House Wiring & Outlets

[benjamming]

What phone & TV connector should be used on a new house with cat5 wiring? I plan on using satellite TV service and DSL internet connection.
Would RG6 be what I need to use for the TV? What other options are there?
Would RJ11 or RJ45 be better for phone & what are my other options?

 

[JAYCEE]

RJ45 should be used for the network connections using CAT5. Most single-line home telephones require RJ11. RG6 is used for CATV but it's normally supplied by the installer.

For a new build, run more cable than you think you'll need. You can just leave it hanging inside the wall until you need it. Cut a hole in the drywall and install the jack as needed. This way is much easier than waiting until the attic is insulated and then trying to run cables.

 

[eljefino]

I agree with Jaycee. Most dish services require TWO RG6 cables for polarity. My Mom's directv DVR has a RF modulated output that needs yet another one, and if you get cable internet there's a 4th wire you'll want to run.

The nerdy consensus is to have a central closet "hub" with all this stuff and spurs off to each room. Then if you need to get something from the living room upstairs, you make the connection in the basement.

Cat5 and RG6 are pretty much adaptable and future-resistant but you'll want to leave provisions for "fishing" future wire... like a string in the wall etc.

Leviton has this cute setup in Home Depot with a wall plate with snap-in plastic blocks. You can snap-in RJ11/RJ45/CATV or just drill a hole in a blank for a future app.

 

[Papa Bear]

That string in the wall, you can tie a tin can on each end for "intercom" feature.

 

[brianl703]

do NOT daisy-chain any of these cables.

Run them all from each outlet location to a place in the basement or a utility closet where there's room to mount a splitter and an ethernet switch. About a good 4 feet of wall space should be enough.

I'd suggest running 2 cat5e and 1 RG6 cable to each location back to this central place.

Then run 2 cat5e and 2 RG6 cables from this central place to outside where the utilities will connect to the house. Be sure you tape the ends to keep water from getting in them if they won't be hooked up right away. Might even go so far as to put silicone dielectric grease on the ends.

 

[Laminar Lou]

Quote:

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That string in the wall, you can tie a tin can on each end for "intercom" feature.

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If you are building a new house, a couple extra bones to install these would be my suggestion:

Flex conduit

Makes it real easy to pull new wire if you ever decide to do it in the future.

Also, you could use RJ45 jacks for telephone and internet. RJ11 plugs will fit into a RJ45 jack. Just an option.

 

[tom slick]

If you really want to nerd out on your COM connections this is what I would do;
Run 2 cat5 cables from your COM closet to each spot you want POTS and Ethernet. make each a homerun. make each end an RJ-45 female.
As mentioned by Lou an RJ-11 will work in an RJ-45.
with that setup you can use either wall jack or both for POTS or Ethernet and all you have to do is connect it correctly back in you COM Closet.
This is the way it is setup in offices and is very adaptable .

 

[Matt_S]

For futureproofing, run CAT6, not CAT5. If it were me, I'd run two RJ45, one RJ11 and one CATV jacks in each room. As others have mentioned, run it all to a central closet or utility room in the basement where you can patch in connections as you need them. For broadband internet, get a 100 Mb or Gigabit Ethernet switch (8 ports or more) to patch in your network connections. Connect the switch to your broadband router, then connect that to the cable or DSL modem. It would be good to get a wireless 802.11-G or -N router at this point.

 

[brianl703]

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Also, you could use RJ45 jacks for telephone and internet. RJ11 plugs will fit into a RJ45 jack. Just an option.

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Just be aware that RJ45 jack may never work right again for data after you plug an RJ11 into it. I personally had to replace an RJ45 jack that was causing intermittent connectivity to a rack of servers because someone had apparently plugged an RJ11 into it and the outer two contacts were bent up as a result.

 

[benjamming]

Thanks guys. RJ45 for all phone (which all could serve as an internet point) connections it will be then.

 

[toocrazy2yoo]

BenJamm..

When you spec cable, spec RG-6 QUAD SHIELD. It's a few bucks more (very few), and is the spec wire for high-def cable AND sat-tv..

The rest of the ethernet recommendations are pretty good. Me, I wouldn't mind having a strand or two of multi and single-mode fibre to several points in the house too..

Also, regarding intercom, try a small, 3-line and on up to 16 phone business telephone system, too. Handles any extra lines, but is also an excellent handsfree-answerback intercom to boot. Lots of deals on secondhand, refurbished Toshiba Strata systems out there, and the phones arrive like new with 1-3 year warranties, too..

Good Luck!

 

[Shannow]

Quote:

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POTS

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Is that Gangsta speak ?

Piece Of Tha S....

Sorry, electrics, the TLAs and the ETLAs that go along with them lose me.

 

[springnr]

Plain old telephone service, or POTS

 

[tom slick]

strangely POTS is the industry name for regular telephone service.

 

[toocrazy2yoo]

Well, for a single line, non-hunting standard tip-and-ring teleco line, that's POTS, Plain Old Telephone Service, as Springer said.