Data communications is becoming increasingly important to the household. More people are dependent upon networked communications in their homes to keep in touch with the office - or to run their office from the home. Yet, it is rare to find homes constructed, even today, for data communications. Most houses are constructed for electrical, phone, and maybe even video but almost never for a Category 5 Local Area Network. Even some homes constructed today to "Structured Wiring" specifications lack adequate LAN connections for life in the 21st century.

CPE Labs has the staff to perform low voltage wiring of Local Area Networks in residential, small office, home office, and even corporate workplaces. CPE Labs also has the ability to put in place ad hoc methods of getting a LAN installed into a building using the wiring in place today without tearing out wall plaster.

There are three normal ad hoc methods for installing a LAN into a building other than hard wiring.

1. Use the electrical wiring to transport a LAN via HomePlug®.
2. Use the video RG-6 wiring to transport a LAN.
3. Use a wireless LAN.

The above options are listed in order of increasing cost. Although a HomePlug® solution is cheapest it does have some technical limitations and we have found it works in only about 80% of all homesteads. RG-6 wiring works almost everywhere but at a higher price than HomePlug®.

Wireless is much hyped and the easiest to market to the consumer but it works for only 60% of all homesteads to their complete satisifaction.

Sometimes a combination of the above solutions will provide the residential requirements for a LAN at still substantial savings over the absolute prefered method of hard wiring.

Any residential wiring will involve the installation of one or more hubs and switches. These devices are merely break out boxes for the ethernet signal. A hub replicates the ethernet signal to all ports while a switch routes the ethernet signal only to the devices in communication.

Residential - Multi Building LAN

The connection of outbuildings to the residential local area network can be done through a buried or overhead weather rated category 5 cable or through the use of a microwave wireless connection. To connect two buildings together the use of a wireless bridge is most economical. Connecting a main building with multiple buildings to create a campus environment would best be handled by a commercial grade product.

CPE Labs can help design connections between one or more out buildings. The vast majority will fall into the wireless bridge category.