Need suggestions for a new build wire structure

[bateau980]

I finally bit the bullet and decided to build a house after looking at the market for months with my wife. To save as much as I can, I've decided to run my own low voltage cables including phone, TV and network.

My dilemma is what I should run to each room. I've already pinpointed a good spot to home run the cables to in the basement to help separate them from the electric wires. I know that I will only install a couple POTS connections in the obvious locations, master bed and kitchen, since I plan to use a 4 unit cordless phone setup. I have seen the Belden Home Automation cable that has 2 RG6 and 1 Cat5e, but don't know if that will be enough.

I'm hoping to be able to run from the basement through the "wet wall" in the kitchen and just outside of bedrooms 2 & 3 in order to cut down on floor to floor drilling.

I'm attaching the builder's sketches of the first and second floors. Note: Bedroom 4 will be my office and I plan on having up to 12 PCs in there (Desktop Engineering for many models)

Please feel free to recommend anything. Framing will start this week and I'm hoping to pre-purchase the cable as soon as possible.


Thanks in advance

 

[jayn_j]

I would add additional cat 5 up to that office space, maybe 2 more. I always find that network printers and hubs coming into the common point in the basement always seem to add to the need for more network cables than you have.

Look where your primary sat receiver is and add additional RG-6 to the common point. Personally, 2 feeds is the minimum to any room that has a TV. Three if you want to do security monitoring or any other fancy switching.

Consider pre-wire the theater room for surround speakers.

Also, I had a 2" conduit run from basement to attic on my last house to cover anything I forgot. It was a lifesaver. It allows you to run any cable to any point on the first or second floors. Otherwise it is impossible to get between floors without tearing out walls to get through the floor to floor bulkhead.