New Build - Network Cabling

letsbetfair

The reliability factor is a big one - even with a good quality WiFi router and mesh network, occasionally I get random-seeming and hard-to-diagnose WiFi problems where a wired connection in every room would be really useful!
What's the price to quality ratio in the carpets being offered with the house? You'd often get a better deal buying your own anyway, and you could combine that with sorting cables.

Carrot007

AdrianC said:

Herbalus said:

For a “Joe Public” person here, can you expand on the extra benefits and more things you can do with it aside from wireless internet?

Short version - faster (especially with multiple devices sharing your broadband), more secure (the neighbours can't get on it - so long as you have zero wireless at all), and more reliable.

The big downside, of course, is cables to all of your devices going back to wall sockets, then there's a patch panel and network switch in a cupboard somewhere...

Nice, however a bit overkill for most.

I'm sure you have wifi too, so mention the setup!

For me. On plusnet (it's good they fixed my under spec line, though I guess thats more the RNG from openreach), using a bt router (before current wifi setup plusnet and my own router both would not work with OH's work VPN, it worked on someone's bt one so I got one off ebay for not a lot! Could not work it out, I guess it might be not being on 192.168.0.x but I doubt it (bt routers use 192.168.1.x)).

After getting it I then wanted decent wifi around the house (brick internal walls except bathroom where wifi really is not a priority), so bought 3 eeros on offer. All good. (beyond the outdated info on the net when you searh about connecting 2.4 only stuff (you can do it in the app now)).

And for the "wired" well I aint fitting it. I did copnsider running it up to the loft outside and then down again the other side (or chuck over the roof!) but no, 1200 homeplug works fine (I bought a secopnd pair of the same they say 1300 and I think it's now 1350 but thas just firmware updates. they are the same ones)(would not go lower for reasons(old tech or 1200(etc) is better for my multiple devices). So 3 currently plugged in. One gos to my tech room and a 8 port box for my things. The other goes into the main room for the xbox, would have used it for the eero there but the xbox on wifi stops the ps4 wifi doing anything so better there! (yes I could eero and xbox into eero loop I think but wifi and wired are seperate networks unbridged, and I sometimes remote play on the xbox and though the internet and back would be slower!).

So beyond all my ramble. It's not the end of the world. A wired homeplug and seperate unconnected wifi would do you fine (I assume like me anything needing fast fast fast would be on the same router and be fine (after the homeplug)). And obviously you know enough to not use the provided kit and go your own way (though quite frankly the net box matter little if you do it this way they all work equally, wifi needs buying!).

JJR45

Stupid question, but have you checked what the broadband is situation is like?
Some new build sites won't have fttp etc, which could be more of an issue than the lack of internal LAN cabling.

Pok3mon

think yours is overkill this is mine!

Mickey666

letsbetfair said:

The reliability factor is a big one - even with a good quality WiFi router and mesh network, occasionally I get random-seeming and hard-to-diagnose WiFi problems where a wired connection in every room would be really useful!
What's the price to quality ratio in the carpets being offered with the house? You'd often get a better deal buying your own anyway, and you could combine that with sorting cables.

Even better would be a wifi access point in every room AS WELL - best of both worlds.  Something like this for example: https://www.tp-link.com/uk/business-networking/wall-plate-ap/eap230-wall/.  OK, not EVERY room, but enough rooms that a complete, strong, full-speed wifi signal is available throughout the home without resorting to additional mesh or powerline units with all their compromises . . . including the garden if a suitable outdoor AP is connected as well.

Note the complete absence of a mains PSU in that link - because these units are powered from the 'hub' using PoE, which is another advantage of a wired infrastructure and makes installing things like CCTV cameras very easy indeed because there's no need to use a mains power supply.  What's the point of a 'wireless' device that has to be plugged into a 'wall wart' PSU?   Networked devicespowered via the network itself is a growing market for new tech (ever heard of IoT?) and the more wifi devices in a house, the more interference and throughput (ie speed) issues will inevitably arise.

As for the 'inconvenience' of a patch panel in a cupboard somewhere, what's the inconvenience?  Better, surely, to have all the network gear safely hidden away somewhere rather than being a mess of wires, boxes and PSUs somewhere near the BT master socket?  It's not as if it needs constant access.

But ultimately it's not a case of cable OR wifi, it's a case of having the best of both.  Choice.  Wired networking costs almost nothing to install in a new build and technophobes need not use it if they don't want to.  But for those people who can make good use of it there are only advantages in terms of performance and reliability.

I do, however, take AdrianC's point about what's in it for developers.  How many sales will they lose to Mr & Mrs Average by not installing a wired networking system?  Very few I suspect, but that doesn't mean it's not a good thing, only that the developers don't care about anything else but profit.  Now there's a surprise

Sunsaru

Didn't want to be left out....


As a fellow IT techie makes sense to have a house with cat6. To everyone else, it won't catch on till smart devices catch on. Things like Hive already need to be connected to your router and FireAngel smoke alarms also have a 'hub' which needs to be connected to the router.

JJR45

Sunsaru said:

Didn't want to be left out....


As a fellow IT techie makes sense to have a house with cat6. To everyone else, it won't catch on till smart devices catch on. Things like Hive already need to be connected to your router and FireAngel smoke alarms also have a 'hub' which needs to be connected to the router.

8 bay Synology NAS maybe a little overkill for some households though.😉

Carrot007

JJR45 said:

Sunsaru said:

Didn't want to be left out....


As a fellow IT techie makes sense to have a house with cat6. To everyone else, it won't catch on till smart devices catch on. Things like Hive already need to be connected to your router and FireAngel smoke alarms also have a 'hub' which needs to be connected to the router.

8 bay Synology NAS maybe a little overkill for some households though.😉

Might be a little overkill for some offices.

And wifi. Even 2.4 can be great given the right hardware. (our office went cable free last refit for over 500 machines and was fine (well the wifi was fine!)).

I cannot see more than 16 wired connecting being a requirement for anyhome. And Probably with decent wifi any more than 3.

Sunsaru

JJR45 said:

Sunsaru said:

Didn't want to be left out....


As a fellow IT techie makes sense to have a house with cat6. To everyone else, it won't catch on till smart devices catch on. Things like Hive already need to be connected to your router and FireAngel smoke alarms also have a 'hub' which needs to be connected to the router.

8 bay Synology NAS maybe a little overkill for some households though.😉

Most households aren't trying to achieve world domination though....

Mickey666

Carrot007 said:

JJR45 said:

Sunsaru said:

Didn't want to be left out....


As a fellow IT techie makes sense to have a house with cat6. To everyone else, it won't catch on till smart devices catch on. Things like Hive already need to be connected to your router and FireAngel smoke alarms also have a 'hub' which needs to be connected to the router.

8 bay Synology NAS maybe a little overkill for some households though.😉

Might be a little overkill for some offices.

And wifi. Even 2.4 can be great given the right hardware. (our office went cable free last refit for over 500 machines and was fine (well the wifi was fine!)).

I cannot see more than 16 wired connecting being a requirement for anyhome. And Probably with decent wifi any more than 3.

Ken Olsen, the founder and CEO of Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) - once the second largest computer company in the world - was famously quoted as stating that no home would ever need a personal computer . . . a belief that delayed their entry into the PC market and, among other things, heralded their downfall into oblivion (bought out by Compaq and subsequently by HP).

My 'hub' is based around a 16-port gigabit switch and is already full.  I'm going to need to upgrade to at least 24 ports fairly soon, or I might just add a second switch for 32 ports - that must surely be enough!  I also have an 8-port switch in my outbuildings and with four CCTV cameras, a wifi access point, a workshop PC (well an RPi-400), plus the link back to the main hub there's only one port spare!