Wired or Wireless. Which is the best option?

Now with no doubts that the near $50 Billion NBN project will continue to roll out across Australia its time for Australian Data and Electrical Contractors to start maneuvering to ensure they get their share of this cabling bonanza.
In reality, the large cabling infrastructure installations will be carved up amongst the major contractors but there are still huge opportunities for the smart small to medium sized enterprises to offer cabling services to business and residential customers.

 

This will be a massive growth market and now is the time to act while the NBN’s opportunities are still the focus of media attention.  Those best informed and positioned will reap the rewards over the next ten years.

 

With estimated consumer costs of $400 to cable a room with Cat 6 cabling the opportunities are very enticing but firstly contractors must know the requirements and technology that will be needed get the most from each installation.

 

The first question a sometimes well informed householder will ask is “Wired or Wireless?”.  This scenario will occur in many instances and the clever contractor will offer both services as there is no definitive answer.

 

The WIRED solution will typically be a Category 6 installation that will have a ventilated, accessible central area to terminate the cables and store a network switch and AV panels.  This will generally be in an attic or the under stairs area so the size of the cabling enclosure can be important.  4LAN offer a mini cabinet and panel solution that is perfect for most home requirements whilst being neat, tidy and small in size (11 inches).  It offers a lockable door with power, shelving and patch panel options.

 

Benefits of a wired solution are:

• Relatively low cost
• Much better speeds than wireless
• Very reliable
• Good security for your data
• Easy setup

 

WIRELESS consists of radio wave communication between devices on the network and its fast becoming popular in homes and offices right across Australia.

 

All homes are built differently and in-house entertainment and cabling can be an after thought especially in most older buildings and rented accommodation where tenants are restricted so the only option is to go wireless.  Also most home owners are not aware that they need a license to run data cables even in their own home.

 

As most PCs, Laptops and gaming consoles are equipped with wireless interfaces it’s a very tempting option. But this should not deter contractors from offering this service often in conjunction with a basic data cabling point for router access. Broadband routers are relatively inexpensive and once learned are configured with the minimum of fuss.  This can also lead to opportunities for after sales service and a possible service contract.

 

Benefits of a wireless solution are

• Neat and tidy with no unsightly wires
• Flexibility to connect PC’s and gaming virtually anywhere in the house
• Relatively simple to setup
• Expandable

 

Almost everyone has an opinion on Wired or Wireless but a foot in both technologies is the smart move