Structured wiring in 2010

Answers to the most common questions on smart wiring are given by Grant Sullivan, Marketing Manager for Leviton, a global manufacturer of electrical and electronic wiring devices, lighting energy management solutions and commercial data infrastructure.

1. Is smart wiring relevant in today's new home construction?

Yes, many of today's emerging technologies have a mandatory reliance on a hard-wired smart wiring system in the home. Nothing is faster than a hard-wired home network: not 3G, not N, G or B Wi-Fi. If the end user wants the speeds and bandwidth necessary to support today's modern consumer electronics, a wired-network is the backbone for the smart wiring system.

2. Does a home buyer pay more for a pre-wired home --- if so, approximately how much does it add to the cost?

The benchmark for a basic structured media system that includes telephone, video and data distributed network remain around 1% of the value of the home. The costs of  a basic smart wiring system in new construction remains relative to the cost of the home and will be lowest during the new construction phase, when the walls are open and the drywall has not been installed. This is a good time to consider stepping up to the Gigabit and HOME 6 data networks along with an active video distribution network, as these technologies will maintain the longest performance benefits to the homeowner.

3. What are the benefits to a home builder who pre-wires his homes?

Because the wires and cables reside in the walls, they are the most costly elements to upgrade after the drywall is up. If a contractor installs the fastest and most advanced cables available at the time of construction, then future upgrades become quicker and cheaper for the home owner.

4. With the growth of wireless technologies, such as Wi-Fi, is smart wiring still necessary?

Wireless networking is valuable because of its convenience factor. But, wireless remains a secondary system that retains a reliance on a hard-wired smart wiring system. Nothing today is as fast or reliable as a wired Gigabit data network in the home.

5. If a major renovation is planned is it worthwhile to include smart wiring or is this a case where wireless makes more sense?

Smart wiring is retrofit capable. When the in-wall wiring is accessible during the construction phase, it is the best time to update the network cabling. Use this time to also upgrade the components inside the structured media center. Replace the cabling to support CAT 6 speeds, and update the router for Gigabit performance. Typically today, the minimum coaxial cable installed for video is RG6. Combining that quality of cable with an active video switcher will increase the distributed signal quality through the system.

6. Are product manufacturers recommending smart wiring over wireless for their products in general?

Wireless is for convenience and not typically speed. Many consumer electronic technologies today are built to maximize a wired-network, and then offer an option to add wireless connectivity through attachments, dongles or USB adapters. For example, leading video game consoles contain Ethernet ports and the primary method connection to a network, while, wireless is secondary.

7. Do you see the new home market and hence the smart wired market picking up in 2010?

Yes, economic indicators and reports are indicating small, positive gains are underway to start 2010. But the industry has changed. Many builders and developer have consolidated or simply gone away. The available inventory of new homes is beginning to dwindle, which will result in new construction starting.

The residential market is coming back smarter and more innovative than ever before. New homes that are ready to integrate modern consumer technologies are becoming a valuable differentiating feature for new home buyers. Homes built to support HDTV, next-generation high-speed Internet access, audio, video gaming and other popular consumer electronics products will all be more appealing in the re-emerging new home market.

Article sourced from http://www.hometoys.com/ezine/10.02/sullivan/index.htm