Help Me Design My Home Network

Lwhitelie on 10/04/2021 - 10:07

So I'm about to start building a new place, single story 4x2 with study, theatre and games. About 300sqm, being Perth, everything is brick walls.
Floorplan attached here
I'd just like a bit of advice on how to network everything so there's no dead spots and it doesn't break the bank.

I'm intending to run Cat 6 to pretty much every room, back to a cabinet in the WIL.
4-6 4k POE cameras back to an NVR in the same location.
Ultimately I'd love a full Ubiquiti setup but not sure I can justify the outlay to the Minister of Finance. Any suggestions on how I can sell this one to a non tech person?

Outside of this, will 2 AX6000 routers or similar in a wired mesh configuration (thinking one in the WIL and one in the games room) be enough for excellent wifi coverage?

Any other suggestions on how to go about it, things I should/shouldn't get etc?

Internet

Comments

  • Summoner on 10/04/2021 - 10:20

    I would go with the excause of having wired network is a lot more stable and reliable especially if you are woking (more when playing games). Having them installed in construction gives you an better cable managements and cheaper too. If you try to install it after house is built, it will cost around average $150 per port, the cable has to be run through roof cavity or externally depending on the location of the port you want. So yeah, its a lot better to have them installed now then later. Just remember to add a port near the proposed location of the NBN box unless its installed in the WIL as well. I guess since you are building it, you would have a choice for the location of the NBN box. If you don't, its likely it will end up in the garage.

    • thedriver on 10/04/2021 - 10:24

      I think whitelie is trying to sell the Ubiquiti option, not the cabling.

      • Summoner on 10/04/2021 - 10:26

        Oh, well Im just slow with things… Yeah it appears that way :O

    • Summoner on 10/04/2021 - 10:45

      Also, im not sure how much areas you are trying to cover, but 12MP cameras might be an overkill. I have 5 x 6MP cameras with NVR (6TB). This gives me the continuous recording time of 14 days. So depending on your settings, you would need a lot more HDD space for your setup.

    • whitelie on 10/04/2021 - 10:45

      Yeah, my old man is a licensed cabler so we've got that part covered and can do it before the walls are finished. Wife is all for that, it's more that I got to about $4k in Ubiquiti parts (including cameras) before I thought I better stop :/

  • deme on 10/04/2021 - 10:21
    -4

    1. 4x2 what units, if this is bed and baths why didn't you write that?

    2. What is a WIL?

    • thedriver on 10/04/2021 - 10:23
      +2

      4bed, 2 bath
      Walk in Linen

      • deme on 10/04/2021 - 10:24

        Do you need wifi in there?

        • deme on 10/04/2021 - 10:24
          +5

          Yes, yesterday McDonald's gave me only a small amount of ice cream in my cone.

          Edit: I'm an idiot

        • whitelie on 10/04/2021 - 10:48

          As said, 4 bed, 2 bath, Walk In Linen.
          It's not so much that I need wifi in there, more that it's a central place to put a cabinet with switch etc. so may as well put an access point there as well? I don't want it in the garage or study or somewhere like that, so it's either at the top of the linen cupboard or walk in robe.

          • deme on 10/04/2021 - 10:48

            @whitelie: 5ghz is absorbed easily by walls

            • whitelie on 10/04/2021 - 11:10

              @deme: That's my concern…If I want 5ghz everywhere, am I better off with 2 or 3 AP's/routers out in the rooms?

              • deme on 10/04/2021 - 18:54

                @whitelie: Just do 3 and wire them on none of this mesh crap.

  • thedriver on 10/04/2021 - 10:23

    A single AX wifi router should cover your whole home pretty well from the WIL. The only thing I would do is put your router at or above 1800mm high.
    If you can borrow a friends router when your house is at lockup, you can plug it in (no internet required) and use WiFi Analyzer on your phone to check your signal strength around the house and be confident what you need.
    I've installed Ubiquiti APs in offices with 400mm thick concrete walls and you really wont need two of them.
    You could just as easily buy an Asus router and install Asuswrt-Merlin - also a great piece of kit.
    And a cheaper used Netgear POE+ switch from Gumtree can do your switching and cameras power from the cabinet.

    • whitelie on 10/04/2021 - 10:55

      Thanks, sounds like a good plan and a much cheaper option….I'm probably going overboard with AP's trying to maximize wifi speed.
      Power and cabinet will be on the top shelf of the linen if I go that way so up nice and high.
      I did think about the Asus option as well, the AX82 seems well priced and would prefer parental controls in the router software if possible.

  • Tech5 on 10/04/2021 - 11:10

    Honestly think that 2, or probably even 1 router is enough to cover the whole house without deadspots. If there is, a second cheaper router would be enough

    • whitelie on 10/04/2021 - 11:11

      With 5ghz? I'm in a similar size house now and it doesn't reach the back of the house with 1 AC router

      • scrimshaw on 10/04/2021 - 11:41
        +1

        If you already have a router, you could bring it into the home and use it for a site survey and using a mobile phone app like Ubiquiti Wifiman to check signal strength in every room

        Put router in room. Power on. Doesn't need to be connected to the internet, just use it to broadcast a 5ghz + 2.4ghz SSID

        Walk around the house with your mobile phone until the 5ghz signal becomes poor. Then you know that's the spot to put a second router or AP.

      • Tech5 on 10/04/2021 - 14:34

        2.4 would probably get almost blanket coverage. 5g would need a second router somewhere. Like someone lower said, big things should just be connected with ethernet I reckon. If your wifi only handles mobile devices + 4k camera, I doubt it would reach the bandwidth of 2.4ghz anyway.

        This website: https://www.cctvcalculator.net/en/calculations/bandwidth-cal… says 5 4k cameras running at 60fps uses about 20MB/S or 170Mb/s. 802.11n has approx 150Mb/s+ bandwidth real world. A few cameras on 5, a few on 2.4 and you would be set

        • whitelie on 10/04/2021 - 14:55

          The plan is to have streaming TV's, consoles and cameras wired which should free up some bandwidth.

          I guess I'm going OTT with the AP's as my current setup with AC router will see 200-250mbps on 5ghz in the few rooms near the router but only around 50mbps on 2.4ghz when I go closer to the back of the house so would like a stronger 5ghz signal if it keeps me around the 200mbps speed.

  • domo653q on 10/04/2021 - 11:50
    +1

    I would just say that whatever room you look at ozbargin should have the best connection.

    • whitelie on 10/04/2021 - 12:40
      +1

      Wired AP in the WC?

  • Switchblade88 on 10/04/2021 - 12:06
    +1

    One AP in the WIL and one in the games/bar recess area would be heaps.

    Don't bother with site surveys without all your furniture in etc; the additional mass and density will affect your results compared to lockup stage where it's only open air and studs.

    If you're still planning cabling, you COULD put points in the ceiling for your APs - but that dictates you have to crawl up in the roof to install/repair etc, and you possibly might have propagation issues depending on a Colorbond roof/horizontal propagation design etc.

  • thatonethere on 10/04/2021 - 13:05
    +1

    I would cable network points to any fixed network devices eg a gaming computer/console,media centre, nas, router. Lower latency and better bandwidth.

    Leaves wifi for mobile devices

  • zoner on 10/04/2021 - 17:06
    +1

    upload your plan to the design centre, than play around with APs, routers etc
    https://design.ui.com/

    • whitelie on 10/04/2021 - 17:15

      Forgot all about that. Thanks!

  • avoidfullprice on 10/04/2021 - 18:17

    I would have the NBN point in the family room, and run backhual cables from family to games and theatre room. Set up primary mesh router in family room and have secondary mesh routers at theatre and game rooms. All rooms would be covered and game boxes can be hardwired with low ping. Cables to media centre for high bandwidth transport. If reception is good with just main router, you can just have non wifi switches at the games and theatre room.

    If you have your internet point in WIL, then have a cable to the family there as well. Although why have a heat generating router with the linen in summer? Hope that room is cool.

    • whitelie on 10/04/2021 - 18:37

      Fair points. Given there's going to be around 8 wall points, 4-6 cameras, plus possibly AP's if I go the Ubiquiti route, I'm thinking a 24 port patch panel and switch. Don't want any of that on show so makes sense to me to terminate it all in the WIL or wherever the cabinet is going to be.

      Is the router going to generate the most heat compared to a switch and NVR?
      Can fan and vent it to the roof space easily but would get costly to run. House will be ducted RC AC so won't be a hot box but being a closed room I'm cautious now you mention it.

      • avoidfullprice on 10/04/2021 - 19:23
        +1

        Is the router going to generate the most heat compared to a switch and NVR?

        All three will generate heat and will need a route to dissipate the heat. They may not catch fire but electronics don't like heat, and they will wear out fast. Passive cooling is fine as long as you leave enough space around the equipment, so may not need a AC duct of vent. Chances are that you will whack them in a box and then your family member places a doona in front when they don't think twice. Suddenly you wifi will start to act up and you think the router is broken.

        That said, having the patch panels there will be fine. Keep the mess there.

  • rod1709 on 11/04/2021 - 11:05
    +1

    I'd put your command centre in the garage rather than the WIL. It's only a few metres difference and the garage wall will give you more flexibility and space. A neighbour installed his command centre in his WIL and it was a constant hassle as he made changes and upgrades (which will always be needed no matter how much you plan ahead) working in a cramped area. He also had heat problems for some of his equipment. On top of this he ended up with very little cupboard space for the original intention of the WIL.

    • whitelie on 11/04/2021 - 11:34

      I did originally think the garage as that's where they want to terminate my NBN connection but will more than likely have too much stuff in there as we're on a pretty small block so can't have a decent shed :(
      Ultimately I'll end up with some attic storage and put it up in there but that will be a while. Seems to be be a few comments about the heat issue though

      • rod1709 on 11/04/2021 - 13:35

        so put it up high on the wall, near to door into house

    • jel10 on 11/04/2021 - 11:45

      I'd second that. A wall mount server rack maybe 4 or 6 RU in the garage would be plenty and give easier access.

    • UnderwaterHaze on 19/04/2021 - 19:31

      Do you think being in a non air-conditioned garage in somewhere like Brisbane could be too hot to install a comment centre?

      Asking as I'm looking to upgrade or home network in the near future and this was on my mind.

      • whitelie on 19/04/2021 - 19:37
        +1

        That was what made me put it indoors. Even though my garage will have insulation, they still get ridiculously hot in a 40-45 degree Perth summer. At least inside the AC will be on

  • MontyMacaw on 11/04/2021 - 14:28

    How do you sleep at night?

    • whitelie on 11/04/2021 - 14:31
      +1

      Half of the year I don't because I work nightshift

  • bmxr on 11/04/2021 - 16:17
    +2

    We had a similar layout on a single level. For a simple home setup you describe, you can pack a lot in to a relatively small footprint.

    We just had our FTTP (we paid for the TCP from FTTC) NTD terminated on the back wall in a small closet in the hallway that also houses our Xioami Dreme 9 and the ironing board and brooms mops etc.. We did have to install an extraction fan (just a quiet bathroom one) to satisfy the NBN enclosed spaces requirements, but the setup we chose generates hardly any heat so it's unlikely we'll ever need to run the fan.

    We have a AC Nighthawk Router that we wall mounted on the left hand wall in the closet and on the right hand wall mounted a Unifi Switch Lite 16 Port PoE. This was enough for us to have Cat6 run to all the bedrooms/studies/home office, 4 behind the entertainment unit and 6 PoE ports leftover for the Cameras/kitchen. Given everything is wall mounted, there's still plenty of room for an NVR+NAS on the shelf above the ironing board/brooms.

    We have 2 x google nest wifi points at the far ends of the house, but these are primarily to provide wifi to the front yard and back yard rather than additional coverage inside the house.

    https://imgur.com/gallery/2YseDF6

    • UnderwaterHaze on 19/04/2021 - 19:40

      So the Google Nests hook in to the wifi network created by the nighthawk?

      • bmxr on 19/04/2021 - 20:17

        They can, but we have them connected by cat6 to the switch

        • UnderwaterHaze on 19/04/2021 - 20:20

          Please forgive my "stupid" questions, I'm just starting this journey….

          So does each nest then have it's own wifi network and your devices switch between them or you are able to use the same SSID/PW on them as the nighthawk?

          Do you have any issues/conflicts using products from different manufacturers?

          • bmxr on 19/04/2021 - 22:25
            +1

            @UnderwaterHaze: Not at all!

            Regardless of manufacturer, all wifi access points will identify as the same wifi mesh network, there is no conflict or issues transitioning between them for any devices.

  • hoey888 on 19/04/2021 - 20:04
    +1

    Since its a new build, you may want to consider provisioning Ethernet cable to future proof your home.

    Things to consider include:
    -Running dual ethernet cables to high use areas (allows you to add another jack in future)
    -Running Ethernet to the front door to provision video intercom system
    -Running Ethernet cable to garage/living areas (this can be linked up to display all your cameras on one screen)

    With your old man being a cabler, he'll probably just start with 300m box of cable and just use it all. Do the extra runs and label now while you can. Don't have to use them all day one.

    • whitelie on 19/04/2021 - 20:07

      Thanks, didn't really consider dual runs but makes sense and easy to do while we're there and will have the cable anyway

  • UnderwaterHaze on 20/04/2021 - 09:44

    @WhiteLie have you made any decisions on what you were going with for your network?

    I had stumbled across this LINKSYS stuff at what seems like a good discount?

    https://www.umart.com.au/Linksys-Business-24-Port-PoE+-Smart…

    https://www.umart.com.au/Linksys-Business-24-Port-PoE+-Smart…

    Does anyone have any feedback on LINKSYS gear? Is this level stuff a bit of overkill for a home network? I feel like the POE switch could be a good deal and quite future proof?

    • whitelie on 20/04/2021 - 11:15
      +1

      Not yet, as we're still a fair way off needing anything. Still planning I guess.
      Really leaning towards the Ubiquiti stuff, if I break the expenditure down over the build period of the house, I can probably justify it easier to the wife…that said, that Linksys switch is about half what a Ubiquiti one is worth so it's tempting no doubt!

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