I’m building a vacation home in the mountains of Arizona and would like to add some level of automation including a few light switches, a thermostat and an outdoor video camera.  There are no hard-wired telco or cable systems in the area.  However, we do have a (Verizon) CDMA tower nearby, and thus some level of WiFi using their device.  Remote access would be ideal, allowing me to warm the place up before arriving or making the place looked lived in while we’re away.  I understand that RF like Control 4 could handle the thermostat and light switches, but I’m not sure about the video camera.  What should I wire for now while the walls are still open?  Just a Cat5 for the video?  Any other suggestions regarding this DIY project are welcome!

Bruce,

I am a fan of worst case scenarion.  In your case, you may be able to get away with a small outdoor dome style camera.  IP cameras come in a POE flavor, that would eliminate the need to have power at the camera location, and you would just need a Cat5e.

However legacy cameras use RG-59 coax with an 18 gauge 2 conductor for power.  I would run one of these next to the Cat5e just in case.  If the weather is extreme in the winter, you may need a heated enclosure, and that 18/2 will come in handy to power that remotely, placing the adapter inside and pushing power through the 18/2.  Or if your IP camera doesn’t have POE, you can do the same to power it.

An extra few dollars in wire could save headaches or issue down the road.

As for internet, if you have a Verizon tower, a 3/4G mobile hotspot modem may do the trick there.  If you use an IP camera, you just need to plug it into a switch on the network.  If you have a legacy camera on the coax, you will need an IP converter, or networked DVR on site to give you remote access.

I hope that this helps.  Others welcome to chime in if I missed something here.

Best and God Bless,

Mark C