media panel needed

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Master Brian

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I am wanting to run home runs for my cable, phones and internet.

I will be running cat6 for the phones and internet and RG6 for the cable. I don't know that I need anything with cable splitter, as the cable guy gave me a decent couple of different sized ones.

The plan is to run 2-4 cat6 cables and 1-2 coax to 2 locations in each of 4 bedrooms as well as 2-4 locations in the basement, 2 locations in a study and probably 1 location in the kitchen and 1 location in the family room. Most of these probably won't be used but I want expandability in the future.

My cousin, whom owns an IT business says, I should use a punchdown panel that also has jacks for the cat6 cable. He says I can use the punchdown for the phones, then plug a jumper cables in to connect to a router/switch for internet.

Any recommendations???
 

Speedy Petey

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Leviton makes nice structured wiring panels with any type of modules you could need.
There are other similar brands as well.


Question: WHY Cat6???
 

Master Brian

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Leviton was what he suggested as well, he went with me to Home Depot to try to help me, but we couldn't find anything like what he thought I needed. I've looked on their website, but became overwhelmed. I'll go look again. I'd order it from him, but I've already asked twice and he forgets, I don't want to get caught in that loop again.

Do you have any particular models that might fit this job?

I'm running cat6, because it wasn't much more and my understanding is that it is probably the direction we are heading. I hope I'm ok, I haven't run it yet, but I have a 500'(?) box of it.
 
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Speedy Petey

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Leviton's web site sucks! I really don't have any numbers for you, it all depends on what you need and want.


I'm running cat6, because it wasn't much more and my understanding is that it is probably the direction we are heading. I hope I'm ok, I haven't run it yet, but I have a 500'(?) box of it.
I heard that 8-9 years ago. It's not here yet and I still don't buy it.
Cat5e is more than enough and who knows what the next step is. Cat6? Fiber? Wireless? Osmosis?
I would get the best for what is available now or right around the corner and be done with it.
You can however use Cat5 jacks and ports. NO WAY I'd spend now for Cat6 panels and jacks if you don't need them.
 

Master Brian

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I have several cat5 jacks and will likely keep using those until a change is necessitated, I haven't priced the cat6 jacks, but I spent maybe $20-30 more for the cat6 wire vs the cat5. Personally that was not something I thought twice about. The jacks are easy to replace, 500' of wire is not.

One of my future ambitions, is to take an extra server we have laying around here at work and turning it into a media server at home. I've been burning all of my dvd's and music to hard drive for a couple of years now. How nice would it be to be able to just pull up any song or any movie from any console anywhere in the house. Again my understanding is the cat5 cable is near it's peak limits on a 1gig ethernet and moving video files might max that out. I agree though normal everyday use won't come close to needing those limits. In fact for years I have laughrd while these companies keep touting their wireless G and N routers as sooo much faster than B. May be true, but B is still faster than their internet, which is all most people need for their homes. When buying new, the change makes sence, but to replace old, I don't see it....
 

Chris75

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Leviton's Structured Media cabinet, Next time i'll only buy the cabinet and not the guts, the guts are pretty worthless IMO.
 
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Scuba_Dave

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Nice setup
I'll need to do something for my wiring before I complete the addition
How many CATV runs do you have?
I may need to connect 6 places for TV's
So I need a powered splitter I think
 

Drick

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Would I be correct in assuming you punched the holes in the back of that cabinet? I have a similar cabinet and all the knock outs were way too small for what I needed to bring into it.

Looks good BTW. What are you saving the yellow conductors for?

-rick
 

Master Brian

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You said you wouldn't buy the guts? Are you saying buy the empty panel, then just buy the guts you actually need as you need them? Or something different. I don't need the cable spliter, all I really need is a way to punch down the cat6 cable, so that I can plug in jumper cables for phone and internet as need be.
 

Chris75

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Nice setup
I'll need to do something for my wiring before I complete the addition
How many CATV runs do you have?
I may need to connect 6 places for TV's
So I need a powered splitter I think

I have direct tv for TV, also a OTA for some Hi-def stuff, and local cable comp. for internet, and vonage for phone service. :) In some areas of my home I ran 4 rg6's, and 4 cat5e's.
 
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Chris75

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You said you wouldn't buy the guts? Are you saying buy the empty panel, then just buy the guts you actually need as you need them? Or something different. I don't need the cable spliter, all I really need is a way to punch down the cat6 cable, so that I can plug in jumper cables for phone and internet as need be.

Right, I like the cabinet to hide the mess, but I would much rather use regular punch down blocks. I would probably use the leviton guts to punch down the cat5 for data. if I didnt have to many.
 

Chris75

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Would I be correct in assuming you punched the holes in the back of that cabinet? I have a similar cabinet and all the knock outs were way too small for what I needed to bring into it.

Looks good BTW. What are you saving the yellow conductors for?

-rick

No, those KO's were factory. I'm using the mid size cabinet, wish I bought the large one. the yellow cat5's are just spares, you know for PS3 and such.. :)
 

Master Brian

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Right, I like the cabinet to hide the mess, but I would much rather use regular punch down blocks. I would probably use the leviton guts to punch down the cat5 for data. if I didnt have to many.


Good to know. I actually have been thinking of using an old wood double door medicine cabinet to install my stuff in. It has an open shelf on top, which would work great for setting things like wireless router and such on and an open shelf on the bottom. It also is going to be installed in a utility room that houses sump, sewage ejector, water heater, pex manifolds and furnace, so not many will ever see it. Any reason that wouldn't work? I'd rather spend the $60-$100 they want for these cabinets on other goodies, but if everyone thinks that not wise, I'd reconsider.

This is the cat 6 patch panel I'm thinking of getting....
 

Scuba_Dave

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I like the medicine cabinet idea
Any reason I can't simply build a wooden box & out a door on it?
I have a door from an old vanity, and some bigger doors from old kitchen cabinets
 

Billy_Bob

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I just hang a large piece of plywood or OSB (5 ft. x 5 ft.) and use business style phone punch blocks (need punch tool). Then can mount whatever other splitters for coax or barrier strips, etc. needed for phone, video, DSL, speakers, etc.

Punch blocks like this...

original66-thumb.jpg


Barrier strips...

barrier%20strip.jpg
 
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