Optimum/Cablevision, Wiring House Networks.

[Drew1d]

Ever since I was a kid, I loved computers.

Currently I'm on a wireless network. And to be honest, it's just too slow. All my equipment is Netgear. It's N+ (dual band) but I'm currently only using N because the signal strength to my office is only 45% at dual band and 80% at N. (215 Mbs)

All my wired equipment is capable of Gigabit switching.

My first pet peeve about this house is that the former owner had everything wired outside. I mean like 200 ft coaxial runs alongside the gutter than run into the house.

My second pet peeve is that too many signal-splitters are being used. The first is a four way splitter where the service would enter the house, than a two way splitter at the cablemodem/TV box. It's gotta be like a 20db loss, and I can tell because I have some pix-elation about once an hour.

So my plan is to run the coxial into the house to a central location. I'll then have a 2 way splitter, MODEM and Signal Amplifier. Then run CAT6 and RG-6 to the destinations.

But I guess my problem is, How am I going to put this plan into action. I'm ok with drywall, but I have stucco on one level (I'm in a split) and don't know how to repair it.) I have wood paneling, but I'm not sure if the hot water baseboard heat is attached to it. I'm thinking of running everything into the attic and dropping it down, into the bedrooms, but don't know about the hot and cold, and that might make the runs too long.

I have an idea but would love any tips or thoughts on what made other peoples installations easier. I'll take pictures later and show you what I mean.

[Drew1d]

Just a quick (and incomplete, inaccurate) guide to some of the cabling and signal stuff I'm describing.


Telephone (RJ11 is the small 4wire phone plug on your modern home phone)
- CAT3 (Telephone cable)

Ethernet (RJ45 larger 8wire network plugs, shaped like phone plugs)
- CAT5e (Older standard, but still widely used and installed.)
- CAT6 (I would call the Current Standard, gigabit tested)
- CAT6a (newish standard, 10 gigabit tested, speculation that it's the next AV standard)
- CAT7 (The stuff they use in Star Trek)

CableTV/Modem (F style)
- RG-56 (the thinner coaxial able)
- RG6 (the thicker more modern and better cable. Hello digital tv!)

Splitters
- Resistance or "signal loss" is measured in decibels. When you split the signal, the original loud signal gets divided into quieter signals. So generally, the more splits you have the more db's you lose. If you chain splitter after splitter you make it much worse. So a single 6 way splitter is better than 4 two way splitters. (that decrease the db's as much as triple.) What you can do is put terminators on the splits you don't use because it will add back some of the dbs on the active splits. But it's probably better to have the right amount of splits for your purpose.

Amplifiers
- these take the signal, split it and amplify the "volume" so there is no db loss. So this is the best of all worlds right? Well, no. The act of amplifying may cause distortion. (Screaming!!!) Probably not a big deal so much when a signal is going to TV sets, but it tends to make cable modem use crappy. And also, amplifiers tend to be one directional, and a cable modem has to receive and send. Most cable modems (if not all) can actually amplify their signal to some degree, so it's just best to use a splitter in there application.

[Drew1d]

Total lack of motivation, tackling the painting projects first. (yes, I know that's out of order.)

So I sent outside and fixed the splitter situation. Attached a "block" to the service coming in, grounded it and now the one wire entering isn't split until it hits the modem/cable box. Signal is improved, or at least I believe that it switches between my info guide on the box quicker.

The downstairs laptop seems quicker, but really no difference in the office.

Still waiting on pics.

[HayZee518]

cat 6

cat-6 is always better. I have a cable modem that I use for telephony with an rj-11 to a distribution box for the phones. I have one time warner cable co splitter feeding the cable modem and a ubex wired/wireless 100/10 mbs modem. I never use the wireless function but I have two rj-45 cables no longer than five feet installed. one for each computer I have and occasionally another one for a laptop. I did an online check for speed and the rj-45 provides the best send/receive sequence.
about the tv signal splitters. you will get a 4db drop at each splitter. unused outputs should be capped off with an attenuation cap so the splitter sees a load.