3 ms·

If someone were to build a custom house, what steps might they embark on to ensure it both mitigated these problems but are as future proof as possible?

riffic 4y ago
run cat5e or cat6 everywhere. use a quality low-voltage contractor to run your drops. adequately label the lines and patch panel. save some money for a good network core (like managed switches, a wlan controller, etc) and a wall-mount rack. there are subreddits made for this if you want to see how it's done.
teeray 4y ago
Ethernet drops where you want to have cameras. Run them in conduit if you want future proofing.
jcrawfordor 4y ago
Run ethernet everywhere. In new homes, this usually means a "Structured Wiring" product like Legrand On-Q. This system is essentially the conventional commercial building design of ethernet and telephone jacks throughout on home runs to a patch panel, but instead of a rack you use an in-wall enclosure with modules that screw into it. Ideally the cable is run between these through "smurf tube" flexible conduit, which makes it reasonably easy to run more or different cables in the future. Run ethernet at least to positions where you might want surveillance cameras, during new construction you could do this cheaply enough that it might make sense to go overboard. Be warned though that structured wiring tends to end up being appreciably more expensive than a 19" rack and commercial devices, because it's a very small market. e.g. in theory you can put your ethernet switch neatly in a structured wiring enclosure but in practice there are very few options for gigabit switches that fit the structured wiring module system and they tend to cost considerably more than a comparable switch. This means that you end up zip-tying a desktop switch into the enclosure along with its power brick, it becomes a hassle. You can put a wall-mount rack in a hall closet ventilated with AC Infinity products or something like that. I don't think there's a lot more you can do to futureproof than to have cat 6 run everywhere and a PoE+ switch, and the good news is that none of this is really that expensive. A surprising number of tract homes and apartment complexes are being done with structured wiring systems these days, I just think they're sort of underdelivering on installed cable because of the high cost of structured wiring enclosures and the perceived need to run coaxial cable (equipped for satellite antenna!) and 2-pair telephone as well, with the high cost of structured wiring patch panels and distribution amplifiers for those. I really wish people would adopt more of an "ethernet to every wall" approach as you see in commercial construction. And 19" racks; the increasing use of vertical wall cabinet racks means that there's a pretty good selection now of network devices with power consumption and fanless or very quiet cooling similar to consumer devices.

riffic 4y ago

run cat5e or cat6 everywhere. use a quality low-voltage contractor to run your drops. adequately label the lines and patch panel. save some money for a good network core (like managed switches, a wlan controller, etc) and a wall-mount rack. there are subreddits made for this if you want to see how it's done.

teeray 4y ago

Ethernet drops where you want to have cameras. Run them in conduit if you want future proofing.

jcrawfordor 4y ago

Run ethernet everywhere. In new homes, this usually means a "Structured Wiring" product like Legrand On-Q. This system is essentially the conventional commercial building design of ethernet and telephone jacks throughout on home runs to a patch panel, but instead of a rack you use an in-wall enclosure with modules that screw into it. Ideally the cable is run between these through "smurf tube" flexible conduit, which makes it reasonably easy to run more or different cables in the future. Run ethernet at least to positions where you might want surveillance cameras, during new construction you could do this cheaply enough that it might make sense to go overboard. Be warned though that structured wiring tends to end up being appreciably more expensive than a 19" rack and commercial devices, because it's a very small market. e.g. in theory you can put your ethernet switch neatly in a structured wiring enclosure but in practice there are very few options for gigabit switches that fit the structured wiring module system and they tend to cost considerably more than a comparable switch. This means that you end up zip-tying a desktop switch into the enclosure along with its power brick, it becomes a hassle. You can put a wall-mount rack in a hall closet ventilated with AC Infinity products or something like that. I don't think there's a lot more you can do to futureproof than to have cat 6 run everywhere and a PoE+ switch, and the good news is that none of this is really that expensive. A surprising number of tract homes and apartment complexes are being done with structured wiring systems these days, I just think they're sort of underdelivering on installed cable because of the high cost of structured wiring enclosures and the perceived need to run coaxial cable (equipped for satellite antenna!) and 2-pair telephone as well, with the high cost of structured wiring patch panels and distribution amplifiers for those. I really wish people would adopt more of an "ethernet to every wall" approach as you see in commercial construction. And 19" racks; the increasing use of vertical wall cabinet racks means that there's a pretty good selection now of network devices with power consumption and fanless or very quiet cooling similar to consumer devices.