Would You Want A Wi-Fi Certified Home?

[Julio Urquidi]

The new Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Home Design certification helps home builders use enterprise practices to design homes that meet current and future wireless standards. Using certified hardware, the certification’s standards help dictate proper placement of devices, like access points, in new homes. The goal is to integrate and produce better wireless coverage into newly built homes, while also providing the proper bandwidth needed to serve up technologies like smart home tech, IoT, wireless audio, and 4K television.

In its announcement, the Wi-Fi Alliance equates the Wi-Fi Certified Home Design concept to lighting and electrical standards used in current home construction projects.

For more information, check out Wi-Fi Alliance’s Home Design website at www.wi-fi.org/wi-fi-home-design.

 

[RMerlin]

Money-grab scheme IMHO... Ultimately, the APs you use and the location you put them will be far more important.

 

[tannebil]

WiFi is a pain point for most people so I suspect there will be a lot of interest. Actual uptake will depend on pricing. They list some actual certifications for Lennar where they used a wired backbone with a Brocade switch and two Ruckus access points. Maybe a $5K option on a $400K+ house? Since it gets folded into the purchase price, I could see it being popular option.

A more interesting question for me is support. Is it like your HVAC system where you are pretty much on your own, but HVAC contractors are somewhat plentiful, or will Lennar funnel people to an HA or networking company for support? Continuing with that, would there be an upgrade service when technology changed? Who is going to provide the boots on the ground needed for on-site support? Which will be the most successful business model: purchase (like HVAC) or service (cable TV/ISP model)?

 

[pete y testing]

Money-grab scheme IMHO... Ultimately, the APs you use and the location you put them will be far more important.

yup sounds like someone is trying to regulate what is a moving playing field , wifi changes all the time and thus the goal post change with it

electricians dont understand squat about wifi and regulating this would put it in the hands of those electricians

wifi is a concept that few really understand to the point they can design wifi for an unbuilt home or its environment

the wifi alliance just needs to believe its important , wanking waste of time if you ask me , sure make sure the house is fully installed with ethernet , the rest is dont post handover anyway

 

[CaptainSTX]

WiFi is a pain point for most people so I suspect there will be a lot of interest. Actual uptake will depend on pricing. They list some actual certifications for Lennar where they used a wired backbone with a Brocade switch and two Ruckus access points. Maybe a $5K option on a $400K+ house? Since it gets folded into the purchase price, I could see it being popular option.

A more interesting question for me is support. Is it like your HVAC system where you are pretty much on your own, but HVAC contractors are somewhat plentiful, or will Lennar funnel people to an HA or networking company for support? Continuing with that, would there be an upgrade service when technology changed? Who is going to provide the boots on the ground needed for on-site support? Which will be the most successful business model: purchase (like HVAC) or service (cable TV/ISP model)?

As for your question who will support it there are low voltage wiring/ home automation companies out there. I bought a home built by WCI (now a subsidiary of Lennar ) . In chosing the add ons I wanted, WCI's sub contractor Vitex handled the sales, installation and service of all low voltage options. (Alarm, Home Automation, CATV wiring, Ethernet cabling, telephone cabling, built in speakers, APs and sound systems). If something doesn't work or has a problem you contact Vitex.

I'm sure there are other companies offering full service low voltage wiring. It's a profitable business for both the sub contractor and the builder and as you said if people are spending thousands to upgrade their basic home for cabinets, tile, appliances whats a few thousand more for low voltage wiring particularly if the cost is spread over thirty years.

 

[System Error Message]

can we have the sticker for our homes too .

emf radiation from electrical applicances and cabling dont matter if you dont live right next to the cables as in literally next like touching your skin. While not cheap i got myself a meter capable of measuring emf and even wifi emf.

The total amount of energy you get exposed to both background and not shouldnt exceed 1W, that means 1J/s, as thats something you can dissipate naturally. though lower levels are better.

 

[Razor512]

It seems like it will be an overly expensive way of setting up WiFi in a home. Typically when you get a company to come and set up networking equipment for you, they are likely to price gouge for many times the cost of the equipment, all while not taking the same care a home user would in order to get the most out of the equipment.

I can easily see a company charging someone $5000+ to install $300 worth of equipment.

 

[System Error Message]

It seems like it will be an overly expensive way of setting up WiFi in a home. Typically when you get a company to come and set up networking equipment for you, they are likely to price gouge for many times the cost of the equipment, all while not taking the same care a home user would in order to get the most out of the equipment.

I can easily see a company charging someone $5000+ to install $300 worth of equipment.

That happens around, even now. it can cost $1000 to ship a $50 item too.

 

[CaptainSTX]

If you want hard wired connections it is much easier to have them installed during a home's construction before the sheetrock is installed. Do you get gouged yes but hiring someone to come in after the home is finished is even more expensive and during the summer working in an attic in a Florida home is dangerous.

People with limited technical skills already get gouged. The buy the newest latest and greatest router thinking it will solve their WiFi problems, they pay the Geek Squad to hook up TVs or set up their WiFi, they subscribe higher and higher speed Internet subscriptions because they think that they need it when really a 50 Mbps plan would be more than enough for them, they buy a new modem or router because their ISP tells them that the problem is not on their end so it just has to be their hardware, they buy new phones when their old one gets slow instead of doing a factory reset, etc the list goes on and on.

 

[thiggins]

Yes, this is mainly a sales gimmick.
But if it results in a system with good coverage, bandwidth and capacity, it will be worth it for folks who don't have the time or skills and do have the money.

 

[pete y testing]

we have a system here from one of the electrical wholesalers that does full home automation including wifi and is sold to new home builders , cost is $15,000 installed and provides whole home wifi as well , so certainly for those that have money and no time

 

[sfx2000]

Yes, this is mainly a sales gimmick.

Yes and no - they're trying to solve a problem for Joe Six-Pack, that's ok forJoe, and his ISP...

 

[Razor512]

For the cost of getting someone from one of the various overpriced companies to set up an AP for you, you could likely buy enough equipment to but an AP in each room, along with an outdoor unit installed in the bathroom.

The overall issue is that most companies have such a high fee for pretty much any kind of installation that the average user might just choose to spend less and tile the walls of their home with access points, instead of paying someone an overall higher price to have someone else figure out how many are actually needed and where.