I am building a house and trying to avoid power bricks and cables hanging on the wall for motion sensors, blind shutters, “add next smart house blinky here”.

This is just an aexample photo:

example HA rooms

So I was thinking each IOT needs to have internet connection anyway. What about if I run a single CAT cable to each room, and position a switch in each room to split to couple CATs in each room (power socket, tv socket, window, ceiling fan). Main CAT from each room to go to the server room router. That way I can have one cable per room coming out from the router. And with some inexpensive POE switches in each room I can split to extra IOTs.

That way I wont be saturating the home wireless and needing expensive APs. And in the same time can deliver POE. Alternatively I can modify the CATs to run only 4 wires for 100MB network and remaining 4 for 12V if POE injection is complicated or routers cant deliver required IOT current.

I must say most IOTs will be DIY ESP/Arduino/MCUs

Is it possible you guys think?

  • venquessaBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    None of my IoT has an internet connection. I suppose that makes it a NoT.

    I use the spoke and star topology in my home. Hardwired CAT5/6 to each main room and switches there. Most have a PC + TV with ethernet ports.

    The bedroom CAT5 is provided by the Office netdoor. This was cheaper than running both (or all) rooms to the hallway.

    If you are going DIY eco-system don’t ruin the flexibility by focusing yourself on a single platform like HA. HA is no longer generic, it’s pretty opinionated and bespoke these days. It can afford that as many people produce compatible firmware for HA.

    Start with something lower level like MQTT as your core data architecture. HA will consume that fine, but it will give you more options.

    Another suggestion. Power monitoring smart plugs (Tasmota or ESPHome) these will allow you to monitor and manage your “device clusters” such as shutting down all the standby power in the living room from a switch beside the light switch.

  • BreakfastBeerzBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    This seems to be an unpopular opinion because there’s always people jumping in talking about running wire all over the house…but…wireless is the future.

    I have around 100 smart devices in my house and they are all wireless. Mostly ZigBee and Zwave with a few wifi devices mixed in. I struggle to see many reasons to need a wired data connection outside of your network closet.