Share Your Pre-wiring tips for Speakers, HDTVs, and Networking

[gene]

In my years as a custom AV integrator, I’ve seen many homeowners placed in difficult situations because of poor pre-wiring by either themselves or a contractor. The possible pitfalls are many, but so are the tips to help ensure you run the right wires, to the right locations, properly. These tips in this article should help save you time and money, and allow you to have a better finished product.

Read: Professional Pre-wiring tips for Speakers, TVs, and Networking

Please share your prewire tips and tricks here as well as photos of installs you completed or still working on.

 

[donnykerabatsos]

Regarding PoE wireless access points, in building an addition (media room) to our home, I had planned to simply run ethernet cable from the existing spot where the router is in the den in the front of the house (addition is in the rear). I planned to located the NAS in the front of the house alongside the router. Should I instead have coax cable run to plan on another router being in the rear of the house? Does the suggestion change if we will likely switch from cable internet to google fiber in the next year as it becomes available? Thanks.

 

[Montucky]

GREAT tips! Thanks for posting this!

 

[Cliff_is]

Regarding PoE wireless access points, in building an addition (media room) to our home, I had planned to simply run ethernet cable from the existing spot where the router is in the den in the front of the house (addition is in the rear). I planned to located the NAS in the front of the house alongside the router. Should I instead have coax cable run to plan on another router being in the rear of the house? Does the suggestion change if we will likely switch from cable internet to google fiber in the next year as it becomes available? Thanks.

You only need to run coax to where the modem will be located. From the modem, you can place the router anywhere you have Ethernet ran to. As for Google Fiber, I believe they will run a fiber line directly into your home and into their own Google Router. You will want them to run that wire to wherever all the Ethernet in the home comes to, likely where your router is already located.

It sounds like you set up things properly. One Ethernet from the front of the home to the new addition will allow you to run a PoE wireless access point (WAP). However, unless you really want to use a PoE WAP, a standard AC power unit will be less hassle. I wrote an article about extending wireless coverage that might interest you: http://www.audioholics.com/home-theater-connection/extend-wireless-wifi-network-for-large-homes