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Signal installations in one-family houses - TV / SAT TV / FM antenna systems,
telephone and computer networks
Building houses, every builder begins with the foundations. The interior finish has to be started with cabling. When designing electrical system it is indispensable at the same time to take into consideration signal cabling: telephone, computer, RF (terrestrial and satellite TV, FM), door entry system etc. Nowadays many developers choose flexible systems like SignalNET - the final form of the applied equipment can be configured by the owner - to satisfy his/her individual needs (it is also connected with the money they want to spend). | |
The Regulation of March 12, 2009, amends the requirements that have to be met in newly constructed multi-family buildings and public utilities. It requires the extension of the telecommunications infrastructure to multi-family, commercial and public buildings.
Based on our experience, we believe that these recommendations should also be applied in the case of single-family houses. Substantial reduction in prices of fiber-optic equipment allows to think about use of this option in the near future. Availability of the optical network infrastructure provides easier and cheaper access to really broadband services. This technology significantly increases the range of top-level broadband services (very fast Internet, cable TV with HD channels, telephony/video-telephony etc.) and their capacity. It provides the possibility of joining to the cable networks in places where it was previously impossible or very expensive.
New house should therefore be prepared for connection to the optical network from the bottom (on the ground floor or basement level). In the future, the connection to the lower telecommunications box should be easily extensible by vertical optical cable to the top "satellite" box (it is important to estimate the sufficient size of the vertical duct).
New house should therefore be prepared for connection to the optical network from the bottom (on the ground floor or basement level). In the future, the connection to the lower telecommunications box should be easily extensible by vertical optical cable to the top "satellite" box (it is important to estimate the sufficient size of the vertical duct).
How to do the cabling in a house
The conditions for making signal installations have to be determined already at the designing and construction stages.
The principles of the universal design
- "double-star" structure
- bottom - top connection
- cross points - nodes - (basement, attic)

In each required direction we have two apply two UTP/FTP cables coming from House-NET cross-connection box (as the central point - node). Similarly, we distribute satellite coaxial cables from TV-SAT Box. The boxes are linked with two UTP/FTP and two sat coaxial cables. Additional sat coax should link TV-SAT Box with living room (the cable is not shown in the picture).
"Double star" structure
SignalNET distributes the following signals:
- terrestrial FM and TV (analog, digital) broadcasts, satellite broadcasts - from the top (attic)
- telephone, computer network, door entry system, cable TV, IPTV - from the bottom (basement)
Thus, the "double star" term - all cables go from two central transition points (the connection boxes in the attic and basement) to the terminal outlets.
Number of cables:
- two UTP/FTP cables to each room, from the node in the bottom cross-connection box - domNet.
- two coaxial cables to each room; the exception is the mentioned above living room or other rooms with additional sources of signal, e.g. DVD player, CCTV camera etc. - they require to have additional direct connection with the top TV/Sat box (third coaxial cable).
Vertical cable duct
It is important to ensure the integration of the signals coming from the top and bottom parts of the building. The duct linking the basement with the attic allows easy replacement and/or putting next cable/s. As the deployment of cables on the same level is not so complicated, drilling of floors/cellings is usually a more difficult task. The duct prepared at construction stage may also be used in the future for e.g. fiber-optic cable that will replace both UTP/FTP and coaxial cables. Nowadays, this duct should be prepared for putting two UTP/FTP and several coaxial cables (TRISET-113).
Transition points - cross-connection boxes
As the boxes there can be used popular electrical panels, but they do not provide additional support for multiple functions of signal installations. The best choice is the special platform for that purpose, guarantying optimum performance and protection of the system - domNet and TV-SAT cross-connection boxes.
Quality cabling is a small part of the total cost of any building (also in the construction stage),
especially that SignalNET system has been designed for two-stage implementation:
1st Stage - installation of cabling and outlets
2nd Stage - installation of active devices according to the needs of the customers (the process can be continued over time)
2nd Stage - installation of active devices according to the needs of the customers (the process can be continued over time)
1st Stage
Cables
Coaxial cable TRISET-113 E1015 - for terrestrial and satellite TV installations. It is highly recommended for modern TV/SAT systems - especially multiswitch installations - due to high screening efficiency, low attenuation, perfect matching. | |
NETSET UTP 5e cable for doing indoor telephone, computer, and door entry installations - E1408. | |
NETSET UTPw 5e (PE, gel-filled) for doing outdoor/ground installations (computer network, door entry system) - E1410. | |
Indoor CCTV cable - CAMSET 50 M6050. | |
Outdoor CCTV cable - CAMSET 100 PE M6103. | |
50 ohm WLAN cable - Tri-Lan 240 E1171. | |
Outlets
FM/TV/TV-SAT "Signal" outlet for multiswitch installations - R694100. | |
FM/TV/TV-SAT "Signal" outlet for multiswitch installations - R694140 (for PVR receivers with two tuners or for supplying return RF signal to antenna installation/amplifier. | |
FM/TV/TV-SAT + 2RJ-45 outlet for structural cabling (RF, phone and computer networks) - R694043. | |
GIS-F1-1 outlet for supplying return RF signal to antenna installation - R62185. | |
RJ45 socket (cat 5e) for computer installations (surface-mounted) - J2710. | |
Cross-connection boxes
Cross-connection box domNET R96015 allows to connect cables and combine installations in the basement (there are possible alterations in the future - without a need for retrofitting the system. | |
TV-SAT Box - metal housing/box TPR-4 used for connecting cables and combining installations in the attic - R90554. | |
2nd Stage
This stage should be done by a professional installer knowing the rules of choosing proper active and passive devices and capable of measuring the actual parameters of all installations with the use of specialized measuring equipment.
It is recommended to use reliable devices, e.g.:
Multiswitch MS-952 R70952 (for 4 outlets); for 8 outlets there is needed additional pass-through multiswitch R70951 and AC/DC adapter ZS18/1000 R71465 (cascade solution). | |
Radial multiswitch MSR-908 TERRA (9-in/8-out, active terrestrial path) or another one depending on the requirements (R70554 - R70632 for one satellite; R70808 - R70832 for two satellites). | |
RF modulator MT-21P R871721 enables the user to combine into antenna installation DVD, VCR, SAT, or CCTV video signals. | |
SignalLink R93109 allows control over any audio-video devices (controlled with an RC - DVD, VCR, SAT receiver etc.) from other rooms. | |
Wireless Smart Card Splitter - Clone+ (Mediaguard) - A9910. | |
TL-WR740N N3252 consisting of access point (802.11n/b/g), broadband router (for xDSL or cable modem), and 4-port FastEthernet switch. | |
Protectors
Antenna installation: R48602 | |
Computer network: J2820 | |
230 VAC power network: P1315 | |
The diagrams shown below can help to find optimal solution.
Diagrams of installations that can be implemented on SignalNET platform
Basic TV Antenna System Diagram (for one-family homes) | Reception of digital satellite platform throughout the house, using only one smart card |
Potential of the system
Designs based on SignalNET can provide the following functions:
- transmission of satellite and terrestrial TV signals; in each room there are available all terrestrial programs,
- possibility of connecting satellite receiver in each room (reception of broadcasts from two satellites),
- retransmission of paid satellite programs to all rooms (from the "main" room with return coaxial cable),
- transmission of played DVD, DivX etc. (from the "main" room with return coaxial cable),
- possibility of connecting cable TV to all rooms - after providing the signal to domNET or Dipol connection box.
- possibility of connecting phone and computer to the Internet in each room,
- use of phones as intercoms of door entry system,
- cooperation of video door entry system with RF installation (the caller can be seen on TV screen, the resident can open the door with TV remote control),
- possibility of running computer network, independently from the way of connecting to WAN (from the basement or from the attic - via a WLAN antenna)
- possibility of installing CCTV camera/s and DVR without a need of new cabling.
Questions and answers
Can "double star" installation be done when all signals are taken from the top of a house?
Yes, full functionality of the system is provided by:
- "double star" configuration for distributing all kinds of signals,
- vertical cable duct ensuring "top - bottom" connection,
- transition point/s - cross-connection box/es enabling the installer to shape and modify the system by combining some functions of the installations.
There is no point whether the installation "starts" in the top or in the bottom of the house. If a particular application requires to use only one transition point - in the attic or in the basement - it does not change the concept. In this situation the signals are conveyed through the vertical cable duct to the second star node. Placing the only node in the upper part of the house seems to be better solution than placing it in the basement - the latter case would require to put into the vertical duct 9 coaxial cables from the antennas. It would be rather difficult job, besides, due to longer cables, there would be a risk of interferences (RF amplifiers should be placed as close to the antennas as possible).
What about using other terminal outlets to provide signals to the receivers?
The kind of the equipment used depends on the recommendations of the developer/owner. It may be matched to the specific needs of the owner, or to the home finishing standards. The main job of the installer is to guarantee quality cabling. Cable system in a house is a small part of its total cost, but it may cause many troubles if done inadequately. There is no such problem with terminal and active devices - they can be easily changed, if needed. In the presented diagrams - both the passive and active components have been chosen with special attention to high quality and reliability of the systems.
- What is SignalNET - Developer's guide
- What is SignalNET - Installer's guide