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Wire Your House With Ethernet Cable For Better Home Networking

9:00AM November 7, 2009 | Rosa Golijan

I’ve finally started watching TV on my computer, but my big annoyance since then is that my — ahem — mostly legally downloaded episodes take ages to transfer wirelessly from laptop to media centre PC. Thankfully Lifehacker’s got a DIY wiring solution for my troubles.

The instructions are actually pretty thorough and explain everything you need to know about running CAT 5e or CAT 6 cables through your walls without making a horrid mess, but please don’t blame me if you somehow manage to destroy something. [Instructables via Lifehacker]

Comments

  • Jay

    November 7, 2009 at 1:36 PM

    Australians should note: It is illegal to run data cable in your house unless you have an appropriate cabling license. Don’t blame me, talk to the ACMA.

  • Drew Mewburn

    November 9, 2009 at 10:50 AM

    You can actually data cable your house on your own quite legally, it only becomes illegal if any of your un-certified cabling comes into contact with any other cabling.

    ie: If you had an ADSL modem router plugged into both a Telstra line and the cabling in your house, you’re breaking the law.

    If, however, you had your cabling plugged into a wireless router, which was wirelessly connected to your ADSL modem, you’d be in the clear.

  • steve

    November 9, 2009 at 12:09 PM

    and how are they going to know?

    just say it was there when you bought the house :)

  • Red T-Rex

    November 9, 2009 at 4:14 PM

    Yeah, it all has to do with not wanting some bad cabling messing up the network outside of your house e.g. if it somehow got hooked up to mains power in some way. That’s why if it is isolated from the main network by wireless it is OK. Fo the same reason you cannot have data cable going through the same conduit as power in case there is a short.

    Still, I paid an electrician to do it and he charged $80 per point which included the cable, the wall outlet hardware, and crawling around in my ceiling. So to have the Lounge room, gamesroom, and two bedrooms hooked up to the study cost $320 and he provided a 6 point outlet in the study to easily add a couple more later. Considering a wireless adapter can cost the same you get faster speed and a more reliable connection.

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