MikeSharp01 Posted June 28, 2022 Share Posted June 28, 2022 Do I need to run CAT 6 to the kitchen island? (There I said it was silly - until I thought about it.) Might I even need a patch panel? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorfun Posted June 28, 2022 Share Posted June 28, 2022 why wouldn't you? it's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. 😉 <goes off to update the electrical drawings to ensure there's a cat 6 cable to the kitchen island as I think I forgot it!> 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeSharp01 Posted June 28, 2022 Author Share Posted June 28, 2022 5 minutes ago, Thorfun said: <goes off to update the electrical drawings to ensure there's a cat 6 cable to the kitchen island as I think I forgot it!> Reason Enough to bring it up I suppose - I just thought how mad is that, then I thought of all the comms one might need there and wondering if they would all be IoT WiFi or would need a wired connection. Then I found this, from 2014 - and wondered why it hadn't caught on quite yet? https://www.broadbandbuyer.com/features/2213-connecting-your-smart-fridge-to-the-internet/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bitpipe Posted June 28, 2022 Share Posted June 28, 2022 We bought one of those fancy internet radios from Revo for the kitchen, connects with WiFi or ethernet. At it turned out, the wifi was weak in that spot and there was no ethernet that side of the house at all. A few years later we upgraded to the BT wifi disc system with a unit near the kitchen, so coverage is improved but the disc always works best when connected to ethernet vs slurping a wifi signal from somewhere else but none available in that area. Study has ethernet ports along two walls but not the wall where the printer with the crap wifi module sits. Moral of our storey is that every wall should have at least one cat 6 socket next to a double gang 13A such that a cable would not need need to cross a door threshold. A patch panel just terminates cables to a series of RJ45 sockets. You still need an ethernet switch to share the ethernet between each socket you want live - I got a 48 port switch but only use about half of them currently. You don't need to co-locate your router with the switch (ours is in loft) as you can patch the router ethernet up a circuit to the patch, into the switch and then it shares it out again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperJohnG Posted June 28, 2022 Share Posted June 28, 2022 Sometimes there is good reason to add future proofing but I don't see why here and a lot of people do add cat 6. But again I think why, you are future proofing backwards unless you need to have a hugely fast connection wireless is excellent these days and will only get better (arguable if it ever needs to get better from where it is) so not at any point should you be worried about going back to it. The solution here is to ensure a better wifi signal imo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeSharp01 Posted June 28, 2022 Author Share Posted June 28, 2022 34 minutes ago, SuperJohnG said: future proofing backwards What goes around comes around, try living in a block of flats with loads of Wifi from different suppliers all colliding and then try playing some of the high bandwidth games! Otherwise I tend to agree but I am going to put it in everywhere, it will be of its time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Temp Posted June 28, 2022 Share Posted June 28, 2022 11 minutes ago, MikeSharp01 said: What goes around comes around, try living in a block of flats with loads of Wifi from different suppliers all colliding and then try playing some of the high bandwidth games! Otherwise I tend to agree but I am going to put it in everywhere, it will be of its time. Tried switching to the 5GHz band? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeSharp01 Posted June 28, 2022 Author Share Posted June 28, 2022 4 minutes ago, Temp said: Tried switching to the 5GHz band? I don't have the situation I mentioned but have heard about it, so no but I get the point, I still worry the IoT will saturate the WiFi eventually although I also appreciate that the WiFi will get better and, as things are, I won't be convinced that the WiFi Access Points won't need a wired connection to be fully effective. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pocster Posted June 28, 2022 Share Posted June 28, 2022 2 hours ago, MikeSharp01 said: Do I need to run CAT 6 to the kitchen island? (There I said it was silly - until I thought about it.) Might I even need a patch panel? Yes . For the sake of a cable you can leave under the island Id do it ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Temp Posted June 28, 2022 Share Posted June 28, 2022 57 minutes ago, MikeSharp01 said: I don't have the situation I mentioned but have heard about it, so no but I get the point, I still worry the IoT will saturate the WiFi eventually although I also appreciate that the WiFi will get better and, as things are, I won't be convinced that the WiFi Access Points won't need a wired connection to be fully effective. +1 We actually have two wired networks. One just used by security cams. The other main wired net has three PC, two printers and 4 WiFi AP around the house and garden. Best way to connect them. Hate to think how many WiFi devices we have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joth Posted June 29, 2022 Share Posted June 29, 2022 19 hours ago, SuperJohnG said: Sometimes there is good reason to add future proofing but I don't see why here and a lot of people do add cat 6. But again I think why, you are future proofing backwards unless you need to have a hugely fast connection wireless is excellent these days and will only get better (arguable if it ever needs to get better from where it is) so not at any point should you be worried about going back to it. The solution here is to ensure a better wifi signal imo CAT6 is not just for superfast internet. It's also a very useful medium for getting 8 cores of low voltage electrical signal to a location. For example, I've used it for motion sensors, light switches, temperature sensors, primary side of relays, low voltage power delivery, driving low wattage LED strips, charging my toothbrush, control of the "call for heat" dry contacts on the ASHP, 0-10V driver for the PV redirect SSR, powering the cat-flap, HD-BaseT for HDMI video distribution, and probably a bunch of other things that don't come immediately to mind. To the OP - I put 2x CAT6A to the kitchen island, but haven't used either so far 🙂 One possible idea was to install a Loxone Touch Surface into the worktop, but the boss wasn't having any of that. The other is controlling addressable LED strips around the plinth -- still waaay down the priority list! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorfun Posted June 29, 2022 Share Posted June 29, 2022 6 minutes ago, joth said: One possible idea was to install a Loxone Touch Surface into the worktop I've got one for our island and also for my study desk. love tech too much to not too! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joth Posted June 29, 2022 Share Posted June 29, 2022 6 hours ago, Thorfun said: I've got one for our island and also for my study desk. love tech too much to not too! Cool, post photos when done. TBF I was bricking myself about drilling holes in the 3.2m long porcelain tile, and that backfilling them with resin will look sh1te and collect dirt, so I didn't put up a strong argument for this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pocster Posted June 29, 2022 Share Posted June 29, 2022 6 hours ago, Thorfun said: I've got one for our island and also for my study desk. love tech too much to not too! You’ve got an iPhone yeah ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pocster Posted June 29, 2022 Share Posted June 29, 2022 6 hours ago, joth said: To the OP - I put 2x CAT6A to the kitchen island, but haven't used either so far 🙂 One possible idea was to install a Loxone Touch Surface into the worktop, but the boss wasn't having any of that. Ffs ! . Touch / iPad etc to control lights / music / open the front door . Get boss onside now ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorfun Posted June 29, 2022 Share Posted June 29, 2022 3 hours ago, pocster said: You’ve got an iPhone yeah ? take phone out of pocket, swipe to unlock, open app, click on function.......or......tap on desk to do really cool automated s**t! it's an easy winner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperJohnG Posted June 30, 2022 Share Posted June 30, 2022 2 hours ago, Thorfun said: take phone out of pocket, swipe to unlock, open app, click on function.......or......tap on desk to do really cool automated s**t! it's an easy winner. Walk in room...flip switch as you walk by.. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorfun Posted June 30, 2022 Share Posted June 30, 2022 6 hours ago, SuperJohnG said: Walk in room...flip switch as you walk by.. walk in room and everything turns on to what you want without having to flip or even look at a switch. that's what automation is all about. my previous post was in reference to when I'm sat at my desk so I can control the room without having to stand up and flip a switch or get a phone out etc. automation is there to make your life easy and to reduce the number of repetitive tasks that you do. some might call it lazy but I prefer to think of it as being efficient. 😉 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamyTea Posted June 30, 2022 Share Posted June 30, 2022 "Fools and their money are easily parted" I am with @SuperJohnG on this. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted June 30, 2022 Share Posted June 30, 2022 35 minutes ago, Thorfun said: walk in room and everything turns on to what you want without having to flip or even look at a switch. that's what automation is all about. The crux of that is how does the automation know what you want? e.g walk into the bathroom, have a pee, flush and walk out. Walk into the bathroom, sit on the pot and open your book. Walk into the bathroom undress and get into the shower. All 3 very different situations. show me a sensor that can 100% detect which of those 3 you are doing and operate the lights and fan accordingly? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperJohnG Posted June 30, 2022 Share Posted June 30, 2022 56 minutes ago, Thorfun said: my previous post was in reference to when I'm sat at my desk so I can control the room without having to stand up and flip a switch or get a phone out etc. automation is there to make your life easy and to reduce the number of repetitive tasks that you do. some might call it lazy but I prefer to think of it as being efficient. 😉 I'd agree getting a phone out to do something is a pisser. I am a big fan if technology but I personally find the automated home thing is just adding complexity in some instances. Well all end up here. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted June 30, 2022 Share Posted June 30, 2022 (edited) I can understand lights on sensors being a good idea but being a Luddite I believe a lot is just more tech to go wrong. When I used to work in an office I was always the one to volunteer to go to the copier, make the tea, fetch the parcels so I could get off my ass as much as possible. Headline last year. “Sitting is the new smoking” Edited June 30, 2022 by joe90 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted June 30, 2022 Share Posted June 30, 2022 4 minutes ago, joe90 said: can understand lights on sensors being a good idea Not always. If I need a pee in the night, the very last thing I want is the light coming on full blinding me and disturbing SWMBO. I operate in the dark in that situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted June 30, 2022 Share Posted June 30, 2022 (edited) 5 minutes ago, ProDave said: Not always. If I need a pee in the night, the very last thing I want is the light coming on full blinding me and disturbing SWMBO. I operate in the dark in that situation. I get that, when at a hotel years ago the ensuite had a sensor that triggered a very low glowing light in the bathroom to avoid this very problem (probably to save cleaning the floor as much 😱). I have the sensor and light and just like @Onoff it’s on my to do list 🤞 Edited June 30, 2022 by joe90 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted June 30, 2022 Share Posted June 30, 2022 6 minutes ago, ProDave said: I operate in the dark in that situation. I just remembered a few years ago friends came to stay over new year and after a few too many, during the night , a lady guest went to the bathroom and not wanting to disturb others left the light off, forgot where the loo was and burnt her bum on the electric radiator. ( I have since changed the element to a lower wattage) . A visit to the freezer to get a pack of cold peas to soothe the burn but didn’t realise the pack was open so spent time picking frozen peas from the bedclothes. A year to remember. 2 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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