I asked a question some time ago about Internet wiring. Since Iwill be opening walls I want to run the TV cable to the same rooms I will be running Cat5e cable. What the best way to put splitters. Right now I have 2-way splitter at the entrance. One end goes into family room with TV and another goes to office with cable modem. I need to run cable to three more bedrooms upstairs. The best would be to replace 2- way splitter with three-way splitter and run one end to the artic and then put there three-way splitter and run cable to each bedroom. Will it work?
*It would work, but the more splitters the more potential for lower picture quality. I would try and keep the splitters to a minimum. I recommend doing all home runs to one area and just get one big splitter.
Since you are sealing them in walls why not bump up to cat6? for now cat5e is sufficient, bur when it get to be 10gb on networks, the difference will show.
What does it mean "one area"? I can have one-two many splitter at entrance and run cables to each individual bedroom from that the only splitter. It will require more cable and wiring but I can do this.
That's how new homes are done. Home runs to a central distribution panel that includes the required splitting.
Definitely install home runs from each location to a central point. As far as splitters go, I would have the cable company determine this. My cable company will do a signal strength test on each line to determine how much signal is required, then install splitters accordingly.
What does it mean "one area"? I can have one-two many splitter at entrance and run cables to each individual bedroom from that the only splitter. It will require more cable and wiring but I can do this.
*I mean to one central location close to where your cable TV service now comes into the house. I would not bring them outside. Maybe take one of the existing lines off of the existing two way splitter and use that empty slot to feed all of the new home runs. Refeed the existing cable that was disconnected from the new central location. They make splitters that can handle many cables so don't use a bunch of two-way and three-way's. Use RG6 quad shield cable for your runs for optimum picture quality.
In a small office where I work, we wired each room for the Internet and ran each room's Internet cable each back to a central location. In the central location, we have what is called a "patch panel". Each Internet cable home run from each room is connected to a slot on the patch panel. In the same room, we have the incoming cable Internet service modem and a router. Then, to connect the Internet to a specific room, we use a patch cable that goes from the router to the plug-in slot on the patch panel that is connected to that specific room.
Since you are sealing them in walls why not bump up to cat6? for now cat5e is sufficient, bur when it get to be 10gb on networks, the difference will show.
I agree that CAT 6 is the way to go for a network. I had assumed he was using the CAT 5e for telephone.
Cat 6 is unnecessary, full stop. That said, the incremental cost isn't great, so you may as well use it on the off chance it will some day be desirable.
If you string splitters one after another, you'll need signal amplifers periodically in the string. I put in my coax after the house was built. I have a central location in my bedroom with two strings leaving from there, providing signal to 8 locations, and where every second splitter would be, I had to use a 110 volt signal amplifier. I would never embed them in the wall even if it were easy.
Most of this is avoided by using a fully central location. Although if hte power splitter ever fails (and I don't know how often this happens(, if it fails completely, which I think it woudl, it will take out every co-ax location and require the replacement of the main power splitter.
That doesn't mean your central location should be at your bedroom, but what you should consider are two things a) distributing internet radio from your computer to devices that make sound, and b) distributing internet television from your computer to your tvs. My friend is willing to watch a few tv shows at her desk, but I want them to be everywhere I can watch tv, with good seating, bigger screens if I ever get a bigger screen, and in the kitchen for when I want to watch while eating.
I probably only have to run one coax from the office PC to the bedroom central location for the tv, but I haven't done it yet, and I don't know your situation and if there's a better way to connect the locations. I would rather run speaker wires for the radio connections than have to play the radio through tv's, which will put added wear on the tv and use maybe 30 times as much current. Especially since when I play broadcast radio, I may have the radios in 5 locations on 3 floors, for a total of about 40 watts. 30 times would be 240 watts, and that's too much.
It will work, just remember, a 3-way splitter has two -7db outputs and one -3.5db outputs. put the cable modem on the -3.5db output as you will want the least signal loss for your cable modem and also if you have VOIP phone service. The TV signal is not as critical
As long as they go up to 900 MHZ or better, you should be fine.
AMEN! My incoming signal hits a 6-way splitter, and then home runs out to the TVs. I have a TV co-located with my internet, and the modem is split out at that point
I read the first link, but I am not sure about one thing.....,
Does the signal loss through a splitter depend on how many devices (TV's, for example) are actually connected to the splitter and drawing a signal? Or, is the signal loss just based on the number of splits in the splitter itself?
For example, if I have a 4-room apartment that I want to pre-wire, does it matter whether I use an 8-way splitter and put two lines in each room or use a 4-way splitter and putting one line in each room?
For cable, get a small (2 way) distribution amp instead of splitting so many times, withe the DA you will not lose signal quality also the
2 way DA will support digital interactions. Mount the DA close to the entry then home run each room from there with RG6 Quad Shield cables. Also suggest you run a send and receive cable to each room so that you can watch devices in other rooms by re-distributing RF.
I'm running gigabit speed on my LAN using cat5e right now, but for the little extra cost I would do cat6 again home run from a central switch.
If I remember correctly, Splitters list the loss of RF on each port. 8way will have tons of loss, you might need an amp. If you googled I'm sure you could find more info on this.
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