New Build Home Network

antonusklesk · 6 Aug 2015 at 11:51

I'm in the process of buying a new-build and I'm going to have Cat6 to some degree put in before the walls go up.

I'm guessing that I'll be charged on a 'per port' basis, so my question is (as I've not done anything like this before) would I be better off using a 16 port switch and having many ports in each room (living room and office) or having few ports and many switches?

So a single 16-port switch and 15 points installed, or 4 points installed and 5 4-port switches, in your opinion?

bledd · 6 Aug 2015 at 11:54

1x central 24 port swtich. This is by far the best option.

Plus sides..

less failure points
less devices to house
less power used

There are no plus sides to having multiple switches. Besides saving a couple of meters of cable, which is pence..

Remember to put in a cable from your BT/fibre/phone line to the central swtich.

Use a patch panel in the central point, it may seem overkill, but it's quicker to do that putting ends on each cable.

antonusklesk · 6 Aug 2015 at 12:09

Thanks bledd. My plan originally was to have everything going into a single patch then switch but suddenly wondered about the many-switch option.

Looks like the single option is indeed better, and will help with any troubleshooting down the line as you say. I just need to persuade the builder to put the master socket under the stairs now so I can place the modem>router>switch and get everything to terminate in there.

BattFink · 6 Aug 2015 at 12:13

Pretty much what Bledd has said

I installed Cat6 cabling throughout my house when I renovated all the wiring last year, I put 4 Cat6 outlets in each room, living room had eight behind the TV, my office had 8 installed

I'd also run a minimum of four ports to wherever the TV is going to live as (I needed to connect TV, Bluray player, Sky box, games console)

You can also use the cabling for phone etc..

If you plan to run CCTV/Wireless Access points it may be worth considering a PoE switch (but this will add to the cost)

bledd · 6 Aug 2015 at 14:03

BattFink said:
If you plan to run CCTV/Wireless Access points it may be worth considering a PoE switch (but this will add to the cost)

Personally I'd stick with a normal 24 port and if you want PoE, add an 8 port PoE swtich alongside it.

Put plenty of power where the switch goes as you'll need..

Switch
Router (&modem)
NAS?

antonusklesk · 6 Aug 2015 at 14:15

I'm not sure about PoE, I don't have any immediate plans that would require it, but I suppose future proofing wouldn't be a bad thing.

I'll make sure to request plenty of power sockets in there, the NAS though I'm undecided, as it will have hdmi out but at the same time the TV will be DLNA enabled so I'm not sure whether I'll place the NAS with the rest of the gear or in the living room.

bledd · 6 Aug 2015 at 14:45

I like mine out of the way where I can't hear it

antonusklesk · 6 Aug 2015 at 23:20

Good point actually, I'm sure when I'm in I'll prefer to avoid the hum of WD reds!

Hyburnate · 6 Aug 2015 at 23:27

Definitely with bledd get 24 port patch panel and switch. Cables you run through the house aren't designed to be used as patch cables so don't use them as such. Patch cables that are specifically designed for it don't use such rigid insulation and are less temperamental over time of being moved.

Who are you having do the work? Most sparkys don't know what they're doing from my experience. I've seen them run data right next to power in trunking (that's just the start!), it's very annoying.

ChrisD. · 7 Aug 2015 at 08:28

My new build was already completed when I bought it, I'd have loved to be able to put in outlets in every room!

bledd · 7 Aug 2015 at 08:46

S2KIP said:
My new build was already completed when I bought it, I'd have loved to be able to put in outlets in every room!

It's becoming more and more of a necessity.

TVs and devices are all moving towards streaming. Wireless cannot be relied upon to provide a good enough connection to multiple streaming devices at the same time. Especially if using locally stored media.

Rammix · 7 Aug 2015 at 08:56

See if you can have a word with the electrician on site rather then the house builder. I supplied ours with the cables and wall sockets and he done the lot for £50

Also get them to move the phone line to the cupboard where you want the switches and server. Obv make sure they wire it straight though and not just add an extension.

GhostWKD · 7 Aug 2015 at 08:59

Double check with your house builder if they'll let you do this stuff too, mine wouldn't let any external guys come in and were generally an absolute pain as their guys just couldnt fathom what I wanted. Took me hours of phonecalls and to-ing/fro-ing just to get them to put conduit in (and I had to pay £350 for the pleasure!!!)

ChrisD. · 7 Aug 2015 at 09:20

bledd. said:
It's becoming more and more of a necessity.

TVs and devices are all moving towards streaming. Wireless cannot be relied upon to provide a good enough connection to multiple streaming devices at the same time. Especially if using locally stored media.

Luckily I have a network room where my broadband terminates, I've got a Cisco small business switch in there. I've laid a cable myself to behind the TV and ran another upstairs. Both are at the edge between carpet and beading so are well hid. There's a dumb switch under the TV that feeds all devices there. The only thing I need to do is get the flat cat 6 I have feeding my iMac at the other end of the living room put in under the carpet with the rear speaker cables for my surround speaker. The only wireless devices in my house are my iPhone and my iPad (not counting Sonos here). Everything else is wired.

antonusklesk · 7 Aug 2015 at 09:48

Thanks for the replies. The builder is a small and local one, their contracts manager is getting a quote together for us, from this I'm hoping that it will be a networking contractor rather than their own sparky. Potential double-edged sword this, their own sparky may actually know what he's doing and be cheaper, while an external may charge a ludicrous price. They're quite a small builder so I might have a chance to speak to their guys direct and look at supplying the gear myself. I'll see if I can do this when it comes to having the conversation about fittings.

I'll also be having the conversation regarding the master socket and ensuring that they know that master socket is not the same as extension.

bledd · 7 Aug 2015 at 13:29

If you're buying the kit yourself, use CCS modules and cable.

UK company, never had a faulty module, I've fitted hundreds of them.

lude1962 · 7 Aug 2015 at 14:26

As new builds have the master outside now, what the difference : 'ensuring that they know that master socket is not the same as extension'

Hyburnate · 7 Aug 2015 at 18:12

lude1962 said:
As new builds have the master outside now, what the difference : 'ensuring that they know that master socket is not the same as extension'

My master is in the room designated "Home Office" and with a repeater in the lounge downstairs and another behind the TV.

House is a year old.

@bledd if thats the Excel stuff, we use that at work and it's great not like the cheap crap which tangles on itself, nice and durable for the long runs too.

thenewoc · 8 Aug 2015 at 00:50

lude1962 said:
As new builds have the master outside now, what the difference : 'ensuring that they know that master socket is not the same as extension'

I think the external nte5's were fitted prior to fibre coming of age as openreach wanted an externally accessible demarcation point. This later became a defunct practise since it doesn't cater for a filtered faceplate.

bledd · 8 Aug 2015 at 01:39

Hyburnate said:
@bledd if thats the Excel stuff, we use that at work and it's great not like the cheap crap which tangles on itself, nice and durable for the long runs too.

Not the same stuff, but I rate Excel equally as highly.