time. It's not usually worth your time when you can get cables for $1-2 each.

Hehehe...you don't want to know how much of that stuff comes through here either. I've got tons of them.

 

[Costner]

If you guys need stuff like patch panels, shelves & cable management brackets, drop me a line and I'll keep an eye out for you. Better to use this stuff than have it come back as the dash in your new car

People throw away rack shelves? That is a travesty! Don't they know those things cost at least $30-35 a pop?

 

[Jeepskate]

People throw away rack shelves? That is a travesty! Don't they know those things cost at least $30-35 a pop?

And that's just the basic ones @ $30-35. When it's time for new gear, they just toss everything. Sometimes I get racks in with a UPS or two in the bottom, a couple of 4-5 year old servers, and KVM with drawer mounted LCD & keyboard. Sometimes I even get stuff that's still new in the box.

 

[Costner]

Thats sad.... I'd love to be in your position sometimes. I'd make use out of a lot of that stuff rather than sending it to a shredder.

 

[Metal-Marc]

...

Finally, if you look around, patch cables are available REALLY cheaply, and the pre-made ones have a gernally higher success rate of working the first time. It's not usually worth your time when you can get cables for $1-2 each.

X2

Cheap, and reliable.

 

[Sloper0204]

If you guys need stuff like patch panels, shelves & cable management brackets, drop me a line and I'll keep an eye out for you. Better to use this stuff than have it come back as the dash in your new car

any decent switches come your way regularly?

 

[Jeepskate]

Thats sad.... I'd love to be in your position sometimes. I'd make use out of a lot of that stuff rather than sending it to a shredder.

It's like being in a crack house for geeks It seems like I bring something home every other day.

 

[Jeepskate]

any decent switches come your way regularly?

Ebbs & flows. Sometimes I get a bunch of pure junk, other times I get loads of goodies. I usually grab any decent switches that I see and put them to the side.

 

[fatrhino]

Jeepskate, where in OH are you? I am on the lookout for a cheap 4 post rack

 

[Jeepskate]

I'm in Lexington, OH

 

[Striker]

I am on the lookout for a cheap 4 post rack

What is your definition of "cheap"? I know several companies that sell them at reasonable prices.

http://rackmountsolutions.net/Server_Rack_4_Post_Double.asp
http://rackmountsolutions.net/4_Post_Server_Rack.asp
http://www.dantraknet.com/category/47
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280393428261

It all depends on what you intend to put it the rack. Full size racks are obviously more expensive than a 20U or 28U rack. Weight is also a big deal. Racks designed for heavier weight limits cost more money.