Here's one way to take advantage of the technology available for your home. It's called category 5 wiring. Category 5 wiring provides internet and fax connections 600 times faster than an ordinary phone line. Bundled with coaxial video cable, it allows you to view cable TV, your VCR, and even closed circuit cameras from any monitor in your home.

Bob meets Tim Woods from the Internet Home Alliance at the Home Director network connection center in the basement. It's where all the structured wiring comes in and where the main controls happen: 2 +2 (cat-5 and RJ), cable broadband, security link-up, telephone, etc. Because the homeowners are a dual career couple they need to be connected to each other (home office to the studio) and to the outside world in a broadband environment. In the kitchen Larry Hicks of Home Director is installing some cable for a universal 2 + 2 outlet for TV, telephone or data near the breakfast nook providing flexibility for use of a phone, screen, etc. Looking at the Alliance's wiring plan, Tim points out the security camera at the front door and the ADT iCenter security system. The study/screening room will be a real media center with speakers for dolby stereo running through the ceiling, cable broadband, and a Panasonic high definition TV. There willl be speakers throughout the house allowing different music to play in diffferent rooms all controlled from the audio center in the kitchen. The Cisco Aironet system is a wireless network for the home allowing the homeowner to put a wireless card into his laptop and wirelessly port the web anywhere in the house. Because this is an old house in which they are trying to preserve the original plaster and lath walls, the installation of the structured wiring has required different tools and is a much slower process than in new construction, but it can be done.

Bob Ryley meets with Ken Frankel from Lucent Technologies to talk about the new HomeStar wiring system. Ryley points out the outlet part of the system on the wall. These outlets, of which there are six in the house, connect into the basement. Ken explains that the HomeStar system takes care of television, phone, internet, and security for homeowners. Homeowners can be sitting in the living room and see who is at the front door without getting up. Cameras are linked into the television for exterior and interior monitoring. The wire connecting the outlets distributes voice, data, and video through the house. Bob then shows us the hybrid wire which consists of three wires on the inside. The first is a cable wire for television. The second is for video distribution and security monitoring, and the third is for telephone and computer. The telephone and data wire is the highest grade wire called a Category Five wire. Ken tells us that cat five is six hundred times faster than a regular phone wire and perfect for home office use. He points out that using HomeStar a homeowner can save money with the networking capabilities of cables linking various televisions and computers throughout the home.

Tim Woods from Internet Home Alliance looks at the features and benefits of planning home entertainment systems before you build your home.

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