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Forum Discussion
Building a home net work
Hi I am building a new 3 story house each floor about 1700 sqf. I intend to have both a wired and wireless network. Will have home automation, smart lights, shades etc. Would like to build a ...
A "mesh WiFi" system would be a strong contender for the "WiFi" part of the solution, because of the ease of administration and ability of WiFi devices to "roam" from one part of the house to another.
This is really awkward time to be purchasing a WiFi system. Every manufacturer is releasing products that support WiFi6, and none of these products are "fully baked." (Netgear, for example, has two entirely different WiFi6 product liines.) I have seen NO technical "head to head" comparisons of the various brands and models. Products that can take advantage of WiFi6 are only beginning to appear and most people have none of them.
My advice is (a) to delay purchase of the router/WiFi system until the last possible moment, and (b) run cat6 ethernet cable to every place you can possibly think of that might ever need to be networked. Future security cameras. Future garage door openers, sprinkler controllers, pool controllers, Gazebo locations for WiFi access points, where teenagers may hang out, and (c) have the installer actually certify the cable installation. Not a dumb, "Yes, each wire is connected to the pin it is supposed to be connected to" tester. But an actual gigabit performance report. You don't want to install something in two years and find out that the cable was crimped or stretched inside the wall *somewhere* or the jack was terminated incorrectly.
Wifi6 depends on your budget & internet connection or would you like to be futureproof for the next a couple of years & for future speeds.
After moving my new house, I've started to experience a lot of wifi issues with the ISP supplied devices and decided to get something else immediately.
Wifi6 devices are mostly expensive since they are new and according to comments they are a little bit unreliable due firmwares are not matured.
I've purchased Orbi RBK53 for my 3 story house and put one device (R to base, Satellites to uppers) to each floor. I've found my optimal settings via trial & error and it is so far so good. Sometimes we experience a jump from a satellite to another one in a specific room but i think i can fix it via relocating a satellite.
I've a lot of IOT devices, plugs, lights, speakers, air purifier, frames,cameras, doorbell even in the backyard at skur and I don't experience any issue at all (except dyson once).
One of the satellite is connected via ethernet, other one uses wifi backhaul and both perform almost same and hit my 255 mbits speed limit all the time. If you are not going to obtain 1-2gbps internet speeds in future, i think you will be ok with current ac orbi series.
I neglected to mention, "bury some conduit". Once a building is "buttoned up", patios, landscaping, hardscape, etc. and then I say, "wouldn't it be cool to have a security camera at the back of the yard looking at the back of the house?" Oh, man. It is practially impossible to install a cable that goes from inside the house to somewhere outside the house. My experience with battery powered cameras has been dismal. To preserve battery life, the cameras turn off all the time and don't record until they detect motion, and then only for a few seconds. An PoE camera, on the other hand, can run continuously, record to an NVR, do all sort of cool things.
I'd also install electrical conduit to more outdoor places. Want a garden fountain in the future? Lights along the driveway or sidewalk to front door? Landscape lighting? Sprinkler valves? Cheap now. Expensive later.
Don't forget the doorbell. I am spared the dilemma over "should I install a Ring Doorbell? (concerns over Police, etc.)" becasue my doorbell wiring is on the SIDE of my doorway, facing across the door. It could have been put on one side of the door facing out, but it wasn't. No power means "battery powered doorbell camera", with all the shortcomings that entails.