ᐅ Multimedia, Wi-Fi, and Connections

Created on: 29 Sep 2014 10:59
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Hendrik007
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Hendrik007
29 Sep 2014 10:59
Hello everyone,
since I am about to become a homeowner and have been reading here for a while, I have my first specific question for you.
I am currently dealing with multimedia connections and related wiring. I’m not yet sure how exactly telephone, TV, and internet will enter the house, but from the utility room on the ground floor, I want to equip all rooms (2 living rooms on the ground floor, 3 bedrooms on the first floor, and 2 attic rooms) with a multimedia outlet that provides RJ45, TV, radio, and telephone connections. How is this usually done? Do I need a star topology with four separate cables (network, telephone, TV, radio) to each outlet, or can all of this be handled with a single network cable?
Additionally, I want to have Wi-Fi coverage throughout the entire house. In my apartment so far, I just used a Wi-Fi router, which is no longer sufficient. How is Wi-Fi set up across three floors so that devices only need to connect once?
Thanks and best regards!
Hendrik
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Wallyfan
29 Sep 2014 11:08
Hello,

I would set up Wi-Fi across three floors using appropriate repeaters, but only after completion, as this allows you to best identify the coverage areas and avoid dead spots. Much depends on the position of the router (e.g., Fritzbox). Ideally, place it in the center of the house, meaning the first floor. This saves at least one repeater, and DECT phones generally have sufficient range anyway.

For pulling cables, I would discuss this with the electrician carrying out the work. In our case, they simply pulled the cables through. The necessary tools for creating channels in the walls are usually not available at home, so this is the simplest solution. The sockets will also match those already in the house. Most importantly, the electrician knows exactly how to install the cables to avoid interference.

For TV connections, I would have them run from the satellite dish or cable entry point into the rooms. It’s a classic but proven method.
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guna83
29 Sep 2014 11:15
Phones can also be connected via network cables – so a single duplex cable would be sufficient here. The TV connection depends on the technology: cable, antenna, satellite, or IPTV.

Wi-Fi: either one access point (AP) on the middle floor or one per floor, each with the same SSID but on a different channel. Ideally, use PoE-enabled APs – these can be mounted on the ceiling without the need for a bulky power adapter. There are also affordable systems available that allow you to manage the APs through a server.
K1300S29 Sep 2014 11:35
Ceiling mounting is only possible if there is a network outlet on the ceiling. And based on intuition, I would guess that two access points will be enough to cover the whole house. Is there a basement as well? Probably not, so I would consider the ground floor plus the upper floor—or just start with the first floor (one access point). In any case, you should also plan for pure “infrastructure outlets” (for access points, routers, etc.).

By the way, I would always recommend star topology cabling for TV, as this also allows for cable or terrestrial signals. The other way around (satellite via bus cabling) is still, in my opinion, just a makeshift solution.

Good luck

K1300S
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klblb
29 Sep 2014 11:42
For media connections, we install empty conduits in all rooms (except bathrooms). These run radially from the utility room. Each conduit ends in two flush-mounted boxes, which are initially covered with blank plates.

There are two advantages to this:
- Depending on the requirements in each room, I can pull in the appropriate cables. If the room’s use changes, the cables can be rearranged.
- Home electronics and network technology become outdated quickly. In five years, everything installed today will be outdated or at least worn out. Then I can remove the old cables and replace them with new ones. This is not possible with permanently installed cables.
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Hendrik007
29 Sep 2014 12:25
Hello everyone,

Wow, thank you very much for the quick and helpful responses!
There is no basement, no. The utility room is on the ground floor, and I had actually planned to install the router there. What exactly is an access point? Is it different from a repeater? What is meant by "dedicated network outlets"?
The idea of using conduit is good. However, the network cables should be installed from the beginning and end in outlets. What diameter do conduits usually have? Is it easy to pull cables through, even if the conduit is not always running vertically?

Wishing you all a great day!