Using the Sewer Vent for Cable or Cat5e Run?

[Todd H.]

And if you're using WEP, someone can break all that in minutes. MAC's can be sniffed and cloned simply with passive sniffers, SSID is included in every packet sent across the air even if the access point doesn't beacon. If you're using WPA-PSK and aren't using a very complex passphrase, that too can be cracked using freely available dictionary attack tools. At least you're not among the open network drones though--kuds on that.

For you and your websurfing use. FWIW, I'm willing to be you're not getting anywhere near 54Mbps from upstairs to downstairs.

Start pushing video or a large volume of photos across to a network drive on a home network like many media creators do, or appreciate how trivially most encryption can be broken if you work with sensitive data in a home business, the case for copper becomes even more compelling.

Wireless: just because you can doesn't mean you should.

In short, I wouldn't begrudge anyone wanting to run cat5 cable.

Best Regards,

-- Todd H.

[Pat]

I agree, copper is not dead. There's a time and a place for it. But there is also a time and a place for wireless. I run wire to 2 computers and wireless to a third (and the kid's PSP).

If the OP is working from home and has sensitive data, wire's probably a good idea. Also if he's downloading movies and playing games. But if it's just "check your email" or sending things to a printer, wireless is probably okay.

To some extent is also depends of where he lives. I live in a small, rural community and a neighbor just put in a wireless network. Until then, there was never another wireless network in the area and little chance anyone would be trying to crack mine (but I still use security). If the OP is in the middle of a city near a university, it's a whole other story.

I was just curious about it and thought I would suggest another option that might work or it might not.

[Mark Lloyd]

Yes, and don't forget simplicity and reliability.

[Frank Olson]

While I agree with Mr. Kearney that it's better to "do it right" in the first place, I seriously doubt a length of wire would pose any more hazard in a fire if it was located on the outside of the siding or underneath it. I've never heard of a cable acting as a "fuse". There are far more combustible materials used in home construction and I doubt the "fuse factor" would be pose any real issue. I mean, by the time it gets hot enough to ignite FT-4 or FT-6 rated jacket, the vinyl siding would be ablaze as well.

[Keith Williams]

The cable can be sniffed at the street too.

It does. The router is pretty much right over the family room though.

Security overkill for 99.44%. We use wireless at work too, where they are a tad more sensitive.

Just because they can, doesn't mean they will.

Begrudge those wanting cat-5, no. Begrudge the Chicken-Littleites, yes.

[Todd H.]

That's security through hope. :-) But to each their own.

-- Todd H.

[rich]

I think beyond all other reasons given here, there's a pretty low success rate getting a wireless signal to work very well on multi level houses. the antennae are meant moreso to be at fairly the same height with each other.

[sylvan butler]

That's the issue I have, and why I'm planning for more copper. I can stream mp3 over 802.11b with no problem. Video was iffy, so I switched to 801.11g. No video is pretty decent, but I find myself wanting to copy 1gb to 8gb files between systems. Time for copper.

Before purchasing this place I had plans to build and wire oodles of cat-5 everywhere. In spite of the advances in wireless, for anyone building or extensive remodeling I _strongly_ recommend copper in the walls. Wireless is great for its niche, OK most times, but copper is great most times so put it in if you can! It is trivial to add wireless if you want to try it or need it for its niche. Copper if you can.

sdb

[Marc_F_Hult]

Mark,

Could you please take down this link before someone emulates your installation and gets electrocuted?

If someone connects a 220VAC 4-wire dryer with only three wires, leaving the chassis ungrounded, the chassis would become hot if one of the conductors you show running unprotected through the sharp metal edge of the case were to contact the dryer. With time and vibration owing to dryer movement, this would be a very likely scenario.

With one hand on the hot chassis, another on a sink or grounded washing machine, the current would cross their chest and could stop their heart. You might cause someone to die. Please consider that and do the responsible thing.

... Marc Marc_F_Hult

[Calvin Henry-Cotnam]

With IP-TV services (especially for HD programming) being the next big thing, this will become a very compelling reason for copper to continue even further into the future.

[krw]

Are you going GbE? I don't see the huge gain from 54Mb to 100Mb. My laptop and desktop have GbE, so all I need is a switch. ...but I don't see a real need.

I'd put wires where there would be computers and in the basement and such. I don't think I'd wire the living room and dining room though. We're thinking about building a house (for retirement) soon, and would likely put in conduit to the basement so the wires can be replaced. Same for the entertainment center.

[Mark Lloyd]

I noticed and corrected that safety problem just after taking those pictures. There should be a note about that on that page.

I am currently unable to verify that because of what appears to be a problem with my ISP. I expect to remove or fix that page when I get a chance.

[Mark Lloyd]

The page is now disabled.

[Mark Lloyd]

Considering the high bandwidth required for IPTV.

[sig snipped, as needed because of incorrect sig separator ("-- ")]

[sylvan butler]

That should have been "Now video is pretty decent." :)

The difference is HUGE between wireless 54Mb and 100baseT ethernet. For one, you really get 100Mbit on the ethernet. For another, you get full-duplex. I've never seen 54Mb come even close to 54Mb thruput in any realistic scenario. Since it is only half-duplex (only one side can transmit at any given moment) about the best you get is 25Mb. Then consider that the collision domain is _every_system_ on the wireless net and your thruput goes way down. I'm actually running one 'G' and two 'B' nets at home, using all three non-colliding channels, just to seperate traffic. :(

I'm contemplating GigE. Like you, all I need is a switch. When I see a deal I can't refuse, I'll jump. The rest of the infrastructure is ready.

Wire dual runs of Cat5 or better to anyplace you might want TV or audio. Digital media distribution is the future, and Cat-5 means you can get not only the content, but with power-over-ethernet (POE) simple devices won't even need a power cable. But your entertainment center definitely needs network connectivity.

I'd recommend you consider wiring dual runs pretty darn near everywhere.

Definitely.

In the future I expect something far better than 802.11 for wireless, or else networking will be wired in homes the way power was wired 50 years ago -- outlets in every room, on most walls, but never enough or in the right place. Unlike power which had to be codified to force outlets every 12 feet and on every wall, the haphazard approach for networking will probably be good enough, since 802.11 can fill in the gaps.

sdb

[sylvan butler]

The "professional" who wired my last house (new built for me) did one better... He wired the range swapping hot and ground. My wife never complained, but the first time I tried to cook pasta and it took forever to bring water to a boil, and could hardly keep it there, I knew something was wrong. Started measuring voltages after dinner. The leads on my DMM were long enough to measure the 120v between chassis of range and kitchen faucet. Which meant my arms were easily long enough.

When called him, the electrician was wondering if he could barge in on us at 10pm that night (Sunday). I let him off the hook and just swapped the wires myself. There were other problems with the wiring in that house. I wonder if he was as drunk as the finish carpenter who pounded the base molding thru the drywall rather than cut to length?

I moved into this house some years later. Shortly afterwards, I tested all the outlets. Found some reversed hot and neutral, and some open ground. Now perhaps a homeowner messed them up during the 20 years before I moved in. But with all the coats of paint and loose prongs in most of the outlets in the house, I'm pretty sure it was original work.

sdb

[hallerb]

If you jave the walls open!

eun empty conduit the cheap flexible type to empty boxes with covers .......

this way when something new comes along wiring or rewiring is easy!

no fishing thru insulated spaces cutting access holes etc etc......

[Mark Lloyd]

Not quite. There's always SOME overhead. Also, the computer and OS limit the speed you can get. Still expect much greater speed than with wireless.

BTW, I definitely do get more than 54Mbps on a wired network.

Also, you can expect MUCH LOWER range than advertised (you don't have ideal conditions at your house). When the signal gets weaker, speed goes down even more.

I'd still use wireless, but only when necessary (like with a laptop that's moved around a lot). Never as a substitute for an ethernet cable.

I seem to heard that 3 is about the most non-colliding channels you can get.

If it doesn't cost too much more than 100Mbps equipment.

One run is probably enough (you can always add a switch there if you need to). Of course, when you're putting in that one, it wouldn't be much harder to run two instead.

[Bill Kearney]

Well, a switch alone won't help you. It doesn't do you any good to have a bunch of gigE workstations if you only have a single gigE link into the server. It's often cheaper and equally effective to continue using

100BaseT/Full Duplex on the workstations and multiple connections into the servers using 100BaseT or gigE. The key being able to get as much traffic in/out of the server devices as workstation demands would require. None of this matters, however, if you don't have switches that can truly handle that sort of throughput. It's far better to spend your money on good switches than it is to waste it on workstation cards. Fast cards ain't worth squat if the switch can't keep up.

[Bill Kearney]

Suit yourself, quite possibly 'law-suit'.

Code exists for a reason. It's all a bunch of little stuff, but much like the death of a thousand pinpricks, it's the little stuff that adds up. Just because your one wire isn't a problem doesn't mean it won't become part of a larger problem later. I've seen and heard tell of all sorts of wiring stupidities, some DIY, a fair bit by "professionals". I'd rather avoid doing something lazy on the premise it "might not" be a real problem.

Really, your home is probably the most expensive investment you'll ever make in your life, why screw around with it? Why put your life and your money at risk? Just to be cheap/lazy? Honestly, it makes no rational sense.

But hey, feel free, someone's gotta keep the firemen, lawyers and morgue clerks busy...