Home Network: Wired or Wireless?

I think you can use both wired and wireless together. There are advantages to each. The reason to run wire is primarily for speed, security and reliability, . In most cases for normal internet use, you have a wireless network in place that works. If you had the ability to run a wire through your house it might make sense to have it in a few strategic areas. These are in order of importance to me:
1. Office area and/or desktop locations. When sharing data between systems or backing up data, you want to transfer between hardwired connection if possible for speed

2. Strategic areas for additiona wireless points. Depending on the size of the house you may put multiple access points so that throughout your house you have adequate speed.

3. Living Room near your television or entertainment area: Possible uses are interactive tv, gaming and streaming video across network to TV.

4. Master Bedroom. Future expansion of security systems that utilize home network, like wireless cameras around house.

Putting in a wired network is definitely more costly than wireless. I do think it is a good idea to run wire in the 1 and 2 scenarios above for future flexibility and high speed connections. The type of cable to use these day should be atleast cat5e or preferred cat6. Cat6 allows for the highest available data transfer, but is also more expensive.

Bottom line wireless is going to get faster and wireless is the future, but since you have access to run wire I would definitely consider doing it. Running wire is something you could do yourself, so that could cut the costs of do it.