A Cat-5 Cabling learning curve

Three weeks in, three weeks to go, and the house renovation project continues.

Today I had a crash course in home hi-fi, because the electrician's already started rewiring the building but we hadn't even started thinking about installing AV cables for an as-yet-fictitious home network, which, if we do it now, will be a lot less hassle and cost than if we wait even just a few weeks. Cue panicked calls to local hi-fi shops early yesterday morning, coupled with several frustrating explanations to salesmen of why I want wired, not wireless, yes I do understand that everyone else has wireless, no I'm not a strange noughties throwback crazylady, I've done my research and I know what I want, thank you v much. (Maybe more on my anti-wi-fi stance in another post).

So Fred and I duly met Andrew (slightly patronising but knowledgeable chap from hi-fi shop, with the smell of fresh cash in his nostrils) and Tony (cheeky chappie electrician prone to the overuse of the phrase "at the end of the day") at the house this morning to talk cat-5s, coaxials, star-wiring - as opposed to daisy-chaining - and 35mm back boxes. And I'm happy to report that I held my own. I didn't let them blind me with science, I asked good questions, and I pointed out that the west wall of the master bedroom was a far better speaker location than the north wall. See, I *knew* my borderline pass in a Sound Technology and Recording module circa 1995 would come in useful one day. Though Professor Sackman might disagree.

So all we're doing at this stage is to feed our cat-5 speaker cables behind some of the walls from the place in the kitchen where the hub will be, to the points in the walls where the speakers will be. This is costing about £100 plus labour. When we can afford it, probably many moons after we actually move in, the next stage will be choosing the AV equipment that will then be hooked up at either end of said cables. Muuuuch less hassle than trying to feed cables in behind beautifully decorated and finished walls.

It's a minor achievement in the grand scheme of a project that could possibly see us homeless in a month, but I'm congratulating myself because it signifies a bigger breakthrough - my ability to not procrastinate and to get things done. I actually felt a bit like a project manager today. Although the house is still very much a building site, we're a step or two closer to having it just the way we want it. And when we move in (three weeks today, eek) I'll be proud to look at those cat-5s sticking out of the walls, say "Bloody glad we didn't go for cat-6s." and know what on earth I'm talking about.