Home Network Wiring and Equipment Racks
Centralized Network Design and Reliability
Every cable in the house runs back to one rack or wall panel. On a raised house built over parking, the rack goes on a living floor above flood level. The rack cupboard's power and ventilation are sized with the electrician. A rack battery keeps the network, cameras and door hardware running through a short power cut. The rack can take a second internet line or a UniFi 5G backup that takes over when the main line drops.
Cabling the Property
Cat6 runs to every room, every TV position, every ceiling access point, every camera position, each door and the garage, including positions with nothing fitted on day one. Empty conduit with pull strings runs to the attic, crawlspace and outbuildings so a later cable has a path. Outdoor runs use jacketed outdoor cable, and fibre is used where a run is too long for copper. In a finished house, cable is routed through the attic, crawlspace and walls that are already open.
Finishing, Testing and Documentation
Every run is tested after drywall, and the results are handed over with a written record of where each cable goes. Every run is labelled at both ends, at the wall plate and at the patch panel. Wall plates are fitted flush, and plates can be painted to match the room. Cable in the rack is dressed into bundles and tied, with no loose loops. Blank panels close the gaps in the front of the rack.
Choosing the Network Equipment
A larger house with many cameras uses an open rack with a separate gateway, switches and a camera recorder. Switches in the rack power access points, cameras and door readers over the same cable that carries their data. Surge protection is fitted on outdoor runs to the dock, gate and pool house. The UniFi Dream Wall is a wall-mounted alternative to a rack: one unit with the gateway, a 17-port switch with power for cameras and access points, Wi-Fi 6, camera recording and a 4.7-inch touchscreen. The Dream Wall is wall-mounted on a stainless steel mount. The Dream Wall runs the Network, Protect, Access, Talk and Connect apps.