When we were looking for our first house, one of the things I wanted to do was install a professional-level networking stack. I must admit that some of my excitement came from being in the first home for decades that I could put holes in the walls and other things that previous rental agreements prohibited. Still, I was determined to drop copper backhaul to every room for future expansions.

You might wonder why, when modern smart home equipment is mostly wireless, I'd want to run so many cables, but it's all about getting the most out of my home network and the devices inside it. I wanted to wire as many things as possible, from my NAS to my main computers, and the only way to do that easily was to drop backhaul to every room in the house. In doing so, it also gives me options for the future, such as if my networking needs change or if I decide to change which room certain devices are in.

Wired backhaul is (nearly) essential

Wi-Fi is great but it's no substitute

I've long believed in having the correct tools for the job, and part of that is hard-wiring devices even when I'm using the newest Wi-Fi version with mesh access points. Building a capable smart home is a lot easier than it was now that things like Home Assistant are around to tie devices together, but basic connectivity is key. High-bandwidth and/or high-usage devices deserve wired connectivity if possible, and offloading smart home devices to other wireless protocols like Zigbee takes them off the Wi-Fi network to free up airtime for smartphones and laptops.

It's been a journey of discovery (and learning), but I'm getting there, and part of that is knowing where to hardwire backhaul and other connections to give the wireless parts of my network their best shot at peak performance. However, if you're pulling cables, you might as well pull it into every room, including closets, utility rooms, the garage, and any other interior spaces. It's worth doing it properly from the get-go if the budget allows it.

Lots of effort now, lots of enjoyment later

No more worrying about stability or coverage

You can't argue with physics, and wireless connectivity will never be better than wired networking. That's not to say it won't get close, or that there's no place for both to co-exist, but it's just a physical fact that wired connectivity is, and will be, faster, more stable, and less prone to latency issues. And that means it's the best choice for gaming PCs, consoles, NAS, and servers, and other high-use networked devices.

If I need more connectivity in the future, I can put a PoE-powered managed switch in the wall where a drop ends, and add multiple more ports for use. If I do this in the ceiling instead, I can drop the new cables to exactly where needed on the walls, and put in new wallplates with ease. And maybe I need those connections for a new security system, or networked smoke alarms, or some other use I haven't thought of yet. The point is that the cables are there, for when needed, and will continue to be relevant to my home and my needs for some time.

We got lucky with a new build

Pulling cable through existing walls would have made me pause

When we were looking for our home, the choices were limited. We lucked out by walking into a new development at the right time, which meant we could get Cat cable drops to every room as part of the building process, making things substantially easier. We couldn't change where those drops went on the walls, but that's less of an issue and one that I'm okay with having to work around.

Certainly, next time, I'll be looking for a builder who will let us change where wires get pulled to, but also I'll have more of an idea of where I'd want them, as this time around I had no real clue. For a start, I'll be specifying Cat 6a at a minimum (or whatever the current Cat specification is at the time, this will be in the future), and fiber runs between the floors for backhaul.

I'll also want drops in every closet and power sockets because that's the easiest place to put local switches if I need to wire more devices in a room. Also, each hallway will get a drop at either end of the ceiling for picking the best positions for wireless access points. And I want cables to run to every corner of the house outside and all outside doors with shielded outdoor cabling to add IP cameras and PoE video doorbells, because I absolutely hate how slow our current wireless ones are.

If we end up buying an older home, then I'll still want wiring done to each room, but I'll figure out where those drops go depending on if there's attic or basement access. I'd love a cooler climate basement to drop the network cabinet in next time, but I guess that all depends since so many homes are built on slab these days.

Hybrid network infrastructure gets you the best platform for your home

I've only got a handful of wired network devices in my home, and the majority of them are either in my network rack or my office, but that's not why I wanted to pull backhaul to all my rooms. I wanted to make full use of my mesh network, without it using one of the three bands for wireless backhaul. I also wanted the options for future expandability, without having to open up walls and pull cable again. Planning for expanded capacity and potential networking needs means I only had to upgrade the infrastructure once, and then it would suffice for many years to come. Plus, the boost to resale value once we do move is a nice bonus.