A Modern Home

I'm into my IT - it's what I do for a living - so it makes sense that my new home will be equipped with the latest and greatest gadgets. I currently enjoy a 50mb cable line into my home which comes in very handy with the work that I do, for example.

When it comes to home networking, I like the idea of having CAT5e/CAT6a cable running into every room in the house (with the possible exception of the bathroom, of course). Do I need to do this though? Won't wireless "cut the mustard"?

As I see it, I would like to future proof the house as much as possible. If I want to stream HD video, CATxx cabling would be beneficial. If I want super-fast backup capability for each laptop, CATxx cabling would be beneficial. If I want to play about with home automation technologies, CATxx cabling would be beneficial.

And then there is the option of using the home's electrical wiring to carry data signals using those spectacularly good 200mbs bridge devices - I use one at present and it works a treat!

So the options are:

• stick with wireless
• use the electrical system
• run dedicated CATxx cabling to each room

And when I get to thinking about it, I'll probably want to think seriously about a wired security solution and get that installed from the outset. I see ADT offer a solution for £450 with a £20 a month fee for remote monitoring and alerting though this is for a standard 3-bedroom house. Might need to spend a bit more time looking at all the options for both networking and security.