I wanted to take over a closet for my smart house project however my Wife said no. So I will turn my TV stand into a Rack.
I bought a el-cheapo 48 port 1U Keystone Patch Panel so I can use it as a central hub for all of the stuff I will be adding to the home and also branch out IO on devices that are already on the TV stand.
CCTV
A few months ago I installed a CCTV system. It is a mutt system using a HikVision DVR and some crummy NightOwl cameras. I used CAT5e to be used as video and power however some how three of the four cables just went and died on me. So now I am going to redo it and do it right.
Granted CAT5e works just fine for Analog cameras as long as you use proper Video Baluns. Not to mention it future proofs the setup for if you ever want to upgrade to a Digital IP Camera system. However for my setup I am just going to use RG6 coax and some 22 gauge two conductor cable for power.
I wanted to relocate everything to a closet but my wife doesn’t want me to take over her linen closet so I plan to build a small rack and put it into the TV stand. Because step two is going to be other things ran in the house. For now lets focus on the CCTV.
The layout is simple. Coax for video and 22 gauge for power. I could use Siamese cable but I rather use what I have in stock. Typically Siamese RG59 is used but RG6 works just as well. To power all of it I will use one of those hobby switch mode power supplies that outputs 12 volts and can handle 8 amps. This is a bit overkill but I can also run the DVR from the same power source. I plan to use a 48 port Keystone patch panel when I build the mini rack and have the camera lines in the patch panel.
Since I will be in the attic running new lines I will go head and run two more Coax drops for remote monitors so I can view the Cameras from the Master Bedroom and Garage. I’ll just use F to RCA adapters.
I’m also going to replace the Cameras so I have a matching set and can use the full potential of the DVR.
TV / Internet
I use Comcast as my provider. The House is new construction but they only ran two RG6 and two CAT5e cables for TV and Phone. The Comcast tech ran a single direct burial RG6 from the pedestal to the side of the House. I would like to change it to two RG11 lines, one for my Modem and one for TVs. It would be awesome to run the RG11 directly to the modem but RG11 costs some big bucks. About a hundred bucks just in the cable. Not to mention Comcast would freak out of they found out I ran RG11 since I would have to open the Pedestal. So I might just go find some direct burial RG6 that is the same stuff they use so if they go poking around it would just confuse them and leave it alone. Either way I want to ditch the splitter I have in the Living room to reduce signal loss.
Phone / Data
When we moved in I turned the Kitchen phone into a Data jack and went in the Attic and relocated the Phone Line going outside to my Modem location at the TV stand. I also ran a CAT5e to the Garage and tossed on a Cisco router for my Computers and WiFi extension for the Garage.
The new plan is to run CAT5e to every bedroom since all of the Kids are so highly dependent on the Internet. Down the road I plan to build a pfSense box using a APU2 board and get a Ubiquiti switch. This way the WiFi isn’t so congested.
We also have a VoIP phone service that I want to back feed to the Master bedroom and put my old Western Electric Rotary phone in there. I already have a Pulse to Touch Tone Converter adapter. So I’ll just pull the other Phone line feed over and call that complete. I may or may not run another Phone line in the Living room. Since that would be for the cordless phone I can just plug the base directly into the Modem’s VoIP.
Security
A Honeywell Vista 21iP system. The House doesn’t have any cable ran for an Alarm system so I would have to add contacts to the Front door and Garage Entry. Run cable for the Keypads, Motion and Siren. The windows would have to be Wireless Contacts.
Home Automation
A simple OpenHAB Server to control Z-Wave compatible lighting. Probably will toss together a Raspberry Pi as the server. I’ve heard good things about the Z-Stick Gen 5 so I might give that a try.
After much thought it would be kinda dumb to try to have a Security system connected to a Home Automation system. Adds a vulnerability let alone if something happens to the Automation it will affect the Security as well.
Now this isn’t going to happen over night. Right now I am working on the rack and CCTV.
The IT Garage 