[urmystlkal]

I'm not sure if this is the best place for this so please move if not. I'm building a house and I'm not allowed to run any wire myself due to liability issues w/ the builder. Everything has to be done by them. It's a 2 story house so I won't be able to run anything in the walls or drop any lines after the fact.


There's 4 bedrooms, living room, and a game room. (And a media room which we're not counting). It wouldn't be a problem but I'm only given 6 total cable drops and after that it's a $100 a drop. I've pushed for more cuz it's bs to charge that, but there's nothing I can do. So I'm looking for help on what I should have ran.


We are getting a phone line in the kitchen, that's 1.


I'm thinking...


2. cable line in living room

3. cat 5 in living room

4. cable in master

5. cable in game room

6. cable in 2nd bedroom


That leaves the 3rd and fourth bedrooms w/ nothing and no network connections ran to anywhere but the living room, (there will be media room, but that's separate from my 6).


For all normal purposes, should I just pay for the 3rd and fourth bedrooms to get cable and be done?


We will have wifi so is not having the cat5 ran really going to be that bad? I'm mad about it because I wanted it in every room. The media room will have 2 cat 5's, plus a cable connection. One cat5 for the ps3, other one just because.



Also question about IR repeater, we have a media room, and the A/V rack will be in the back. I've asked them to run a Cat 5 cable to the front wall under where the projector will be to the spot where the A/V rack will be so I can install the repeater. Is that correct on what I need to do?


Thanks for any help. More looking for reassurance that life won't suck w/ hardly any cat 5 ran in the brand new house, lol. I just keep looking and ppl are running 6 cables to one spot for this and that and I'm jealous.

 

[Tencntraze]

Just as a quick thought, if you're running the cables now and want to be future-proof, why not run Cat6 so that you get the better bandwidth. Even though you may not need it now, would be expensive to replace later.

 

[urmystlkal]

Yeah I can ask them about doing that. I wish it wasn't such a ripoff. I'd like to have the data cables ran to alot more places.


Anyone know about the IR repeater?

 

[tvdrew]

I ran cat 5 to a location near screen for the same purpose. I haven't installed the repeater yet, but based on my research I'm expecting it to work. Niles at least calls for Cat 5, although you use only 3 of the wires (or 4--I forget right now).

 

[urmystlkal]

Well I decided in all the bedrooms I would just do a standard coaxial connection. W/ coaxial instead of cat I have the option of any cable or satellite company instead of just U-verse like I would w/ Cat5. But since I do have U-verse I can use the Cat5 connection on the U-verse boxes if I need that connection in that room so I guess that'll work well enough.


As far as the IR repeater goes, it seems that I may not need a cable ran? Do I need one if I go w/ a Harmony or Pronto RF capable remote?

 

[Fatkinson]

Dont sweat IR Lines. RF is becoming the standard.

 

[pmilin]

Why don't you have the builder run some conduit in key areas like a wall that goes from the equipment room up to the attic. Have them drop cables in the rooms that would be very hard to do after like in the basement or the first floor. You can then use the conduit to add drops after the fact from the attic.


You will inevitably need another cable in the future.