Beezler
Premium
join:2005-03-17
Allen, TX
|  My Structured Cable Wiring Project and Home Network!
Here is the project panel and cutouts. (Note the alarm box to the side of the closet) | 
The project panel after paint and install of the cabinet! | 
I decided to clean up the cable tv plant in the wire box. | 
The termination and labeling of the wires. |
All wires (Both AV and Telephone) went into a structured wiring panel in the master bedroom. Above that, there was a box for the alarm. After looking at this it seemed the easiest area to install the network equipment for the house. There were a total of 8 wires that were not terminated and 9 wires (8 plus one to DMark) for the phone. I figured that gave me 16 drops for either phone or network. Most of the telephone wiring was CAT-5 but a majority of the wiring that was not terminated was CAT 5e (good...I can use gigabit). I also wanted to add another 8 drops to the closet just for projects and for a NAS device and laser Printer.
I measured the free space above the wiring panel in the closet and created a 3/4" plywood template for all hardware. I drew out where all the wall studs were and where current (alarm) opening was as well as where the new hardware would mount.
I purchased an 8U Wall Mount Drop Front Cabinet Rack off ebay for $125.00 and a 32 unit keystone patch panel. Once they arrived, and added them to the template, I realized that I would need to move the alarm over about 6 inches to fit the cabinet rack and UPS. No problem as there was excess cable. The good thing about doing it this way, all holes were made and screws pre-drilled and tested for fit/finish. I then moved the board onto the wall and began the task of priming/paining to match the closet. The pictures that follow will give you an idea of the process so far. I will update pictures as I can. Enjoy! |
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Greg_Z
Premium
join:2001-08-08
Springfield, IL
 ·Comcast
| You do know that running wire not rated for in wall run is not legal. I personally would have located an outlet for the device that you have the cord running through the wall to.
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I threw out the map a long time ago. Now I follow my own direction! |
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Beezler
Premium
join:2005-03-17
Allen, TX
| reply to Beezler
Thanks for the information. It just seemed like a quick and clean way to get power to the device without having to go that route. Once I get a chance, I'll have someone come out and place the outlet within the confines of the cabinet or where the UPS is located...maybe both. My thoughts were that since the power brick cord was 15' long, that gave me enough room to run it like that and move on with the project. |
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Beezler
Premium
join:2005-03-17
Allen, TX
| reply to Beezler
Here is the entire cabinet, modem, alarm box and UPS for the network gear | 
The network cabinet. | 
Picture of the WAP with POE |
Essentially, the network is a Linksys RV016 Router, a Dell PowerConnect 2716 Gigabit switch, and a Linksys WAP 2000 wireless access point with Power Over Ethernet (one more to set up). Pretty simple but it runs well.
The cable modem is for both data and phone and I have the phone only to two drops (blue cables). The drops using orange patch cable are for the four drops next to the alarm box and the four near the floor (mainly will be used for printer and NAS). The remaining patch cables go to the other drops and will go to the two WAP 2000's. I only have one up now, but will be installing another upstairs on the opposite side of the house using a wall drop already in existence. This should give me coverage throughout and the ability to roam.
Any thoughts or comments about what I could do differently (including the illegal wiring) or make it better would be appreciated. Thanks for sharing all your pictures, I really got allot out of seeing everyone's ideas and incorporated a few in my design.
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Beezler
Premium
join:2005-03-17
Allen, TX
| reply to Beezler
Inside the cabinet (1) | 
Inside the cabinet (2) | 
Inside the cabinet (3) |
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Beezler
Premium
join:2005-03-17
Allen, TX
| reply to Beezler
NAS Device | 
All items connected and running. | 
another picture of all devices up and running |
Other than that, I thought of running a server (small like a shuttle sytem) that I could run without the monitor and a separate NAS device (possibly RAID 5 with hot swap SATA drives). In either case, the units will need to run quiet.
Now that the printer is installed, I can see that I will need to build a printer stand and make it so it could also store a couple of reams of paper as well. But for now, the network is complete and other than getting an electrician out here someday to take care of a couple of outlets, I'm done with this room!
My next project will be tackling an office upstairs. I haven't shopped for any furniture and if anyone has suggestions either online or in the DFW area of any good/reasonable priced or used office furniture, I will give them a look.
The printer I have for upstairs is an all-in-one (fax/printer/scanner/copier) color laser printer. I still haven't even unboxed it yet but hope to do so once I get the furniture for the office.
That's all for now... |
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sruser
join:2005-04-21
Arlington, VA
| reply to Beezler
I think that setup looks great. Its clean, accessible, and color coded. Only suggestion that I could think of is a legend for your color code and a print out of the connections. Something like a visio or ominigraffle diagram. That way you have a reference and don't have to write down or run back and forth to remember what port your working on. |
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jbcg
join:2001-09-15
Milwaukee, WI
| reply to Beezler
Really nice buildout. Curious why you chose the keystone panels instead of a 110 or Krone punch-down given as you have a nice flip-down rack. Looks good anyway, though.
Suggestions:
1) Replace the zip ties with Velcro rip ties. If you don't want to pay the breathtaking price for purpose-made rip ties available on the web, you can pick up a roll of cheapo ones from Home Depot for about $5. They're all hidden, anyway. Velcro is easier on cabling than zip ties and makes it easier to add or rearrange cabling later.
2) It's been said, but I would definitely get at least one quad-plex outlet installed ASAP. A dedicated run right from the circuit box. Then from there, I'd run all 110 power cords on surface. Running them behind walls is not only potentially dangerous (though certainly not as dangerous as a dozen other things you might find in the average house), it just doesn't look professional.
3) On the other hand, surface mounted network cabling should be avoided if possible. For the access point (wireless router?) I would put a jack in the wall. There are a variety of good reasons, but the main reason is that it's consistent with the rest of your cable plant. You can get (or make) a shortie, 6" Cat 5e patch cable to get from the jack to the AP. Running the cable in the wall around that corner (with its 2 or 3 2x4 studs) might be a pain--you might have to run it up to the attic and back down. Also, the cable that carries the POE from the injector into the patch panel port should be a different color (I use hot pink) and labeled so you don't accidentally patch it into an outlet for a non-POE device. Most network devices tolerate the voltage, but you don't want to take a chance.
4) As sruser suggested, you should have a key of some sort for your jacks. You might think you'll remember which jack is which, but the day will come when you (or someone else in your house while you're away on business) will need to change a patch cable and you'll be tearing your hair out. A printed index doesn't look so cool mounted to the wall or whatever, but once you get your printer stand, you could just drop it in the drawer. I would also label each jack with a code like MBC1-1 for Master Bedroom Closet box 1 jack 1. FR1-1=Family Room jack 1, etc.
5) When labeling drop cables try not to use ephemeral designations for rooms. For example, the room you call a guest bedroom right now might have your den or your kids in there in a couple of years. Better to call it north east BR (NEBR1-1) or something like that.
6) Think about labeling your patch cables on the patch panel end with the port number of the router or switch. That way you can easily tell which link light refers to any given outlet. I like to use Dymo Rhino cable wrap labels with just a simple port number on them, but a Sharpie works just as well.
7) I would have left some patch panel openings for new cable runs. Sooner or later you're going to want a second cable to the living room for streaming video or to the kids' room for a monitor camera, etc. You've got a free space at the bottom, at least--maybe you could slide everything down and mount another keystone panel in there without messing up your cable management too much.
8) Is there a way the cable bridge (modem) could be mounted to either the top or the bottom of the rack? That would make its lights more visible and would conceal that big, ugly loop of cable.
Anyway, these are mostly minor or preference issues. Overall you have an enviable setup--much neater than the so-called structured cabling I see in most residences. Clearly you put a lot of thought into the planning and a lot of effort into the implemention.
Thanks for sharing these. The forum was getting pretty dead for awhile there!
Joey |
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boethius
Boo-Yah
Premium
join:2002-01-28
Winters, CA
clubs: | reply to Beezler
Quite nicely done. I've done a Leviton panel in my house and it has a few CAT5 drops in it but not much yet. |
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Billa9b0ng
Premium
join:2002-04-08
Altoona, PA | reply to Beezler
Great job. Surely there is a better place for the printer though...or is that going in the office also ?
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The floggings will continue until morale improves! |
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Telcoguru
Premium
join:2005-08-22
Fresh Meadows, NY | reply to Beezler
Where did you buy those hooded face plates from? I've been looking for something like that for cabling the flat panel TV. |
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Greg_Z
Premium
join:2001-08-08
Springfield, IL | Those are not hooded faceplates. They are for Structured wiring & bundles when needing to pull up through a wall. You have to order them.
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I threw out the map a long time ago. Now I follow my own direction! |
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Telcoguru
Premium
join:2005-08-22
Fresh Meadows, NY | Where do you order them from? |
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Greg_Z
Premium
join:2001-08-08
Springfield, IL | Re: My Structured Cable Wiring Project and Home Network!�
Any place that sells structured wiring materials.� |
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tantivy
join:2007-03-17
Palo Alto, CA | One manufacturer is Arlington »www.arlnew.com/ |
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insomx
Premium
join:2003-01-26
Canada | reply to Beezler
Re: My Structured Cable Wiring Project and Home Network!
Great job! I really like these pics, thanks! |
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bilbusb
join:2003-04-10
Tucker, GA | reply to Beezler
Stellar job bro.
That looks like you did a lot of planing. |
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