| Most people don't think about
wiring until they have to plug a phone or computer or speaker into an outlet
and find that it does not work or is not even there. But how a house is
wired is as important as how well your nerves and blood vessels are hooked
together. |
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| Here's s short explanation about
state-of-the-art home wiring: Home wiring is supposed to be installed based
upon a set of standards called ANSI/EIA/TIA-570. One important element of
this that the physical topology is supposed to be a star topology.
The wires radiate like rays of a star from this central point, which is why
it is called a star topology. |
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| Star topology: All wiring from the end
user is supposed to go directly to a single node. This node may be called
the media center. |
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| Now, if phone, data, video, and other types of
communications wiring is all supposed to be installed as start topology,
then it makes sense that the phone, data, video, and other wiring should be
located in the same place. See, this is really not hard. |
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| Another useful aspect of the
standard is that the telephone wiring and computer wiring is should use the
same type of wire (called Category 5 or Cat5, although Category 5 Enhanced
or Cat5E is recommended because it has better performance.) and terminated
with the same type of connector (called an RJ-45). Why is this useful?
Because if all of this wiring goes to the same node/ media center, then a
jack can be used for telephones or computers. This provides significant
flexibility. |
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| Now, here is something else that is pretty new.
Some audio products now exist that enables sound to be sent over the same
wiring that is used for phones and data. This means that sound can also be
distributed within a house using the same types of wires used for telephones
and computes. This makes the star topology even more desirable. By
integrating the wiring within a home, the home owner gets the most efficient
use of the wiring. |
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| Design, installation, and cost issues: It
is important that the integrated wiring be designed when the house and
electrical system is designed, installed when the house is constructed, and
planned based upon expected use of the house. |
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Advantage of Integrated wiring include:
- Increase the enjoyment of the house.
- Provides better usability of all wiring.
- Increases the value of the house.
- Much more flexible.
- Helps "future proof" the house.
- The relatively lower cost of putting in adequate wiring at the
installation phase will help avoid the higher costs of later retrofitting
wiring that you may "cheap out on" at the outset.
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Helping people connect with their worlds.
