Getting the Speed and Stability You Need
This post is the second of three this month on networking solutions for your home. In the first, we discuss why the latest consumer DIY-type products may not live up to their promise for improved networking. It’s clear that your demand for connectivity will only increase, and perhaps more rapidly than ever, as so many functions in your Salt Lake City home get plugged into the internet.
In this post, we want to talk more about our approach to networking and connectivity solutions. In this seemingly wirelessly connected world, we focus quite a bit on wiring and cabling. Why? A good wired network forms a strong backbone for your connectivity infrastructure. Keep reading to learn more below!
SEE ALSO: Home Networking Part 1:Is Your Setup Meeting Your Needs?
Wire as Much as Possible
With all the advanced wireless technology available, you might wonder why wiring is needed. It’s true that wireless technology is better than ever and approaches wired speeds. The reality, however, is that wireless signals can be affected by many things. Walls, distances from router wireless antennas and access points, construction type, home layout, and interference from other wireless systems (like your neighbor) can all contribute to problems. Dropouts, decreased speeds, dead zones, and more are common issues with Wi-Fi performance in many homes.
One solution is actually quite simple – use more wired connections. Wired ethernet connections can avoid all the problems mentioned above. Naturally, they don’t work for your smartphone or tablet, but those can be handled with Wi-Fi. In our view, if the opportunity is there to run wires for many connections, we do it. That means your TV, connected audio equipment, computers, smart home controller, and anything else that doesn’t move around and has an ethernet jack gets wired. These devices will experience faster overall speeds and much better stability with their connections. You will notice it, especially with flawless audio streaming, higher resolution video streams, and more stable Zoom video calls for remote work. Wired connections decrease the load on Wi-Fi performance and make everything in your connected home work better.
Another important aspect of wiring is the network backbone. Ethernet is the standard and capable of very high, stable bandwidth, but in some situations, fiber makes sense. Fiber optic cabling is not affected by lightning; with no copper in the wiring, it eliminates the risk of electrical transfer and equipment blowouts. Plus, fiber makes sense for high-bandwidth applications such as distributed AV systems, where every room in your home can access every possible source of audio and video entertainment at the same time.
Commercial-Grade Equipment
We work with professional-level equipment from proven brands such as Araknis and Access Networks. These and consumer-level solutions differ in build quality, longevity, customization, and configurability. This equipment is built for a longer MTBF, industry-speak for being made to last longer and repairable if a component fails. Also, we can separate the pieces to get higher-grade solutions for each function. That means using managed switches for ethernet connections, dedicated routers, and high-performance wireless access points with wired connections to routers for ultimate performance. Stay tuned for more on our solutions in next month’s post.
At Show & Tell AV solutions, we provide cutting-edge technology solutions that enhance our clients’ everyday lives. To learn more about home network design and installation or to schedule a complimentary consultation, contact Show & Tell AV Solutions today.