best *current* home automation book? need to cram subject urgently

There's a "how to" tutorial here:

by Bob Catanzarite. While it's not the neatest job I've seen (that would probably be Bruce Robin's, but I've lost the URL - he will probably see this and post it) it's pretty nice.

If you compare the photos in the site above to Bruce's, you'll see his layout isn't quite as "three-dimensional" and that he makes excellent use of items like long Wiremold-type outlet strips to keep the ever-increasing number of "wallwart" power supplies looking neat and remote from each other. I think it's a bad idea to crowd a fleet of power supplies on a small powerstrip. Their could be induction effects and there could also be premature component failure because of the increased heat.

Many pros don't like bundled cable, a hallmark of many structured wiring schemes. While it looks nice to have fiber, RG6QS and CAT5 in the same cable, the reality it that it's much hard to pull, usually more expensive than the unbundled separate cables and it can't be stapled using traditional tools. Also, if you ever have to replace a cable that's broken inside the wall for whatever reason, you'll be mighty glad if three other cables don't have to be replaced with it.

I'd search Google for "structured wiring tutorial" to get started. Bob's site lists the following to get you started:

Home Networking Links

Practically Networked -

of Home Networking Help - Site with a lot of Wireless and wired information - - Networking Page - Home with Cabling - PC Network - Stuff Works - Home Networking - Stuff Works - Routers - - Stuff Works - Firewalls - Stuff Works - Power Line Networks - Stuff Works - Phone Line Networking - Stuff Works - Wireless Networking - of great info here - Help Desk and a FREE newsletter - Check it out! - NEW

Ethernet Wiring Links

How Stuff Works - Ethernet -

DeRose's Guide to CAT wiring - Spurgeon's Ethernet Web Site - VERY GOOD - Wiring Closet - 's Wiring Closet - VERY GOOD - Tech's Learn More Section - VERY GOOD - Voltage Home Pre-Wire Guide - VERY GOOD - Stuff Works - Ethernet - Siemon Company - - Voice and Data Division - - Strategies Document - VERY GOOD - Ethernet Training by Hadriel Kaplan - Pair - How It Works - - Great Information and Great Links -

Other Wiring Type Links

Phone Man's Home Page -

Line Networking - Voltage Home Pre-Wire Guide - Tech's Learn More Section - Vision - Master - Plus - RG6/U Quad Shield - Wiring Tip - NEW Lots of interesting links - NEW Great source of knowledge - This supplier offers a LOT of free knowledge -

Wireless Networking

All sorts of GREAT stuff - Just go there and see -

Site with a lot of Wireless and wired information - NEW As you might guess- All about 802.11 - a very good site about networking of all sorts - stuff on wireless security - stuff on wireless security -

Phone Line and Power Line Networking Links

Fred Langa's comments on Power Line Networking -

Structured Wiring Suppliers

Home Tech -

Central Wiring Panel Links

Channel Vision -

Home Director - Tech Solutions - Structured Media - Tools

Greenlee Tools -

Tech - Tool -

-- Bobby G.

One of the best online guides I've seen is the "Low Voltage Home Pre-Wire Guide" at

Thanks for the compliment. Here's a link to my photos. I have just added some updated photos to show how it's evolving after 3 years. Feel free to ask questions and enjoy the other pictures there. (Do check out the rainbow shot - it was even shown on local weather here.)

From:Robert Green ROBERT snipped-for-privacy@YAH00.COM

Hi-

note from the original poster here.

Those links should keep me busy for ages :)

Thanks to both Roberts for the links.

hi martin-

just started looking at ZigBee - hadn't heard of it before, and could be quite useful for me.

Since you've just had the chance to learn a bit more about it, could you try to provide me with info where you know it, please?

I understand from what I've read that it's meant to be a wireless standard 'perfect for home automation', particularly for sensor technology ie relatively low bandwidth (wikipedia says that it ranges from 20kbps to 250kbps (at 2.4 Ghz band) depending on the frequency used. I've forgotten my physics here... why not just run it at 2.4Ghz and get over 1200% bandwidth increase from 20kbps? Does the range fall off at higher frequencies?)

However, even at 20kbps, that's plenty bandwidth for a lot more than sensors (video and music excluded- hell, isn't the voice data we hear on the phone 9.6kbps?).

The 'mesh' cluster concept is pretty cool. kind of like a mini Internet in your home :).

What about ZigBee security, though? sensors can be used in security situations. Would ZigBee not be recommended in these cases? Furthermore, if ZigBee devices are that easy to battery change, would it not be very easy to tamper with them?

Do you have a site for your company? or a site for any ZigBee suppliers? are the products actually out yet?

Not quite wiring but have you had a look at ZigBee wireless. Our company has just completed a seminar series with this technology and if you want telemetric rates Hi-

There's also error checking and other overhead so it's not just plain division math.

Yes, that's the point, enough to be able to "make sure" the signals are getting delivered.

Some encoders can be that low. Others run higher to get better quality. Depends on the telco switch involved and the amount of traffic.

The internet is not a mesh. It has mesh-like properties but IP routing isn't quite the same.