ᐅ Wi-Fi in New Construction – Network Outlets and Cabling

hanse987 schrieb:

Is the picture from your construction or from somewhere on the internet? What type of connection will you get?

The picture is from an identical house where the electrical wiring has already been installed.
I will have the same type of connection in my house.
I am getting a fiber optic connection.

matte1987 schrieb:

Find the mistake....

For that amount of money, I bought a 24-port switch, an 8-port PoE switch, 3 Ubiquiti access points, 1 Fritzbox, and all the necessary small parts.
Sorry, but your suggestion is not exactly great.

Well, unless this is a bit of an exaggeration

Then there’s the setup. You might be familiar with the Fritzbox after years of use, which is mostly just plugging things together. Ubiquiti is a whole different world—with starting the controller and so on—the stuff is not really intuitive.

24-port switch $130
8-port switch $80. OK, it has 4x PoE and 4 standard ports.
3 Ubiquiti Access Point Lite $230
The rest is for a router and small miscellaneous items.
I got the router for free from the provider, but it doesn’t have to be a high-end model anyway.

You can’t get the exact amount, but this is not unrealistic.

I know this is comparing apples and oranges, but ideally, you should replace the 3 FritzBoxes with 3 access points. For a better comparison, add 3 4-port switches as well—so the number of connections matches the FritzBoxes. Assuming a cost of €25 each, this changes the overall picture significantly. They don’t have PoE, but the access points come with their own injectors. If there’s a small switch nearby anyway, it doesn’t really matter.

And they don’t necessarily have to be Ubiquiti.

Now, back to the original poster. The picture shows a patch panel (basically a network outlet with multiple ports). If I understand correctly, there are 5 single outlets in the house. What do you get? Double or single outlets? I prefer double outlets, but with broadband connections you’re not always completely free to choose. With double outlets, always make sure that two cables are fully terminated and not using the old cost-saving wiring method, otherwise the connection will only support a maximum of 100 Mbps through the cable.

With a double outlet, you could place the router in the living room. One cable connects the router to the fiber optic connection, and the second cable returns the LAN to the patch panel. There, the switch distributes the network to the other rooms. Now you can install a suitable access point to the router (AVM) upstairs. The AVM devices don’t support PoE (Power over Ethernet) but are quite easy to set up for the average user.

If you have single outlets and the router is located in the utility room, you have various options for the living room. For example, you could place another router in the living room. This would give you an additional 3 LAN ports for other devices. If you add an access point in the living room, you will need a switch if multiple LAN ports are in use.

As you can see, there is no single solution; it mainly depends on what kind of wiring has been installed and what your preferences are—only Wi-Fi or a combination of Wi-Fi and LAN? Basically, it is important that the router or access point is placed as high and unobstructed as possible, not inside or behind furniture, on the floor, or under cables.

hanse987 schrieb:

Now, back to the original poster. In the picture, there is a patch panel (basically a network outlet with multiple connections). If I understand correctly, there are 5 single outlets in the house. What will you get? Double or single outlets? I prefer double outlets, but with the broadband terminal (BT), you don’t always have full freedom of choice. With double outlets, always make sure that both cables are fully terminated and not the old space-saving wiring method, otherwise you’ll only get a maximum of 100 Mbps through the line.

With a double outlet, you could place the router in the living room. One cable connects the router to the fiber optic connection, and the LAN is returned on the second cable to the patch panel. There, the switch distributes the network to the other rooms. Then you can install a suitable access point for the router (AVM) on the upper floor. AVM devices do not support PoE, but they are quite easy to set up for the average user.

With single outlets and the router in the utility room, you have different options in the living room. For example, you can place an additional Fritz!Box (FB) in the living room. This also gives you 3 extra LAN ports for other devices. If you add an access point in the living room, you will need a switch if multiple LAN connections are in use.

As you can see, there isn’t just one solution. It primarily depends on the type of cabling installed and your preferences—Wi-Fi only or a combination of Wi-Fi and wired LAN? Basically, it’s important that the router or access points are positioned as high and as open as possible—not inside or behind furniture, on the floor, or under cables.

Thank you for your detailed response.
The plan is to have a single outlet in the bedroom, office, children’s room, and living room.
I have also planned an outlet for the access point (AC) on the upper floor with PoE.
I am still unsure whether to place an AC there or an additional Fritz!Box for Wi-Fi in the living room.

Will the combination of both Fritz!Boxes and the access point work smoothly?