June 2, 2012

Are You Wired for Speed and Sound?

Whether you’re watching an Indiana Jones movie in high definition or surfing the Web for YouTube videos, modern day computer and home entertainment equipment produces sights and sounds that are truly something to behold. But unless your home network wiring is equally sophisticated and professionally installed, you might miss out on the best movie scenes and all you’ll behold are loads of frustration.

It’s the rare household today that doesn’t contain at least one personal computer, not to mention multiple TVs, expensive stereo equipment, home entertainment systems, and so on. The Pew Internet & American Life project reports that 77 percent of all adults and 93 percent of families with children have a home computer.

Professional home network wiring has become a virtual necessity as millions of Americans own these modern “electronic toys” designed to interface with one another. According to the same Pew survey, 46 percent of Americans reported their most recent device failure to be a home internet connection-making professional wiring that much more essential.

At Applewood Plumbing, Heating & Electric (www.ApplewoodFixIt.com), Audio Visual (AV) and computer wiring are some of the things we do best. Still, how do you know if you really need electrical upgrades? Well, if your network of electronic equipment is not performing with the speed and efficiency you want it to, here are some problems to look for:

• Twisted Ethernet wires must be trimmed close to the punch-down point to ensure adequate protection from stray electrical signals
• Circuits should be checked to ensure they supply adequate power and are properly grounded for your system’s requirements
• Jacks should be mounted firmly into the wall or patch panel;
• Cables should not be bent severely or crushed beneath over-tight cable ties; otherwise, wires may be broken inside the insulation which, in turn, creates invisible defects;
• Make sure that every wire, connection jack or fixture is labeled in a legible, accessible way. Label EVERYTHING at both ends of the connection and adopt a concise naming schematic. Having to trace and hunt down wires during network service can take time, which costs you money and perhaps downtime during migrations or upgrades.

At Applewood, we ensure “fail safe” system performance by using only wires and jacks that were built specifically for your home computer and entertainment network. No matter how simple or complex the home networking system, we recommend professional electrical wiring experts to keep things running smoothly so you don’t have to miss any of those action packed scenes on the quest for the Holy Grail.