Building a Luxury Home Network
When people think of a home network they often think of ordering internet service from either the local cable company or phone company and that’s the end of it. The truth is; basic internet access is painfully inadequate for today’s luxury homes for several reasons.
Why a basic network isn’t enough.
#1 Luxury homes are too large for a single Wi-Fi router to reach every room. You’ll need either access points or a mesh network to properly blanket the home and there are pros and cons to each.
#2 Portions of the network need to be isolated for security reasons; Surveillance cameras, phone systems, audio & video, etc. should be securely segregated from the guest network.
#3 Total bandwidth needs to be segmented lest one device steal the bandwidth from other. You don’t want phone calls dropping out because someone is watching a 4K movie in the other room, etc.
Advantages of LAN segmentation
When separate networks are needed or if a network has reached its physical limitations, segmentation is used. Segmenting a LAN can extend the network, reduce congestion, isolate network problems, and improve security.
- Extending the network — When the maximum physical limitations of a network has been reached, routers may be added to create new segments to allow additional hosts onto the LAN.
- Reduce Congestion — As the number of hosts on a single network increases, the bandwidth required also increases. By segmenting the LAN, you can reduce the number of hosts per network. If traffic consists of communications between hosts on the same segment, then bandwidth usage is substantially reduced.
- Isolate network problems — By dividing the network into smaller segments, you reduce the overflow of problems from one segment to the next. Hardware and software failures are some of the problems that can be reduced to affect smaller portions of the network.
- Improve Security — By utilizing segments, a network administrator can ensure that the internal structure of the network will not be visible from an outside source. Privileged packets will only be broadcast on the subnet it originated from, not throughout the network.
What network do I need for my home?
Networks need to be designed specifically for each individual home. One needs to consider the following and then consult an expert for pricing.
1, Will there be VOIP (voice over IP) phones in the house?
2, Will there be a business inside the house that needs extra security?
3, Will surveillance cameras be on the same network?
4, How many TVs or music systems will be in use that stream content from Netflix, Hulu, etc.?
5, Will cell phones be using the Wi-Fi? How many people?
6, Will there be smart devices such as thermostats & smart plugs?
7, Will anyone be doing online gaming? Video Conferencing? How many simultaneous streams?
8, Is the house pre-wired with category cable? What generation, Cat5e, Cat6, Cat6A, etc.?
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