The media has done a bit of press about the cost of wiring up your house, so we thought we might debunk some of the untruths that are out there and share a little insight.
We’ll break this down into a bit of an FAQ for you…
I heard it’s going to cost $6000 to wire my house – true?
No! It is true that some media articles have been written that suggest this. Even the people that were quoted in the articles are unhappy about how they were ‘misquoted’.
Do I need to rewire my house for the phone?
No! The existing wiring in your house can be connected to the ‘ONT‘ so that your existing phones keep working the way they are at present. [Source Please]
Can I use the cables that my existing ADSL modems has?
Yes! The wires that connect from your ADSL modem to your computer are the same as you’ll use to connect the ‘ONT‘ to your computer.
Can I just use wireless?
Yes! You don’t need to wire up your house with network cable at all if you don’t choose to.
You can just plug a ‘WiFi AP’ in to the ‘ONT‘ and then just use wireless to connect all your computers, game stations and other equipment.
You can also just plug a cordless phone into the ‘ONT‘. [Source Please]
Is there any other choice other than wireless and network wires?
Yes! You can use a technology called Data Over Power (DoP). This means you just plug special units in to your power point and then connect your computers to the DoP units. The technology uses the electrical wiring already in your walls and is not hindered by concrete like wireless is. See here for more information about DoP see: http://www.netcomm.com.au/products/powerline
Can I do my own wiring?
No! Wiring in Australia has to be done by a licensed person.
How much should I pay for wiring?
As a basic rule of thumb, each wall plug should cost you between $120 and $240 each to install. Of course, if you want a wall plug in a really ‘hard to get to’ part of the house then it will be more expensive. If you want a second plug next to an existing one, in an easy location, then it will cost less.
How many wall plugs do I need?
That will depend on what you want to do. You need to make a plan. In your living room you might want one for you a set top box like FetchTV or TBox as well as one for a media PC, so that’s 2. But in most bedrooms you might not want any because people will only be using wireless laptops.
How do I get a quote?
Look in the yellow pages for a ACMA licensed cabler. However, before you do that, make a plan and take some photos. The best way is to ring people up, talk to them and agree to email them some photos of the job so they can get some idea to give you a rough estimate.
Remember that in most cases, yours will be a small job, so don’t just expect that cablers will want to drive out to your place to do a quote.
You also have to remember that house wiring can be difficult and things can end up taking much longer than you expected. So make sure when planning a job that you have a plan for if things unexpected happen. ie – the cabler talks to you rather than just doing the job and sending you an unexpected bill!
Does the wiring need to be tested and certified?
Yes and No. Any wiring needs to be tested with a test tool and you should check that the person doing the job for you has a test tool and that your wires are tested to avoid problems. Many test tools have the ability to generate test results on a bit of paper or “PDF”. It’s worth keeping a copy of the test results to prove that the job has been done well, the same way you keep details of work done on your car so you can prove it when you go to sell it.
More Tech Info
If you’re interested in some other technology that is being developed and want a bit of a ‘geek read’ then check this stuff out…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HomePNA – The HomePNA Alliance (formerly the Home Phoneline Networking Alliance, also known as HPNA) is an incorporated non-profit industry association of companies that develops and standardizes technology for home networking over the existing coaxial cables and telephone wiring within the home.
http://whrl.pl/RcvKIT – NBNCo’s latest response on house wiring – 26/10/10 – ProMan