Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom.tech
Subject: Re: Using RG-6 cable plant for home LAN
References: <[email protected]>
"Syd Barrett"  writes:

> Hello all,
>    I have read that Verizon is using existing coax for the inside
> portion of new FIOS roll-outs. My question is this: since my home has
> RG-6 coax strung to just about every room in the house, is there a way
> I can utilise this instead of wireless, which is finicky, or fishing
> CAT5 to all the rooms, which is time-consuming and expensive? I realise
> coax hasn't been used for LAN applications since the days of good ol'
> Thick Ethernet, but I was wondering if there was equipment that could
> take advantage of the copious bandwidth of coax cabling in a more --
> modern -- fashion.

There are equipment that can take the use of antenna coaxial wiring 
for data communications. 

Here are some techniques I have heard of:

1. Cable modems: They communicate through cable TV infrastructure
   that consists of antenna wiring and active equipment. The user 
   end of communciations cable modems are quite cheap, but I think 
   the device needed on the opgther end of cummunications (normally 
   on cable operator headend) I think is expensive special device.
   Standard most widely used nowadays is DOCSIS
   http://www.cablemodem.com/ 

2. There are various proprietary device that can modulate the 
   data communications to around 900 MHz or so frequency so 
   they can co-exist on antenna wiring on house. 
   http://www.hometoys.com/htinews/aug05/articles/coaxsys/coax.htm
   http://www.coaxsys.com/
   http://www.broadbandcarrier.net/cablelan.htm
   http://www.broadbandcarrier.net/homeran.htm
   http://news.tmcnet.com/news/2006/04/25/1609514.htm
   http://hiddenwires.co.uk/resourcesarticles2004/articles20040902-02.html
    
3. There are some variations of HomePNA system (version 2 or 3) 
   that can run over coaxial cable. 
   Running HPNA 2.0 Over Existing Cable/TV Coax
   http://download.microsoft.com/download/5/7/7/577a5684-8a83-43ae-9272-ff260a9c20e2/WinHECwhitepaper2003-HCNA-030323d.doc

4. There are passive baluns that can convert 10Base-T ethernet 
   to antenna cabling (some even with antenna signal together 
   on the same cable). For those to work you need to have 
   antenna cabling wires in "star" fashion and putting a special 
   coupler/hub in the center of star or you need to have 
   point-to-point coax connection. Several companies make those. 
   http://www.mtecbroadband.com/iFrame/product%20pages/Datasheets%20&%20Leaflets%20Home%20Equipement/Ethernet-over-coax.pdf
   http://www.teleste.com/dm/file.phtml?id=953
   http://www.teleste.com/index.phtml?page_id=1114
   http://www.scte.org.uk/members/lecture/etth_teleste_tratec_presentation_scte250903.zip   
   http://www.etslan.com/Ethernet.htm
   http://www.multilet.com/


-- 
Tomi Engdahl (http://www.iki.fi/then/)
Take a look at my electronics web links and documents at 
http://www.epanorama.net/