Considering multi-mode fiber for your home network: is it a practical choice?
Considering multi-mode fiber for your home network: is it a practical choice?
This was one of my mistakes during the renovation: I should have installed a primary network using mainly multi-mode optical fiber with some Category 5e ports, rather than all Category 6A cables. Looking back, is it wise to rely on multi-mode fiber for home networking? Reflections: Category 6A reaches up to 10Gbps Ethernet, and even with 100Gbps it’s still not pushing multi-mode fiber limits. The Category 6A setup is much more affordable than multi-mode options. Multi-mode can support other protocols besides Ethernet, and it can handle power delivery via 802.3af/at PoE. I currently use this in my home setup to power enterprise access points. It’s acceptable to run multi-mode fiber alongside mains power because the fiber is non-conductive, effectively halving the wiring needed since only a few Cat5e ports are required.
The main challenge is the lack of fiber connections for consumer equipment, but my goal is to install fiber in most areas during the cabling refresh. For everyday devices, I’ll use Cat 6 for the majority of setups. Most gadgets require only gigabit speeds, and PoE is sufficient for cameras and Wi-Fi adapters. Fiber is ideal for spaces where desktops and servers will be installed.
The post mentions both apartment and home, but it seems to focus more on the living space. Rewiring a place you rent differs from owning it, yet copper wiring remains a good choice for both scenarios.
I have a strategy to conceal a switch in every room. Each switch would receive either 2x or 4x 10Gbps fiber connections, which are then split into several gigabit links for devices within that room. My family owns the apartment I’m in, and I stick to copper for the few PoE requirements. Looking ahead to 10Gbps, I anticipate needing that upgrade—China Telecom will reduce my current 500Mbps to 30Mbps and then further to 200Mbps in a few years. I don’t want a single node to block internet access for everyone else on the local network. My Ubuntu Linux machines often run out of bandwidth during updates because they’re connected to a NetEase mirror in the same city and carrier.
Ensure you avoid consumer switches; enterprise models from the past decade typically offer significantly more bandwidth. My $30 Dell switch features a 48Gbps backplane supporting 24 ports, meaning each port can handle up to 1Gbps without problems—though the uplink might become a constraint. Internally, all devices can communicate at 1Gbps efficiently.
I own several switches throughout the apartment: devices in my mom’s room like her laptop and TV, plus a home lab with multiple computers and networked gadgets. I require stable inter-switch communication.