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Your house may already be wired...

Discussion in 'Local Area Events' started by jthiewes, Jan 22, 2005.

  1. jthiewes

    jthiewes New Member

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    Hey everyone...

    We live "on the hill" in Broadlands. I was recently poking around to see if I could install RJ45 network jacks in the walls so my house could be wired, as wireless is too slow for large file transfers and the like. Turns out, if you purchased your home with the "Smart Wiring" option, you're pre wired! Take a look at the phone jacks in your house. Can you wiggle the phone plug around a little bit? Those are Ethernet jacks! Our house was built by Van Metre in 1999 (Fitzgerald model) and we didn't order the "home networking" option. These jacks are still there, with Cat5 wire being used in the walls for phone service.

    Now, go downstairs to your basement and find your cable & phone wiring box. Ours is white and says BellAtlantic on the front. There are blue Ethernet cables coming in to that box, and plugging into the side. The side ports are for telephone service.

    We have a Vtech phone system that only uses one phone jack to drive 7 or so phones. So, our other jacks are free. I unplugged the wires from the phone service panel and into an 8 port switch (which is connected to my AirPort Extreme router / wireless switch) and now my entire house is networked!

    I was so happy to discover that there was no drilling in the walls required to become a wired house (as were my parents)! I've been running this setup for 6 months or so now, and there've been no problems.

    Just thought those of you who live in the older houses might want to know.
     
  2. neilz

    neilz New Member

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    In the original sense of the term .. as used on USENET:

    SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM
    SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM
    SPAMITY SPAM WONDERFUL SPAM !!


    You only need to post ONCE, in ONE area for everyone to see it.

    Neil Z.
    Resident since 1999
     
  3. jthiewes

    jthiewes New Member

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    I did only post once. My login ID wasn't accepted the first time, so perhaps that's what did it. Sorry.
     
  4. WesGurney

    WesGurney New Member

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    Yeah I noticed that when I moved in - its a great idea! It seems the builders used CAT-5 wiring for all of the phone/internet outlets because RJ-11 is downward compatible with the RJ-45 registered jack connectors.

    In hind sight, I probably would of passed on the home media option if I had known this before hand.
     
  5. neilz

    neilz New Member

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    I had them do the complete wire kit ... phones, cable (both external supplied and internal modulated) and networking.

    Of course, Verizon (nee Bell Atlantic) doesn't acknowledge that they even offered the wiring option. But I look at it as an investment, the entire house is hard wired cable, Ethernet and phones in every bedroom.

    I've already bypassed both the network switch and the cable router as one crapped out, and the other amplified Adelphia's signal, and it didn't need it.

    The only thing left in use is the phone patch panel. I havn't bought any video modulators, so I'm not rebroadcasting in the house, but I could do that if I wanted.

    All in all it was worth the extra money added to the mortgage.



    Neil Z.
    Resident since 1999
     
  6. mburton

    mburton New Member

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    If you want to have some real fun.... the Cat5 wires used for the phone line (I did not opt for the Network wiring and kick myself in the butt for it), can be "split" to create a phone jack, AND an Ethernet port on one wire. Just be consistant with twisted pair colors.

    I networked my upstairs pc to me main level pc this way.

    mburton
     
  7. CdnJess

    CdnJess New Member

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    Hi. I'm living in a Townhouse built around 1998 by Smith & Williams. I have a feeling this was constructed without a full wiring of cable and phone and all that great 21st century stuff. How difficult is it to get cable in the rooms you need without running cable along baseboards and door frames and windows?

    Anyone know a good cable guy?

    Thanks.

     

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