pre-wiring for Dish Network TV & Internet

[2ndhalf]

If you are building new, I would suggest the following:

Run at least one RG-6 cable and one CAT-5E (ethernet) cable to each room. In larger rooms I would run 2 sets. Try to locate the cables in likely locations of TVs and laptops. Terminate the cables in a central location, generally close to other utility items. In my house I also ran from a utility box in each room to the central location with 1/2" PVC conduit. This gives you max flexibility. You can run phone, internat, dish/cable, security cams, etc through these cables and the spare box lets you add in the future. Here in the NE we generally have basements so the runs all led there, but you may not have that option. Search under "structured wiring" for boxes and enclosures to use as a termination point.

As for your dish issue, if it goes out in less than a heavy rain, I would have the positioning checked. The dish may need to be better aimed.

Paul

I like what Techman says above with the Cat 5. Wireless is getting better but I have a very good wireless router and still have dead spots in my house. I am about to run Cat5. I also think you should call dish and ask how many coax lines and what type. I think you want two.. if you ever plan to have DVR.

I quite honestly would let Dish run your coax lines. I think they will for no charge. They may charge a wire fee.

 

[TheMan419]

When we moved into our house it had a DirecTV dish from the prior owner. We went with Dish. They insisted on running all new cable. This was done at no charge to us. We signed a 2 year contract, but that is common with both Dish and DirecTV. So basically they replaced R6 with R6. Took the tech about 4 hours to wire 2 TV's. We have basement and crawl space under both rooms the TV's are in. I think he was new and did not know what he was doing. They came out later and put the dish up on a pole and buried the cable from the dish to the house. Again all at no additional charge to me.

 

[vacman]

Finally a tread I know something about.
You should run all of your wiring to a central location usually near the other mechanicals is a good choice. From any location that you plan on placing a TV, you should run at least a RG6 and a Cat5. From your satellite dish to that home run you should run a couple of RG6s. Dish technology has changed throughout the years so a couple cables would be safe. If you have any locations where you will place just a computer, a single Cat5 is what you want. Run a single Cat5 to a couple of central locations within in your home. These can be in the ceiling or you can hide them in a closet ceiling and they will be used for wireless access points if you find need to improve your wifi once you move in. Any land line telephone locations should have their own Cat5. I wasn't clear on what your internet service will be but if you run a RG6 and a Cat5 next to your electric meter you should be covered for conventional providers. If you are going to use satellite internet you should give them a call to see what they would need. Sorry, I don't have any experience with those.
As far as terminations go, you can use your own. You want to use a good quality compression fitting. Try to avoid the cheap, crimp style fittings.
Good luck on your project.
John

 

[WM75Guy]

When we built in 2009 I built a closet in the garage where all my cables run. I used two 42" On-Q enclosures, one for phone/data and one for video. Each has a duplex 110 plug in the bottom and an empty conduit to the attic. The Cat 5E line coming in from the CenturyLink demark first connects to a surge protector, then a DSL splitter, and then a security system capture module. From there the line goes to modular panels where each Cat 5E line from the rooms connects.

I ran Cat 5E to every possible location I could think of that would need a phone or data connection, 25 in all. I did all the connection work myself, the electrician just installed the enclosures and boxes in the rooms, and ran the cables. In the rooms I used RG45 plugs on the cover plates instead of RG11 so each line can be used for phone or data. I can have a max of 4 phone lines which I had at one time, a voice line and a fax line each for both the house and the business.

Originally we had satellite internet. The installer ran the coax from the roof mounted antenna through the attic to the data enclosure. The 110 plug powered the antenna power supply. The modem was in the enclosure. From there I connected a Cat 5E line to my office where my router is located.

When we got DSL I started to put the DSL modem in the enclosure but instead used a line from the DSL splitter to run to my office for the modem. That way I can see the function lights and reset the modem without having to go to the garage. With CenturyLink I have to reset the modem often.

I ran RG6 coax to all the TV spots. When the DirecTV installer came he ran a line from the roof mounted antenna to the video enclosure. It connected to a splitter that is plugged into the 110 outlet along with all the video cables for the 4 boxes. Power feeds back to the antenna and video goes to the boxes. We have one DVR and three regular boxes. Eventually I will go to the Genie so we will only use the one cable for the main box.

 

[RedNeckGeek]

I have DirecTV, the Hopper DVR, and one Joey in the master bedroom. A dual coax cable connects the Hopper to the satellite antenna on the roof, and the Hopper and Joey communicate via another coax cable. Wireless versions are available, but there's a monthly upcharge for them and installing the extra coax was free. The DirecTV installer ran his own wire between the dish and the Hopper, and followed routing paths inside the house that I suggested for the Hopper/Joey connection. All of it went through the attic and into the walls, as the house has a slab foundation.

I have Exede satellite Internet now, as there's no option for DSL or cable. If you have any other option to satellite Internet, take it! That dish is located in the side yard, and the installer fished his own cable through an underground conduit that I provided. The cable runs to a closet in the office where the modem is installed along with my wireless router and various device hubs and NAS. All of the computers communicate wirelessly via N class 802.11, and I haven't had any trouble with it not being fast enough even when streaming video to the AppleTV from the NAS.

If I had the luxury of bare stud wiring, I'd install 3/4" conduit in a home run to each room, and populate it with both a CAT5 cable and a string to use for pulling future wire or glass fiber. I wouldn't bother with the TV stuff and just use the wireless versions for the remotes as the cost is only about five bux a month. The protocols will undoubtedly change for future versions, possibly obsoleting any cable or wire that I put in.

I'd also make a provision for additional wireless access points, installing additional home run conduit with CAT5 cable back to the central equipment closet with the modem and wireless router base unit. I'd also make sure that at least one of those extra runs went to an outside wall so I could extend the network to an outbuilding via CAT5 if needed in the future. Wireless network network extenders are available, but each one reduces the data rate by half which might be an issue in a busy household with many users or security cameras wirelessly streaming video or playing on line games. Connecting the access points via CAT5 lets everything operate without that speed penalty, and all stay on the same physical network with the same network password. I'm about to run a couple of those CAT5 extension cables now, and I'm not looking forward to time in the attic or trying to snake the wire through buried conduit to do so.

 

[2ndhalf]

RNG how do you like your Hopper? BTW I agree Exeed is horrible especially for telecommunting using VPN. Because it is bouncing light rays a bazillion miles into the galaxy and back. I think it is fine for just streaming moves and general internet use but I didn't keep it long enough to find out.

Also remember if you use conduit and you do pull say cat5 and it is replaced with a much better technology later you can always pull the new wire in with the old wire. I hope wireless keeps getting better to where you will no longer need cable... I think it will but it is taking longer than I thought it would and the wireless communications protocols and software seems flaky with printing and other things at times.

Hard to beat just hard wired Cat5.

 

[Qapla]

I prefer CAT6 to CAT5

Either way, I would seriously consider making sure all the cables you run are "plenum rated". This is not a "must" but, with that much wire in the walls, anything to reduce harmful emissions in case of fire is a good thing.

 

[RedNeckGeek]

RNG how do you like your Hopper?

Reception wise, it's better than the previous DirecTV TiVo uint it replaced, and I very seldom have weather related interruptions. Like all DVRs that have tried to copy the TiVo, the menus are awkward and require more button pushing than they should. Disc capacity is such that I've had no reason to hack a disc upgrade, and I have only seen one or two unexplained glitches like not being able to delete a show I've watched. But like all these services, Dish Network keeps jacking their rate every year without providing a corresponding increase in either quality or number of channels. And now that the intro rate period is over, I'm paying full boat for what is delivered, over a hundred a month and that doesn't include any Showtime type channels. Probably time to switch over to DirecTV and get updated new equipment and another low promotional rate for a year.:laughing:

 

[coffeeman]

Dish hopper

Summary:
From dish antenna to the switcher box (usually close by) will use 3 coax cables, 3ghz each. From that box you'll need 2 coax 3ghz cables. You'll need an ethernet connection there from a router or Internet switch . use cat6 or better. It's bandwidth capabilities are far greater. (or use WiFi)

The installer will do anything you need and yes, will most likely insist that he put his own snap loc connectors on all wires so you're wasting time terminating the coax cables. But running them saves your time waiting for him to run them.

He will also try to set up the TV and program it all for you. Unless you needed him to just tell him to get you a signal and you'll do the rest. It will take a while for initial program download but after that you'll love it.

When I got Dish , 5 tvs installed . 4 wired and one wireless as per their suggestions. No charges for anything except the wireless part. I wonder why

it's not easier and cheaper for them to do it?

Cheers Coffeeman

 

[coffeeman]

I'v been in my house since 1971. THEN, my tv was free, my spring water was free, garbage was free(I buried it) and my sewerage was free.
Today I pay for garbage, tv and city water. I think those 3 bills are almost as much as my original house and property mortgage.
Septic tank still works good and I get free gas heat and hot water. That helps. I am amazed how tv costs have risen?

Cheers...Coffeeman