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Wiring A New House?

Posted by timothy on from the leave-some-holes-for-later-use dept.

jbp123 asks: "I'm building a new house. Once the electrician has run the phone lines I want to run cat5e ethernet cable. I figure two drops to each of the 6 rooms with phone lines. I've never done this but my plan is to run the ethenet cable through the same path that the phone lines follow. I'll use up the rest of the 1000 foot spool by running a third cable to a few of the rooms. Ethernet cable is cheap. I found solid cat5e 1000 foot spools for $60 delivered so the decision to run cat5e cable is a no brainer. The question is should I run fiber? I really don't know how much the cable costs since I don't know what cable to use. It is much easier to run cable before the drywall goes in so I want to make an informed decision now. Ten years from now will I need/want fiber?"

7 of 730 comments (clear)

  1. I don't know much about this.... by puppetman · · Score: 5, Funny


    but why don't you set it up so that in future years you can put in what ever cable you want?

    I always imagined having a duct built into the floor of my house, running along the walls, with a grate over top. I would run whatever in there, be it fibre or cat-5, etc.

    And if I ever went wireless, I could just fill it up with beer and use a really long straw.

  2. Wireless is to secure networking... by ColGraff · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...as running through the street naked singing "I'm a little teapot, short and stout" is to modesty and sanity.

    No offense, but even the best wireless security solution can't compare to having an actual cat5 cable you can control access to.

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    I'm the stranger...posting to /.
  3. Re:Cost vs. Future by Waffle+Iron · · Score: 5, Funny
    I've always thought that if I built a dream house, it would have a utility core that could access every room. Something like a 18-inch wide gap within the main central walls of the house that you could walk in. That way, I could route wires and install electronic equipment to my heart's content.

    Of course, the only proper entryway for something like this would be a button that makes a bookshelf swing open...

  4. No need for expensive Fiber by Density_Altitude · · Score: 2, Funny

    Many comments suggests using fishing wire to pull the cables into conduits etc.

    My advise is that this is a good idea, but once you've finished with pulling copper leave the fishing wire there and voila, you've got a cheap optical fiber ready to go!

    I'd say use around 20 pounds tested wires to get a clean signal ;-)

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    delete free(system.gc);
  5. That OTHER wire by jackal! · · Score: 3, Funny

    If you're going to do this, and do this right, might as well have fun.

    Run an indistinct wire, (go for red or something equally ominous) along with everything else.

    Ten years from now when you're pulling the old stuff with your buddies look terribly surprised or upset to see it. Claim that you have no idea to what it is, but always insist that THEY cut it any time one gets in your way...

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    Who moderates the meta-moderators?

  6. Pneumatic Tubes by justfred · · Score: 2, Funny

    Don't forget the Pneumatic Tubes (http://www.ptubes.com/). I really want to build a house with a pneumatic tube network. Use it for sending things like sandwiches and martinis.

    That and the network of toy train tracks running around the crown molding...

    But seriously, dittos on the conduit; home wiring is traditionally held down with things like STAPLES - ewwww. And get yourself a good fish tape (http://www.wisecomponents.com/storecatalog/wirepu ll.htm) while you're at it.

  7. You don't know how right you are! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    I just took a dump, and oh man, you really will regret it later if you don't put in fibre!