An honest look at multi-gig home networking: what gigabit really limits, why your disk is the bottleneck before the link is, the 2.5G/5G/10G ladder and its cabling and PoE realities, the handful of workloads that justify 10 GbE, and a sane topology that spends the money only where it pays off.
Structured-Wiring
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10 GbE at Home: When It Actually Matters -
Designing a UniFi Home Network: Cameras, Doorbells, and Multi-Zone Audio A complete, opinionated plan for wiring an older house during a remodel around Ubiquiti UniFi: which gateway, switch, access points, cameras, and doorbells to buy and why, how Protect storage and retention math actually work, a camera-placement and cabling plan, where UniFi stops and you need a third-party audio vendor, and how you access footage and get notifications.
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Outlets and PoE Drops: Where to Put Power and Network Before the Drywall Goes Up Outlet and network-drop placement is the cheapest decision you'll ever make at rough-in and the most expensive one to fix afterward. This guide covers both halves of the plan: line-voltage outlets — the NEC code floor (the 6/12 rule, kitchen 2/4 spacing, GFCI zones), the rooms where code-minimum isn't enough, and the odd-but-brilliant locations like switched soffit outlets for holiday lights, garage-ceiling receptacles, and in-drawer charging — and PoE drops, including exactly where camera drops belong (eave corners, choke points, 8–10 feet high), why even Wi-Fi cameras like Ring deserve a drop, ceiling access points, doorbells, and the planning mechanics of PoE budgets, conduit, service loops, and surge protection.
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Wiring a Home Remodel for Network: Cable, Drops, Switches, and APs If the walls are open, this is the cheapest they will ever be to wire. A practical guide to networking a home remodel in 2026 — what cable to run (Cat6 vs Cat6A), how many drops per room, where to put the panel and access points, and which switches and PoE gear to buy — written for someone planning the runs, not pulling them blind.