It turns out that the roll of "speaker wire" my friend gave me when
cleaning out his shop is actually cat5e ehtenet cabling . So , I'm faced
with a decision - I have 400 feet of this stuff , which is plenty enough
to wire my whole house for internet connections . On the other hand ,
wireless is much cleaner and easier to move computers around if we
change the layout of our furnishings . Or maybe a combination , since
some comps already have a wireless card and some don't - and the one out
in the shop has a card but signal strength is iffy at times . Not much
worry here about getting hacked , a stranger down here in The Holler
would be questioned - and the hacker would have to be in my driveway to
get any kind of signal at all so ...

--

Snag

On Monday, July 17, 2017 at 8:19:07 PM UTC-4, Terry Coombs wrote:
It turns out that the roll of "speaker wire" my friend gave me when
cleaning out his shop is actually cat5e ehtenet cabling . So , I'm faced
with a decision - I have 400 feet of this stuff , which is plenty enough
to wire my whole house for internet connections . On the other hand ,
wireless is much cleaner and easier to move computers around if we
change the layout of our furnishings . Or maybe a combination , since
some comps already have a wireless card and some don't - and the one out
in the shop has a card but signal strength is iffy at times . Not much
worry here about getting hacked , a stranger down here in The Holler
would be questioned - and the hacker would have to be in my driveway to
get any kind of signal at all so ...

--

Snag

If it were me, the fact that it was free wouldn't make me want
to do the labor part, which isn't trivial, to install it. If there
is a use that could benefit from wired speed and reliability, eg you're using
it for video, I'd consider doing it there. But for general internet
usage around the house, wireless works for me. Plus more and more
connected devices are mobile and may not be connectable via wire
anyway.

On Mon, 17 Jul 2017 19:19:57 -0500, Terry Coombs
wrote:

It turns out that the roll of "speaker wire" my friend gave me when
cleaning out his shop is actually cat5e ehtenet cabling . So , I'm faced
with a decision - I have 400 feet of this stuff , which is plenty enough
to wire my whole house for internet connections . On the other hand ,
wireless is much cleaner and easier to move computers around if we
change the layout of our furnishings . Or maybe a combination , since
some comps already have a wireless card and some don't - and the one out
in the shop has a card but signal strength is iffy at times . Not much
worry here about getting hacked , a stranger down here in The Holler
would be questioned - and the hacker would have to be in my driveway to
get any kind of signal at all so ...

--

Snag

For me wireless is around 15Mbs Wired is 60Mbs. It depends on how
fast your provider is.

On 7/17/2017 7:28 PM, trader_4 wrote:
On Monday, July 17, 2017 at 8:19:07 PM UTC-4, Terry Coombs wrote:
It turns out that the roll of "speaker wire" my friend gave me when
cleaning out his shop is actually cat5e ehtenet cabling . So , I'm faced
with a decision - I have 400 feet of this stuff , which is plenty enough
to wire my whole house for internet connections . On the other hand ,
wireless is much cleaner and easier to move computers around if we
change the layout of our furnishings . Or maybe a combination , since
some comps already have a wireless card and some don't - and the one out
in the shop has a card but signal strength is iffy at times . Not much
worry here about getting hacked , a stranger down here in The Holler
would be questioned - and the hacker would have to be in my driveway to
get any kind of signal at all so ...

--

Snag
If it were me, the fact that it was free wouldn't make me want
to do the labor part, which isn't trivial, to install it. If there
is a use that could benefit from wired speed and reliability, eg you're using
it for video, I'd consider doing it there. But for general internet
usage around the house, wireless works for me. Plus more and more
connected devices are mobile and may not be connectable via wire
anyway.

Well , since most of my exterior walls don't have drywall yet ... now
would be a good time to decide . The modem and router are at the middle
of the structure and will stay there , probably 4 or 5 runs would cover
the most likely areas where I'll want a computer - TV , stereo , one or
2 in the bedroom , my desktop is right by the router and will stay in
this immediate area . The one that really needs a wired connection is
the shop , it's just barely too far from the WiFi router to get a
reliable signal . Doesn't help that the side walls are sheet metal (end
walls are wood framed with plywood sheathing) .

On 7/17/2017 8:44 PM, Seymore4Head wrote:
On Mon, 17 Jul 2017 19:19:57 -0500, Terry Coombs
wrote:

It turns out that the roll of "speaker wire" my friend gave me when
cleaning out his shop is actually cat5e ehtenet cabling . So , I'm faced
with a decision - I have 400 feet of this stuff , which is plenty enough
to wire my whole house for internet connections . On the other hand ,
wireless is much cleaner and easier to move computers around if we
change the layout of our furnishings . Or maybe a combination , since
some comps already have a wireless card and some don't - and the one out
in the shop has a card but signal strength is iffy at times . Not much
worry here about getting hacked , a stranger down here in The Holler
would be questioned - and the hacker would have to be in my driveway to
get any kind of signal at all so ...

--

Snag
For me wireless is around 15Mbs Wired is 60Mbs. It depends on how
fast your provider is.

My wired connections are 100 Mb/s , wireless are 54 (15 year old
laptop) and 130 Mb/s plus . Speed is a moot point except for intranet
transfers , my ISP can only supply a max here - 12 miles from town - of
6 Mb/sec . Reliability is the main thing I need ...

--

Snag

On 7/17/17 8:19 PM, Terry Coombs wrote:
On the other hand , wireless is much cleaner and easier to
move computers around if we change the layout of our
furnishings . Or maybe a combination , since some comps
already have a wireless card and some don't

Wired is generally better, speed-wise.

Even some of the new-fangled "mesh" wifi systems (which can
use two, three or even more "nodes") have the capability to
utilize "wired backhaul" via ethernet for better performance.

Probably worth it to install at least some cabling for
future use...

On 7/17/2017 9:49 PM, Terry Coombs wrote:


Well , since most of my exterior walls don't have drywall yet ... now
would be a good time to decide . The modem and router are at the middle
of the structure and will stay there , probably 4 or 5 runs would cover
the most likely areas where I'll want a computer - TV , stereo , one or
2 in the bedroom , my desktop is right by the router and will stay in
this immediate area . The one that really needs a wired connection is
the shop , it's just barely too far from the WiFi router to get a
reliable signal . Doesn't help that the side walls are sheet metal (end
walls are wood framed with plywood sheathing) .


Given that, I'd run a wire to the shop and a wire or two to places you
think you may need it in the future.

On 7/17/2017 5:19 PM, Terry Coombs wrote:
It turns out that the roll of "speaker wire" my friend gave me when
cleaning out his shop is actually cat5e ehtenet cabling . So , I'm faced
with a decision - I have 400 feet of this stuff , which is plenty enough
to wire my whole house for internet connections . On the other hand ,
wireless is much cleaner and easier to move computers around if we
change the layout of our furnishings . Or maybe a combination , since
some comps already have a wireless card and some don't - and the one out
in the shop has a card but signal strength is iffy at times . Not much
worry here about getting hacked , a stranger down here in The Holler
would be questioned - and the hacker would have to be in my driveway to
get any kind of signal at all so ...


You can also use cat 5 for audio or video or other signals using
appropriate baluns. Give your situation, I'd seriously think about
running cable to everywhere such a need could someday arise, probably
more than one cable at each location, all going to a central point.

On 7/17/2017 9:16 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
On 7/17/2017 9:49 PM, Terry Coombs wrote:


Well , since most of my exterior walls don't have drywall yet ...
now would be a good time to decide . The modem and router are at the
middle of the structure and will stay there , probably 4 or 5 runs
would cover the most likely areas where I'll want a computer - TV ,
stereo , one or 2 in the bedroom , my desktop is right by the router
and will stay in this immediate area . The one that really needs a
wired connection is the shop , it's just barely too far from the WiFi
router to get a reliable signal . Doesn't help that the side walls are
sheet metal (end walls are wood framed with plywood sheathing) .


Given that, I'd run a wire to the shop and a wire or two to places you
think you may need it in the future.


+1 If you have the access to the walls, do some runs now to remote
areas of the house. If nothing else you can always drop in another
wireless router in the nether reaches to ensure solid wireless
connections throughout the home and shop.

On 07/17/2017 07:49 PM, Terry Coombs wrote:
The one that really needs a wired connection is the shop , it's just
barely too far from the WiFi router to get a reliable signal . Doesn't
help that the side walls are sheet metal (end walls are wood framed with
plywood sheathing) .

An external high gain antenna would probably solve that problem. A
friend of mine went that route to provide wireless to his mother who
lives down the block. He spends a lot of time there so it's for his
convenience too.

On Mon, 17 Jul 2017 20:49:01 -0500, Terry Coombs
wrote:

On 7/17/2017 7:28 PM, trader_4 wrote:
On Monday, July 17, 2017 at 8:19:07 PM UTC-4, Terry Coombs wrote:
It turns out that the roll of "speaker wire" my friend gave me when
cleaning out his shop is actually cat5e ehtenet cabling . So , I'm faced
with a decision - I have 400 feet of this stuff , which is plenty enough
to wire my whole house for internet connections . On the other hand ,
wireless is much cleaner and easier to move computers around if we
change the layout of our furnishings . Or maybe a combination , since
some comps already have a wireless card and some don't - and the one out
in the shop has a card but signal strength is iffy at times . Not much
worry here about getting hacked , a stranger down here in The Holler
would be questioned - and the hacker would have to be in my driveway to
get any kind of signal at all so ...

--

Snag
If it were me, the fact that it was free wouldn't make me want
to do the labor part, which isn't trivial, to install it. If there
is a use that could benefit from wired speed and reliability, eg you're using
it for video, I'd consider doing it there. But for general internet
usage around the house, wireless works for me. Plus more and more
connected devices are mobile and may not be connectable via wire
anyway.

Well , since most of my exterior walls don't have drywall yet ... now
would be a good time to decide . The modem and router are at the middle
of the structure and will stay there , probably 4 or 5 runs would cover
the most likely areas where I'll want a computer - TV , stereo , one or
2 in the bedroom , my desktop is right by the router and will stay in
this immediate area . The one that really needs a wired connection is
the shop , it's just barely too far from the WiFi router to get a
reliable signal . Doesn't help that the side walls are sheet metal (end
walls are wood framed with plywood sheathing) .

You will never be sorry that you wired a backbone in your house. You
can do a lot with CAT5 other than just internet.
Figure out where your "star" should radiate from and home run to there
from strategic places around the house.

On Mon, 17 Jul 2017 21:01:15 -0500, Terry Coombs
wrote:

On 7/17/2017 8:44 PM, Seymore4Head wrote:
On Mon, 17 Jul 2017 19:19:57 -0500, Terry Coombs
wrote:

It turns out that the roll of "speaker wire" my friend gave me when
cleaning out his shop is actually cat5e ehtenet cabling . So , I'm faced
with a decision - I have 400 feet of this stuff , which is plenty enough
to wire my whole house for internet connections . On the other hand ,
wireless is much cleaner and easier to move computers around if we
change the layout of our furnishings . Or maybe a combination , since
some comps already have a wireless card and some don't - and the one out
in the shop has a card but signal strength is iffy at times . Not much
worry here about getting hacked , a stranger down here in The Holler
would be questioned - and the hacker would have to be in my driveway to
get any kind of signal at all so ...

--

Snag
For me wireless is around 15Mbs Wired is 60Mbs. It depends on how
fast your provider is.

My wired connections are 100 Mb/s , wireless are 54 (15 year old
laptop) and 130 Mb/s plus . Speed is a moot point except for intranet
transfers , my ISP can only supply a max here - 12 miles from town - of
6 Mb/sec . Reliability is the main thing I need ...

--

Snag

Newer ethernet adapters run at 1gb. It makes file transfers go a lot
faster.

On Mon, 17 Jul 2017 19:22:00 -0700, Bob F wrote:

On 7/17/2017 5:19 PM, Terry Coombs wrote:
It turns out that the roll of "speaker wire" my friend gave me when
cleaning out his shop is actually cat5e ehtenet cabling . So , I'm faced
with a decision - I have 400 feet of this stuff , which is plenty enough
to wire my whole house for internet connections . On the other hand ,
wireless is much cleaner and easier to move computers around if we
change the layout of our furnishings . Or maybe a combination , since
some comps already have a wireless card and some don't - and the one out
in the shop has a card but signal strength is iffy at times . Not much
worry here about getting hacked , a stranger down here in The Holler
would be questioned - and the hacker would have to be in my driveway to
get any kind of signal at all so ...


You can also use cat 5 for audio or video or other signals using
appropriate baluns. Give your situation, I'd seriously think about
running cable to everywhere such a need could someday arise, probably
more than one cable at each location, all going to a central point.

The best case is to run a raceway to all of your drops or at least to
an accessible spot but that is overkill for most people. Then you can
pull in any wire you want later.

On 7/17/2017 10:38 PM, Unquestionably Confused wrote:
On 7/17/2017 9:16 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
On 7/17/2017 9:49 PM, Terry Coombs wrote:


Well , since most of my exterior walls don't have drywall yet ...
now would be a good time to decide . The modem and router are at the
middle of the structure and will stay there , probably 4 or 5 runs
would cover the most likely areas where I'll want a computer - TV ,
stereo , one or 2 in the bedroom , my desktop is right by the router
and will stay in this immediate area . The one that really needs a
wired connection is the shop , it's just barely too far from the WiFi
router to get a reliable signal . Doesn't help that the side walls
are sheet metal (end walls are wood framed with plywood sheathing) .


Given that, I'd run a wire to the shop and a wire or two to places you
think you may need it in the future.


+1 If you have the access to the walls, do some runs now to remote
areas of the house. If nothing else you can always drop in another
wireless router in the nether reaches to ensure solid wireless
connections throughout the home and shop.
+2 My house was prewired as part of the building contract and there
still wasn't enough. I am sharing a cat5e for telephone and internet to
the main TV. Plus, it would have been nice to have a few extra coax
cables to some places. So if you have a plethora of cat5e run it
everywhere you thing you might want it and add some coax too.

On Tue, 18 Jul 2017 08:09:08 -0400, Art Todesco wrote:

So if you have a plethora of cat5e run it everywhere you
think you might want it and add some coax too.

If the wall awaits drywall, I would forget the 'windfall' cat5 and instead
string optical fiber instead. It would seem to have a higher probability of
future utility.

Coax would be even less likely to have a use. I am saying so directly
against my experience because I actually have & currently use coax to pass
an RF signal from a VCR which gets it from a wireless cable box to a TV in
another room. (I bought a shorthaul IR transponder to control said WiFi
cable box using a remote control in the destination room. With 3 TVs in a
house of only 2 people I could not see paying $7/mo for a 3rd cable box.)

The truly complicated part was programming the 3rd remote because the TVs
are different manufacturers, and the cable box uses the HDMI interface to
confirm that it can control the TV, and the two remotes look identical, and
you only have a few seconds for each step in the manual intended for
someone with just one remote, etc.

Plus I had to call the cable company and tell them that my wife lost remote
#2 so that they would allow me to get #3.

On Tue, 18 Jul 2017 08:09:08 -0400, Art Todesco
wrote:

On 7/17/2017 10:38 PM, Unquestionably Confused wrote:
On 7/17/2017 9:16 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
On 7/17/2017 9:49 PM, Terry Coombs wrote:


Well , since most of my exterior walls don't have drywall yet ...
now would be a good time to decide . The modem and router are at the
middle of the structure and will stay there , probably 4 or 5 runs
would cover the most likely areas where I'll want a computer - TV ,
stereo , one or 2 in the bedroom , my desktop is right by the router
and will stay in this immediate area . The one that really needs a
wired connection is the shop , it's just barely too far from the WiFi
router to get a reliable signal . Doesn't help that the side walls
are sheet metal (end walls are wood framed with plywood sheathing) .


Given that, I'd run a wire to the shop and a wire or two to places you
think you may need it in the future.


+1 If you have the access to the walls, do some runs now to remote
areas of the house. If nothing else you can always drop in another
wireless router in the nether reaches to ensure solid wireless
connections throughout the home and shop.
+2 My house was prewired as part of the building contract and there
still wasn't enough. I am sharing a cat5e for telephone and internet to
the main TV. Plus, it would have been nice to have a few extra coax
cables to some places. So if you have a plethora of cat5e run it
everywhere you thing you might want it and add some coax too.

Hence the desirability of using a raceway system. 3/4" Smurf tube is a
good, low cost system. I used it for low voltage and line voltage in
my new addition (separate runs) and all of the drops end up at a
central location at an easily accessible location in the attic. It
probably added $100 to the cost of my wiring but I have already
changed a few things with no drama.

On Monday, July 17, 2017 at 9:01:16 PM UTC-5, Terry Coombs wrote:
On 7/17/2017 8:44 PM, Seymore4Head wrote:
On Mon, 17 Jul 2017 19:19:57 -0500, Terry Coombs
wrote:

It turns out that the roll of "speaker wire" my friend gave me when
cleaning out his shop is actually cat5e ehtenet cabling . So , I'm faced
with a decision - I have 400 feet of this stuff , which is plenty enough
to wire my whole house for internet connections . On the other hand ,
wireless is much cleaner and easier to move computers around if we
change the layout of our furnishings . Or maybe a combination , since
some comps already have a wireless card and some don't - and the one out
in the shop has a card but signal strength is iffy at times . Not much
worry here about getting hacked , a stranger down here in The Holler
would be questioned - and the hacker would have to be in my driveway to
get any kind of signal at all so ...
--
Snag
For me wireless is around 15Mbs Wired is 60Mbs. It depends on how
fast your provider is.

My wired connections are 100 Mb/s , wireless are 54 (15 year old
laptop) and 130 Mb/s plus . Speed is a moot point except for intranet
transfers , my ISP can only supply a max here - 12 miles from town - of
6 Mb/sec . Reliability is the main thing I need ...
--
Snag


At home I have a wireless cable modem from the cable company that has a 4 port gigabit switch builtin. Wireless speed is +25mbps and wired speed is +70mbps. I subscribe to the 60mbps service from the cable company but the speed I get is +70mbs.

My brother is on the same cable system but subscribes to the 200mbps service. He has an identical cable modem to mine and gets +25mbps wireless speed but +230mbps on his gigabit wired network. He connected a Cisco/Linksys wireless router to the gigabit network and gets +33mbps wireless speed but the router has a 4 port 10/100 switch builtin and it can't pass along the +230mbps wired network speed so he has a separate 8 port gigabit switch for the other stuff.

The verdict, hardwired is faster. \(—¦'Œ£'—¦)/

At the hospital I go to, there is a gigabit wireless network with commercial grade access points in the hallway ceilings. Those access points are quite expensive, I know, I used to install and service them. I get +100mbps wireless speeds on my laptop when I visit that hospital. I'm sure the hospital has an optical fiber network connection to their Internet service.

Here at the center, there are commercial grade gigabit wireless access points installed in the hallways and I get +60mbps wireless speed at night when things are quiet. It slows down a bit during the day when everyone is awake and connected to the network. The center has Internet service from the cable company along with the cable TV service.

Residents here at the center are only allowed one password to access the center's wireless network, I was able to talk the administrator into giving me 2 passwords but that wasn't enough for me. I setup a sub-network with an Edimax wireless bridge connected to a Cisco/Linksys wireless router that's the same model my brother has. Now I can connect any number of devices to my sub-network using one password for my wireless router. I have a magicJack Plus connected to my router so I can make and receive phone calls. That leaves me 3 Ethernet ports for connecting other things. I have an old Compaq laptop I loaded Ubuntu on and the wireless modem in it doesn't work so I plug it into an Ethernet port on the router. I have a little Lenovo stick computer that connects wirelessly along with 2 tablets, a Chromebook and a Dell laptop. For some reason cell service is poor or nonexistent in the center.. I have to roll out to the front of the complex to get a signal. The nurses and CNA's ask me for access to my sub-network so they can text and make calls on their smartphones because they can't get a cell signal in the area of the facility near my room. ヽ(ヅ)ノ

I'm using an Edimax EW-7288APC 11AC switched to bridge mode connected to a Cisco/Linksys E1500 wireless router. The Edimax unit is a very versatile device.

http://us.edimax.com/edimax/merchand...50/ew-7288apc/

https://tinyurl.com/y7dg6uad

http://www.linksys.com/us/support-ar...icleNum=135451

[8~{} Uncle Wireless Monster

On Tue, 18 Jul 2017 11:29:07 -0400, wrote:

3/4" Smurf tube

Smurf tube is great stuff!

On Tue, 18 Jul 2017 15:47:07 +0000, Stormin' Norman
wrote:

On Tue, 18 Jul 2017 11:29:07 -0400, wrote:

3/4" Smurf tube

Smurf tube is great stuff!

True dat. Most electricians and even some inspectors do not understand
all the things it is listed for. One thing that is good to know is the
RNC (gray PVC) connections are also listed for smurf so you can use
any PVC fittings, boxes or conduit bodies directly glued to smurf. It
can also be embedded in concrete.
One tip, when you are pushing wire through smurf, fold over the lead
wire, making a rounded tip, so it does not hang on the ridges and then
tape the rest up into a bullet. Carlon says you can actually push wire
through 720 degrees of total bend although the code still says 360
max. They have been trying to change that.

On Tue, 18 Jul 2017 12:42:19 -0400, wrote:

On Tue, 18 Jul 2017 15:47:07 +0000, Stormin' Norman
wrote:

On Tue, 18 Jul 2017 11:29:07 -0400, wrote:

3/4" Smurf tube

Smurf tube is great stuff!

True dat. Most electricians and even some inspectors do not understand
all the things it is listed for. One thing that is good to know is the
RNC (gray PVC) connections are also listed for smurf so you can use
any PVC fittings, boxes or conduit bodies directly glued to smurf. It
can also be embedded in concrete.
One tip, when you are pushing wire through smurf, fold over the lead
wire, making a rounded tip, so it does not hang on the ridges and then
tape the rest up into a bullet. Carlon says you can actually push wire
through 720 degrees of total bend although the code still says 360
max. They have been trying to change that.

I did not know you could glue gray PVC connectors to the smurf, that
is really valuable to know.

When I have run wires in smurf and other conduits, I always leave a
piece of poly twine in the tub in case I have to pull more stuff
through it in the future. If I do, I pull another piece of twine with
the new wire.

When pulling wire through virgin conduit or smurf, I attach a fluffy
little cat toy to a piece of twine and suck it through the conduit
with a shop vac, works well for long runs.

On 07/18/2017 09:29 AM, wrote:
Hence the desirability of using a raceway system. 3/4" Smurf tube is a
good, low cost system. I used it for low voltage and line voltage in
my new addition (separate runs) and all of the drops end up at a
central location at an easily accessible location in the attic. It
probably added $100 to the cost of my wiring but I have already
changed a few things with no drama.

If the OP can sneak it past the interior decorator / wife Wiremold is
fairly presentable and keeps the wires where they belong -- out in the
open where they are accessible.

On Tuesday, July 18, 2017 at 1:59:03 PM UTC-5, rbowman wrote:
On 07/18/2017 09:29 AM, wrote:
Hence the desirability of using a raceway system. 3/4" Smurf tube is a
good, low cost system. I used it for low voltage and line voltage in
my new addition (separate runs) and all of the drops end up at a
central location at an easily accessible location in the attic. It
probably added $100 to the cost of my wiring but I have already
changed a few things with no drama.

If the OP can sneak it past the interior decorator / wife Wiremold is
fairly presentable and keeps the wires where they belong -- out in the
open where they are accessible.


Wiremold is also paintable. I ran a lot of it in businesses when I was doing telecom and data networks. I even ran power in it. ヽ(ヅ)ノ

[8~{} Uncle Moldy Monster

On 07/17/2017 05:19 PM, Terry Coombs wrote:
It turns out that the roll of "speaker wire" my friend gave me when
cleaning out his shop is actually cat5e ehtenet cabling . So , I'm faced
with a decision - I have 400 feet of this stuff , which is plenty enough
to wire my whole house for internet connections . On the other hand ,
wireless is much cleaner and easier to move computers around if we
change the layout of our furnishings . Or maybe a combination , since
some comps already have a wireless card and some don't - and the one out
in the shop has a card but signal strength is iffy at times . Not much
worry here about getting hacked , a stranger down here in The Holler
would be questioned - and the hacker would have to be in my driveway to
get any kind of signal at all so ...

--

Snag



Hi Terry,

Wired is always far more reliable than wireless.
That is, if you are good at connecting the plastic
cubes on the ends of the cables, which is an art form.

I prefer wired whenever possible.

To secure wireless, make sure you are using "WPA2" on
as you wireless security And a password of at least 12
characters.

To get your shop on wireless, a technique I use on
shopping mall sized houses to run a wire from the
router to the opposite side of the house and install
an Access Point. Make sure you install only an
access point, not a router combo unit configured as
an access point. One power hit and all hell breaks
lose when the second routers turn back into a
full router.

For access points, a home priced one would be:
TRENDnet TEW-638APB Wireless N Access Point

Check out their web site as models are always changing.

For an industrial access point, check out Watch Guard:
https://www.watchguard.com/wgrd-products/access-points
They are quite a bit more expensive than the home versions though.

-T

On 07/18/2017 12:20 PM, T wrote:
On 07/17/2017 05:19 PM, Terry Coombs wrote:
It turns out that the roll of "speaker wire" my friend gave me when
cleaning out his shop is actually cat5e ehtenet cabling . So , I'm
faced with a decision - I have 400 feet of this stuff , which is
plenty enough to wire my whole house for internet connections . On the
other hand , wireless is much cleaner and easier to move computers
around if we change the layout of our furnishings . Or maybe a
combination , since some comps already have a wireless card and some
don't - and the one out in the shop has a card but signal strength is
iffy at times . Not much worry here about getting hacked , a stranger
down here in The Holler would be questioned - and the hacker would
have to be in my driveway to get any kind of signal at all so ...

--

Snag



Hi Terry,

Wired is always far more reliable than wireless.
That is, if you are good at connecting the plastic
cubes on the ends of the cables, which is an art form.

I prefer wired whenever possible.

To secure wireless, make sure you are using "WPA2" on
as you wireless security And a password of at least 12
characters.

To get your shop on wireless, a technique I use on
shopping mall sized houses to run a wire from the
router to the opposite side of the house and install
an Access Point. Make sure you install only an
access point, not a router combo unit configured as
an access point. One power hit and all hell breaks
lose when the second routers turn back into a
full router.

For access points, a home priced one would be:
TRENDnet TEW-638APB Wireless N Access Point

Check out their web site as models are always changing.

For an industrial access point, check out Watch Guard:
https://www.watchguard.com/wgrd-products/access-points
They are quite a bit more expensive than the home versions though.

-T

Oh ya, and stay away from "wireless repeaters". They are s***.

On 7/18/2017 2:25 PM, T wrote:
On 07/18/2017 12:20 PM, T wrote:
On 07/17/2017 05:19 PM, Terry Coombs wrote:
It turns out that the roll of "speaker wire" my friend gave me
when cleaning out his shop is actually cat5e ehtenet cabling . So ,
I'm faced with a decision - I have 400 feet of this stuff , which is
plenty enough to wire my whole house for internet connections . On
the other hand , wireless is much cleaner and easier to move
computers around if we change the layout of our furnishings . Or
maybe a combination , since some comps already have a wireless card
and some don't - and the one out in the shop has a card but signal
strength is iffy at times . Not much worry here about getting hacked
, a stranger down here in The Holler would be questioned - and the
hacker would have to be in my driveway to get any kind of signal at
all so ...

--

Snag



Hi Terry,

Wired is always far more reliable than wireless.
That is, if you are good at connecting the plastic
cubes on the ends of the cables, which is an art form.

I prefer wired whenever possible.

To secure wireless, make sure you are using "WPA2" on
as you wireless security And a password of at least 12
characters.

To get your shop on wireless, a technique I use on
shopping mall sized houses to run a wire from the
router to the opposite side of the house and install
an Access Point. Make sure you install only an
access point, not a router combo unit configured as
an access point. One power hit and all hell breaks
lose when the second routers turn back into a
full router.

For access points, a home priced one would be:
TRENDnet TEW-638APB Wireless N Access Point

Check out their web site as models are always changing.

For an industrial access point, check out Watch Guard:
https://www.watchguard.com/wgrd-products/access-points
They are quite a bit more expensive than the home versions though.

-T

Oh ya, and stay away from "wireless repeaters". They are s***.

I've got so much to think about now ... my thanks to all who
responded . I think I'll be staying with the way I'm doing it now , but
will run cable under the house instead of stringing it up on the
interior walls to those locations that will benefit - shop will have to
be run under ground in conduit or smurf tube - and wireless for the rest
.. Unfortunately the Roku's don't have a wired option so they'll have to
remain on wifi . Again , my thanks to all for the help .

--

Snag

On Tue, 18 Jul 2017 18:09:00 +0000, Stormin' Norman
wrote:

On Tue, 18 Jul 2017 12:42:19 -0400, wrote:

On Tue, 18 Jul 2017 15:47:07 +0000, Stormin' Norman
wrote:

On Tue, 18 Jul 2017 11:29:07 -0400, wrote:

3/4" Smurf tube

Smurf tube is great stuff!

True dat. Most electricians and even some inspectors do not understand
all the things it is listed for. One thing that is good to know is the
RNC (gray PVC) connections are also listed for smurf so you can use
any PVC fittings, boxes or conduit bodies directly glued to smurf. It
can also be embedded in concrete.
One tip, when you are pushing wire through smurf, fold over the lead
wire, making a rounded tip, so it does not hang on the ridges and then
tape the rest up into a bullet. Carlon says you can actually push wire
through 720 degrees of total bend although the code still says 360
max. They have been trying to change that.

I did not know you could glue gray PVC connectors to the smurf, that
is really valuable to know.

When I have run wires in smurf and other conduits, I always leave a
piece of poly twine in the tub in case I have to pull more stuff
through it in the future. If I do, I pull another piece of twine with
the new wire.

When pulling wire through virgin conduit or smurf, I attach a fluffy
little cat toy to a piece of twine and suck it through the conduit
with a shop vac, works well for long runs.

The Carlon guys say pushing is just as effective as long as you are
strapped well in the turns so it does not belly on you. I agree
pulling always works.
The other thing most people do not know is smurf comes in a variety of
colors and sizes up to 2". It is just not going to be stocked in many
places.
I also found out the orange stuff at HD/Lowes is not the same quality
as the type ENT that is typically blue even though it may actually
cost more. After I went through my first roll I stopped using it and
went with the blue, just reidentifying it with orange tape to keep it
separated from the line voltage raceways.

On Tue, 18 Jul 2017 12:20:52 -0700, T wrote:

Wired is always far more reliable than wireless.
That is, if you are good at connecting the plastic
cubes on the ends of the cables, which is an art form.

The biggest problem with that is trying to do it with a cheap crimper.
You can buy a whole lot of factory cords for the price of a real
crimper (that may approach $100)

On Tue, 18 Jul 2017 19:48:58 -0400, wrote:

On Tue, 18 Jul 2017 18:09:00 +0000, Stormin' Norman
wrote:

On Tue, 18 Jul 2017 12:42:19 -0400, wrote:

On Tue, 18 Jul 2017 15:47:07 +0000, Stormin' Norman
wrote:

On Tue, 18 Jul 2017 11:29:07 -0400, wrote:

3/4" Smurf tube

Smurf tube is great stuff!

True dat. Most electricians and even some inspectors do not understand
all the things it is listed for. One thing that is good to know is the
RNC (gray PVC) connections are also listed for smurf so you can use
any PVC fittings, boxes or conduit bodies directly glued to smurf. It
can also be embedded in concrete.
One tip, when you are pushing wire through smurf, fold over the lead
wire, making a rounded tip, so it does not hang on the ridges and then
tape the rest up into a bullet. Carlon says you can actually push wire
through 720 degrees of total bend although the code still says 360
max. They have been trying to change that.

I did not know you could glue gray PVC connectors to the smurf, that
is really valuable to know.

When I have run wires in smurf and other conduits, I always leave a
piece of poly twine in the tub in case I have to pull more stuff
through it in the future. If I do, I pull another piece of twine with
the new wire.

When pulling wire through virgin conduit or smurf, I attach a fluffy
little cat toy to a piece of twine and suck it through the conduit
with a shop vac, works well for long runs.

The Carlon guys say pushing is just as effective as long as you are
strapped well in the turns so it does not belly on you. I agree
pulling always works.
The other thing most people do not know is smurf comes in a variety of
colors and sizes up to 2". It is just not going to be stocked in many
places.
I also found out the orange stuff at HD/Lowes is not the same quality
as the type ENT that is typically blue even though it may actually
cost more. After I went through my first roll I stopped using it and
went with the blue, just reidentifying it with orange tape to keep it
separated from the line voltage raceways.

All good information, thanks.

On Tuesday, July 18, 2017 at 4:42:22 PM UTC-5, Terry Coombs wrote:

I've got so much to think about now ... my thanks to all who
responded . I think I'll be staying with the way I'm doing it now , but
will run cable under the house instead of stringing it up on the
interior walls to those locations that will benefit - shop will have to
be run under ground in conduit or smurf tube - and wireless for the rest
. Unfortunately the Roku's don't have a wired option so they'll have to
remain on wifi . Again , my thanks to all for the help .
--
Snag


Out of curiosity, what sort of wireless router do you have? Repositioning it can often have a dramatic effect on the signal received by the devices. I set mine up on a shelf so I'd get the best coverage and I have a little key chain WiFi signal finder that indicates relative signal strength. I could also take my laptop around the house and get a good indication of signal strength. There is a 99 cent app from Amazon that loads into an Android phone. It's pretty cool because it has a colorful visual bargraph display and makes Geiger counter clicks as it detects a signal. ヽ(ヅ)ノ

https://www.amazon.com/802-11b-Pocke.../dp/B003LZUQQY

https://www.amazon.com/FAQware-WiFi-.../dp/B00CNDUC6Y

[8~{} Uncle Meter Monster

On 7/18/2017 7:02 PM, Uncle Monster wrote:
On Tuesday, July 18, 2017 at 4:42:22 PM UTC-5, Terry Coombs wrote:
I've got so much to think about now ... my thanks to all who
responded . I think I'll be staying with the way I'm doing it now , but
will run cable under the house instead of stringing it up on the
interior walls to those locations that will benefit - shop will have to
be run under ground in conduit or smurf tube - and wireless for the rest
. Unfortunately the Roku's don't have a wired option so they'll have to
remain on wifi . Again , my thanks to all for the help .
--
Snag

Out of curiosity, what sort of wireless router do you have? Repositioning it can often have a dramatic effect on the signal received by the devices. I set mine up on a shelf so I'd get the best coverage and I have a little key chain WiFi signal finder that indicates relative signal strength. I could also take my laptop around the house and get a good indication of signal strength. There is a 99 cent app from Amazon that loads into an Android phone. It's pretty cool because it has a colorful visual bargraph display and makes Geiger counter clicks as it detects a signal. ヽ(ヅ)ノ

https://www.amazon.com/802-11b-Pocke.../dp/B003LZUQQY

https://www.amazon.com/FAQware-WiFi-.../dp/B00CNDUC6Y

[8~{} Uncle Meter Monster

It's a Linksys E1200 , and it's on a shelf about 4" from the ceiling
.. I need to get me one of those signal strength things . I'm not sure if
the signal is symmetrical or lobe shaped ... I've tried rotating it with
no apparent effect but who knows , I might not have gotten the exact
orientation needed .

--

Snag

On Tue, 18 Jul 2017 19:33:25 -0500, Terry Coombs
wrote:

On 7/18/2017 7:02 PM, Uncle Monster wrote:
On Tuesday, July 18, 2017 at 4:42:22 PM UTC-5, Terry Coombs wrote:
I've got so much to think about now ... my thanks to all who
responded . I think I'll be staying with the way I'm doing it now , but
will run cable under the house instead of stringing it up on the
interior walls to those locations that will benefit - shop will have to
be run under ground in conduit or smurf tube - and wireless for the rest
. Unfortunately the Roku's don't have a wired option so they'll have to
remain on wifi . Again , my thanks to all for the help .
--
Snag

Out of curiosity, what sort of wireless router do you have? Repositioning it can often have a dramatic effect on the signal received by the devices. I set mine up on a shelf so I'd get the best coverage and I have a little key chain WiFi signal finder that indicates relative signal strength. I could also take my laptop around the house and get a good indication of signal strength. There is a 99 cent app from Amazon that loads into an Android phone. It's pretty cool because it has a colorful visual bargraph display and makes Geiger counter clicks as it detects a signal. ?(?)?

https://www.amazon.com/802-11b-Pocke.../dp/B003LZUQQY

https://www.amazon.com/FAQware-WiFi-.../dp/B00CNDUC6Y

[8~{} Uncle Meter Monster

It's a Linksys E1200 , and it's on a shelf about 4" from the ceiling
. I need to get me one of those signal strength things . I'm not sure if
the signal is symmetrical or lobe shaped ... I've tried rotating it with
no apparent effect but who knows , I might not have gotten the exact
orientation needed .

--

Snag

You might get better coverage if you just move the router nearer the
problem area. Look at the walls, windows and whatever is blocking your
signal and see if you can make it better. I ended up finding one sweet
spot that got just about every spot someone was likely to use the
WiFi. It did not take long for the kids to figure out where they could
get on or not. We did end up with one tablet free area out by the pool
and that is refreshing too.

On Tuesday, July 18, 2017 at 7:33:02 PM UTC-5, Terry Coombs wrote:
On 7/18/2017 7:02 PM, Uncle Monster wrote:
On Tuesday, July 18, 2017 at 4:42:22 PM UTC-5, Terry Coombs wrote:
I've got so much to think about now ... my thanks to all who
responded . I think I'll be staying with the way I'm doing it now , but
will run cable under the house instead of stringing it up on the
interior walls to those locations that will benefit - shop will have to
be run under ground in conduit or smurf tube - and wireless for the rest
. Unfortunately the Roku's don't have a wired option so they'll have to
remain on wifi . Again , my thanks to all for the help .
--
Snag

Out of curiosity, what sort of wireless router do you have? Repositioning it can often have a dramatic effect on the signal received by the devices. I set mine up on a shelf so I'd get the best coverage and I have a little key chain WiFi signal finder that indicates relative signal strength. I could also take my laptop around the house and get a good indication of signal strength. There is a 99 cent app from Amazon that loads into an Android phone. It's pretty cool because it has a colorful visual bargraph display and makes Geiger counter clicks as it detects a signal. ヽ(ヅ)ノ

https://www.amazon.com/802-11b-Pocke.../dp/B003LZUQQY

https://www.amazon.com/FAQware-WiFi-.../dp/B00CNDUC6Y

[8~{} Uncle Meter Monster

It's a Linksys E1200 , and it's on a shelf about 4" from the ceiling
. I need to get me one of those signal strength things . I'm not sure if
the signal is symmetrical or lobe shaped ... I've tried rotating it with
no apparent effect but who knows , I might not have gotten the exact
orientation needed .
--
Snag


You can pick up one of the Edimax access point range extenders like I have for $25 off Amazon. It can be switched between access point and wireless bridge so it can be used in a couple of ways. You can run an Ethernet cable to the other side of the house and set it up as an access point or place it on top of a desktop computer, switch it to bridge mode and plug it into the Ethernet port on the computer and pick up the WiFi from your router. You can also plug it into an Ethernet switch while it's in bridge mode and connect a desktop and printer if it's equipped with an Ethernet port. It's the most versatile WiFi device for the money I've come across. I got mine from a discount site for $15 a few years ago. I wished I bought a few more. ヽ(ヅ)ノ

https://www.amazon.com/Edimax-5GHz-W.../dp/B00NQ3PK9Y

[8~{} Uncle Extended Monster

Terry Coombs posted for all of us...



It turns out that the roll of "speaker wire" my friend gave me when
cleaning out his shop is actually cat5e ehtenet cabling . So , I'm faced
with a decision - I have 400 feet of this stuff , which is plenty enough
to wire my whole house for internet connections . On the other hand ,
wireless is much cleaner and easier to move computers around if we
change the layout of our furnishings . Or maybe a combination , since
some comps already have a wireless card and some don't - and the one out
in the shop has a card but signal strength is iffy at times . Not much
worry here about getting hacked , a stranger down here in The Holler
would be questioned - and the hacker would have to be in my driveway to
get any kind of signal at all so ...

--

Snag

I have not read all the posts so you decide. If you intend to alarm the
house you could use it for that...

--
Tekkie

posted for all of us...



On Tue, 18 Jul 2017 12:20:52 -0700, T wrote:

Wired is always far more reliable than wireless.
That is, if you are good at connecting the plastic
cubes on the ends of the cables, which is an art form.

The biggest problem with that is trying to do it with a cheap crimper.
You can buy a whole lot of factory cords for the price of a real
crimper (that may approach $100)

+1

--
Tekkie

On 7/19/2017 2:24 PM, Tekkie® wrote:
Terry Coombs posted for all of us...


It turns out that the roll of "speaker wire" my friend gave me when
cleaning out his shop is actually cat5e ehtenet cabling . So , I'm faced
with a decision - I have 400 feet of this stuff , which is plenty enough
to wire my whole house for internet connections . On the other hand ,
wireless is much cleaner and easier to move computers around if we
change the layout of our furnishings . Or maybe a combination , since
some comps already have a wireless card and some don't - and the one out
in the shop has a card but signal strength is iffy at times . Not much
worry here about getting hacked , a stranger down here in The Holler
would be questioned - and the hacker would have to be in my driveway to
get any kind of signal at all so ...

--

Snag
I have not read all the posts so you decide. If you intend to alarm the
house you could use it for that...

My alarm system has 4 legs and will weigh around 85 lbs when he's
fully grown ... seriously , down here in The Holler there are only half
a dozen houses , and we all watch out for each other . 'Most everybody
is well armed , and a stranger is checked out - "Hey Bubba , was that
blue truck headed for your house ?" "Nah , he pulled in to Tim's
driveway , it's his brother-no-good-in-law ."

I'll be pulling 2 runs each to the dining room , bedroom , and a
couple of places in the living room . Picking up my son's crimper when
we deliver the g-kids back to Memphis tomorrow along with a handful of
connectors (and payment for the 3 qts of honey I delivered last week) .

--

Snag