Wired or Wireless

ABOVE: Having a wired system does not restrict you to wired-in controls: you can still enjoy hand-held remotes such as this from high-end installer Crestron (0845 873 8787)

For most self-builders, the question of whether to opt for wired or wireless technology is a bit of a no-brainer. Although it is impossible to fully future-proof our homes, we have reached a point where many homebuyers expect new properties to have at least the bare bones of an intelligent structure in place. Therefore, when building a new home, you should install Cat5 – or an industry equivalent such as KNX’s bus, or Cat6 (the standard for gigabit ethernet, though incompatible with some devices) – cabling during the build process to form the basis of a smart home system. Cables for a typical four bedroom home can be bought for just £300-400 and your electrician can install them alongside the main cables. Then, even if you decide not to take the notion of ‘smart home’ any further, you have created a base that future occupiers can expand upon. One company, Digital Plumbers (www.digitalplumbers.com), offers wiring packages for just this purpose, including wall sockets, data points and a central distribution panel, all for a modest price of around £1,200.

For renovators, the wired vs wireless debate is a little more pertinent. If the project is extensive enough to justify going through walls for a love of all things hi-tech, then go ahead and install wiring. If not, then you will have to opt for a wireless system. Wireless has come under a lot of fire with claims that it is less reliable, slower and affected by interference from other devices — even underfloor heating (which, according to Iain Gordon, president of intelligent building control standard KNX, is not the case). However, while there is truth to some of these claims, wireless networks are improving all the time, and are now able to pass data packets across networks quicker and with far less ‘jitters’ and data loss than ever before.

However, there is no getting around the fact that, at present, Wi-Fi (the most common technology used for wireless applications) does not offer data rates as high as wired, making it less appropriate for bandwidth-heavy applications such as multi-room video, where very large amounts of data are being transferred. But it’s also worth bearing in mind that it takes much less information to dim a light or change the temperature setting on a thermostat than it takes to send video from one part of the house to another, so if you’re only interested in one or two nonbandwidth- demanding commands, then wireless is still a good option. There are even several Wi-Fi multi-room audio systems that work very well and do not have a problem with being out of sync when playing the same track in two zones at once (a common complaint).

Whether you are self-building or renovating, however, there is no reason why you can’t have a wireless home computer network instead of wired – even better have both – as it allows a level of flexibility in that you can work any time, anywhere, away from structured network points. Larger houses may require several wireless points to distribute the signal.

Before you come down on one side of the debate, perhaps you should talk to a CEDIA installer (www.cedia.co.uk) to determine the kind of applications you desire. They are specialists in integrating technology and will help you choose the right system for your property. Some high-end solutions will require specialist cabling, taking the decision out of your hands anyway. Certainly, for any multifunctional smart home system incorporating various bandwidth-heavy elements, then wired is the better option. But you can always complement any wired system with supplementary wireless devices, for the best of both worlds.