advise on bt/ Internet in domestic property

[tanna]

Hi all

Was wondering if anyone could give me any advise please, currently do a 6 bed rewire, the customer wants a telephone point in every bedroom, their Internet comes in via their phone line, I brought telephone cable to extend to all the points but now I'm starting to doubt that the cable will start to degrade as the runs get longer, affecting Internet connection, was thinking of running in some cat5 or cat6, or would normal telephone cable be ok, in all the total meters of cable to be used is about 50 - 60 meters, not really clued up when comes to telephone / data points, could any one advise please ? Thanks

 

[dan86]

why do they want a t/p point in every room? if its simply for Internet, wireless is the norm these days.failing that, I would use cat5. that's what I do personally.i feel it offers a far more stable connection, and a bit safer too.
if the reason is they want to use a phone in each room, most sets these days have the main base unit that plugs into master socket, and others just run off the mains.

ps- it is said that the max length of a cat5 should not exceed 100m. after that, a range extender should be used.

hope this helps

 

[tanna]

I don't know to be honest dan, they asked for sky and a telephone point every bedroom, these smart tv crossed my mind as well, don't know if they need a telephone point connection to pick up the Internet. Think I'm gona put it to them tommorow cos I could be wasting my time, thanks for ur help any way mate

 

[dan86]

if they have a smart tv, cat5 is deffo the way forward.but make sure if they're wall mounting tv, they tell you exactly where it's going!
also, if sky in every room is what they're after, sky multiroom is what they need

 

[andyd55]

If you install cat5 or 6 in every room you are better running it back to a patch panel and can then have a choice over what you feed to each outlet. I have completed a system like this in a large house 6 bedroom, give me a shout if you want more info.

 

[mydigitalhome]

Agree with Andy, patch panel is way forward 2 min for each tv and more if you have more kit like smart DVD players sky etc

 

[tanna]

Cheers dan , going to change to cat 5 or 6 now, thanks for putting my mind to rest!!!! What is sky multi room as well? I take it that is a main sky box that all the satalite cables have to run back to?? All my work is commercial really, any domestic work I have done I have never had to run the sky or Internet points so don't know what sky multi room is either!!!! Lol

 

[tanna]

Thanks for your reply Andy , a patch panel did cross My mind as well but I thought it was a bit OTT for a domestic but again as I don't do a lot of big domestic jobs I was not sure, how did you go about that mate? Would a seperate fibre optic not have to be run to the property from the street? Again I'm not to sure on Internet and so on

 

[dan86]

customer would ask sky to install multiroom.when engineer comes, he will run a feed from the LNB on the dish to where a box is needed/wanted.
IIRC the LNB can support 8 feeds.so 8 boxes, but not quite.
if you have sky+ that reqs 2 feeds so u can watch one channel and record another.

arghh, it's a minefield!

 

[tanna]

I learnt that mistake when I run the sky cables in for my own house, run them under the floors and drilled outside to where sky dish was going only for sky engineer to tell me for sky plus I need twin coax cable!!!! So cables ended up getting tacked down the front of my house!!!!!

 

[dan86]

..doh!

 

[Robert Turnbull]

If they want a sky box in each room run the cables to the dish.
If the want to just watch sky, but the same channel as the main sky box run them all to one place and fit a tv boost in which you run a cable to the sky box, you can run a Aerial to this also. This distributes it, and as most TV's have digital free view which gets most channels anyway.

If they really going to town do both systems (3 coax's) as each point.

Cat 5's to a panel somewhere is the best idea also

 

[Stroppy]

Being a former computer engineer I have Cat5 in every room of my 2-bed house (including the shed!), and have a patch panel under the stairs. The panel is wired so that I can route my speakers from the stereo and audio outputs through the cat5 too!

 

[Robson689]

Being a former computer engineer I have Cat5 in every room of my 2-bed house (including the shed!), and have a patch panel under the stairs. The panel is wired so that I can route my speakers from the stereo and audio outputs through the cat5 too!

Sounds like a nice setup. Wireless is a pain in the backside sometimes!

 

[Stroppy]

It works for me. Most of it is redundant nowadays, as I have wireless internet now, although the cat5 is still used for sound distribution. Some time ago I even sent SCART over cat5 so I could watch Sky upstairs!

 

[Simlec]

Don't forget you only have a max of 4-REN from BT line.

 

[keithbr13]

Hi andyd55 I m in a similar position to Tanna customer wants to know what's involved in putting Internet phone and tv in to various rooms in four storey terrace, he's asked virgin to come round for a chat about it but don't know how far they will take it so any info you can offer would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Burnt Fingers]

How about run 2 x Cat6 to each room then you can put ethernet at tomorrow's speeds on one and have 4 spare pairs for voice


Oh no Fingers is awake

 

[mole2006]

Burnt Fingers has the best idea, I would put at least 2 or even 3 Cat5e or Cat6 cables and 3 coax if it's for SKY+. Sky needs a phone line for some features, it also can use an ethernet connection for On Demand. Smarth TV's also use an ethernet connection for Youtube iPlayer etc.

 

[LowPower]

Wired new point into extension on a property which initially seemed fine. But as soon as there are any broadband issue, BT will be looking to blame it on the additional wiring, whatever the issues

 

[Atelcom]

Just reading through this thread - When you guys fit data cabling - How do you know it works??

When you fit any telephone wiring how do you know the SnR capabilities of what you've installed?

Basically how do you sign off any of the non - electrical installs with competancy you have no NEXT - PSXT - High attenuation problems ??

Wired new point into extension on a property which initially seemed fine. But as soon as there are any broadband issue, BT will be looking to blame it on the additional wiring, whatever the issues

How do you prove it's not your workmanship then??

 

[mole2006]

With my trusty Fluke multimeter, it works a treat :yes:

 

[Atelcom]

What SnR rates does that show?

How do you prove dial tone with that?

What data rates does it show?

:speechless:

Just trying to find out what an electrician actually uses to prove the task was done correctly?

A fluke MM will not prove anything for a telecoms circuit apart from continuity or am I wrong?

 

[rugbyspark]

You mean to say, That you don't think we take our Laptop/tablet with us and test it, nice bit of software test, good results, BINGO, it's a winner.
Rgds.

 

[Atelcom]

You have a laptop...? :cool3:


I go to many jobs where the house has been updated with telecomms & data installs by the electrical firm.

The customer has paid up - Nothing works - The electricians are not coming back.


I ring the electrical firm & ask them what they was trying to achieve, they don't know what it is that's wrong.

They constantly wire the wrong type of sockets to the circuit.

They never have testers. They never check any attenuation rates on the incoming BT. etc etc

They con people for doing work they can't do to a reasonable standard.

I was just trying to see whether anyone actually tests anything or has any telecomms testers?

Possibly a test telephone...?

Or is it just guess work in most cases?