Locating the WAP in a new house

[jcwillia1]

All,

We're building a house this fall and I have the opportunity to locate the ethernet port where the WAP will go (ASUS Black Diamond). It's a fairly standard 50' x 25' plan, two stories, so my thought is to locate the WAP basically dead center of that plan which would be the kitchen pantry more or less at the top of it.

I wanted to get your thoughts on this.

My first draft plan (I am admittedly a novice on this stuff) is to have a wired router in the basement right next to the Cable Modem. Then there are three connections from the router :

1) another wired router by the television for the XBox, TV, etc.
2) a wired ethernet port in the bedroom (potentially converted into a TV room or second office space later when kids move out)
3) the Wireless Access Point dead center of the house

thoughts? criticisms?

 

[CaptainSTX]

Wiring Comments

The cost to install Ethernet and coaxial cable in new construction is minimal when the walls are open.

If possible I would install at least one Cat6 Ethernet Jack in each room. They would be run to a central location in your basement where you would install your router and probably a gigabyte switch. You only need one router in your home. Be sure it has gigabyte LAN ports. In locations where you have only a single Ethernet jack and need multiple Ethernet connection you would install a switch. The cost of fast Ethernet switch starts at $10 and for $25 you can buy a very good one. For good wireless coverage you may need a Wifi AP on each floor. If you install a WiFi router setup as an AP you can use the Ethernet ports to connect devices instead of buying a switch.

Be sure there is a power outlet near the jacks to power routers and switches.

I would also install install a RG6 cable outlet in each room where you might ever want TV or some future buyer might. Also run a couple of RG6 cables to the attic in case you want to install a satellite dish on the roof. Quad shielding is best.

Tag and mark all the cables so you know where they run.

With this type of setup you are future proofed for at least the next ten years. Wired connections will always be superior to WiFi. WiFi is best used for mobile devices.

 

[jcwillia1]

no I'm afraid I did not explain my situation correctly.

this is a spec home builder which means that every change costs a truckload of money - even stupid stuff like running ethernet wires. I do not have the ability to influence any of the wiring or tag them. I had to make a lot of sacrifices to get the house we wanted and this is one of them.

So I will only have three jacks or 4 termination points in the whole house - basement next to electrical panel, TV room, my centrally located jack for the WAP and the bedrooms.

So i don't think the solution you suggested works under these revised conditions?

Also, if anyone can provide product links or model numbers for suggestions, that would be very helpful. I don't think the AP for every floor is a workable solution - the cost on that would seem to be well more than I would be willing to pay.

also, we are a laptop heavy family, so it's all wireless all the time. For stationary devices like the office computer, TV in the TV room (along with xbox, blu ray, etc), I intend to provide wired connections but we are a heavy HEAVY wireless family. Ethernet is just not practical for any of today's personal family computing applications.

 

[thiggins]

You emphasize that you are a "heavy HEAVY wireless family". Yet you think access points on each floor would be more than you were willing to pay.

CaptainSTX is giving you the right advice. Dual band N600 class access points can be had for $50-$60 each by converting routers to access points, a simple process.

If you can't run Ethernet to each room, at least get one drop centrally located on the top floor in addition to the centrally located one on the first floor. Believe me, you will thank us later.

Make sure that all cables are run to a central point. It sounds like in your plan this will be the basement. No "daisy chaining", i.e. running serially from location to location.

 

[jcwillia1]

sorry, my cross reaction is frustration as everyone always assumes that since it's a new house, I can do whatever I want and then I always have to go back and correct them.

It's been a point of some frustration with me. I'll take the advice of adding a centrally located ethernet and power receptacle centrally located on the second floor in case I need it.

does it matter where the outlets are placed (high or low?) The only good central point on the second floor is the hall bathroom. Unfortunately there is no linen closet. So I can stick the WAP under the sink (cringe, I know...) or potentially buy a cabinet that goes over the toilet and put it on top of that.

Thoughts?

Also, I am not at all a DIY guy so whatever the solution is needs to be completely plug and play - if I need to build something, I'll be hiring someone to do it.

 

[thiggins]

sorry, my cross reaction is frustration as everyone always assumes that since it's a new house, I can do whatever I want and then I always have to go back and correct them.

Remember you are asking for free advice. So nice and polite is always better.

I'll take the advice of adding a centrally located ethernet and power receptacle centrally located on the second floor in case I need it.

does it matter where the outlets are placed (high or low?) The only good central point on the second floor is the hall bathroom. Unfortunately there is no linen closet. So I can stick the WAP under the sink (cringe, I know...) or potentially buy a cabinet that goes over the toilet and put it on top of that.

Higher and clear of obstacles is better. So cabinet over the toilet would be better.

The top floor jack doesn't need to be exactly central. Just having it up on the floor is going to put you ahead of the game.

 

[CaptainSTX]

Sweat Equity

no I'm afraid I did not explain my situation correctly.

this is a spec home builder which means that every change costs a truckload of money - even stupid stuff like running ethernet wires. I do not have the ability to influence any of the wiring or tag them. I had to make a lot of sacrifices to get the house we wanted and this is one of them.

So I will only have three jacks or 4 termination points in the whole house - basement next to electrical panel, TV room, my centrally located jack for the WAP and the bedrooms.

So i don't think the solution you suggested works under these revised conditions?

Also, if anyone can provide product links or model numbers for suggestions, that would be very helpful. I don't think the AP for every floor is a workable solution - the cost on that would seem to be well more than I would be willing to pay.

also, we are a laptop heavy family, so it's all wireless all the time. For stationary devices like the office computer, TV in the TV room (along with xbox, blu ray, etc), I intend to provide wired connections but we are a heavy HEAVY wireless family. Ethernet is just not practical for any of today's personal family computing applications.

How about putting the sweat equity in and rough in the cable and jacks you should have and will need. For the price of a spool of Ethernet cable and a spool of RG6 and no more than an hour per location you can rough in the jacks in that you need. Not much in the way of skill needed but being able to drill some holes through framing members.

After the house is completed and the builder has turned it over to you you can install the boxes and do the terminations or hire someone to do it. The most difficult part is running the cables and that will be done.

More important than the location of where your builder will install the jacks is the quality of the cabling. In today's market where ISPs are offering Gigabyte internet service Cat5E cable just isn't good enough. Same for heaven forbid they won't install RG59 or but will opt for cheap RG6 coaxial.

Good luck and enjoy your new home.

 

[dawson46]

Advice

I use two Asus RT-AC66. One as a wired AP one as a router. Both have the same SSIDs but different channels.

Hopefully you have an android phone that you can look at the channels for strength. Otherwise use inSSIDer on a PC.

My biggest frustration has been neighbors that have their routers set to auto and the router selects a channel that overlaps.

 

[jcwillia1]

Be sure there is a power outlet near the jacks to power routers and switches.

HUGE Thank you for this - I had completely forgotten that all my routers/switches/access points would require power. Since I was able to address it now I was able to add it for very little cost.

 

[thiggins]

There is also Power over Ethernet as an option. PoE switches are getting cheaper. You can also use PoE injectors for selective PoE support.

 

[jcwillia1]

There is also Power over Ethernet as an option. PoE switches are getting cheaper. You can also use PoE injectors for selective PoE support.

doesn't that require a certain type of ethernet wire? I don't have an option on the type of wires (unless I pull new ones after construction which I don't want to do).

 

[thiggins]

doesn't that require a certain type of ethernet wire? I don't have an option on the type of wires (unless I pull new ones after construction which I don't want to do).

No. As long as the cable has all four twisted pair, it will support PoE and Gigabit connections.

 

[stevech]

There's PoE and there's PoE, as most of us know.
IEEE 802.3af and newer. Rarely found in consumer gear.
Some products that send 5V or 12V or some such over the spare wires in 10/100 (not 10/100/1000) ethernet cables - and this is said to be PoE. But not per the standard. Sometimes called something other than PoE to preclude blowing up a device with PoE's high voltages. Power inserter/extractor pairs is a name. These are always external to the devices.

Easy to make an inserter/extractor yourself. You do have to mind the voltage drop in 50' or more cables, if the end device consumes much current. I do this for a couple of IP cameras that run on 5V but use low current, so the drop is just to, say, 4.8V and the camera works OK. With care, you can use, say, a 6VDC source and just enough cable, and get, say, 5.2V and not hurt anything.

All this, because real IEEE standard PoE is $$$, though getting cheaper, as standards improve. But there are several standards.

I did one project where I used this 5V inserter scheme, and put a 4 port Ethernet switch on a long cat5 cable. That switch then re-generated the signal for the next long piece of cable. The switch location was where there is no AC power.


here's a link to one of many cheapies
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...oogleMKP-_-pla-_-Wireless+AP-_-9SIA1EA0NY6627

 

[Busto963]

How about putting the sweat equity in and rough in the cable and jacks you should have and will need. For the price of a spool of Ethernet cable and a spool of RG6 and no more than an hour per location you can rough in the jacks in that you need. Not much in the way of skill needed but being able to drill some holes through framing members.

After the house is completed and the builder has turned it over to you you can install the boxes and do the terminations or hire someone to do it. The most difficult part is running the cables and that will be done.

More important than the location of where your builder will install the jacks is the quality of the cabling. In today's market where ISPs are offering Gigabyte internet service Cat5E cable just isn't good enough. Same for heaven forbid they won't install RG59 or but will opt for cheap RG6 coaxial.

Good luck and enjoy your new home.

This is great advice.

I would talk to the builder, again with a firm plan: worse case they tell you no.

If the builder says no, talk to the GM (hopefully a different person) and explain the situation. If the GM can't oblige you, at least ask if you can get your own sub contractor to do the work before the walls go up.

Even if this does not work, talk to the subcontractor installing the drywall... you get the idea.

Keep asking and odds are, someone will approve the plan, provided that it is reasonable.

I understand that you are stretching and stressing to get the home you want - good luck!

Oh, and pulling cable is not that bad, but I understand why you would not want to do this on new construction.