Setting up a basic home network during renovation
Discussion
Currently in a Victorian terraced house and the WiFi is woeful. When we renovated this house I ran CAT6 cables to various rooms but never actually connected them to anything…
We have a new home (1920s build so I expect same WiFi issues) that we’re renovating and so I want to get it right this time. My thoughts are:
1) Openreach fibre into the building near the TV (lounge)
2) This will plug into my router via Ethernet, also near TV
3) TV and PS5 can run directly off router due to proximity
4) Router will then have an RJ45 socket/termination point in close proximity, and this socket will then run a CAT6 cable to the central ‘switch’.
https://www.screwfix.com/p/labgear-1-gang-double-r...
Once that cable reaches the switch area (probably a box located near front door which will have power supply), it will be hardwired into a ‘patch panel’, and then I’ll have a very short Ethernet cable from patch panel into switch.
As I understand, switch then has internet access. So it will then have around 15 ethernet cables coming back out and back into patch panel and those 15 cables will run to all of the various (ceiling mounted) access points, and termination sockets in bedrooms/office (same as link above). One armored cable will run from the patch panel to the garage as an additional access point.
Have I got all of that right? Is there a way to bypass patch panel and hardwire switch, or is that not recommended?
We have a new home (1920s build so I expect same WiFi issues) that we’re renovating and so I want to get it right this time. My thoughts are:
1) Openreach fibre into the building near the TV (lounge)
2) This will plug into my router via Ethernet, also near TV
3) TV and PS5 can run directly off router due to proximity
4) Router will then have an RJ45 socket/termination point in close proximity, and this socket will then run a CAT6 cable to the central ‘switch’.
https://www.screwfix.com/p/labgear-1-gang-double-r...
Once that cable reaches the switch area (probably a box located near front door which will have power supply), it will be hardwired into a ‘patch panel’, and then I’ll have a very short Ethernet cable from patch panel into switch.
As I understand, switch then has internet access. So it will then have around 15 ethernet cables coming back out and back into patch panel and those 15 cables will run to all of the various (ceiling mounted) access points, and termination sockets in bedrooms/office (same as link above). One armored cable will run from the patch panel to the garage as an additional access point.
Have I got all of that right? Is there a way to bypass patch panel and hardwire switch, or is that not recommended?
My BT router is located under the stairs, because that's where the phone socket was installed, many years ago.
Sitting next to the router, and plugged into it, is a TP Link Deco mesh box.
A couple of cat5 cables run from the router up into the loft. I bought a big drum of cable, a bag of RJ45 plugs, and a crimp tool, made up the cables myself.
In the loft is a 24 port poe switch. Cables from the loft back down to all the rooms, and 3x poe IP CCTV cameras.
As I've decorated each room, I've fitted the loose cat5 cables into sockets - previously they were just loose cables coming out through a hole.
Wifi is taken care of by a further 5x TP Link Deco mesh units. Most are wired back to the switch.
I don't have a patch panel in the loft, but it would make for a neater installation.
Sitting next to the router, and plugged into it, is a TP Link Deco mesh box.
A couple of cat5 cables run from the router up into the loft. I bought a big drum of cable, a bag of RJ45 plugs, and a crimp tool, made up the cables myself.
In the loft is a 24 port poe switch. Cables from the loft back down to all the rooms, and 3x poe IP CCTV cameras.
As I've decorated each room, I've fitted the loose cat5 cables into sockets - previously they were just loose cables coming out through a hole.
Wifi is taken care of by a further 5x TP Link Deco mesh units. Most are wired back to the switch.
I don't have a patch panel in the loft, but it would make for a neater installation.
I'm all in favour of running a bit of cable to make the wifi's life easier, but you shouldn't really need an access point in every room in a normal house?
That is a lot of access points shouting at one another and contesting channels?
It also gets significant in electricity bills.
Of course in an urban environment, if your neighbours are running multiple high power wifi, then it becomes an arms race.
OTOH, I'd be thinking about networking audio around the house.
And also while putting in wiring, heating and ventilation controls and sensors, CCTV, alarms and all that.
Personally, from experience with a couple of houses I've had, I would consider some sort of accessible services 'duct' from top to bottom.
That is a lot of access points shouting at one another and contesting channels?
It also gets significant in electricity bills.
Of course in an urban environment, if your neighbours are running multiple high power wifi, then it becomes an arms race.
OTOH, I'd be thinking about networking audio around the house.
And also while putting in wiring, heating and ventilation controls and sensors, CCTV, alarms and all that.
Personally, from experience with a couple of houses I've had, I would consider some sort of accessible services 'duct' from top to bottom.
I live in a barn conversion with thick walls and my approach was far simpler as most things are WiFi enabled these days.
FTTP into the lounge, straight into the back of the router. One port out to my main Mesh point and then Mesh points dotted around 3-4 rooms in the house provides full coverage. Main Mesh point output to my Sonos soundbar to provide stability for the Sonos network with speakers dotted around the rest of the house.
I do have an outbuilding that has a home office in and is just outside of the range of the mesh network, so I've used a TP Link wall/power adapter from the lounge and one in the outbuilding, this the connects to another mesh point and provides physical connectivity also.
FTTP into the lounge, straight into the back of the router. One port out to my main Mesh point and then Mesh points dotted around 3-4 rooms in the house provides full coverage. Main Mesh point output to my Sonos soundbar to provide stability for the Sonos network with speakers dotted around the rest of the house.
I do have an outbuilding that has a home office in and is just outside of the range of the mesh network, so I've used a TP Link wall/power adapter from the lounge and one in the outbuilding, this the connects to another mesh point and provides physical connectivity also.
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