sundance-communications.com/forum Forums Wiring - Telecom Carriers - Trunks & Services Cabling Telephones Systems Wiring SMART HOUSE

1. smart home is a concept more than anything. structured cabling, computer networks, etc.
2. RG6 is coax cable.
3. dsl needs to have filters on the jacks that phones are connected to. there are also splitters that filter all the jacks at one point.
4. CO line is jut a phone line. RJ31X is what alarm systems use to dial out and take dialtone even if a phone is off the hook.
PS how young are you? I'm 18 and have been around the industry for about 5 years.
PS, you can find a lot on Google too.

Looks like Jeff beat me to this one.

rg6 is a type of coax cable, their are a few post on this board that get into detail about it.
"smart house" in a nut shell are houses that are wired to handle computers, phones, tv,security, automation, things like that. can include audio/video distribution. It can be as big as or small as you want.

For example, I installed a distrtibuted audio/video system that allows you to choose from different sources and play them in different rooms, they are controled by keypads in each room or by remote (IR), this one was made by russond. The same house also has data, voice, and cable jacks ran to 2 locations in each room, all are home run to an equipment closet that has all the audio/video components connected on a rack. This is also where the security cameras terminate to. Their is also a smaller closet the houses the phone system and data wiring as well as the dsl router and network switch. The utility room houses the alarm panal, as well as the fire alarm panel. Their is a lot of information on the net about "SMART HOUSES" above is just a very simple explination.

The electrican handeld the X10 control stuff, I dO not know much about it. From what I do know it allows you to control lights either locally at a wall switch or remotley via additional switchs or an x-10 controller, some alarm systems will intergrate with x-10. Their is actually a lot it will do Just do a google search you will find a lot of info on this whole topic.

By the way I am not that old. I am 29

What does 'smart home' refer to exactly? all the cables somehow are connected to a processor via the block or something?

"Smart home" means a dumb installer. :rofl:

Usually they will use that big cable that looks like a garden hose and run it to every jack location even if it's for a single wall phone. That cable contains two RG-6's, two CAT5's and maybe two fibers. Needless to say it costs the earth. Then they will terminate it in some sort of "structured wiring" cabinet abortion that we will need to rip out if the customer decides they want more than single line phones. No "processor" of any sort, just a termination.

And how is a bunch of conduit the alternative to this 'smart wiring'?

Because it allows the wiring to be easily replaced when something better comes along. This is in contrast to stupidly installing every type of current wiring under one jacket and hoping that it will last 50 years.

What is RG-6? A generic term for the coax used for cable TV.

If you use CAT3 for voice you deserve a big pat on the back! :banana: Every sparky, computer geek or hack only knows CAT5.

the builder installed a whole house DSL filter made the b/w pair voice and the o/w pair data. But Verizon installed a splitter at the nid... [that] just connects dial tone... to the whole house... with the dsl signal already filtered out.

Think about it.

Whats a CO line versus a RJ31X?

A CO line is the line from the service provider (TELCO). A RJ-31X is a jack usually used to connect a security panel to a CO line and the telephones or equipment that are on that line. With a security panel, the CO line passes through the panel then gets connected to the telephones. This is so that when the panel goes into alarm it can disconnect the phones if they are in use and call the central station. The RJ-31X is an 8 pin connector, pins 4&5 is the CO line in and 1&8 back out to the phones. 8 conductor line cord plugs into the jack and connects the alarm panel. If you pull the plug there are shorting bars that connect the CO line to the phones.

Whats up with the X10?

Got me, I'm a telephone guy.

-Hal

Yep , just run what YOU need cat3 to voice only jacks , like kitchen wall mount phone , coax cable to probable needs locations , cat5 cable if you never plan on having wireless access to your router ,X10 if you do plan on wireless control to your security detection devices . Smart House or Dumb Homeowner , that's alot of extra expense for the average Homeowner .

I have my house all in conduit stubbed to the basement. Each room has a cat3(split 2 pair on 2 jack inserts), cat5e and 1 Cable TV. The office has extra CAT5's. I have 14 extensions running off a tadiran Coral 1 with a 4 port active voice vmail os/2 with telanophy running. 24 port gig switch and a dlink wireless 5 router/switch. In the basement next to my "frame" I have 2 2" conduit pipes going to the attic for future use. One has Cable in it for an attic antenna, in case the cable goes out.

When the house was being built, and they wouldn't let me pull cable thus the conduit, I went and pre-drilled holes for my surround sound system in TV room. I video taped where these were so I could do this later, and did...heheh 61 Samsyng DLP with a Harmon Kardon reciever and infinity speakers. That coupled with 7 computers running with multiple OS's/print servers ect. I have put in the video survellance and the wireless work pretty damn good IMHO.

I know it sounds like overkill but this allows me to try VOIP right in my house and setup switch configs without having to goto the office. I aslo have a VOIP gateway that I can attach too externally via netmeeting and access an extension.

Ok, I am a frigging geek..I get it

I remember a few/lot of years back when IBM would only certify Token Ring installs if you used their cabling solution . A combo shielded cable with coax and twisted pair combined . You had to use IBM connectors , IBM jacks , IBM panels . Some of you may have come across the remiains of this cabling infrastructure . Technology passed it by . Ed , who I think has a Photographic memory can probably supply part numbers for this stuff . Point being what is state of the art cabling today may be obsolete in 1 year .

X10 is a communication protocol that is transmitted on existing electrical lines to control lighting, appliances, etc. It can be stand alone remote control, computer software driven, or through a security system.

Most security systems offer an automation upgrade allowing you to control these electrical devices through your keypad (either manually or following an event, eg. porch light on during exit delay) or by calling in to the system through the phone line. A couple of the panel manufacturers are using "CEBus" instead, much the same idea as X10.

X10 is compatible with other manufacturers that use the X10 protocol like Leviton, Switchlinc, etc.

Originally posted by Coral Tech:
Careful here, that violates building/fire code (been there, done that!). The conduit can act like a chimney in the case of a fire. It has to be capped and if there are lines running through it, a proper fire stop has to be used.

Fire foam does the job nicely and is to code.