Moving home - prepping the place for streaming media?

EddScott

EddScott

EddScott

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Please forgive me for asking something that has probably been asked 100s of times before.

I am about to move house and before moving the furniture in I'm considering getting the place wired up to provide on demand films and music throughout the house.

I would like to be able to stream music, films and HD films in HD audio to the bedrooms and living room and music in the kitchen, garage and bathroom if possible.

Should I run network cable throughout the house or will those mains network plugs do the job?

I'm thinking of SKY HD for the living room and main bedroom - I'm happy enough the on demand content. But I would like the ability to have lovefilm and netflix in the living rooms and bedrooms. The Sky boxes will need phone sockets in the rooms.

As for hardware, there will be a home cinema system in the living room and main bedroom. The other rooms can just be normal sound (if you know what I mean)

Do I get a NAS box with lots of space and pile all the films onto that. My music is on googleplay. Do I get these Raspberry PIs for each room? Or PI for some rooms and something more beefy for the rooms that will have HD audio?

Will this XBMC be seperate on each PI or PC? In as much as can I set the kids bedrooms to the kids films and music and adult stuff to the main bedroom and living room? Can I have different skins for each room? Like a pic of the kids for their respective room?

I'm sorry this ended up being loads of questions. I'm sure this has been asked before so apologies for being lazy and not searching properly.
 
If you've got the opportunity to run network cables to each room, I would choose that any day of the week over any other alternative. Putting 2-4 cables into each room will give you so much scope later on, you can run ethernet, phone, audio, HDMI all over network cables.

If you're going to the extent of chasing walls out to run network cables, coaxial cable for Sky/Virgin boxes won't be going anywhere for a while, so throw a couple of these into each room, and terminate it all in a cupboard, or loft.

A centralised storage system, be it a NAS or a PC-as-a-server, will give you the most flexibility, especially when used with something like XBMC, which will run on such a wide variety of hardware, that you can have a similar experience across all devices, whilst being able to pick the best device for the job, and customise the look/feel accordingly.

For example, for the kitchen, you might want only audio - a Pi hooked up to an amp/speakers will be great for audio output, but in the living room you may want a full-blown PC with a nice graphics card for some gaming.

You can quite easily limit the stuff in the kid's bedrooms and have adult stuff for the bedroom, set up various shares on your NAS/PC and password-protect them accordingly, and you can then prevent the kids devices from accessing the adult shares.

I like the idea of a proper PC, running something like Windows Home Server 2011 with DriveBender or DrivePool, which allow you to just add additional drives as your storage requirements grow. I've added 2 additional drives over time, and am about to add a 3rd additional drive - it's almost plug-and-play :)
 
I would never use the mains network plugs, i tried them and they were fine for 720p video but as soon you went to 1080p they sucked. I changed to cat 6 cable and have never looked back.

As for your HTPC XBMC is great but just remember that if you put it on a Rasp PI it will be limited. You will most likely have to stick to the default skin and not have as much customization of the way it looks, the Rasp PI will not be able to handle it (it will however play all 720 and 1080 videos you can throw at it). If you want to customize it you are better off getting small pre build htpcs like acer revo or zotac ion or nano for each instance of XBMC.
 
Could I get away with running one network cable to each room and if I do have need for more than one I can get a little hub? I've done this in our current home because the connection isn't very good I've got the router right by the socket on the shortest wire I could find, a network cable into the living room to a 4 pot hub which feeds the PC, receiver and Sky box.

If I had a PI in the kitchen would it need things like mouse, screen and keyboard to work? There is a dining area of sorts in the kitchen so we'll probably put a small TV on one of the walls - would I link the PI upto the TV so when we wanted to listen to music we just turn it on and change the TV over the PI input?

Would you run WHS on the server PC and XBMC on the other machines?

The PC in the living room will be running windows 7 - how does XBMC work with 7? Does it boot to XBMC or does it run within 7?

Sorry for all the questions :)
 
I'll try to answer some of your questions about XBMC/PI:

- If you put your PI in the Kitchen you might not need a mouse etc. as XBMC can be run quite effectively from Android/IOS devices through apps that are availble. I recommend having a small keyboard on standby for initial setup and making some small adjustments every now and again.

- I don't have a server for my XBMC installs. Each device I have has a separate XBMC install on it, whether it's XBMC on windows or XBMC installed via the Openelec branch.

- XBMC on Windows 7 is great. I really don't notice much difference between that and the other 2 installs I have which are both via Openelec. It all depends on how fast the Win 7 PC is however. If it is a slow PC XBMC will definetely run faster on an Openelec install. As for booting up there is a small program available in the XBMC forums that lets you adjust the way it boots up in Windows i.e. straight to XBMC or not.

Have you had a look at Plex before? It is a variation of XBMC that might suit your needs a bit better although I dont think it runs off of a Rasp PI yet.
 
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Use Plex instead of XMBC if you're going to have a distributed network of players.

Plex is a branch from XBMC and is setup to run as a server with clients. The server does all the heavy lifting then each client requires no setup what so ever.

Plex doesn't fully work on the RaspPi but it's coming soon! http://rasplex.com/

Regarding the exact setup of your infrastructure you're definitely best running running two wires to each room (either side of the room to avoid trailing cables) and having them all come to a central location in the home where you have your modem / router combination.

Avoid using "hubs" as they can cause network slowdown as they are "dumb" and don't route traffic - use a switch. They're little more expensive but you're still only talking £20 for an 8 port switch (TP-Link are a good enough brand)
 
I agree with Confused - so glad I ran network cabling everywhere when I renovated, and some HDMI runs. Also done speaker cabling (for rears in lounge and ceiling speakers in bathroom)
 
If you run only a single cable, you can have data, or audio, or video, or phone.

The only one of those you can multiple out is data, by using a hub/switch (use a switch).

If you run 2 cables, you can choose 2 of those. If you run 3 cables, you can choose 3 of those... ;)

Running more cables whilst you're building/decorating will be cheaper than running a single cable and realising later that you want/need to add additional cables. Even if you don't put a faceplate on, and just put a backbox + blank faceplate for now, you'll be glad later that you don't have to redecorate to add cables, or start running stuff around rooms!
 
So I have my router with 4 ports. If I want say up to 20 cables to various parts of the house how do I do it without having streaming issues? I have put in a Draytek 2830 into work with a 24 port switch and have no problems although we aren't all sat about watching blurays lol.

Can I not run the 4 cables from the router, a draytek 2710, to each floor and have a switch on each floor feeding the rooms? There's 3 floors and the garage once converted into a room. Say 4 ports for the living room, 2 for the garage, 3 for main bedroom, 2 for other 2 bedrooms and say 3 for loft space and 1 for the kitchen. So maybe an 8 port switch for ground and another 8 port first floor and a 4 port switch for the attic. Wouldn't that do the job?

As for equipment I'm thinking PCs for living room and main bedroom. Streaming boxes for other rooms. Only the living room and main bedroom need streaming and Internet. Don't want the kids rooms to have net but have streaming of films and their music. Attic might be eldests bedroom and living space in the future so will probably have a PC and Sky box up there too in the future. Kitchen just needs music. Dining room has big double doors from living room so the living room PC can feed the receiver with Area B speakers selected on the receiver.
 
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You could add multiple devices, which may save you a few feet of cabling to each room, but will each use power - but I still think you'll have better flexibility with running all cables to a central location and having just a single larger switch.
 
In principle there's nothing wrong with what you're suggesting. It's just not best practice because you end up with multiple points of failure.

Points of failure are the switches, the cables and the cable connectors.

By having many switches scattered around the house you're going to end up with more points of failure on that part. By having each line from main router going to a switch THEN from the switch to the room you've got two cables (either of which could fail) and in turn each cable has got two connectors. Another 4 possible points of failure.

Also consider that you'll have to power each switch so wiring will need to come out of the walls into a cupboard, where your switch is, and then on to the room. So neatness also comes in to play.


When it comes down to specifics of how you want your network to function (no internet in the kids rooms) this is a network management problem, not a wiring problem.

You want all your devices on the same network.

If you want to stop certain computers accessing other computers or the internet then use your router settings to implement Access Control Policies that define this. Whatever you do, don't do something crazy where you have one set of cables and a router setup that is physically separate from another network as it's completely unnecessary.
 
Bringing this back up as we get the keys on 14th.

I'm going to put down what my plan is and if there is anything that is wrong or improved please let me know.

Router will be connected to 24 port switch.
NAS of some description will be by the switch and full of media - pics, music, video.
Rooms will have the following sockets
4 in the living room - Sky, PC, Network receiver + spare.
1 in the dining room for network midi system.
2 in the kitchen - Smart TV or small streamer (PI) and network midi system.
2 in the garage - being converted into a room.
2 in 2 of the bedrooms. Little media streamers - PI or something similar.
4 in the main bedroom Sky, PC, Network receiver + spare.
4 in the loft bedroom Sky, PC and 2 spares.

Each Sky box needs a phone line but Sky engineer can do that. I was reading up on passing HDMI over Cat5 but I don't think I'll need to do that. Only HDMI stuff as such will be Sky to the TVs and media players/receivers to the TVs - all this happens pretty much in the same room.

Can't think of anything else right now. How does that sound? I'm meeting the decorator this week to go over what I want to do before he gives the place a coat of paint.
 
Sounds good.

The only change I'd suggest is to put 2 into the dining room instead of 1.


Personally, I'd then double the number you've put there :D But then that's possibly going to the side of overkill! ;)
 
Well the dining room and living room are connected via quite a wide double door arrangement and are almost one big room with the doors open. If anything I'd probably set up a B speaker set in the dining room running off the receiver in the living room.

Its going to be a bit of a mission just laying the network cabling. I've got this awesome idea of having the TV on one wall and all the AV stuff in a nice AV cupboard the sellers are leaving but its in the opposite corner so a fair distance away from the TV. I'm going to lay the cabling (HDMI etc) through some of that curved trunking up into the coving then put all the cables behind the coving then being them down inside trunking behind the TV. I could do the sinking the cabling into the wall but its quite a big job and quite messy and I can cope with a bit of trunking here and there rather than everything being covered in masonry dust for a month :) been there etc. :)


EDIT - I've been thinking about how the wires will actually connect to each device and originally I had planned to just have the cables poking out the trunking wherever they are required. Thinking about it that will be unsightly and with a toddler knocking around too much of a draw to go yanking on wires etc. I think what might be better is if I wire the network sockets around the house with wall sockets in the rooms leading back to a patch panel. I then run small patch cables from the patch panel into the switch. I guess this way if I did ever want to pass phone or HDMI over the Cat5 I could just wire into the spare patch sockets. How does that sound?
 
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EddScott said:
EDIT - I've been thinking about how the wires will actually connect to each device and originally I had planned to just have the cables poking out the trunking wherever they are required. Thinking about it that will be unsightly and with a toddler knocking around too much of a draw to go yanking on wires etc. I think what might be better is if I wire the network sockets around the house with wall sockets in the rooms leading back to a patch panel. I then run small patch cables from the patch panel into the switch. I guess this way if I did ever want to pass phone or HDMI over the Cat5 I could just wire into the spare patch sockets. How does that sound?
Click to expand...

Definitely the best way to do it.
 
Oh man I spent ages on a post on mine, hopee I can retrive it. silly Windows crashed then pop!! agr

in short server will be backend and front so has media centre but it'll have a hd6770 and hopefully open up more gaming ability - racing seat I want + proper wheel/pedals/shifter (TM RT500 then shifter and seat maybe £>600 - better save - I think if I gamed a lot more and needed to split I'd sell the card if poss/needed) and keep it for backend/headless and have a sep htpc either full size and stored inside the cuboard, probably that as space is limited and then cpu/ram/gpu would need cleaning as it'd be a dirty rig but frontend and off.

That's my one but then I need a similer image for RASP PIs as I got one here. Case and 8GB SD. Used RASPMC but this is prototype for once house is getting together I am getting them for each TV. I wanna buy 5 say and cases, then gig ethernet to my switch which is in my room (everything in there) then my router DGN150 in the WAN port via crossover as thats to the net. Now connecting downstairs via powerline 200mb and to the loft run a crossover? to a 4port (sisters comp, pi, consoles and either wifi extender or better/fix DGNs wireless)

Pretty much for streaming HD TV, movies but wanna add net fuctions (browser, youtube) to PIs
 
I don't want to jinx anything, but I should be moving into my new house in a week or so and getting it networked is high on my list. So I've been reading this thread with much interest.

I'm thinking I'll have my desk in the front reception bay window, which will house PC, router/modem, switch and NAS. From there I'll then run network cable to all the required rooms in the house.

My TV, Freesat, 360, Revo(xbmc) & BD will be in the rear reception room and they'll need networking. I'm thinking I might just run network cable under the floor boards, as opposed to digging into the walls (although the whole house will need decorating at some point in the not too distant future). How resistant to such environmental conditions is network cable?
 
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