Home Wiring Closet

My Home Wiring Closet
Last Updated: 10/2009

Ever since I bought my house in 2002, I've wanted to update it's communications wiring and run it all to one central point.   The house came with only two working phone jacks, one cable TV jack (which, since I never activated cable service has been dead), and old flat two wire TV connections (for an antenna that no longer exists).

My goal was to run new RJ6 TV wire, CAT5e for LAN and CAT5e for new phone connections (allows for more future changes) to each room.   In some cases, I ran multiple drops to rooms like the living room and the basement bar room.   When I first began running this wire through the house it was trying to future plan for devices that today are just now becoming more common place (such as home theater PCs, or media streamers, video game consoles with Internet game play abilities).   Even though many of these devices are wireless compatable, I prefer using a hard wired connection if it can be made available (hence why I ran so much wire).

I began running wire prior to a freak incident that flooded my basement in late July of 2006.   After that flood, the insurance money allowed me to begin re-modeling the previously finished basement, and it was as part of that remodeling that got the ball rolling with my wiring closet.

My wiring closet still remains a work-in-progress.   Currently, the equipment rack holds my 24-port BayStack 380 (does gigabit over copper).   My DSL Modem and Router are currently in the living room (linked to a connection in my wiring closet).   I still plan on installing BayStack 460 for Power Over Ethernet when I go back to working with Voice Over IP and a patch panel to link analog phone connections.

Date: 8/1/2009

To solve my earlier problem with the PVC pipe, a large piece of it was cut out of what is now the top.   The wire fed real easy up into the elbow and once it exited the elbow, I was able to grab it and pull it forward.

Each cable is labeled (and each connection in each room has a corresponding label).   I also trimmed each cable so they have approximately the same amount of slack (sadly when I ran two of the cables, they were earlier runs and I did not leave as much slack).

I also have more connections then I have ports on the switch.   I figure I can activate those either with the PoE switch or eventually throw a mini-switch into the closet (just so all ports are active).   For now, I am not worried about them and they are just not plugged in at the moment.



Date: 7/29/2009

I began using pieces of PVC pipe as a wire guide/conduit.   This will allow me to run the wire down the corner and feed it back up and to the front of the switch.

I thought the idea sounded real easy, I found it was not.   After about feeding about 2-4 wires, they kept binding up in the elbow.

Date: 7/26/2009

This was an exciting moment.   I needed a small equipment rack for my wiring closet.   This rack needs to be able to hold two 24-port network switches, a patch panel for phone connections, space to help run the wire and a shelf to eventually hold my DSL modem and router.

My father and I cut up an old metal bedframe that was originally going to be thrown to the trash.   He welded the pieces together and we drilled/tapped wholes to bolt all the equipment in.

Date: 4/28/2008

Re-building/Re-modeling the basement had been primarily a Saturday/Sunday event.   After many interuptions, at this point we were on home stretch to completing it (but this does not mark completion for the wiring closet).

I used plywood for the walls in the closet (this gives a nice strong support to screw things into the wall, even if you don't drive a screw directly into a stud).   Also, to help make more presentable, easier to see in and seal the wood, I painted the walls semi-gloss white.

In the front left corner, I grouped the RJ6 TV wire. The blue and gray wire is LAN and the red and gray wire is phone.   I originally began with a 1000ft pull pack of gray wire (thinking that was enough for my needs).   When I realised I was going to need more cable, I bought a red and blue pull pack of 1000ft wire (and only used about half of each pack).   If I had this to do over again, I would have ran all blue for LAN and all red for phone.

Date: 11/22/2006

My basement was previously a finished basement (which I wanted to completely re-model).   After the basement flooded in 2006, with the help of family and friends, we gutted the entire place.

In the process of re-framing the entire basement, we framed in a wiring closet (which previously did not exist).   Before the basement flooded, I began running new communications wire (as seen hanging, coiled in the new closet).

Page Created by: Jason Morris

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