Orbi RBK53 system: Should I wire new home for ethernet ??

[ShankarHokie]

I have an Orbi RBK53s system with an RBR50 router & 2 RBS50 satellites. They are mated to an Arris SB8200 modem for the Xfinity 600Mbps plan.

The satellites are paired to the router wirelessly.

We are building a new home. The bulider is wiring the home with Cat6 cables and terminates them on the kitchen ceiling & upstairs bedroom ceiling for optional wireless access points (extra $$). In that setup, the modem & router can be placed in the basement and the wiress access points provide coverage in the 1st & second floor.

Since I already have this Orbi system, I'm not going to opt for their access points. 

If I want to keep the modem & router in the basement and I want to use one staellite in the fisrt floor and one in the second floor, can I do that wirelessly? Otherwise, should I ask them to provide me network drops in the first floor and second floor to connect the satellites with ethernet cables? Is this what is called ethernet backhaul?

Home is about 2800 sq.ft

Are there any advantages with this wired connection? Speed? stability?

Thanks !

[tomschmidt]

A wired backhaul will be more stable and faster than the wireless backhaul.  I recommend CAT7 cable for the current best network cable.  If possible, it could be in conduit to be replaced easily with future upgrades, but that of course would be more expense.

[CrimpOn]

Oh, my.  YES.  If the walls are open, have Cat6 cable pulled to anyplace you might consider locating electronics (TV's, computers, security cameras, WiFi access points).  I, personally, would skip the ceilings.  A home is not like a hospital or office building where people think nothing of ugly devices attached to the ceilings.

Wired connections are ALWAYS superior to wireless.  They are more stable, faster, and more secure.  Once the walls are closed up, you will regret not installing ethernet cables when you had the chance.

Also, the "hub" where these cables all come together needs to have space to mount the patch panel, an ethernet switch, and the router, plus electrical outlets to support them.  And, it can't be a sealed closet with no ventilation.

[ShankarHokie]

Thanks. I am going to be forceful not to have it on the ceiling. It looks ugly, especially if I'm not going to use it.

I would like to understand this comment:

"Also, the "hub" where these cables all come together needs to have space to mount the patch panel, an ethernet switch, and the router, plus electrical outlets to support them.  And, it can't be a sealed closet with no ventilation"

I expect this modem & the RBR50 router will be in the basement in an open area. I plan to have 3 cat6 runs to  3 spots in the house. Those will plug into the back of the RBR50 in the basement and terminate in these 3 spots for connecting my RBS50 satellites. 

Will I still need a patch panel & a ethernet switch?

[tomschmidt]

I would also run CAT6 cables to where your entertainment center is located, as SmartTVs and Bluray players can use a wired connection instead of a WiFi connection where possible.  A den/office may benefit from a wired connection too for a PC or laptop dock and printer.  You can place a small 4 port gigabit hub at these endpoints if you have more than one system that can use a wired connection.  Wired LAN will always be faster and more reliable than a WiFi connection.

When it was mentioned having a comm closet for your modem, router, and network switch, the network switch there would be for multiple wired connections distributed throughout your house.  I have this at my home, but it is in the utility room where my water heater and furnace are as well. I have a 16 port unmanaged network switch to distribute wired connections to my office PC and latop dock, entertainment center, printer, NAS storage, solar panel monitor, etc.  One of my two RBS50 satelites uses a wired backhaul from there.

[CrimpOn]

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@ShankarHokie wrote:

Will I still need a patch panel & a ethernet switch?

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Yes.  It is the "neat and tidy" way to do this.  Just as the ethernet cables terminate in jacks at the appliance end, they also should terminate in jacks at the hub.  Also, the ethernet cables need to be tested after installation.  Testers need to be plugged into jacks on each end.

This is the time to "think ahead", especially if the house is two-story.  While the walls are open, it is almost trivial to run low voltage cables anywhere.  Sort of, "have drill, will travel."  Another reason to reject WiFi access points stuck to the ceiling: electronics change all the time.  No matter what they are today, they will be obsolete in five years.

Also, think about these questions:

• What if one of the family decided to go into internet gaming?  How do I get enough bandwidth to that room?
• What if today's bedroom becomes an office in 10 years?
• What if I switch WiFi brands and want to have four satellites instead of one?
• What if we get a new "8K" television and it doesn't get good WiFi?
• What if I want to install security cameras in the future?  How do I get Power over Ethernet cables to them?
• When we unexpectedly have to move and prospective buyers ask, "why isn't there ethernet to THIS room?"

I SO envy you the ability to "wire" a new house from the beginning.

[FURRYe38]

I would recommend placing the RBR at the main floor or 2nd floor if possible. Basements are not recommended for the RBR. You can place RBS in the basements for final signal coverage. Concrete and metal in basment foundations will reduce wifi signals coming from the basement so you want to keep the main wifi on the main floor. If this new home is being built, you might consider using CAT6A in walls then everything else CAT6. Something I did when I did a new addition to my home. It's nice to have all rooms wired for ethernet. 

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@ShankarHokie wrote:

Thanks. I am going to be forceful not to have it on the ceiling. It looks ugly, especially if I'm not going to use it.

I would like to understand this comment:

"Also, the "hub" where these cables all come together needs to have space to mount the patch panel, an ethernet switch, and the router, plus electrical outlets to support them.  And, it can't be a sealed closet with no ventilation"

I expect this modem & the RBR50 router will be in the basement in an open area. I plan to have 3 cat6 runs to  3 spots in the house. Those will plug into the back of the RBR50 in the basement and terminate in these 3 spots for connecting my RBS50 satellites. 

Will I still need a patch panel & a ethernet switch?

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[ShankarHokie]

The builder will only do cat6.

Home is 2 floors + basement. I have one router & 2 satellite. I will buy a third satellite.

The router has 3 Ethernet ports & the satellites have 4 Ethernet ports.

I am going to ask for cat6 connections to my first floor home office, first floor entertainment center, second floor home theater

I plan to place the router in the basement and connect RJ45 cables from the back of the router to the jacks that terminate in the basement. Then I plan to connect the satellite at the 3 locations mentioned above.

The I plan to connect my Dish receiver, blu-ray player, to the back of one satellite in the first floor

My desktop, printer, my wife's laptop to the back of the second satellite in the first floor

My projector, dish receiver, blu ray player to the third satellite in the second floor.

Any flaws in this plan?

[CrimpOn]

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@ShankarHokie wrote:

The builder will only do cat6.This is fine.  You might mention (casually), "Gosh.  Isn't this complicated?  How every do you test that the cables and jacks are correct?"  There are two levels of testing.  "cheap testing" verifies that each wire goes to the proper pin on the jacks.  "real testing" verifies that the cable did not get kinked and that the jacks are terminated properly.  cheap takes a $20 tester.  real takes a $400 tester.  also means that the jacks have to be rated for Cat6.

Home is 2 floors + basement. I have one router & 2 satellite. I will buy a third satellite.

........

Any flaws in this plan?

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My concern is that "things change" and once the walls go on, adding more cable becomes prohibitively expensive.  I once questioned a designer about, "why are there no data jacks in this room"  Oh, it's going to be a .... room.  Doesn't need telecom."  One week before the building opened, they decided to make it an office space for five workers and said, "Where do we plug in the phones and computers?"

What happens if a different room needs to be a home office? Or five years from now you buy a different brand of WiFi and want to have four satellites?  Or a different room becomes the "media hub"  An aunt moves in and wants to have a computer in her bedroom?  The builder is prohibited by the building code from putting electrical outlets only where you say there will be appliances.  EVERY wall has to have one, (and more than one on long walls).

[FURRYe38]

For a 2800sq ft home, haveing too many RBS maybe too much. For this size home you should only need 1 to start. Maybe two. Any more and you'll be flooding your home and neighbors with un-necessary wifi signals. I have a 5ksq ft home and a basement where 1 RBS sits wired. RBR is on 2nd floor upstairs. Wifi coverage every where including out side. 

I would try the RBR and 1 RBS first. 

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@ShankarHokie wrote:

The builder will only do cat6.

Home is 2 floors + basement. I have one router & 2 satellite. I will buy a third satellite.

The router has 3 Ethernet ports & the satellites have 4 Ethernet ports.

I am going to ask for cat6 connections to my first floor home office, first floor entertainment center, second floor home theater

I plan to place the router in the basement and connect RJ45 cables from the back of the router to the jacks that terminate in the basement. Then I plan to connect the satellite at the 3 locations mentioned above.

The I plan to connect my Dish receiver, blu-ray player, to the back of one satellite in the first floor

My desktop, printer, my wife's laptop to the back of the second satellite in the first floor

My projector, dish receiver, blu ray player to the third satellite in the second floor.

Any flaws in this plan?

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[ShankarHokie]

@FURRYe38  - I know you have said this a fe wtimes that I should have the RBR on the main floor and use wifi connection.

Others here have suggested that I keep the RBR in the basement with the cable modem and use wired connections (with a switch) everywhere I want good data speed.

What's the better way for my multimedia situation?

[FURRYe38]

Basesments are built of concrete and metal rods. Not good for wireless radio propagation. Best performances would be to put the RBR on the main floor or upper floor then a RBS in the basement. Wired RBS would be best to help avoid wireless problems with basement wifi signals. I use same configuration with my basement. RBS is wired, RBR up on 2nd floor. Great coverage in a 5k sq ft home with just 1 RBS. 

Yes you can use a switch, non managed and non green ethernet to connect RBS to and other devices. If you can't move the RBR out of the basement, this maybe your next option. However you can run longer ethernet cable from the cable modem to the RBR if moving the RBR can be done. 

[tomschmidt]

LIke @FURRYe38 suggested, it would be best for the router to be on the main floor rather than the basement,  If the modem and network switch panel has to be in the basement, then have your installers pull TWO CAT6 cables from the basement (where the modem is) to the main floor (where the router would go).  That way you can have it wired like this:

Modem (basement) <-> Router (main floor) <-> Comm closet (basement)

Then from the Comm closet, you can have CAT6 lines pulled to where your Satellites will be installed, to your office, to your entertainment center, etc.

Best would be to have the Comm closet (modem and network switches and distribution of CAT6 throughout the house) on the main floor.  Most installers put this in your utility room where your washer/dryer are located, or near your entrance from the garage (main floor).