Home Hub Matrix System

[swaring]

Hi guys,

I'm hoping someone could help on this complex question. A few years ago we moved into a new build and had this matrix system fitted by Home Hub Insallations. There is cat 6 wiring all around the home including speaker cable. The thing is we only had 3 tv's connected to it and now want to convert our Garage to a Home Office. Now the company that installed it disappeared off the earth and can't get hold of them in any way. On the photo attached, I understand that the shy box plugs into a matrix system, which can be distributed to 4 TV's. 3 of these are used which are the Purple cables. I understand the white cables are data cables, But how do these distribute around the home. And also what would the black cables be at the top?

Any help would be much appreciated.

 

[Lucid]

All data cables radiate like spokes on a bicycle wheel from this rack (the hub of the wheel, if you like) to the individual points around your home. Some of those points for video date will be close to or behind the TVs. Other points for PC data may be at the same height as your mains sockets, or could be paired up with the video data points.

The front of the rack only gives half of the story, but based on similar systems, the black cables are most likely a mix of incoming and outgoing satellite and TV aerial cables.

Starting at the left of the rack item with the green label, the one that says 'FREE' would be the TV aerial feed from your roof or loft. Moving right, the ones labelled 1 and 2 are the two feeds from the Sky dish. The lettered connections - A, B, C - are likely the aerial outputs to your three TVs.

Working down the rack, panel-by-panel, the next item down is a cable tidy, then a patch panel below that where the purple and white cables are plugged in. All the cable ends from the network sockets around your home terminate at the back of the patch panel. The front sockets then allow them to be connected easily to the Network Switch (next item down) or anything else that needs a wired Ethernet connection.

The Network Switch manages the flow of date traffic between devices. There'll be a connection to your BT router so that every device gets to access the internet.

Below the switch you have the Sky Q box, and then the main brains of the system. This is the Neo maxtrix.

On the rear of the matrix there are some HDMI ports, one of which is connected to the Sky Q box. There are also some RJ45 sockets (look like Ethernet ports but they don't do data networking). There are also various socket for control such as infrared and RS232.

The Neo matrix uses Ethernet cable but the signal isn't conventional data traffic. These signals go off to receiver boxes that convert it back in to HDMI and IR control. This is what's connected to your TVs. When you call for Sky Q, the matrix receives the signal and passes the Sky Q fee to the TV that requested it.


So, you're converting the garage. What do you want to have in there, and when do you want me to come down to make that happen?

 

[swaring]

Ah so you know how all this works? This is good to know . Were just going through quotes for garage conversion. I'm guessing you need to run the wire after stud walls are in place?

Thank you so much for your response.

 

[swaring]

You have explained this soo well. I actually understand it now. So the patch panel should have ideally been marked up as to which port links to which media plate :/. Does it matter which port the patch cable plugs into the network switch?

 

[Lucid]

Ah so you know how all this works? This is good to know . Were just going through quotes for garage conversion. I'm guessing you need to run the wire after stud walls are in place?

Thank you so much for your response.

I would generally run any cables at what we call the first fix stage. This is when the framing (and insulation) is up and the Electrician is wiring up for mains sockets and lights, so before the plasterboard has gone on. If the wiring goes in after the boarding is done, we then have to chop-out your nice flat walls to drll the framing and dig through the insulation, then you need to get the plasterer back in to patch up. It takes me and my guys longer. It costs more. You have to pay again for another visit from the plaster, and it extends the time taken to complete the job.

Get the cable runs done at first fix. It's quicker, cheaper and a neater job.

On a whole floor or whole house project, second fix is where I install the faceplate sockets which means terminating and testing the cables, labelling-up, then fixing the sockets in-place.

Final is when all the main building works are done (so there's little or no dust), and that's when hardware gets installed.

Commissioning is the last phase. Here we are getting things to work.

For a smaller job we wouldn't need that many visits. The last three steps could be pulled in to one.

 

[Lucid]

You have explained this soo well. I actually understand it now. So the patch panel should have ideally been marked up as to which port links to which media plate :/. Does it matter which port the patch cable plugs into the network switch?

All the ports are physically identical, but which ones have cable attached at the back, and where that cable goes to, is unique to your home.

Yes, it would have helped if they'd have labelled. Then again, cynical me says that they'd get more service calls (and £££'s) by keeping the client in the dark.

 

[swaring]

I would generally run any cables at what we call the first fix stage. This is when the framing (and insulation) is up and the Electrician is wiring up for mains sockets and lights, so before the plasterboard has gone on. If the wiring goes in after the boarding is done, we then have to chop-out your nice flat walls to drll the framing and dig through the insulation, then you need to get the plasterer back in to patch up. It takes me and my guys longer. It costs more. You have to pay again for another visit from the plaster, and it extends the time taken to complete the job.

Get the cable runs done at first fix. It's quicker, cheaper and a neater job.

On a whole floor or whole house project, second fix is where I install the faceplate sockets which means terminating and testing the cables, labelling-up, then fixing the sockets in-place.

Final is when all the main building works are done (so there's little or no dust), and that's when hardware gets installed.

Commissioning is the last phase. Here we are getting things to work.

For a smaller job we wouldn't need that many visits. The last three steps could be pulled in to one.

Yes apparently they have run hundreds of metres of cables throughout my home including speaker cable. But nobody knows where this is apart from him lol. There is a faceplate on the opposite side of the wall of where I'm intending to put a plate. Could I not utilise this plate and just blank that one up.

 

[Lucid]

Honestly, without being on site, how could anyone but the original installer make that decision with absolute certainty?

 

[swaring]

Hi mate,

I wondered if you could help as you seem to know what your talking about.

I have the setup as you explained before. With the Matrix and Switch etc. I have media plates all around the home. But as my BT modem is upstairs in a cupbaord I'm getting pretty bad coverage downstairs. Do you recommend anything that I could plug in to one of those ethernet sockets to get good wifi downstairs. Like a wifi hotspot or something? (I think thats what they are called.

I am awaiting feedback from the installer of the system as to what socket links to what port on the patch panel.

Feedback is much appreciated.

 

[Lucid]

TBH, I doubt the installer could answer that unless they came back to site and buzzed out the connections. If they had done a manual listing this info, then they'd have also labelled the port connections.

I have replied to your PM.

 

[swaring]

Yes apparently he has a planned drawing, or he said he has. So I'm onto the developers now to get hold of him to send me the drawings. I WILL get these even if he has to come out and do it as I have paid quite a bit of money for the system and I will harass them/him until i have these plans.