Multiple Ethernet Points v Switches

RichA · 22 Nov 2018

I am having my house refurbed & rewired and am considering ethernet points.

If I am running ethernet to, say, the TV/Playstation/Sky/etc is there much disadvantage of running just one cable and putting in a small 5-port switch in the TV cabinet.

The same to the study where there will be a couple of computers and a printer.

i.e. If I run a single cable to the points I think I need capability, can I add a switch should I later need more points.

(Assume switch is much cheaper than running an additional ethernet cable)

Handymanjo · 22 Nov 2018

Run two in case one gets damaged then you can use a switch
Or
Run individual cables back to one point
Think ahead to further proof

BIANCO · 22 Nov 2018

The cable isn't that expensive so if you can put more in do, remember you can use cat 5/6 with things like hdmi over ethernet. You can have things like centralized media systems leaving you with just a TV on a wall with all the boxes in a cupboard out the way, these things need direct cat5/6 cabling and cannot be done though switches so more cable the better.
But if you just want it for smart TV functions, xbox and so on then using switches should be fine.

twixx · 26 Nov 2018

The only thing to be conscious about when using a switch, is that if (theoretically) each endpoint connected to the switch was "maxxing out" the connection, and the switch is feeding down a single cable, back to its "destination", then you could face bandwidth issues. I would say, in almost all cases, your average user wouldn't ever have this issue.

If you're running one cable, then there's no hardship in running many.

Equally, if you feel a switch is suitable, you would probably get away with a homeplug from A to B, with a switch connected to B.

Lower · 26 Nov 2018

RichA said:
I am having my house refurbed & rewired and am considering ethernet points.

If I am running ethernet to, say, the TV/Playstation/Sky/etc is there much disadvantage of running just one cable and putting in a small 5-port switch in the TV cabinet.

The same to the study where there will be a couple of computers and a printer.

i.e. If I run a single cable to the points I think I need capability, can I add a switch should I later need more points.

(Assume switch is much cheaper than running an additional ethernet cable)

Personally, i would spend the money on a decent whole house mesh wifi system. Wireless is the way forward.

twixx · 26 Nov 2018

Lower said:
Personally, i would spend the money on a decent whole house mesh wifi system. Wireless is the way forward.

Wireless is pretty poor for AV Distribution... granted the OP doesn't state their requirements.

If the OP wants bog standard "networking", then a mesh is definitely a good idea.

Lower · 26 Nov 2018

twixx said:
Wireless is pretty poor for AV Distribution... granted the OP doesn't state their requirements.

If the OP wants bog standard "networking", then a mesh is definitely a good idea.

Outside of high end music systems, what AV is wireless poor for (genuine question, not a challenge).

I thought Wifi was the way forward for most AV now. With the exception of the central incoming point to the home, most AV transmission seems to be wireless nowadays. EG Sky Q, Firestick, smart TV, Sonos, etc etc.

Certainly, in our house, the only wired AV is the virgin media box connected to one TV and a couple of TV's that use a Freesat input. But none of these would work with ethernet connections anyway. Everything else is wifi.

If i was going to rewire our house as a blank canvas, i'd be thinking of putting coax satellite type cable (don't know the correct name) running to a central hub in the roof space.

Europlex · 26 Nov 2018

I had a wired system in my house for years, no problems, ever.

Wife pestered me to get rid of the wires and trunking that she hated so much, so I did. So on to wireless, useless, had to get two boosters to get a reasonable signal everywhere, then got moaned at for having so many boxes plugged in around the house. Can't win! Anybody want her, going free & also FREE DELIVERY.

Yesterday I nearly jumped off a bridge, sorry, pushed her off a bridge. HELP. (One or the other, couldn't make up my mind which. So I took us both over!!

twixx · 26 Nov 2018

Europlex said:
I had a wired system in my house for years, no problems, ever.

Wife pestered me to get rid of the wires and trunking that she hated so much, so I did. So on to wireless, useless, had to get two boosters to get a reasonable signal everywhere, then got moaned at for having so many boxes plugged in around the house. Can't win! Anybody want her, going free & also FREE DELIVERY.

Yesterday I nearly jumped off a bridge, sorry, pushed her off a bridge. HELP. (One or the other, couldn't make up my mind which. So I took us both over!!

An average home/home user should get by with something like the BT Whole Home setup, hide them in cupboards. 3 APs should be sufficient.

twixx · 26 Nov 2018

Lower said:
Outside of high end music systems, what AV is wireless poor for (genuine question, not a challenge).

I thought Wifi was the way forward for most AV now. With the exception of the central incoming point to the home, most AV transmission seems to be wireless nowadays. EG Sky Q, Firestick, smart TV, Sonos, etc etc.

Certainly, in our house, the only wired AV is the virgin media box connected to one TV and a couple of TV's that use a Freesat input. But none of these would work with ethernet connections anyway. Everything else is wifi.

If i was going to rewire our house as a blank canvas, i'd be thinking of putting coax satellite type cable (don't know the correct name) running to a central hub in the roof space.

I've just moved into a house that needed ZERO work, yet my walls currently look like a warzone as I am in the process of recreating my centralised AV "hub" again (PC, NAS, Xbox, PS4, Youview, Sky, HDMI Matrix). In the last house (3 bed semi) I had 26 network ports running back to the loft, this connected all wired devices back to the router. Wifi was basically only used for Phones. My entire setup was installed prior to Wifi Meshing becoming mainstream. Though I did install a UniFi system using AC-Pro's a while back.

In the new house I've 21 ports scattered around, running back to the central hub you speak about.

This will mainly carry AV distribution (HDMI Matrix, allowing my to distribute a single source to "many" TVs) and CCTV Camera traffic (which you never want going over your normal LAN). A handful of ports will be utilised for normal networking, mainly my PC(s). My UniFi kit will continue to handle my "basic browsing" traffic via Wifi.

Though I do run Coax, it is actually the lowest thing on my list of things to bury in the walls.

Diver Fred · 26 Nov 2018

Multiple cables every time. With 'Switches' (I assume you mean a Hub) you will have 'contention' issues with multiple devices operating at the same time through the hub.

With wifi with every household using the same batch of frequencies there is the probability to have problems worse than contention issues caused by using a Hub.
Where I live I can now 'see' 18 routers of which 4 are dual band the rest are all low band. We get wifi interference which does affect the performance of the network - running the speed test when the neighbours school kids are home on wifi reduces our throughput by around 50% compared to the wired connection.

The LAN cable can be used for many services not just broadband.

RichA · 26 Nov 2018

Thanks for all the comments. I am going to have s Sky Q mesh so that will be used for the general wifi.

The hub will be under the stairs. The primary ethernet cabling is to the main TV & Sky Q with a couple of points in the office for a PC. Thought it a good idea to have a network point in bedrooms to allow TVs/PCs in the future.

Lower · 26 Nov 2018

twixx said:
An average home/home user should get by with something like the BT Whole Home setup, hide them in cupboards. 3 APs should be sufficient.

That's what i have. 3 discs across the house and i now have faster wifi throughout the whole house than i did even when close to the original Virgin hub.

Lower · 26 Nov 2018

wgt52 said:
Multiple cables every time. With 'Switches' (I assume you mean a Hub) you will have 'contention' issues with multiple devices operating at the same time through the hub.

With wifi with everyhpousehold using the same batch of frequencies there is the probability to have problems worse than contention issues caused by using a Hub.
Where I live I can now 'see' 18 routers of which 4 are dual band the rest are all low band. We get wifi interference which does affect the performance of the network - running the speed test when the neighbours school kids are home on wifi reduces our throughput by around 50% compared to the wired connection.
.

Is the performance drop off down to wifi signal interference or the fact that the kids are hammering the broadband so the speed drops in the area as a whole?

Broadband speeds dropping off when the kids get home from school is a well understood reality and is down to the usage of the broadband increasing as the kids get on line with data hungry apps like video, music or gaming.

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Multiple Ethernet Points v Switches

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