ᐅ LAN and Wi-Fi – Separate Devices per Floor?

karl.jonas schrieb:

What you’re describing is absolutely correct. The setup is [Router in the basement] --(one cable)-- [Switch in the basement] --(many cables)-- [Patch panel in the basement] --(many cables)-- [Room connection]. You could actually leave out the patch panel since it doesn’t actively do anything. But it allows you to securely screw in the cables from the rooms and then connect each patch panel port to the switch. The switch then combines the data from all the rooms onto the single cable going to the router.
Even a basic TP-Link TL-WR940N WiFi router for €20 works perfectly in the room for what you need. The data speed is totally sufficient. The only reason to get “faster” WiFi might be if multiple devices are streaming simultaneously (for example, six kids watching Netflix on their phones). In that case, it’s worth spending a bit more, like on a Linksys EA7500v3 for €50.
All these affordable access points / WiFi routers come with their own power supply, meaning you need a power outlet nearby and the cable is visible.
In contrast, with Power over Ethernet (PoE), power is delivered via the LAN cable, so you can skip the power outlet. These devices tend to be a bit more expensive, for example the NETGEAR WAX214 at €100, and usually do NOT have an additional LAN port. That means LAN (from your router/switch/patch panel) goes in, but there’s no port for connecting a PC or TV.
So, my suggestion is: in rooms where you actually want to connect multiple devices by cable (like the living room), place a router WITHOUT PoE so you get multiple ports and good performance. In the other rooms, use a WiFi access point WITH PoE to avoid the unsightly power cable.

Many thanks, Karl.Jonas, for your contribution, which seems clear and helpful to me and thus gives me more confidence. Best regards from Tom

P.S. Would you or anyone else have a recommendation for a product to mount an access point on the wall, as an alternative to, for example, the TP-Link TL-WR940N WiFi router? And one for the switch in the basement?

karl.jonas schrieb:

The discussion could go on endlessly. The devices that probably make sense here are usually sold as "Wi-Fi routers"...

Devices aimed at the target group of "unaware users" often call themselves Fritz, Home, Easy, or something with "Box" at the end. The complete beginner mainly needs "plug & play," moderate performance or sophistication, and potential redundancies in multifunction features usually don’t matter much. There are many users with little technical knowledge, which explains the high sales numbers of those "just call me a router" boxes. I’m still waiting for the day a clever marketer prints on the package: "no Wi-Fi cable needed" *SCNR*

rick2018 schrieb:

It only needs one router in the network.

It should probably say: "it only needs one router in the network."

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The mentioned TP-Link router is completely outdated and very slow.
But I’m out. You can’t save everyone…

hanse987 schrieb:

For 14 connections, I wouldn’t go with a 16-port switch but rather opt for a 24-port switch right away. I also wouldn’t get it through the electrician but organize it myself afterward. Passive components by the electrician, active equipment done by yourself.

Duplex cables are nothing more than two single network cables “glued” together. Which type to use can be decided by the electrician. Always install each network outlet as a double socket, and in places where more devices might be added later (office, TV, etc.), install more than one double socket. Then there’s the question of access points for WLAN. Personally, I would only install these on the ceiling and power them via PoE. Of course, a cable is needed there plus a small outlet to hide everything behind the access point. If the ceiling is not an option for any reason, place it high on the wall. The positioning of access points depends on the floor plan and user behavior. Without that information, it’s impossible to say much, other than generally having at least one access point per floor. Network planning usually focuses on living areas, but other areas shouldn’t be forgotten either: outdoor access points, network in the garage (e.g. for an electric vehicle charging station), network for inverters, door intercoms, cameras, etc. This again brings us back to PoE, and if you have many devices, you use a PoE switch. So you can see that the choice of switch depends on the components you have or plan to install.

Thanks for the reply. Unfortunately, I can’t reduce anything, only upgrade. Either the electrician does everything or nothing, that’s just how it is. So I will have them do an upgrade here; Netgear components don’t cost an arm and a leg. A single outlet costs me about 100€ (around $110), and the double outlet 175€ (around $190), which I find a bit steep, which is why I only planned one outlet in spots where it’s not yet certain if I’ll ever need LAN there (e.g. the hallway on the ground floor). In the living room, bedroom, and office, enough are planned. Even in the laundry room and two in the garage. We planned the surveillance cameras to run over PoE. What I hadn’t really considered was the access point for WLAN on the first floor. I understood this as either being done via a router connected by LAN plus a 230V (120V) power supply or via PoE (e.g. Cisco, Ubiquiti, etc.)? So an access point can’t run on LAN cable alone, since there is no power supplied through it. Currently, we use a FritzBox 7350, which is already very good; we basically have excellent Wi-Fi coverage throughout the house. The question is, what advantages does a PoE solution have besides saving some loose cables? Is it faster or more energy efficient?

Tom Ezio schrieb:

Recommendation for a product for access point wall mounting

Be careful. I only know these devices from their descriptions and cannot determine if they meet your requirements. I have not tested them and do not want to give a recommendation here!
One option for wall mounting is, for example, the TP-Link EAP235-Wall AC1200. It costs 70 € and also supports PoE, which could be perfect for you if you want to stay within that price range.
The TP-Link EAP115-Wall N300 even seems to fit into your flush-mounted boxes.
Maybe order one and try it out?

11ant schrieb:

It should probably say: "it only needs one router in the network".

You only need one router in the basement. Most APs for the apartment (e.g., all Fritz devices) can function both as routers and switches, so in the end it doesn’t matter for you. Switch mode is usually easier to configure.

rick2018 schrieb:

The mentioned TP-Link router is totally outdated and very slow.

Of course, that’s a matter of opinion. Out of the advertised 300 Mbps, you might get around 30–50 on your laptop. A video stream requires about 1–6 Mbps. It also depends on who else is sharing the wireless channel (which could, of course, be your neighbor). It is often a good idea to invest in a somewhat more expensive device that transmits not only on the 2.4 GHz band but also on 5 GHz. This frequency is usually much less congested.