ᐅ Are Ethernet ports still relevant today? Wi-Fi and wireless connections are the future!
Created on: 29 Jan 2020 21:06
B
Bauherr am L
Hello fellow cable enthusiasts and Wi-Fi addicts,
I already confessed in the SAT discussion that I consider coax outlets and satellite dishes completely outdated since entertainment is streamed nowadays, and I’m not planning to include them in our new build (more on that in the SAT discussion). But that’s not what this is about.
Right now, I’m trying to smartly distribute LAN duplex Cat 6a and Cat7 cable outlets throughout the rooms (1st floor: 2 kids’ rooms, kids’ bathroom, master bedroom, dressing room, master bathroom, hallway; 2nd floor: open living/dining/kitchen area, hallway, entrance area, guest restroom).
On one hand, I feel like none of the rooms really fit the outlets perfectly, like: “the desk could go here…” But what if the TV ends up in that corner instead?
On the other hand, I’m looking at our current devices and very few still have LAN ports: MacBooks, iPhones, tablets, or devices that have LAN options but mostly connect via Wi-Fi anyway, like Sonos, printers, TVs.
So the question arises whether LAN ports in rooms are still that important today. I’m not talking about the Wi-Fi access points, which of course should be connected via LAN in a convenient location, or special cases like PoE cameras and door intercoms. I’m mainly referring to the LAN outlets in individual rooms. Most end devices are mobile anyway, and the outlets will be in the wrong place 99% of the time.
I read (yes, I spent some time researching this) that the cost of LAN outlets is negligible. Well, if I install duplex outlets in all those questionable locations, the cost for switches and everything else adds up to a nice chunk.
I would be interested in your opinion on this. Since I am straightforwardly skipping any traditional TV (in our case only satellite would be possible) and the corresponding connections, wouldn’t it be consistent to also counteract the outlet overload regarding LAN?
Looking forward to your comments, thanks!
I already confessed in the SAT discussion that I consider coax outlets and satellite dishes completely outdated since entertainment is streamed nowadays, and I’m not planning to include them in our new build (more on that in the SAT discussion). But that’s not what this is about.
Right now, I’m trying to smartly distribute LAN duplex Cat 6a and Cat7 cable outlets throughout the rooms (1st floor: 2 kids’ rooms, kids’ bathroom, master bedroom, dressing room, master bathroom, hallway; 2nd floor: open living/dining/kitchen area, hallway, entrance area, guest restroom).
On one hand, I feel like none of the rooms really fit the outlets perfectly, like: “the desk could go here…” But what if the TV ends up in that corner instead?
On the other hand, I’m looking at our current devices and very few still have LAN ports: MacBooks, iPhones, tablets, or devices that have LAN options but mostly connect via Wi-Fi anyway, like Sonos, printers, TVs.
So the question arises whether LAN ports in rooms are still that important today. I’m not talking about the Wi-Fi access points, which of course should be connected via LAN in a convenient location, or special cases like PoE cameras and door intercoms. I’m mainly referring to the LAN outlets in individual rooms. Most end devices are mobile anyway, and the outlets will be in the wrong place 99% of the time.
I read (yes, I spent some time researching this) that the cost of LAN outlets is negligible. Well, if I install duplex outlets in all those questionable locations, the cost for switches and everything else adds up to a nice chunk.
I would be interested in your opinion on this. Since I am straightforwardly skipping any traditional TV (in our case only satellite would be possible) and the corresponding connections, wouldn’t it be consistent to also counteract the outlet overload regarding LAN?
Looking forward to your comments, thanks!
S
SteffenBank31 Jan 2020 08:24Grantlhaua schrieb:
The point is not that you need all of them, but that there should be at least one at important locations. I’d rather plan for 5 sockets and 10 outlets too many than one too few.
If you do it yourself, a socket might cost you around €30 (including materials). I cut the channels myself, plastered them, connected everything, and measured myself. The only thing the electrician mostly did was pulling the cables. And that’s exactly the point: doing it yourself, but you need the time and motivation for that.
I supply my house only via Wi-Fi. I only have one wired network connection via LAN from the utility room to the hallway on the upper floor, so two sockets with a LAN cable between them. That setup already cost me €150. By now, I have a switch upstairs and have run LAN cables from there to my PC (previously powerline adapters) and my daughter’s PC. I have to say, that wasn’t cheap either (cables + connectors + sockets + switch + tools = €90).
G
Grantlhaua31 Jan 2020 08:29SteffenBank schrieb:
And that's exactly the point: doing it yourself, but you need to have the time and the motivation for that.You have to make time for it. Right now, I'm working in the basement until 9:30 p.m. laying cables for TV and network. If someone isn’t willing, they shouldn’t complain about the price.
S
SteffenBank31 Jan 2020 08:37I agree with you. Either you do it yourself (provided you can get the materials at a reasonable price, otherwise the savings aren't really worth it since retail prices add up. For example, 50 meters (165 feet) of Cat7 cable costs €35, 20 RJ45 connectors €15, double wall sockets €10, and so on – plus labor time!) or you pay a professional to do the job.
What did those who only had the electrician install the cables end up paying? And how many meters was it?
What did those who only had the electrician install the cables end up paying? And how many meters was it?
SteffenBank schrieb:
I agree with you. You either do it yourself (provided you can get the materials at a reasonable price; otherwise, the savings are negligible since retail prices add up. For example, 50m (165 feet) of Cat7 installation cable €35, 20 RJ45 connectors €15, double wall socket €10, etc., plus labor time!!!) or you pay a professional to do the work.
What did those who had only the cables pulled by the electrician pay for it? And how many meters was it? A flat rate of 190 per double wall socket. The cables were hanging bundled from the basement ceiling; the rest was my job. Our electrician was the most expensive on the street.
S
SteffenBank31 Jan 2020 08:43190€ for a double socket box just for pulling cables + the cables?
I can top that: 170 meters (560 feet) of single conduit and 210 meters (690 feet) of double conduit, built with prefabricated house kits (GU). But no loose ends—everything in the basement was connected to a patch panel, at least.
A single empty conduit with a blanking box cost 60. So I only chose the large solution in places where I would really struggle to pull cables through later: media corner, home office, and attic (due to many corners and bends). I’m now installing the empty conduits myself, step by step, exactly where I need them.
Do you regret having only one outlet now? Did you install everything surface-mounted or how did you do it? Is the switch located in the hallway then?
A single empty conduit with a blanking box cost 60. So I only chose the large solution in places where I would really struggle to pull cables through later: media corner, home office, and attic (due to many corners and bends). I’m now installing the empty conduits myself, step by step, exactly where I need them.
SteffenBank schrieb:
I only supply my house via Wi-Fi as well. I just have a network connection via LAN from the utility room to the hallway on the upper floor, so two outlets with a LAN cable in between. That already cost me €150. Now I have a switch on the upper floor and from there LAN cables running to my PC (previously powerline adapters) and my daughter’s PC. I have to say, that wasn’t cheap either (cables + connectors + sockets + switch + tools = €90).
Do you regret having only one outlet now? Did you install everything surface-mounted or how did you do it? Is the switch located in the hallway then?
Similar topics