6 Diagrams to Base Your Home Network On for Full Connectivity

Looking to set up a home network? Look no further. Here are six home network diagrams to help achieve full connectivity.

Having a reliable internet connection is more important than ever. Work at home jobs are becoming popular, 5G internet is making its way to the public, and every person in the household has multiple internet capable devices.

With social media, online gaming, food delivery services, and general search queries needing an internet connection, it is important that every household get a reliable internet connection.

Once you’ve subscribed to an ISP of your choice, you can then design and implement your own home network. Here are a few home network diagrams you can use for full connectivity within your household.

1. Easy and Convenient Home Network

Let’s say you’re just starting in life, and you got a small apartment for yourself. You know you need an internet connection but have no clue how to set up a home network. All you know is you need it easy and convenient, and this simple plug-and-play home network should suffice for most people.

When subscribing to an ISP, they would often offer to provide you with a modem or a gateway. Go for the gateway. A gateway provides all the functions of a modem, router, and wireless access point in one device. You’ll only need to plug power into the gateway, stick an Ethernet cable into your computer and connect your phone through Wi-Fi.

Pros:

• Plug and play
• Requires only one power plug
• It needs little to no space
• Doesn’t need to be configured

Cons:

• It may be unreliable at times
• Limited connection range
• Limited devices you can connect

2. Easy Work at Home Setup

Are you working at home? Is having a stable internet connection a necessity for you? Maybe you know what a home network should look like but still want to keep it simple. If so, then this basic work-at-home setup should get you up and running for your important tasks.

Instead of a gateway, ask your ISP for a separate modem and router. Having these two devices separate will allow you to have a more reliable connection, a comprehensive settings menu, and overall more capabilities.

Depending on the router, this home network should provide you with three to four Ethernet ports for your computers and printer, as well as a single port to connect your telephone.

Pros:

• Easy setup
• Have options to configure router but not necessary
• More reliable than a gateway
• Provides a port for your telephone

Cons:

• The number of Ethernet ports limits the number of devices able to have a wired connection
• Limited Wi-Fi range

3. Basic Home Setup

This home network setup is ideal for a family with basic needs. “Basic” includes a few computers, a telephone, a printer, a smart TV, a game console, and several smartphones/tablets.

The components used in this setup are similar to the basic work at home set up earlier except for a switch. The switch provides more ports, allowing the addition of more appliances and other electronics such as a smart TV and game console.

Pros:

• Provides a good amount of wired connectivity
• Allows reasonable amounts of entertainment for the family

Cons:

• Can be tricky to set up if you have many smart appliances
• Larger houses may have poor Wi-Fi range

4. Reliable Home Setup

A great setup for those working from home while with a family, this network setup provides a reliable connection to work-related devices while also providing enough ports and wireless access points for the family.

The network components needed are the same as the basic home network setup. The only difference is the network configuration. Work-related devices such as the work computer, telephone, and printer can connect to the router directly as it avoids a single point of failure in case something happens to the switch.

You may even get a UPS (Uninterrupted Power Supply) with multiple power outlets as a backup for your PC, printer, router, and modem.

Pros:

• Provides a more reliable network for your work-related devices

Cons:

• Your work-related devices need to be close to the router, especially if you intend to use a UPS

Related: Things That Might Be Slowing Down Your Home Wi-Fi Network

5. Two-Story House Network Setup

Living in a bungalow with a basic home setup should suffice for many people. However, if you live in a two-story house, you might find that wireless connectivity is lacking. Depending on how big your house is, you may find it expensive to purchase long Ethernet cables and have them properly concealed and protected from the environment. If you feel you have the same problem, this two-story network setup should provide better connectivity on a reasonable budget.

This home network setup uses a modem, a router, two switches, and one Wi-Fi repeater. Each floor will have one switch and one wireless access point. If you’re confused, the two wireless access points will be the Wi-Fi repeater and the home router (a typical home router should already provide a wireless access point).

Pros:

• Provides full connectivity
• Provides connectivity to many wired and wireless devices
• Admin network configurations are not necessary

Cons:

• Those who plan to DIY this setup must have some carpentry experience to make the setup look neat, safe, and well protected

6. Smart Home Network Setup

So you love tech and like the idea of a smart home where doors, appliances, and a virtual assistant provide you with all the conveniences that make life simpler. This idea requires reliable wireless access points and some wired connections for stationary appliances.

This smart home network setup uses the same network components as the two-story network setup and assumes a one-story house. It is important to ensure IoT devices have a strong connection to a wireless access point. You’ll often need a switch to make a wired connection from the router to more distant places in your house before adding a wireless access point. This will ensure that the wireless access point will provide a reliable connection to important IoT devices, which are expected to work at all times.

Pros:

• Reliable wireless access for your IoT devices
• Convenient wireless access points around the house

Cons:

• Needs administrative configurations for it to work smoothly and securely

Related: What Is a Smart Home Protocol?

Designing Your Own Home Network

For the most part, home network setups are easy to design and implement. However, just because it works doesn’t mean it’s ideal.

Even as a home network, aim to eliminate as many single points of failure as you can. It is advisable not to daisy chain two or more switches together, as the failure of one switch may cause others to stop working. It is also good to be redundant (if you can) and make backup wired connections if you can.

Also, remember that concrete walls significantly affect the signal strength of your wireless access point. Appliances such as microwaves will also reduce your signal strength. If you live in one part of a duplex, your neighbor’s wireless access point will also interfere with yours. Use as many wired connections as you can.

Finally, make your designs as simple as possible. You’d be surprised how hard it is to install cables through walls and make them look neat, safe, and reliable.