BStrauss3

Now having survived all that, part 2.

If you don't like the wireless router built into the cable modem, have dead spots, etc. you always can add your own router - any of the electronics stores, Amazon, etc. - they all sell them.

The newer stuff (called 802.11n and 802.11ac) is faster and has better coverage (of course, it's ALWAYS limited to the speed of your internet connection, so don't buy into the 450Mbps is wonderful if you have a 30 Mbps internet plan - yes 450 greater than 30, but it's the coverage you want not the speed)


The back of the cable modem will have one or four of those RJ45 things I talked about in the prior post. You can take the little cable that comes with the router you buy click it into the port on your new router labeled "WAN" or "Internet" and click the other end into the port on the cable modem. This should be in the router's quick start and you'll definitely want to read and follow that since you want to at least set a password on your wireless signal so I can't leech it from you while sitting at the curb.

That's the easiest way to get internet, btw, just leech from a neighbor - sitting here at the couch I can see 17 access points...

lensman

How long are you planning to be in this house? The longer you're planning to be there the better and more future-proof I would recommend being for the wiring.

How much cable is laid in the house right now? Is there coax to every room that is going to have a TV? Cable installers are famous for stapling coax to walls and baseboards. Having done a lot of painting i *hate* this as it makes it impossible to do a good paint job without removing the cable.

If you're going to have to pull coax to different rooms for the TV, I recommend having the installer/electrician pull network cable to that room as well and run it to a distribution room. Over the years I've run CAT6 network cable from most rooms of my house to the room I use as my office. This ties in to my router there and enables me to have a 100% reliable hardwired network that never has the problems that my wifi network has had over the years. My house has very thick walls and floors.

Remember, it's the same effort to pull 2 wires as it is to pull 1.

mikel51

In my somewhat large house, we had dead spots with several wi-fi access points (netgear, d-link-usually top of the line). I bought the previous version of the Apple Airport extreme and that solved the problem. Test reports on the newest version of Airport extreme (wireless A,C) make it appear even better. Although relatively expensive, if you still have dead spots, you can get a second Apple access point and it can rather easily be set up as a repeater/signal extender. So based on my experience, I firmly recommend the Apple Airport extreme rather than the cable company device.

If your cable company installer is good, he may be able to solve all your issues. If he is mediocre, he may not get you "whole house access."

dtc

+1 on the powerline Ethernet adapters.

I've been able to extend Internet to a detached garage (think New England houses) with one of those. I'd totally get one (pair) and then hook up another wifi access point to it.

mikeef

BStrauss3: Thanks for scaring the you-know-what out of me!

Seriously, I appreciate the notes on the choke points. I need to know where things can go wrong.

We're going to be here for another 20 years. I want to do it as right as possible the first time.

As to the second question, I really don't know. My knowledge of electronics is, well, somewhat poor.

Thank you very much. I appreciate the advice.

The big question: We have an electrician that we trust. How much of the wiring, cable-readying, etc. can he do so that we don't have to rely on a random cable installer?

Mike

nmenaker

most of this is not electrical. If he is good, and is ready and willing to pull some wire (ethernet CAT6) and or coax for cable drops, I'd say figure out what you want where and let him pull some ethernet from where you are going to have your primary Cable modem and router, and then put an ethernet drop there (next to a power drop) and then maybe put some coax where you want it, so the cable guy won't charge an arm and a leg to put the drop in the inside wall, exactly where you want it.

N

gfunkdave

Electrician is probably overkill, but as nmenaker said, if he's willing to do it sure. Otherwise a good handyman is all you need.

Sprocket1200

we use a combination of wired and wireless extensions. the main router 'feeds' other wireless units and connects them by wires.

I fully agree with getting latest technology you can afford. i have found a great way to save cash is to get the slightly older versions used.

BStrauss3

Concur. Pulling Ethernet (cat 5/6) has two components - pulling the wire itself and the termination. Pulling the wire is just like pulling Romex (the 110 electrical wire). The skills are typical electrician skills - fishing wire, installing old-work boxes, etc.

Termination takes a tiny bit of specialized knowledge (don't untwist more than an minimal amount of wire) and minimal but specialized test equipment for certification. If your electrician owns the test set (and many do), you should be golden.

mikeef

Thanks guys. From what you have said, it does seem like the electrician may be a little bit of overkill. But frankly, we don't have a great handyman, so I'm willing to overpay my electrician, who we know is honest (He was once mortified that he had to get a different piece of equipment than he thought for a particular project, and he was so sorry, but the new piece was $150 more. The whole project was just under $10,000. I almost died laughing.) and will tell us what he can and can't do. It's clear that I want the installers to have to do as little as possible.

I appreciate all the help and feel free to keep the suggestions coming.

Mike

lensman

So it sounds like you already have coax to all the rooms that have TVs and you're just looking for a way to ensure that you have a good wifi signal everywhere in the house, right? That is, you don't feel you need any more coax (cable tv) wire pulled anywhere in the house, right?

Also, where are you getting your current TV signal? Where is it coming into the house and where is it split to the different rooms?

Finally, are you happy with the way the current coax is run? Is it in the walls?

mikeef

I'm not exactly sure what the coax situation is. Our electrician is coming over this weekend to see how everything is wired, but I'd be hard pressed to tell you what goes where. As mentioned, my technical knowledge is bad.

Currently, we have satellite TV (DirecTV). We have three televisions, one in the master bedroom (second floor) and two on the first floor, in the living room and playroom. All three have cables that plug into the wall, which I'm assuming are the coaxes. The playroom is the room that is the dead zone, although the living room gets only a weaker signal. The modem and router are on the third floor and will stay there when the cable company takes over from our DSL.

My goal is two-fold: First, as you stated, I want to make sure that I get a good wifi signal everywhere in the house. I'd like to be able to use my laptop in the playroom, but we are also putting a Smart TV in there, so we'll need wireless or high-speed access to ensure the ability to download episodes of Dora the Explorer (On second thought, maybe I should be skipping the HSIA here so I don't have to subject myself to "Swiper no swiping!"...).

Reading through the suggestions, though, it became clear to me that my house might need a total install, since we don't currently have cable. And, based on my previous experiences with cable installers and BStrauss3's humorous but, unfortunately, realistic posts earlier, it is also clear to me that I want the cable guys to do as little of the work as possible. That's where my electrician comes in. I spoke to him last night and he has a pretty good idea of what we're looking at.

Anyway, I hope I haven't confused you more. Thanks again.

Mike