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That's interesting about the Panduit product. Are you referring to this?

http://www.panduit.com/wcs/Satellite?c=Page&childpagename=Panduit_Global%2FPG_Layout&cid=1345565612156&packedargs=classification_id%3D311%26locale%3Den_us&pagename=PG_Wrapper

http://www.drillspot.com/products/678579/panduit_ds5_duct_seal_compound?s=1&catargetid=1623454804&gclid=CKzVgYq7hbUCFciDQgodhnUA5g

and this is Coax Seal?

http://coaxseal.com/product-informatio http://www.amazon.com/protects-types-cable-moisture-corrosion/dp/B0002ZPINC

I just looked at my NID installation and just noticed the riser cable is actually exposed outside of the house for around 1 foot before entering the building. The seal used is some sort of paintable silicone. So I need to get some of these products or some sort of UV-stable tubing to protect the homerun. Do you have any experience with Tygon R-3400 tubing? http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=23409&catid=864

Thanks for all the info!

I recommend them for anyone who doesn't like loose wires. A tad pricey, but they last forever.
Awesome stuff, easy to cut, easy to install and a clean finish. Panduit

Panduit also is marketing a PoE patch panel. That way you can make use of existing switches and just add PoE at the patch panel level. Then you'd just UPS the patch panel.

Get some wiring duct or raceway. It's compact, easy to use and looks good. I use stuff from Panduit, but I'm sure other people make it too.

A white paper from 2004, so the concept is not new.

Cabling isn't our core business, but is a service we offer and that I have been trained to perform. So, here are some points you may want to consider:

1) Conduit, conduit, conduit
It's been said before, and I'll say it again: install conduit, and lots of it. At least 1" to each single-gang box. If you have an unfinished basement or drop ceiling, it's always easier when you can run the conduit straight down, and put a box at the bottom to act as a pull point. Pull string. String is cheap, save your money.

2) Don't overwire.
Once the conduit and string are in, installing extra cables is a trivial task. People here are saying to run 3 or 4 cables to a room even if you don't foresee using them. That's wasting money. Why drive up your capital costs unnecessarily? What if the cable specs change before you need the cable? What if you never use it? What if you want to pull in a different media, but the conduit is full of Cat5e you'll never use? String is cheap, save your money.

3) Don't clump.
Unless you are planning to have the Mother Of All Multimedia Systems, or otherwise know for a fact that you will need a dozen connectors running to one piece of furniture, resist the urge to use a two-gang box. If you do this, you will more likely than not end up running patch cables halfway around the room. Instead, put two single-gang boxes on different walls. With a good modular termination system, you should be able to fit 6 modules on a single-gang faceplate.

4) Don't use Cat5e for phones.
Cat 3 is cheaper, and more than sufficient for telephones. A 1000' box of 4-pair Cat5e costs $150 CAD. A 1000' box of Cat3 costs $50 CAD. If you haven't already decided the purpose for a cable, don't pull it. String is cheap, save your money.

5) Invest in a good modular termination system
We use Panduit, but go with what works for you. Avoid IBDN, they're bloated and expensive.

6) Avoid combo cable
It's a waste of money.

You may want to have the cables and conduit professionally installed, or just the conduit, or do it all yourself. I would personally recommend at least having the electrician install the conduit, but whatever you choose, make sure you specify exactly what you want, where you want it, and inspect the work before the walls go up. Particularly if you have the electrician pull the cables, some of the less reputable contractors tend to "forget" to install conduit, since they assume you won't look in the walls until it's too late. (No offence to any electricians reading, I'm sure 95% of you are good honest workers, but there are enough bad apples that it's important to see the work for yourself.)

- Adam

You can try wire duct of the type that Panduit sells. Run a long channel or two along the back of your desk and you can pop the top and stuff all your extra cable inside the channel and route the wire neatly out the slots where they are needed. More expensive but easier to reconfigure.

Now, as to part two - keeping my wife happy:
I try to hit the toilet when urinating and wipe up if I don't. I do my share of the dishes, cooking, laundry, etc. I take out the trash. I surprise her with flowers when she isn't expecting any. I help fix problems at her mother's house. I stop what I'm doing and give her a hug and kiss when she gets home from work. Somehow, the issue of a couple of stray cables hidden under the back of the desk hasn't concerned her at all.