[t_hamill]

Hi guys

Please forgive me, a very basic idiotic question but I'm about to start a newbuild and want to future proof it as much as possible . I'd like to cover networking and av and think this is the best forum for advice.

I'll be having 2 main living rooms which I'd like AV, with decent tv's and surround sound. I'm having an office above a detached garage so it will be around 30 feet or so from the house and would like to be able to be connected to the house network. Ideally would like to include bedrooms as well.

Really basic basic stuff but I honestly don't have a clue and I'm in northern ireland and there doesn't seem to be many places to turn to for advice and am totally
If it were your house what would you do?

Thanks

[gazmo30]

t_hamill,

Welcome to the forum. I am no expert, but my advise would be to run far more cables than you think you need!! It will be easier during the build than in the future.

I have just renovated my house and i ran at least two cat5e and coax to each room. In the office and next to the TV i ran 4 of each and in other rooms i added an extra two network points for telephones. For me a gigabit is fine, but you may want to consider cat6 for real future proof. You should also consider where the cables should run back to. I ran mine to the attached garagewhere i have a wall cabinet with the patch panels and switch installed.

I am afraid i can't really help with the AV stuff, only that i worked out where i wanted by speakers and buried the cables before plastering.

Hope this helps

[Jamie S]

I would run x2 Cat6 cables to most rooms and maybe even x4 or x6 Cat6 to the main living rooms. Even if you don't end up using them, it is better to have too much than too little! Especially in a newbuild it is far easier to run the cables during the build.

Reels of solid core Cat6 cable have come down dramatically in price and any electrician or network engineer worth their salt can install it with ease.

These can be terminated as nice wall plates. You can get chrome, brass, antique etc etc

The vast majority of multi-room AV systems will use Cat6 network cabling to achieve the distribution.

You should be well covered with that.

[t_hamill]

Thanks guys, I know I'm clueless.

I've been looking and it seems that cat 6 seems a sensible way to carry future HD signals via HDMI.

I'm thinking of running 6 cat 6 cables from 2 main rooms for tv to hub and maybe 2 from other rooms, sound reasonable. Any preferences for hub locations?

Also are 2 wf100 cables to each room enough?

Thanks

[t_hamill]

Also, any recommendations for cat6 cable, have seen different prices, which is best bang for buck?

Cheers again

[Jamie S]

Solid core Cat6 can be found on ebay on reels of 300m for very competitive prices.

We use a company called Cable Monkey or Universal Networks often when sourcing Cat6 cable for our installs.

[Joe Fernand]

A network of big conduit is the best future proofing you can install.

Multiple CAT6 is an affordable option that should cope with most medium term requirements.

Black Box GigaTrue 550 Mhz LSZH is what we use - Product Display: Black Box Network Services

Have you tried the team at Lyric HiFi in Belfast - LYRIC HiFi - Creative Sound, Vision and Light

Joe

[newbie1]

Hi t_hamill

I completed a new build last year along the lines other people have recommended:

- 2 x cat 6 to each room, including kitchen
- 12 x cat 6 to the living room, 3 points, and for multiroom system
- 1 x coax to each room

The cat 6 can be used for phone so no other phone lines

If I was doing it again I would have extra cat 6 for the den where I set up the HC as the AVR, Bluray all need a connection. For now I added an extra switch.

Also think about a second coax for satellite, seems it is not as easy as I thought to combine signals...

Good luck!

[illingworth22]

Originally Posted by newbie1

Hi t_hamill

I completed a new build last year along the lines other people have recommended:

- 2 x cat 6 to each room, including kitchen
- 12 x cat 6 to the living room, 3 points, and for multiroom system
- 1 x coax to each room

The cat 6 can be used for phone so no other phone lines

If I was doing it again I would have extra cat 6 for the den where I set up the HC as the AVR, Bluray all need a connection. For now I added an extra switch.

Also think about a second coax for satellite, seems it is not as easy as I thought to combine signals...

Good luck!

How did you get on with the re-wire? I am in a similar position (see my post Another Futur Proofing Wiring Question) and am having a break down at the thought of wiring up the house! Do you have a central location for your Sat TV or is it situated in individual rooms? How did you wire up the speakers in each room? Any help or advice would be appreciated!

[newbie1]

OK almost finished now. All the wiring except for the HC sound goes to a central location. Sat is the latest addition and this does work combining the normal cable signal on a single wire using a multiswitch. Each TV has its own Sat decoder, one is built in, and one separate so far.