One of the problems in a number of homes that I have owned is that the telephone points are never where you want them. This either results in unsightly cables or poorly cabled extensions. We want to avoid this in this house.
The plan is that every room will have at least two data ports (RJ-45 sockets) cabled back to a central point using CAT5 cable. All the cables will terminate in a patch panel. Then by using a patch cable at the central point, it will be possible to supply the sockets in each room with either data or telephone services.
The incoming telephone line goes into a hub which then connects the line to 4 RJ-45 sockets. I found this 1U rackmounted kit at Cyber Select. I have actually added the optional second voice hub to the unit which means that potentially two separate phone lines could be brought into the house and distributed independently.
I am going to install a small 19″ rack in the cellar. This will house a RJ-45 patch panel (for all the terminations for the cables to the room outlets), this telephone hub, a 48 port ethernet switch and the broadband router. The telephone master socket will be in the cellar, thus making it easier to connect up to the rest of the house.
