With second floor bathroom walls open, I’d like to use this opportunity to run computer network cable from the basement to the attic. Eventually run cable into bedrooms from attic, and into first floor rooms from basement. I have two choices of stud bay (due to doors etc):
1. Same stud bay as plumbing stack, but this has 60A feeder cable to subpanel already in it.
2. Stud bay with steam heat pipe, 180* in heating season.
Even with insulation on it (if I can slide insulation on it), that steam pipe will be hot. On the other hand I think I have to stay at least 12″ (more?) away from the power line, code may even require they not be in the same stud bay.
Is there some form of Cat6 that would allow it go in the same bay as the heat pipe? I’ve heard of Plenum cable but don’t know what this is, have the impression it’s for forced air heat which would not be as hot as steam heat.
Another alternative is to run fiber optic cable in the same stud bay as the feeder cable, and connect up to Cat6 cable in the basement and attic. AFAIK fiber optic is not susceptible to EMI. Knowing absolutely nothing about fiber optic cable and with days or less to make a decision, how hard would this option be? Any recommendations on cable type etc?
Thanks for any help.
Replies
A wireless router is about a hundred bucks..a card fer the individual puters is about 30.oo IIRC...much better.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations.
You can Bluetooth for $30 per computer & $40 for USB printers & $30-95 for serial/parallel printers. That lets you connect up to 7 devices. The Bluetooth 1.0 will go 10 meters, the newer format supports 100 meters. Reasonably secure encryption is built in--but I'd likely only run printers "wireless."
But, that's me, others differ--I'm not on broadband, either (not likely anytime soon, either).Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
If the feeder cable goes down one side you could run the Cat 6 down the other, that would be plenty.
Also the stud bay with the steam pipe would be OK as long it is separated from it by a few inches.
Plenum cables name to fame is that it has lower smoke/flame spread and/or less toxic smoke. Because it can be run in pleunums with the air system the air system would spread the smoke and flame if there was a fire.
I vote for none of the above at least as you put it.
And I disagree with Sphere. A wireless is not "better", but might be easiest for hardware install.
I would run conduit and one in each location.
You never know what you will want in 5 years.
You never know what you will want in 5 years.
Too true. Go do a google search for fibreoptic connectors, or a FO to Cat5 connectors. Big giant pain for those with a SmartWired house with structured cable in most of the rooms.
There's the outlet. If lucky, it has one linve telco, and one live coax (to whatever the tv input is). So, that leaves a blank telco, a blank coax and two empty FO connections. Which one dou yo connect to your dsl modem on the soho router? "What patch panel?" Is not a good answer to the question, either . . . (or when the "utility" closet has no outlets at all <grrr> . . . )
Oh, and while I'm ranting, please please get as long a sweep as possible when installing the NMT conduit, or use extra splice boxes & pull boxes on the EMT. It's not the hard 90 so much as the burr inside . . . Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
And I disagree with Sphere. A wireless is not "better", but might be easiest for hardware install.
One of the dangers of the wireless network is war driving http://www.wardriving.com/
The danger here is that some pervert roams your neighborhood, picks up your wireless network, and downloads his dirty pictures through YOUR IP address, so that when the cops come looking, they find you.
They can also sniff financial info, passwords, etc.
Marine Engineer
I agree with all comments anti-wireless. Bandwidth is okay for today's surfing of text-based web pages, it'll be analogous to 300baud modems in a few years. And insecure as all heck, I had to explain your scenario to a neighbor who was at the time prosecuting someone for possession of kiddy porn. Eventually fiber optic will be way to go, but the market isn't there yet. I'd like to run conduit, but I don't want to open up a wall on the first floor, I've had enough nasty surprises picking up the bathroom floor :-(. So Cat6 is my way of wimping out on this one...
An alternative to wireless, and to running new cables, is to use your existing electrical system as the network.
Here's a page with an explanation: http://computer.howstuffworks.com/power-network1.htm
I've never done this, nor do I know anyone who has, but it's another option worth investigating
Marine Engineer
Run 1" electrical PVC, later you can pick and choose what wires you want to run.You get out of life what you put into it......minus taxes.
Marv
You can run a cat6 shielded cable but, still stay as far away from the 60 amp. power cable as possible.Only problem is shielded cat6 or 5 cable can be hard to find.