On Sat, 24 May 2008 09:20:27 -0700, jflash wrote:

I'm looking to redo the cabling for my home network
{snip}
1. If it makes any difference, I'm in Alabama. What kind of codes do I
need to be concerned about and what guidelines should I follow? What I
would love to do (if it meets code) is to put either 1/4" or 1/2" PVC
pipes in the walls in the interest of simplifying future installations.
Can anyone provide some guidance on that?

{snip}

The questions you ask a bit beyond the technical ability of this or any
newsgroup, IMHO, to respond to. Way too long replies are needed.

Maybe someone will offer suggestions on specific points, but WOW!! did
you ask for a lot of information to be typed and correctly communicated
to you. Small book on home improvement electricity from you library
would be a good starting point. Then ask at Lowes for specific on
extending electrical wiring from service panel up to Attic (or where-
ever) you decide to place your network gear.

Right now, copper is high priced. Expect to pay about double what CAT 5e
cable cost 6 years ago. Local Electrical supply house should sell CAT 5
cable at reasonable cost.

Your local building code overrides any knowledge I have. In Michigan it
is legal to have a 120VAC duplex outlet in the attic. Alabama I don't
know, it just might get hotter in the attic than in Michigan.

BTW: Several Internet PC places (PC Connection, CDW, and so forth) offer
good buys on patch panels and punch down blocks. Again, tools you need
and how to use them are a very short learning curve, but this news group
media stands in the way. YouTube?? Search for "punch down" tool or
"RJ-45 jack connectors" is my guess.

My experience: Always make long runs with solid wire cables (CAT 5e, or
14-2 Romex) make the connections to jacks in an electrical box (w/ cover)
and run flex cables with plugs from the jacks to the device you are
connecting to. Know the wire color code standard for what you are
connecting to. If you don't know the color code standard, don't mess
around, learn it. (hint: the bad guy wears a black hat with Romex and
rumor has it, when he gets "hooked-up" his "prong" be on the thin and
narrow size.)

Best of luck.

Phil