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HOME CABLING & NETWORKING E-ZINE
| This e-zine is dedicated to a wide variety of issues in the area of home & SoHo telecom cabling and networking. Issue #7 (May 2002) © Cabling-Design.com, info@cabling-design.com ------------------------------------------------------------ Welcome to your next issue of "HOME CABLING & NETWORKING E-ZINE". You are receiving this newsletter because you requested a subscription. Unsubscribe instructions are at the end of this newsletter. ------------------------------------------------------------ IN THIS ISSUE ------------------------------------------------------------ => From the Editor => Sponsorship Notice => Feature Article (Home Cabling) => Sponsorship Notice => News You Can Use => Q & A => Sponsorship Notice ------------------------------------------------------------ From the Editor ------------------------------------------------------------ Dear subscriber, Technology is everywhere. It overwhelmed our office and now it attacks our home. We can use the Internet in each room, watch hundreds of TV channels and even create our own intra-house video channels, remotely control our home appliances etc. The list of options can be continued. Is it bad or good for us? Does it help us in having a more successful and full life? I fear it is not always the case. There are cases when technology was THE reason for divorce because the husband could not ‘disconnect’ himself from browsing the Internet a nd spend some time with his children. It is strange, but communications technology can improve our communication with people far away and at the same time make us more distant from our relatives and friends. We have to be aware of it when dealing with technology. It is exciting to live with technology, but we need to remember about moderation and balance. Today, we continue our series on cables for Smart Homes and address cables for whole-house audio distribution. Please remember that your feedback is very important and highly appreciated. Please email me at info@cabling-design.com with any topics you would like to be covered in future issues. Best regards and happy networking, John Rogers Editor Cabling-Design.com info@cabling-design.com tel/fax (435) 514-7074 ------------------------------------------------------------ >>>>>>>>>>>>>>SPONSOR MESSAGE<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< ------------------------------------------------------------ SMART HOME for DUMMIES by Danny Briere and Pat Hurley ------------------------------------------------------------ This book is an excellent addition to the best-selling ‘Residential Cabling Guide’ from Cabling-Design.com. It provides all the necessary information for: * discovering the benefits of home networking * creating a whole-house phone and PC network * choosing and wiring a whole-house security system * creating a multi-zone whole-house audio system * exploring X-10 and other home automation technologies * and much more … This book is highly recommended by Cabling-Design.com. Click on the link below to get more information or buy this book directly from Cabling-Design.com Web Store: http://www.cabling-design.com/resources/documents/smart.html?source=mlm >>>>>>>>>>>>>>END SPONSOR MESSAGE<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< ------------------------------------------------------------ FEATURE ARTICLE: Home Cabling Essential Facts for Cabling Your Home in a Smart Way Part 3: Cables, cables, cables ... By John Rogers ------------------------------------------------------------ <continued from Issue #1> Whole-House Audio Distribution ============================== In the last issues we mainly talked about communications systems, now let’s talk about a very important entertainment system: whole-house audio. This system may consist of only a pair of speakers and one audio source or may include multi-zone distribution and multiple sources allowing listening to different sounds in different rooms. For saving costs, audio cabling should also be planned for and installed together with telecommunications and video cabling. Overview --------- Whole-house audio systems may be divided into two groups: () Single-zone system (one audio source plays in each room at the same time, of course you can control the volume in every room) () Multi-zone system (different audio sources can be played in different rooms at the same time: for example, CD player in one bedroom and FM tuner in the kitchen) Here we will concentrate on single-zone audio because it is much more simple to install and less expensive. Whole-house audio system consists of the following components: * Audio sources (CD player, MP3 player, FM tuner etc) * Amplifiers (those boxes amplify signals from audio sources to speaker levels) * Audio cabling Audio cabling in general includes the following components: - Audio speaker cables and audio patch cables; - Audio connectors and outlets - Audio bridging modules * Volume controls Those devices control the volume in each room and may include impedance matching. * Speakers Those devices convert electronic power signals delivered by audio cabling from the amplifier into acoustic sound. Wiring Topology ---------------- Your audio cabling system should also use a star topology. All the audio sources and amplifiers should be located in the center of the star (preferably, near to the whole-house Distribution Device). Audio cables run from the Distribution Device to the volume controls in different rooms. Additional audio cables connect the volume controls with the appropriate speakers. Choosing the Best Audio Cables ------------------------------ Buy the best audio cable you can afford. Poor audio cable degrades the audio signal quality and may add a lot to possible frustration. Below are some recommendations for choosing the best audio cables: () 2- or 4-conductor construction within one jacket Each speaker requires 2 conductors of speaker wire, so 2-conductor audio cable supports ONE speaker and 4-conductor audio cable support TWO speakers (left and right). () UL Class 2 or Class 3 rating for in-wall use Those classes rate cables for safety according to the National Electrical Code (NEC). Always check with your local authorities which minimum Class rating your in-wall cables must be. () 14 AWG copper conductors for better power transfer ‘Gauge’ measures the thickness of the conductor and is measured in AWG units (American Wire Gauge). The lower the gauge the thicker the conductor. The thicker cable (with the lower AWG number) has less attenuation and is better for audio power transfer. Your audio cables should be minimum 16 AWG. 14 AWG is recommended. () Twisted conductors for better noise immunity Audio cables also may have twisted conductors for the same reason as Unshielded Twisted Pair cables: noise immunity. () Color-coded jacket for easy identification Do not forget that most cables look the same if the jackets are of the same color. Choose color-coded jackets, assign a color to each application and you will be able to identify cables faster. () Rip cord for easy jacket removal If you install cable on your own, this feature will definitely make your job easier. Planning Audio Cabling ---------------------- Audio cables should be planned using the following rules: (1) Audio cables from the Amplifier and Audio Sources to the Distribution Device. If the amplifier and audio sources are not located near to the Distribution Device, run six-conductor speaker cable from the amplifier to the Distribution Device. Four conductors are used for audio signal transmission, additional two conductors may be used for DC power. (2) Audio cables from the Distribution Device to the Volume Controls in different rooms. Run four-conductor speaker cable to each volume control. (3) Audio cables from the volume control to the speakers. For each speaker, you will need to run two-conductor speaker cable from the associated volume control. <In the next issue, we will talk about different types of outlets, faceplates, mounting brackets etc> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>SPONSOR MESSAGE<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< ------------------------------------------------------------ RESIDENTIAL CABLING GUIDE (2nd Edition) ------------------------------------------------------------ The ‘RESIDENTIAL CABLING GUIDE’ will save you a lot of trouble showing the clear and correct way of cabling your home for whole-house voice, data and video. You will learn: * How to cable your house for voice, data, video and other applications * How to turn your house into a state-of-art communications and entertainment house * How to integrate and successfully use basic and advanced technologies like Internet connection sharing and multi-room video distribution * How to plan, design, install and maintain your advanced home network * How to choose the best components for your home network Click on the link below to get more information: http://www.cabling-design.com/resources/documents/residential.html?source=mlm FREE BONUS FOR A LIMITED PERIOD OF TIME! **************************************** If you buy the ‘Residential Cabling Guide’ today, you will get the ‘Guide to the Residential Internet Gateways' for FREE! >>>>>>>>>>>>>>END SPONSOR MESSAGE<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< ------------------------------------------------------------ NEWS News You Can Use ------------------------------------------------------------ Internet Security Systems Releases BlackICE PC Protection for Small Office and Home Users Internet Security Systems (ISS) today announced the launch of BlackICE(TM) PC Protection, a powerful desktop application combining intrusion detection systems (IDS) and firewall technologies with a new security measure, application protection, to advance the level of protection available to small office and home users in an affordable, easy-to-use package. BlackICE PC Protection builds on the same award-winning technology used in its predecessor, BlackICE Defender, but takes its capabilities a step further to protect online users against the new breed of hybrid threats able to circumvent traditional firewall and anti-virus applications. BlackICE PC Protection is optimized to secure any Internet connection including dial-up, Ethernet, cable, DSL and wireless networks. Many of today's common PC applications including peer-to-peer instant messaging, file sharing and email programs, and web browsers contain applications that automatically accept inbound and outbound communications through the Internet. These applications are susceptible to attack and are not fully protected by traditional firewalls and anti-virus. Application protection is superior to traditional outbound blocking techniques by not only automating the initial security settings for the user, but by automatically blocking attacks. For example: attackers often disguise illicit applications as legitimate ones by using a common file name to fool users into giving them access to carry-out malicious activity. BlackICE PC Protection's application protection automatically detects the wolf lurking under sheep's clothing and quickly stops dangerous attack programs delivered through common PC applications. The BlackICE system disables destructive programs before they can create damage to the user's desktop, or launch new attacks on other users or corporations. Protection from the Latest Threats Like its predecessor, BlackICE PC Protection offers powerful intrusion detection with personal firewall and protocol analysis capabilities that automatically recognize and block new attacks, often without requiring frequent, laborious product updates. This feature helped protect BlackICE users from last year's destructive Code Red and Nimda "hybrid" threats. It also secures wireless connections, preventing attackers from penetrating PCs connected using wireless network cards. This is an escalating trend among attackers who take advantage of the increase in wirelessly connected users and the lack of security in wireless networks. Availability and Pricing BlackICE PC Protection is now widely available and its suggested retail price is US$39.95. ------------------------------------------------------------ QUESTION & ANSWERS Questions You Ask, Answers You Use ------------------------------------------------------------ QUESTION: When I had DSL installed at my house, I ran a CAT5 cable from the demarc to the DSL modem. Since the DSL line only uses 1 pair, will there be any problem with using one of the other pair for my other phone line? ANSWER: You can run DSL line in parallel to the other analogue line in one CAT5E cable with absolutely no problem. Make sure that you use the DSL line for placing phone call too. Use DSL filters or take it filtered from the back of the modem. Having broadband Internet connection also helps to reduce load on the analogue phone line and on your phone bill too. I'm an extensive user of Voice over IP applications that saves me on international calls more than I pay for DSL service itself. I really forgot when was the last time I called internationally with regular phone service. So, again, make sure you get most out of your DSL connection. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>SPONSOR MESSAGE<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< ------------------------------------------------------------ DRAW YOUR FLOOR PLANS AND DESIGN HOME CABLING EASILY! ------------------------------------------------------------ New SmartDraw 6 is an inexpensive drawing software, highly recommended by Cabling-Design.com. The software comes with free symbol collections for Network Design and Floor Plans. 35,000 network equipment symbols as well as CCTV security system symbols are available as third party add-ons. Download your FREE evaluation copy here: http://www.smartdraw.com/specials/electrical.asp?id=1113 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>END SPONSOR MESSAGE<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< ------------------------------------------------------------ Copyright© 2002 Cabling-Design.com ------------------------------------------------------------ Issue #7 Published: 31 Aug 2005 |
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