Networking Parts 


Wireless Access Points

Or WAP as they are abbreviated, are used to provide wireless access to your network via WiFi. You can deploy several of these devices throughout the home to provide full coverage of the area.

If you have an extra wireless router laying around, it may be possible to use it as a WAP.

Dual Band is a term used to identify devices that operate in two radio frequencies. The 2.4Ghz band is best used for long distances and the most commonly used. The 5Ghz band in contrast is much faster but it has trouble with wall penetration which hinders it's range performance. But the 5GHz band is also less used and therefore preferable in saturated WiFi areas.

Wireless Protocols

802.11G - Stay away from this. It's old, it's slow (54Mbps). Operates only on the 2.4Ghz band.

802.11N - Most commonly used today. Maximum speed of 450Mbps. Operates in both radio bands.

802.11AC - On the market since Q3 2013. Maximum speed of 1300Mbps. Operates only in 5Ghz band. To benefit from this standard, the client must also be AC compatible.

Ubiquiti offers great enterprise ready hardware that's still easy enough for home set ups.

*Advertised wireless speeds are theoretical.

Routers

Routers are used to manage traffic between one or more networks. It's worth mentioning that home routers today offer more then this. Most home routers are now manufactured to include a small Switch, and a WAP for convenience. Some will also include a Modem. Be aware that in many of these cases, the "jack of all trades, master of none" saying applies.

With that in mind, you can still buy a good home router that should satisfy most people's needs. Asus has some great all in ones that have an extended feature set, with a very easy to use user interface.

If you want to buy a stand alone product, again check out the Ubiquiti light or the Mikrotik line of products.

Modems

Before purchasing a modem, please check with your ISP for a compatibility list. Some ISPs will not offer you technical support unless you have a device on their supported list. Some ISPs may not allow you to replace the modem at all.

Modems are used to translate an analog signal commonly used by cable providers, to a digital signal computers can understand. If your ISP offers a fiber connection, you do not need a modem since fiber is already carrying a digital signal to your home.

When shopping for a modem for a cable provider, look for a DOCSIS 3.0 device. This latest standard is given to devices that support the latest maximum speeds, 344Mbps/144Mbps.

Switches

These devices are used to distribute a wired connection to devices on the network. Switches come in a variety of sizes to accommodate the network needs, from a small 4 port switch like those in most wireless home routers, to large business class devices with fifty ports.

It is good to know that unmanaged switches are plug and play and usually recommended for home applications. A managed (smart) switch in contrast, can do a few functions a router does. These may include prioritizing traffic to a specific port, or creating additional virtual networks (vLAN).

We recommend that you stick with an unmanaged Switch. TRENDnet has some really great metal devices that fit the bill.

HUB

These devices are used to distribute a wired connection to devices on the network. (Wait, I've read that before!) Unlike switches however, HUBs cannot understand the traffic that it is handling. A HUB will receive a packet from one port and send it to all of it's other ports. Whereas a Switch will send that same packet only to the port, where the device it is trying to reach is. This can result in unnecessary traffic being sent everywhere and potentially clogging the network. As a result, we recommend that you buy an unmanaged Switch instead. HUBs are now an old technology.

Buy a switch.

Powerline Adapters

Powerline Adapters are used to distribute a wired network connection, by using your existing electrical wiring. Typically you use this if you cannot run an Ethernet cable. You will need at least two adapters to complete the connection, one to send the data and one to receive.

Powerline Adapters depend greatly on the quality of wiring in your home. Therefore if you live in a old home, this may not be the solution for you. When shopping for these devices look for speeds advertised.

TP Link, TRENDnet and other manufacturers offer adapters with a max throughput of 600Mbps.

*Advertised speeds are theoretical.

MoCA Bridge/Adapters

The MoCA protocol was created to use the existing Coax cables in your home to deliver data. Like with Powerline Adapters, you need to have at least two adapters to complete a single run, one to send the data and one to receive it. Essentially you are turning your Coax cables into much slower ethernet cables.

Aside from Actiontec, most manufacturers that used to offer these devices, have now stopped.

FiOS users who also subscribe to FiOS TV service will find that Verizon uses the MoCA protocol to deliver data to the Set Top Boxes. The Actiontec router provided by VZ includes this functionality. Some TiVO hardware also uses MoCA.

Not much choice here, Actiontec may be your only solution.

*Advertised wireless speeds are theoretical.

Ethernet Cable

These are used to physically connect two devices on the network. But you already knew that right?! So let's talk about all the different types of cable and which to get.

CAT5e - Maximum speed is 1000Mbps (gigabit) at a maximum distance of 100 meters (~328ft). This is what you probably have in your walls. It's that 5 foot cable that probably came with your router.

CAT6 - Maximum speed is 1000Mbps (gigabit) at a maximum distance of 100 meters (~328ft). This standard offers improved data transmission and reduces data errors when compared to CAT5e.

CAT6a - Maximum speed pf 10000Mbps (10 gigabit) at a maximum distance of 100 meters (~328ft). We recommend that if you are installing new wire in your home, to use this standard.

Amazon and Monoprice are great places to buy cable online.

I want to be future proof, can I install Fiber instead?

We've seen this question come up and it's not really if you can, but if you should. Yes Fiber offers fantastic throughput unmatched by copper Ethernet cable. Unfortunately there is not a single home appliance that is Fiber ready. This means you'd have to buy adapters for every end of Fiber run to convert the signal to copper Ethernet. You'd have to purchase a very expensive Fiber Switch. In addition, it is highly recommended that you have a professional install Fiber. Lastly, today's home connections and even small business connections are not fast enough to saturate a CAT6a cable.

If you want to be future proof, install Conduit instead.

I want to keep this simple so that the average DIY user can understand it. Hence I stayed away from what a layer 3 device is and all the other information that's meaningless to average visitors. However I may have made some errors, if so feel free to post bellow or pm me. And by no means is this a definitive guide, if you think I'm missing something and would like to see it added, let me know.