Network cabling.

[nedfumpkin]

Some of you may already know that I just bought an old house...100 years old...and it has me busy right now doing some upgrading.

The 2nd and 3rd floors were still on knob and tube wiring, which I had to have disconnected for insurance reasons, so I had a 60 amp sub panel installed on the 2nd floor for new wiring. I'm am just about finished painting the plywood...and I am going to be framing 2x3s around it to make it enclosed in a cabinet. I had some red paint left over from a few years ago and I will be using white Romex, so it will keep things neat and tidy.

I've pre-drilled holes to pass the wires through up into the ceiling. I've also pre-drilled holes to run cat 5e cable (far left)

I have read that network cable and high voltage wiring shouldn't be closer than 12 inches to each other for any lengths beyond a few feet. So I am wondering if I put my modem in this cabinet...which will be 3 feet wide and 2 feet deep, will I get network interference? Anyone know?

[Hawk]

That's a good question, and as a retired electrician I should know the answer, but alas - I'm not sure.

The modem itself should have some shielding in it, and if you use a shielded cable, I can't see where you would have a problem.
Just try to keep as much space between the two as you can, and make sure to run your electrical wiring as far away from the modem as you can, as well as whatever cable you use (I assume you'll be using CAT 5 or CAT 6).

Maybe this link will help a little, although it doesn't address the question you asked.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category_6_cable

Installation caveats

Category 6 and 6a cable must be properly installed and terminated to meet specifications. Incorrect installation practices include kinking or bending the cable too tightly. The cable bend radius should be no less than 4 times the outer diameter of the cable.[citation needed] Incorrect termination practices include untwisting the wire pairs or stripping the outer jacket back more than 1/2 inch.

All shielded cables must be grounded for safety and effectiveness. A continuous shield connection maintained from end to end.[5] Ground loops develop when there is more than one ground connection and the difference in common mode voltage potential at these ground connections introduces noise into the cabling.[6]

[nedfumpkin]

I picked up my 1000 ft of Cat 5e cable today. I spoke to the guy at the computer store and he said I should be fine, but wireless might be affected. I'm not a fan of wireless, so I'm not too worried. I will be able to keep my high and low voltage far apart very easily. If it comes down to it, I can always put my router...cause that's the more accurate term, on the opposite side of the wall.

Retired electrician huh? Feel like going north this weekend , although sorry, can't offer you any Canadian snow for Christmas. It rained today as was about 55 degrees.

[Hawk]

Retired electrician huh? Feel like going north this weekend , although sorry, can't offer you any Canadian snow for Christmas. It rained today as was about 55 degrees.

Well, I don't really have anything keeping me here. It looks like the prospective buyer of the house may back out due to the inspection report, even though the house is listed as an 'As Is Sale', and aside from the fact that the price has gone from $115,000. to $55,000.

Only problem; I'm not sure I can get a passport.

[alpha3]

I have done some home wiring. when it comes to power and data (cat 5 or coax) it is best to cross at 90 degrees and as little parrallel as necessary the data lines can pick up noise from induction the longer the are in parrallel.

[Moggie]

I studied for an electrician's vocational degree for a while (then chucked it and started a computer tech's one and completed that). A trainer there said that if 220V alternating is concerned, you'd have to have 20 normal electric cables around one cat5 before it would start picking up interference.

Hm. I seem to be a thread necromancer as well, please bear with me.