Network
WiFi that reaches everywhere: why a repeater rarely helps
Almost every problem with streaming, multiroom and cameras is in the end a network problem. And a repeater almost never solves it.
When the film stutters, the music cuts out in the bathroom or the camera delivers no picture, the device usually gets the blame. In the vast majority of cases it is the network.
Why repeaters shift the problem
A repeater receives the signal and sends it out again – on the same radio channel. That halves the available bandwidth, and the device often clings to the weaker network instead of switching. For a single dead spot that may be enough; for a whole house it is not.
What works instead
Several access points connected by cable that form one common network. As you walk, the device switches automatically to the stronger point without the connection dropping. During a renovation we pull network cables into ceilings or walls for that – one cable per floor is usually enough.
The rules of thumb
- One access point per floor, placed centrally, not in a cupboard.
- Cable beats radio, always.
- Television, console and multiroom hub hard-wired if possible.
- A separate guest network for visitors and smart home devices.
- Old 2.4 GHz devices slow the network down – a dedicated network for them helps.
What it costs
A clean home network for a detached house costs, depending on cabling, considerably less than the devices hanging on it. And it is the precondition for everything else working.
How many access points you need
For a flat up to 120 square metres on one level, one good access point in the middle is usually enough. A detached house over three levels needs three, spread across the floors. Solid construction with concrete ceilings demands rather more, timber construction less.
Placement is decisive: central, open, not in the cupboard, not behind the television, not next to the microwave.
What streaming and video really need
A 4K stream needs around 25 megabits per second, a video call around 4, a surveillance camera 2 to 8 depending on resolution. A household with three parallel streams and home working is well served with 100 megabits. The problem is rarely the line, almost always the distribution inside the house.
Security in the home network
Smart home devices belong in their own network, separate from computers holding personal data. With today's systems that is set up in a few minutes and limits the damage if a cheap device has a vulnerability. Guests get a third network with its own password.
When pulling cables makes sense
At every renovation. A network cable is almost free during the shell phase and later replaces three radio devices. In refurbishments we always plan at least one line per floor and one each to the television and the workplace.
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