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Crymson
03-29-2010, 11:58 AM
How would one go about running network cable in a house where it was never wired for it?

I have both cable out lets with coax cable and phone lines in each room. I use neither. Is it possible to somehow pull cat-5 along those and take out the coax? or something like that?

eblend
03-29-2010, 12:03 PM
I use these

http://www.gefen.com/gefentv/gtvproduct.jsp?prod_id=5275

you can string them together to get more access points from a single sending unit.

There are also d-link versions ect. I bought mine online and I like them since they have a built in switch, unlike the offering from D-link.

Cheaper then running ethernet through the place, just uses existing coax, which by the way can still be used for cable tv at the same time

Tik-Tok
03-29-2010, 12:03 PM
It would be really difficult to pull it through, as you know know the corners that the coax has been pulled through, there' might be some tight 90* bends.

The best way is to go down from the attic, or up through the basement, depending on your house.

When I ripped out my old basement, and rebuilt it, I put cat5 into every room in the house, through the basement up into the walls, but I've got a bungelow, and had the opportunity with the basement being redone.

eblend
03-29-2010, 12:06 PM
Was going to say like Tik-Tok said, if it is a bungalo with undeveloped basement than it is very easy. I actually put real ethernet jacks in the floor just above my undeveloped basement, and only use the coax for my second floor.

Crymson
03-29-2010, 01:32 PM
Unfortunately, it's an older condo. Not much access above and below.

I'll look into that coax thingy. Sounds neat. However it's not alot faster than wireless N. I'm getting about 130 Mbps now, and i really need the gigabit lan for hi def video streaming and such.

sputnik
03-29-2010, 02:03 PM
Originally posted by Crymson
Unfortunately, it's an older condo. Not much access above and below.

Then it looks like you will need to be a good drywaller.

Have you tried the dual band N wireless? You can get up to 300 Mbps which I have friends that stream MKV files over without any problems.

Also, there is no reason why you should need gigabit speeds for gaming. Gaming never requires that kind of bandwidth.

Crymson
03-29-2010, 03:05 PM
I have dual Nband. But in a condo downtown, other peeps microwaves, wirelesses (up to 20-15 different networks are detectable depending what end of the house i'm at), phones, wiring and walls i never get 300.

I probably could get it with my laptop at the table next to the router, but my wireless N media extrender is one fridge, one microwave, and 4 walls away from my router.

Don't need it it for gaming, need it for streaming big mkv and h264 files.


Originally posted by sputnik


Then it looks like you will need to be a good drywaller.



Know anywbody? I have a big job. 2 bathrooms, redone with walls moved, one bedroom redone with walls moved, and a kitchen completely redone with walls removed, and new ceilings and drywall throughout.

That's the plan. The condo is a bit over 20. Could use new insulation on the outside walls and a reno anway.

hampstor
03-29-2010, 03:47 PM
One of our forum sponsors (SpireTECH) might be able to help you.

eblend
03-29-2010, 04:18 PM
Originally posted by Crymson
I'm getting about 130 Mbps now, and i really need the gigabit lan for hi def video streaming and such.


I bet the 100mbps from wired connection will kick your 130mbps from wireless. And no you do not need gigabit speeds for HD, I run HD all day long over 100mb, as a matter of fact, I can stream 3 HD flicks at once to 3 different steamers from one computer over 100mb. At 100mbps you can getover 80 gigs streamed in 2 hours at peak utilization...(100mbps is 12.5 megs/sec x 60 (seconds) x 120 (minutes) = 90GB). At most, even a direct BD raw data would be 50 gigs...but most are 20-30gb range, so you definatelly don't need anywhere near gig speeds which could do almost a terabyte of data in 2 hours). Moral of the story, don't buy the hype, and definatelly don't stream HD over wifi.

Tik-Tok
03-29-2010, 05:22 PM
Originally posted by eblend



I bet the 100mbps from wired connection will kick your 130mbps from wireless. And no you do not need gigabit speeds for HD, I run HD all day long over 100mb..... Moral of the story, don't buy the hype, and definatelly don't stream HD over wifi.

Yeah, I was going to say, I stream 1080p MKV files through my network just fine, and (for whatever reason), my network only has around 35Mb/s (according to my asus o!play streamer)

Crymson
03-29-2010, 07:20 PM
I have the asus o!play wireless one, and i get alot of grief at at anything under about 100 Mbs.

HOWEVER, i also have the absolutely GARBAGE apple airport extreme router. It's the worst piece of shit i've i've wasted money on.

Grogador
03-29-2010, 07:32 PM
Got cold air return ducts? Then all you need is fishtape or a golfball on a string...

Tik-Tok
03-29-2010, 07:49 PM
Originally posted by Grogador
Got cold air return ducts? Then all you need is fishtape or a golfball on a string...

I've never seen a condo with cold air return before...

Crymson
03-29-2010, 08:23 PM
Actually, i do have cold air return. But that's a little more ghetto than I would like.

Grogador
03-29-2010, 08:27 PM
How is it ghetto? You can hide it under the baseboards upstairs, and I'm guessing it goes to a 'furnace room' downstairs... Anyway, you need to get an installer in to look at it and give you some options. I think SpireTECH was already mentioned higher in the thread.


Originally posted by Tik-Tok
I've never seen a condo with cold air return before...

You need to get out more ;) I saw plenty in ~3yrs of pulling cable through ~10,000 homes and businesses.

Crymson
03-29-2010, 09:30 PM
Yeah, i suppose you could hid it. I would just KNOW it was ghetto. I'll just wait till i reno.

And who is Spiretech? I thought they just sold usless gadgets.

jwslam
04-01-2010, 11:41 AM
I bought this for my buddy.
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5631208&csid=ITD&recordsPerPage=10&body=REVIEWS#tabs
Seems to work good. Turns the power outlet cables in your house into an ethernet network.

Boat
04-01-2010, 12:54 PM
Originally posted by jwslam
I bought this for my buddy.
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5631208&csid=ITD&recordsPerPage=10&body=REVIEWS#tabs
Seems to work good. Turns the power outlet cables in your house into an ethernet network.

To comment on the reviews, It does actually work on Windows 7, the instructions are just pretty terrible.

I'm running a spreadsheet to compare this device to wireless G speeds.
I'm having problems with connecting my PS3 with the computer for the media center, which I can probably fix by opening some ports on the device ( theres a menu for this).

stealth
04-01-2010, 04:40 PM
Originally posted by eblend

Moral of the story, don't buy the hype, and definatelly don't stream HD over wifi.

How come you are suggesting that he doesn't stream HD over wifi?

Grogador
04-01-2010, 07:44 PM
Originally posted by stealth
How come you are suggesting that he doesn't stream HD over wifi?

Cancer.

eblend
04-01-2010, 08:30 PM
Originally posted by stealth


How come you are suggesting that he doesn't stream HD over wifi?

I just find that it is never reliable, it will play for a while, then studder ect. Used to play non-hd tv singal to my xbox 360 over 5.8GHz wireless and still used to get occasional static, just too many variables, unlike browsing the net, the data has to come in in a sequence it was sent, there are no retries with videos, else you get the studder. Microwaves, cordless phones ect, just too much interference.

UndrgroundRider
04-02-2010, 02:53 AM
Wireless is a poor choice. It might work, it might not. The success rate doesn't seem high.

The ethernet over coax adapters generally do a good job, but the cost is usually more than having a cat5 line professionally installed. As mentioned already, SpireTECH does this and also any qualified electrician can do this.