SMC vs Direct

[Gene]

Hello,

I am new here. I hope these are not topics that have been previously beat
to death...Anyways, here goes...

What are the advantages of terminating cat 5e cable pulls in a Structured
Media Center (like Leviton's) and then jumpering out of the SMC to a switch
versus terminating the pulls with a RJ-45 connector and plugging directly
into the switch? One advantage I see with the SMC is that only patch cables
are required for connections after the SMC and they seem cheaper to buy than
build.

My DSL line carries telephone service too. The phone company specifies that
every telephone is to have a 'filter' attached to it. Am I mistaken that
when using either a SMC or a telephone punch down block, only one filter for
all telephone lines is required. If true, is the one supplied by TPC still
adequate?

If cable drops to the server, workstation, and home entertainment center
were to contain a fiber optic pair, what specification should the fiber and
connectors meet to be most useful now and in the future? The sum of these
runs is less than 50ft for me. Could a 50ft a fiber patch cable be divided
between 3 drops?

Does S-Video require 2 coax cables or can 1 cat 5e cable be used? I have
read stuff that indicate both, but the consensus seems to be dual coax.
Which is correct or best?

Thanks,
Gene

[Chuck Y]

Gene wrote: Hello, I am new here. I hope these are not topics that have been previously beat to death...Anyways, here goes... What are the advantages of terminating cat 5e cable pulls in a Structured Media Center (like Leviton's) and then jumpering out of the SMC to a switch versus terminating the pulls with a RJ-45 connector and plugging directly into the switch? One advantage I see with the SMC is that only patch cables are required for connections after the SMC and they seem cheaper to buy than build.

Screw the overpriced Media Center. Terminate your cable in a patch
panel. Put your phone connectors on a 66 block. Punch that down into
the panel as you wish.
My DSL line carries telephone service too. The phone company
specifies that every telephone is to have a 'filter' attached to it. Am I mistaken that when using either a SMC or a telephone punch down block, only one
filter for all telephone lines is required. If true, is the one supplied by TPC
still adequate?

I had DSL come in, at the entry, I separated it into a pair that went
to ONLY network connection, and through 1 filter where EVERYTHING after
that went to the phones in the house. 1 cable (POTS) has network on
1 pair and phone on the other.

The phone guy was delighted that I'd pulled a fresh cable for the
office room.

If cable drops to the server, workstation, and home entertainment center were to contain a fiber optic pair, what specification should the fiber and connectors meet to be most useful now and in the future? The sum of these runs is less than 50ft for me. Could a 50ft a fiber patch cable be divided between 3 drops?

Ever put connectors of fiber? Ever patch fiber? It's no joy.

The pain of fiber is handling. You cannot bend it much. No corners.
The turn radius is specified and if you exceed it, you don't have fiber,
you have broken glass in a jacket that's useless.

I might forgo fiber in your bundle. Easier to run conduit.

"best for the future" I'd absolutely say: um, er ....

I've got a 10' run of TOSlink from the TV room to the computer. fiber
for digital audio. It's a single fiber down a wall through a hole.
I may run an SC pair from up to down to connect a computer upstairs
with one downstairs, but I happen to have 2 GigE fiber cards. It
means no electrical connection between the two.

But the future is a bitch to predict. I can't make sc connectors.
I can't affix TOSlink connectors. Fiber patch panels are prohibitive.

Work is replacing lots of fiber cause the new stuff has a better bend
radius than the stuff they put in 4-6 years ago. Conduit would be ideal
with a string.
Does S-Video require 2 coax cables or can 1 cat 5e cable be used? I have read stuff that indicate both, but the consensus seems to be dual coax. Which is correct or best

1 CAT 5 can be used, I think, with baluns on each end. A moment in
google will mind many suppliers ("balun Svideo CAT5")

[Dave Chamberlain]

Chuck Y (Newsboy@Sept2003.snew.com) wrote:
:
:
: Gene wrote:
:
: > My DSL line carries telephone service too. The phone company
: specifies that
: > every telephone is to have a 'filter' attached to it. Am I mistaken that
: > when using either a SMC or a telephone punch down block, only one
: filter for
: > all telephone lines is required. If true, is the one supplied by TPC
: still
: > adequate?
:
: I had DSL come in, at the entry, I separated it into a pair that went
: to ONLY network connection, and through 1 filter where EVERYTHING after
: that went to the phones in the house. 1 cable (POTS) has network on
: 1 pair and phone on the other.

I work at an ISP who provides DSL over voice and we have run into this
before too.

Yes, you can to exactly what is said here and it should work fine. Split
the line at the NIU into a voice and data segment, pass the voice side
through a single filter and out to the house. Have the data side run
to just the modem. If your modem is in the office and you have the single
pair going to the office, you may need to put a filter on that phone if
it is split in the office.

Often the people who order DSL know nothing about the house wiring and
there is no way of explaining to people how to split it at the entry of
the house or the NIU. It is far easier to just say to put the filter on
each phone.

:
: The phone guy was delighted that I'd pulled a fresh cable for the
: office room.
:
:

[mchiper]

In alt.home.automation, Msg ID: <bjq297$s3k$1@pyrite.mv.net>
davec@iridium.mv.com (Dave Chamberlain), wrote:
Chuck Y (Newsboy@Sept2003.snew.com) wrote::
: I had DSL come in, at the entry, I separated it into a pair that went: to ONLY network connection, and through 1 filter where EVERYTHING after: that went to the phones in the house. 1 cable (POTS) has network on: 1 pair and phone on the other.I work at an ISP who provides DSL over voice and we have run into thisbefore too.Yes, you can to exactly what is said here and it should work fine. Splitthe line at the NIU into a voice and data segment, pass the voice sidethrough a single filter and out to the house. Have the data side runto just the modem. If your modem is in the office and you have the singlepair going to the office, you may need to put a filter on that phone ifit is split in the office.Often the people who order DSL know nothing about the house wiring andthere is no way of explaining to people how to split it at the entry ofthe house or the NIU. It is far easier to just say to put the filter oneach phone.

Is it any tougher than saying..

If you split the DSL line you have two DSL lines.
If you filter one of them, you now have
1 DSL line and 1 phone line.

Or you can just put a filter on all your phones,
and use the DSL line however you like.

I just found out that the wire that couldn't handle a 2400 Baud modem :)
Now can't handle DSL.
But the people 100 ft away have DSL..
Sounds to me like 100ft of wire fixes my problem..
They already replaced it, when I complained about
noise on my phones..
But I still can't get DSL..
Duh... I wouldn't mind a new phone number
So it's time to make another call.
I'll bet that port is sold out.
--
Ray