Re: Best way to replace DSL with point-point wirless?

On Sat, 05 Jul 2008 21:48:28 -0500, Moe Trin wrote:

On 05 Jul 2008, in the Usenet newsgroup comp.os.linux.networking, in
article <486f0ea6$0$26074$db0fefd9@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, A J Hawke wrote:

Moe Trin wrote:

Kadin2048 wrote:

Generally true - but one individual in another newsgroup mentioned the
problems he had installing a network in a concrete bunker (in Israel),
where drilling holes was next to impossible (meter/40 inch thick
reinforced concrete walls), which also made using wireless nearly
impossible, power lines were limited, etc. But other than that, it's
often possible to get wiring in to most places.

I've had good luck in several places I've lived, running wiring inside
the forced-air ductwork. It provides an easy way of getting from one
floor to another, and is big enough so that feeding a fish tape and
actually pulling the cable is easy. (Easier than actual condit,
really.) Non-destructive too, which is a plus if you're not allowed
to drill holes.

As a former comms engineer it never ceases to amaze me how people think
you can get a service where they want it, without running any visible
cable at all.

Much depends on how the house is constructed. My previous house had a
crawl space under the dwelling, and while cramped it was accessible
allowing me to install network cables as needed. The current house is
build directly on a concrete slab, and the only access would be the
attic - which is heavily insulated (18 inches of blown-in fiberglass
over the ceilings). A lot more work, but again, network cables added
where needed.

In the 1940s and 1950s, people learning the (house) electrical trade
were taught a technique called "old work" which was used to install
wiring in an older house. It used such tricks as removing the baseboard
(wooden trim at the bottom of the wall) and hiding the wires behind
that. Where needed, you could drill a hole large enough to pass the wire
into the wall just below a convenience outlet. Another trick was to dig
a channel in the plastered wall surface, stick the wires in there and
patch/paint to hide the gouge work. There was also a product allowing
wires to be run in metal channels (raceways) on the surface of the wall.
Given todays wiring requirements (outlets every six feet, no more than a
room on a given circuit, etc.) and the large amounts of electrical power
needed in the home today, these techniques wouldn't be very practical -
although the surface wiring materials are still found in DIY stores like
Home Despot. The 'behind the backboard' technique does work for
installing network cabling, as I used it to reach the exterior walls
which are out of reach from above..

In the UK telecom giant BT introduced a '3 metre' rule. Basically, you
could have your termination up to 3 metres away for where the service
attached to your home.

Wouldn't have worked very well in my last home - the phone and power
attached to the house on the far side of an attached two car garage,
about 5.5 meters / 18 feet from the nearest living space. And of course,
the cable TV and network connection came in on the other side of the
house.

All wiring mostly visible.

There is a _recommendation_ in most building codes here that new homes
be wired for communications devices - this used to mean telephone only,
but even my 19 year old home was built with wiring for cable TV in 4 of
the rooms. Today, some builders are advertising their homes have
pre-installed network cabling that meets the building code
recommendation. What they DON'T tell you is that this is Cat1 wiring
(wet string) and was probably installed by the apprentice electricians
helper using a power stapler (meaning the wires are often shorted).

But then, luxuries like forced air & service ducts are a dream here -

It's cool today - only going to reach 43 degrees... Celsius (109F), so
air conditioning is mandatory. This house has 7 Tons (84000 BTU/H = 24.6
KW) of central air. But I was told that British builders always put the
plumbing outside so the repair crews could have access to it when it
froze.

despite property being some of the most expensive in the world (and most
shoddily built, but that is another story)

I dunno - I haven't seen a builder who isn't building using minimum cost
materials and labor. Somehow, they get the result past the city building
inspectors, and that's all they care about. It's hard to build a house
for a mere $200/square foot (about 28 times the minimum hourly wage).
Besides, the builders warranty is a whole 24 months!!! ($200/ft^2 is on
the low side - houses were selling for $235/ft^2 before the bubble
burst, and no, I'm not down town - I'm 28 _miles_ from down town.)

When I bought this house, I noted that the water supply pipe coming out
of the ground was 1 1/2 inch soft copper, and thought - "wow, quality".
About a year afterwards, a neighbor mentions that the builder had used
Polybutylene pipe there. The PB pipe has a history of splitting, but it
was cheap. I also notice that the 240 Volt wiring used here for high
power service such as the air conditioners, air handlers, water heater,
clothes drier and kitchen stove (lighting and general use is 120V) was
all aluminum wiring. Fifteen years after it was built, I notice low
water pressure, and it's flooding the yard between the water meter at
the edge of the property and the shutoff at the side of the house. Turns
out the builder _had_ used PB pipe there, and transitioned to the copper
about a foot below grade. The plumbers who replaced the pipe noted that
the run unnecessarily ran under the concrete slab that is the driveway,
and suggested this was done to hide the pipe from the city inspector.

Old guy

Baseboards don't tend to exist here. Construction is usually brick from
concrete foundation upwards. Some have the lower floor as brick and the
first floor timber framed and finished off with cladded wood, upvc or
tiles.

Water services are in the blue pvc type pipe which is used to replace the
lead or steel that was traditionally used.

I've spent many hours chasing cables in walls and it was a relief when I
went to work for BT that all wiring was run on the surface. We are now
starting to see some new homes now with cat 5 wiring running back to a
termination in the garage or utility room. Some are even fitted out using
'mediaplex' cable but at about £5 ($9) a metre it is a rare exception to
the rule.

Air conditioning is mostly only in commercial buildings. A few homes have
it, funny enough mine being one of them. This was a self fit as I worked
in refrigeration as a junior years ago and I just got sick of getting hot
at night.

I was not aware you guys had 240v in premesis. I guess that must be some
kind of a twin phase supply?

Fantastic and interesting post to read - not much to do with Linux
networking as I'm sure someone will point out - but thanks for what you
have taken the time to write.



--
Dog walks down the road. Gust of wind. Dog inside out.
I've replaced my 'old joke' signature because a better man than me told
me to ;-)
.

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