Cabling your home for computer network - still a requirement?
With proliferation of wireless networking and communication equipment
it is oh-so-tempting to cut the cord and save a significant sum of
money in the process. But is everything that a regular computer
networking user needs can be done using just wireless network? Let’s
take a look at some pros and contras:
1. One important advantage of having a cabled network is the available
bandwidth or simply speed. At the present point in time the speed of
connection via a simple and inexpensive CAT5E cable can be
1000Mbit/sec, whereas the best that IEEE802.11g (one of the many
flavors of Wi-Fi) can offer is only 54Mbit/sec. It may not seem so
significant if you think you are only browsing Internet, and the DSL
speed available to you is 1.5Mbit/sec. However, if you need to print
via your network connection on a remote printer, you should realize
that the print jobs, depending on the amount of graphic data in them,
can easily reach dozens and even hundreds megabytes. Since 1Byte=8bit
one 100MByte print job will take 15 seconds (and in reality this time
can be much longer) to transmit via a Wi-Fi wireless connection, and
this time shrinks to mere 1 sec or less on wired 1000MBit/s Ethernet
connection. Same principal applies to transferring files, backing up
files on other computers in the network etc.
2. It is not possible today and with all probability will not be
possible in the future to transmit power needed for your networking
device via the wireless link. Unless, of course, you would be willing
to be subjected to very high levels of microwave radiation. Thus a
device that was marketed to you as “un-tethered” will in fact be very
much tethered via the power cord or will have to be re-charged every so
often. The power requirements are increasingly important for devices
that are expected to be always online, such as phone sets. Therefore it
is best to have itconnected via a cable that can deliver both power
and the communication signal at the same time.
3. Wireless communications are very much proprietary and require whole
gamut of conversion equipment to transmit multi-media signals. The same
CAT5E cable can without any modification support phone, computer
network, balanced line level audio signal, baseband video signal as
well as host of other, more specialized, control applications’ signals.
With inexpensive adapters called “baluns” the same cable can carry
significant number of channels of broadband television or carry a
baseband video, such as security camera output, through great
distances. All of those applications, except the computer network of
course, will require specialized expensive conversion equipment if they
needed to be transmitted via a Wi-Fi link.
4. The cost benefit of not running wires around the house is not as
simple as issue as it seems. Having installed a wireless network at
home you have only eliminated the need to wire for a single application
– computer network. A modern home, however, requires all kinds of
wiring to run even without regard to computers. The power and phones
are obvious examples, as well as thermostats and security systems.
Pre-wired speakers are common and most homes today have intercom
systems as a desirable option, and those also require extensive wiring.
It is very likely that the same contractor running the intercom or
security cables is qualified to run computer cables – CAT5E or better.
If you are building a home, you should definitely check if computer
cabling option is available in your new home, and our advice is to go
ahead and purchase it before the walls close. It is going to be a
pretty involved and expensive procedure to install the cables later. As
an added cost benefit of a wired computer network you will find that
all modern computers ship with wired Ethernet network interface card
included, and the latest models ship with 1000MBit/sec cards that are
essentially free for the computer’s owner.
There are multiple sources of information available on proper planning
and design of a residential cabling for voice, data, audio, video and
other applications. One of the best sources is the TIA/EIA-570B
standard, most resent release of which has been published in 2004. The
standard outlines recommended types of the cables, principals of cable
distribution in a single- and multi-dwelling units as well as
recommended amount of cables to be installed based on the size of the
house.
In conclusion, cutting the wire seems like a step forward, some sort of
liberation of computer from the bonds of the infrastructure. I would
caution the reader, however, to take a more balanced and informed
approach before joining the wireless revolution. There are still (and
will remain in foreseen future) sound reasons to include properly
designed cabling system into the list of your dream home options.
