The Basics of Home Wi-Fi & Ethernet Cabling – Part 1
In today’s world the typical home has 6 mobile devices. Wireless usage is greatly increasing annually so your home will need a reliable structured cabling infrastructure to meet this demand. Streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon are becoming common in homes with people watching streaming entertainment not only on TVs, but also on tablets and smartphones.
Wireless AC Standard
Contractors should now transition from the Wi-Fi standard of Wireless-N devices (802.11n) to the newer “AC” standard. Faster than Wireless-N, Wireless AC functions in the less impacted 5 Ghz range, rather than the crowded 2.4 GHz range. This results in a decrease of interference and improved performance in the near term.
Commercial Grade
Experts are also now emphasizing commercial-grade routers and switches because the majority of consumer-grade routers cannot handle the growing number of wireless devices that stream video, along with various Internet services. Industry experts also recommend concealed WAPs (wireless access points), which act as signal repeaters that enable a wireless signal that will be dependable for the entire house.
Wired Advantages
Although a home’s wireless network can be robust, supporting several mobile devices, experts compare it to a cake, which can only be sliced into a limited number of pieces. Video streaming services will consume 80% of a home’s wireless bandwidth, so imagine several users on tablets sharing this capacity as they watch shows on mobile devices. Compare this to watching on a Smart TV connected to a wired home network using CAT6a and RG6 coaxial cable, which is much speedier and more dependable than wireless.
Wired Network Uses
Streaming video will consume the most bandwidth. Smart TVs, desktop PCs, video games, and other stationary entertainment devices should be connected to the wired home network. Experts recommend two Cat6a cables or better at each entertainment area and using HDMI cables for Blu-Ray/DVD players and cable boxes located inside 10 yards, making more bandwidth available for wireless devices that stream video.
Part 2 will discuss 4K, Power over Ethernet, and Future Proofing.
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