ᐅ Networking Technology in 2016 for a Single-Family Home

Created on: 15 Dec 2016 14:54
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Sinus1986
Hello everyone,

I am currently planning the selection of network components for my future single-family home (approximately 200m² (2,150 sq ft)).

In this context, CAT7 cables will be installed in all rooms and centrally routed to the utility room, where they will be connected via a patch panel.

All in all, I will need a 48-port gigabit switch (preferably PoE or better PoE+).
The only question is: which model or brand, or from which manufacturer?

Do you have any experience? Can you recommend gigabit switches of this size?

Please no discussions about the size or design of the network switch.
I deliberately want to avoid local switches (for example, near the home theater wall) and connect all network cables to a corresponding wall outlet (my partner insists... theme "everything always has to look tidy" and so on...).

Thanks in advance for your input.

Best regards
Mycraft16 Dec 2016 14:36
SteffenBank schrieb:
Either you installed and wired it yourself, or your electrician was really cheap. We were charged €170 (about $180) for two outlets connected by one cable (HAR hallway upstairs). For 9 outlets plus a patch panel, it would almost reach €900 (about $950). I decided against it.

I installed and connected the cables myself; the electrician only created the outlets and wall chases.

100m of CAT7 cable nowadays costs around €50 (about $53), and the conduit is about the same. Additionally, a double outlet costs €7.49 (about $8) including the cover.

Drilling the outlet holes and milling the wall chases depends on the electrician, but I estimate it averages no more than €30 (about $32). So, assuming around 10m (33 feet) of cable per outlet, one double outlet costs us €52.49 (about $55)...

That puts the total at roughly €630 (about $665) for 24 outlets (including a standard patch panel and a switch).

So where exactly does that cost become a big issue, and why wouldn’t you do it?
Evolith schrieb:
And having webcams around the house strikes me as unusual. We only have a motion detector at the back.

Video surveillance is no longer something new...
77.willo schrieb:
By the way, if the NAS is used regularly, cascading switches has significant speed disadvantages.

That may be true... but so far I haven’t noticed any problems—despite continuous streaming from five cameras in 720p to one switch and the NAS, and the rest connected to the other switch, with the NAS serving as storage for the video streams. Watching a 1080p movie simultaneously on the TV from the NAS works without any issues...

4K is overrated... great for the cinema but completely pointless on a home projector or TV... (says someone who actually owns a 4K TV at home)
sirhc16 Dec 2016 15:41
sirhc schrieb:
There are already 20 ports in use, and the 24-port switch is almost fully occupied.
Sinus1986 schrieb:
Just for the webcams I plan to install around the house, I’ll need 6 network outlets by themselves...

Thanks, I actually forgot two more, so now 22 out of 24 ports are taken. I hope I haven’t forgotten any others.

Anticipating future technologies is one thing, but I consider the cost for such a basic network infrastructure relatively low.
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Alex85
16 Dec 2016 18:24
In IT, it doesn’t make sense to buy features “in reserve.” Product life cycles are getting shorter, not longer. So, if you think you might need 48 ports, VLANs, or worry about cascading becoming a bottleneck in the future—perhaps because of kids or other reasons—you should implement those changes when the time comes, not purchase them years in advance. Doing otherwise is simply a waste of money.

Moreover, devices that generate heavy traffic can easily be placed on the same switch, while devices with lower bandwidth requirements (routers, webcams, coffee machines, toasters, etc.) can be connected to a possible second switch. This way, any bottleneck caused by cascading won’t matter. NAS and PCs should be connected to the same switch, and that’s all you need.
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hanse987
20 Dec 2016 01:28
Lately, I have been looking into the topic of network updates.

Are you going to use IPTV or Entertain? If yes, then the switch definitely needs to support IGMPv3. In that case, a smart managed switch is essential. Personally, I would split the setup into two switches: one with PoE and one without. But this is something everyone has to decide for themselves!

I haven’t made a purchase yet. My current favorite comes from Zyxel’s GS1900 or GS1920 series.
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Peanuts74
20 Dec 2016 08:22
Mycraft schrieb:
Well, why is that extreme? Cables and outlets practically cost nothing, so why not just run a cable to every corner... and have at least two outlets in every really necessary spot?

You could really debate what counts as "necessary." You probably meant double outlets in those spots? I don’t need IT equipment at home like in a large open-plan office...

Reading some comments like these, you might really want to recommend going out into nature again instead of living online with your 4,826 Facebook "friends."
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Peanuts74
20 Dec 2016 08:26
Sinus1986 schrieb:
And I just don’t want to see that... the masses of local switches lying behind the TV gathering dust over time... that’s not acceptable to me. If you’re building new – in my opinion – you should avoid such solutions whenever possible.

Just for the webcams I’m going to install around the house, I already need 6 network outlets...

Well, today you have 50 MBit – but what about tomorrow?
The broadband expansion will continue. The first larger core communities around here are already installing fiber optic directly to the house. It won’t be long before the surrounding villages get the same...

Better safe than sorry, and having a gigabit network is already a very good setup for the future.

However, just because it’s available, I can still ask myself, do I really need it?