Wiring Closets for Home Network Automation Equipment GA S REGULAR Menu Lifewire Tech for Humans Newsletter! Search Close GO Smart & Connected Life > Smart Home 23 23 people found this article helpful

What Is a Wiring Closet?

By Ron Fritz Ron Fritz Writer Ron Fritz is former Lifewire writer and a computer technology writer with over 15 years of experience with information technology and home automation products. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on November 21, 2019 Tweet Share Email Getty Images/DrAfter123 Tweet Share Email Smart Home Your Best Year Ever: College Tech Tips Amazon Appliances & Lighting Google Many dedicated home automation enthusiasts create wiring closets to centrally house the brains of their systems.

What Is Kept in a Wiring Closet

Advanced home automation households typically include home computer networking, a security system, scene lighting, a home theater system, and whole-house sound. Creating a central location to keep track of wires and store hardware devices, like routers and digital video recorders, makes changing your system easier and keeps the rest of the house free of unnecessary and unsightly clutter. A typical wiring closet contains: computer CAT5 and CAT6 patch panels to manage your computer network, telephone distribution blocks for splitting phone lines, video splitters, audio splitters, Ethernet switches and/or wired/wireless network routers, video and sound recorder and storage devices, and enclosures and racks to keep it all organized.

Planning Your Wiring Closet

No two wiring closets are the same and typically your closet will develop as your system grows. Having a little foresight can save you headaches in the future. Realize that one day you will probably need a wiring closet. Plan on your home automation system growing to the point you’ll want a central location to store everything.As you add new equipment or wires to your closet keep accessibility in mind. Whatever you put in your closet isn’t going to be installed once and forgotten; you will eventually want to change or move wires around. The biggest mistake people make when planning a wiring closet is putting equipment control panel fronts within easy reach and hiding wires away from where they can’t get to them. Try to position everything so that it’s easily reachable. If necessary, mount panels on the walls. Always allow for adequate ventilation of electronic devices and install additional fans if necessary. A well-designed wiring closet provides both front and rear access to all equipment. Keeping everything organized and accessible will make the difference between a wiring closet you enjoy working in and one you dread.

Hardware for the Backbone of Your Wiring Closet

Essential equipment for the internal layout of wiring closets has been developed over the years to support home automation enthusiasts. Several manufacturers, including Middle Atlantic and Avrak, produce different types of rack and shelf systems for storing hardware devices. For wiring, both Leviton and Elk manufacture reputable structured wiring and patch panel assemblies. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire The 9 Best Network Server Racks and Enclosures of 2022 Can Two Routers Be Used on the Same Home Network? How to Wire Your New House for Home Automation How to Get Started With Home Automation How to Connect Two Routers on a Home Network What Is a CPU? (Central Processing Unit) What Is Wetware in Computing and Biology? Get Better Wi-Fi: Here's The Best Place for Your Wireless Router Wired vs. Wireless Networking How to Splice Wires for Speakers and Home Theater Systems How to Make Wired Speakers Wireless How to Connect Speakers Using Speaker Wire Which Home Automation Technology Is Best for You? What Is a LAN (Local Area Network)? Patch Cable Types and Uses How to Install and Set Up a Home Theater Receiver Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies