Hi Snoozee, you have brought out a key point which i have not considered carefully before... how to hide 20 Cat 6 cables. All the time, i have just been assuming the cables can be hid easily.

From what you are saying, it may make more sense to have the contractor run the fiber into the house to where it is most central (ie. least running of Cat 6 cables) in the first floor, and which is suitable to place the router and the switch. If i use a fanless switch, it should be noiseless.

Then i should run a Cat6 to an NVR somewhere upstairs. Besides heat and noise, any considerations where to place an NVR? I would just need to be able to connect to a monitor as and when i want to view, right? I can bring the monitor to the NVR as and when i want to do so?

For the NVR, i can use a fanless one with few ports if the intention is to hook the CCTVs and WAP to the switch directly, right?

If you already have a OTP installed in your living room, you don't really need to relocate it. just make sure you run 2 or 3 RJ45 Cat6 network points near to your OTP so that the ONT can connect back to your central network switch via one of these RJ45 network points.

Cat6 network cables have a max distance run of 100m from point to point. So just build your "server room" in a location where you can spare the area to place your equipment. this "server room" can be anywhere in your house or in your attic if you want.

Calculate how many network points you are going to have and add in the points you need for WAP. For POE network switches, the next step up for 24 ports is 48 ports and price also is much more expensive. If you can squeeze everything within 23 network ports (1 port will be reserved for the uplink for your ONT), then you can get a NVR which has few network ports. Else you may be better off buying a NVR with 8 POE ports and connect your CCTVs to the NVR directly instead.

to view videos on the NVR, just buy a cheap 2nd hand monitor and have it hooked up permanently. would be easier than carting a monitor every now and there.

fanless or have fan doesn't really matter. your equipment is unlikely generate that much noise unless you specifically buy data centre grade equipment which is not meant for home use

My mini server room is my storeroom under my stairs. 
I use a fanless  24 point unmanned switch from d link. 
I locate my router outside and loop it back to the switch from the OTP which is in the storeroom. 

7 hours ago, snoozee said:

If you already have a OTP installed in your living room, you don't really need to relocate it. just make sure you run 2 or 3 RJ45 Cat6 network points near to your OTP so that the ONT can connect back to your central network switch via one of these RJ45 network points.

Cat6 network cables have a max distance run of 100m from point to point. So just build your "server room" in a location where you can spare the area to place your equipment. this "server room" can be anywhere in your house or in your attic if you want.

Calculate how many network points you are going to have and add in the points you need for WAP. For POE network switches, the next step up for 24 ports is 48 ports and price also is much more expensive. If you can squeeze everything within 23 network ports (1 port will be reserved for the uplink for your ONT), then you can get a NVR which has few network ports. Else you may be better off buying a NVR with 8 POE ports and connect your CCTVs to the NVR directly instead.

to view videos on the NVR, just buy a cheap 2nd hand monitor and have it hooked up permanently. would be easier than carting a monitor every now and there.

fanless or have fan doesn't really matter. your equipment is unlikely generate that much noise unless you specifically buy data centre grade equipment which is not meant for home use

I have not used an NVR before... would it be necessary to keep viewing the contents? I suppose for initial set up but for watching CCTV footage, is it possible to view via mobile phone? It would so much more convenient.

4 hours ago, petetherock said:

My mini server room is my storeroom under my stairs. 
I use a fanless  24 point unmanned switch from d link. 
I locate my router outside and loop it back to the switch from the OTP which is in the storeroom. 

Hi Pete, any reason why router outside and switch inside?

2 hours ago, Topline said:

I have not used an NVR before... would it be necessary to keep viewing the contents? I suppose for initial set up but for watching CCTV footage, is it possible to view via mobile phone? It would so much more convenient.

Depends on your NVR model. Mine allows me to view the footage from a mobile app. But more search functionality when viewed directly from the NVR via monitor

3 hours ago, Topline said:

Hi Pete, any reason why router outside and switch inside?

for neatness, all my cables are nicely hidden inside the storeroom, along with my DB..

The router needs to be outside for better reception..

https://peteswrite.blogspot.com/2019/01/setting-up-mesh-network-in-your-home.html 

On 3/2/2022 at 1:27 PM, petetherock said:

My mini server room is my storeroom under my stairs. 
I use a fanless  24 point unmanned switch from d link. 
I locate my router outside and loop it back to the switch from the OTP which is in the storeroom. 

Wow, I have exactly the same setup in my storeroom under the stairs as you but my 24-port switch is TP-Link! I also located my main router in the living room for better wifi coverage and looped back to the storeroom. On hindsight, I would have preferred to locate the NVR in the upper floors and secure it somehow so burglars can't access and trash it so easily. It is also true  that it's challenging to hide the whole bunch of CAT6 cables.

On 3/2/2022 at 6:10 PM, Topline said:

I have not used an NVR before... would it be necessary to keep viewing the contents? I suppose for initial set up but for watching CCTV footage, is it possible to view via mobile phone? It would so much more convenient.

I'm using Hikvision NVR and it allows viewing from phone

On 2/27/2022 at 8:33 AM, Topline said:

Hi, can I check if I want the ability to create separate wifi net work for guests and maybe my kids, I would have to get a managed switch? Unmanaged switch seems easier to manage but I do want these features. Any simple managed switch to recommend?

Also, any quiet NVR to recommend? I’m still looking for an appropriate place to store my NVR… concerned about noise. I can potentially store it in the attic store… so noise will disturb less people but the heat from the roof is a concern then. No air con there.

My Asus router allows me to set up wifi network for guests very easily from phone app. You can decide duration, 2.4GHz or 5GHz etc. 

6 hours ago, Kellhound said:

I'm using Hikvision NVR and it allows viewing from phone

Is yours fanless? Do you mind sharing the model? Doing some research… Hikvision and HP seems like popular brands…. Also considering them for the switch.

I’m thinking of using Unifi WAP and their Dream Machine seems to be a good router…

CCTVs… probably Hikvision.

I was speaking to a shop in Sim Lim that sells Hikvision products. Quite decent pricing but unfortunately they dun do installation but said they can recommend an installer after I buy their products. Anyone tried this route? Wondering how much these installers charge.

 

On 3/5/2022 at 6:34 AM, Topline said:

Is yours fanless? Do you mind sharing the model? Doing some research… Hikvision and HP seems like popular brands…. Also considering them for the switch.

I’m thinking of using Unifi WAP and their Dream Machine seems to be a good router…

CCTVs… probably Hikvision.

I was speaking to a shop in Sim Lim that sells Hikvision products. Quite decent pricing but unfortunately they dun do installation but said they can recommend an installer after I buy their products. Anyone tried this route? Wondering how much these installers charge.

 

My NVR is not fanless. I don't recommend fanless if one is using 3.5" hard drives for storage. Mine has 2 hard drives and is the 16-channel model. Heat is a major killer of electronics.

I bought from Sxx Hxxx in Sim Lim but from their online shop in Lazada. I got my electrician to install the CCTVs but did the layout design/setup myself.

On 3/2/2022 at 11:07 AM, snoozee said:

If you already have a OTP installed in your living room, you don't really need to relocate it. just make sure you run 2 or 3 RJ45 Cat6 network points near to your OTP so that the ONT can connect back to your central network switch via one of these RJ45 network points.

Cat6 network cables have a max distance run of 100m from point to point. So just build your "server room" in a location where you can spare the area to place your equipment. this "server room" can be anywhere in your house or in your attic if you want.

Calculate how many network points you are going to have and add in the points you need for WAP. For POE network switches, the next step up for 24 ports is 48 ports and price also is much more expensive. If you can squeeze everything within 23 network ports (1 port will be reserved for the uplink for your ONT), then you can get a NVR which has few network ports. Else you may be better off buying a NVR with 8 POE ports and connect your CCTVs to the NVR directly instead.

to view videos on the NVR, just buy a cheap 2nd hand monitor and have it hooked up permanently. would be easier than carting a monitor every now and there.

fanless or have fan doesn't really matter. your equipment is unlikely generate that much noise unless you specifically buy data centre grade equipment which is not meant for home use

Snoozee, on your first point, if I leave the OTP at the living room, does that mean the router will be at that spot? If so, i got a problem hiding the router. Any concern to just relocate the OTP to the central location on my first floor (deeper in the house, in a closed wooden cabinet) where i can place the router and the switch?

The cabinet i have in mind in the central location is a 2-tier shelf which has about 32 cm of internal depth. Is this sufficient to place:

(1) my router on the bottom shelf, connected to the OTP

(2) the router will be connected to the switch on the top tier. I will prob have some space cut out on the plank of the top tier...to allow the cable to be connected between the router and the switch?

Is 32 cm internal depth ok for 24 or 48 port POE switch?

It’s easier to leave the OTP where it is then do as he said and run a Lan cable to where your router will be sited. 
 

1 hour ago, petetherock said:

It’s easier to leave the OTP where it is then do as he said and run a Lan cable to where your router will be sited. 
 

Thanks Pete. Is it possible to run a LAN cable from the OTP to router? My old home has a thin yellow cable (dunno what you call this...) leading from the OTP to my Starhub router.