Page 62 - 2014 SDCA Project

Networking Building Systems

Internet Connectivity:

Internet connectivity is an important feature of modern buildings that ensure that both occupants and building systems can receive and
transmit vital information. Network connectivity can be achieved through the following means:

I. Dedicated conductive wiring
a. Very reliable

b. Very fast: 10-gigabit (10 billion bit) transfer rates with current protocols, which are 10 times faster than Gigabit and 100 times
faster than 100 c. Megabit connections that are commonly used today
d. Inexpensive material cost, and trivial labor cost when also pulling wiring for other purposes

II. Shared wiring that transmits electricity for energizing equipment and communication signals
a. A compromise

b. Unreliable
c. Slow
d. Do not use if other choices are available

III. Optical wiring
a. Very reliable

b. Incomprehensibly fast: light speed
c. Expensive to install
d. Not particularly useful if the Internet Service Provider does not also provide an internet connection of the same speed/bandwidth

IV. Wireless protocols
a. Signals are transmitted via electromagnetic waves without the need for wires with protocols that include:

i. Wi-Fi
ii. Radio frequency- mesh networks
iii. Light (experimental)

b. Less reliable than a physical wire
c. Fast and approaching Gigabit speeds

d. Minimal design or installation cost.

Recommendations:
It is recommended that conductive, dedicated wiring (Cat6) is installed throughout the building. A hard-wired connection is extremely reliable, fast, and inexpensive when

installed during construction. A hard-wired connection provides flexibility for locating routers to transmit/receive wireless signals, and ensures that a dependable internet
connection is available for special purposes, such as control systems. Every envelope penetration must be meticulously sealed to meet the Passive House Certification criteria.

Making only one penetration, at a single instance will make air sealing much easier.

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