/ Engineering · Networking
Networking
the building's nervous system.
Cat6A backbone, PoE++ access layer, AV/IT segmentation, Wi-Fi density engineering — the network that everything else rides on.
- Default access cabling
- Cat6A, 25-year warranty, 10G capable
- Default PoE class
- PoE++ (IEEE 802.3bt) at access layer
- Default VLAN structure
- Corp / AV / IoT-BMS / Life-Safety-CCTV / Guest
Modern building systems all converge on the IP network. AV-over-IP, IP CCTV, IP access control, IP intercom, IP fire-alarm interfaces, IP BMS supervisory layers. The network is no longer the IT team's domain alone; it is the substrate on which life-safety, surveillance, AV and BMS all depend. A poorly designed network propagates failure to every subsystem.
We design the network as a multi-VLAN backbone with documented QoS marking, IGMP snooping where AV-over-IP is present, PoE++ at the access layer for cameras and Wi-Fi 7 APs, and a strict segmentation between corporate traffic, AV traffic, IoT/BMS traffic and life-safety/CCTV traffic. The design is documented in the network pack and reviewed with the IT team before commissioning. The result is a network that absorbs the burden of dependent systems without becoming the bottleneck.
/ Sample interoperability matrix
CCTV + PoE switching + storage
IP cameras need PoE switches sized for both power and bandwidth, and storage sized for retention × bitrate × camera-count.
| Partner system | Fit | Engineering note |
|---|---|---|
PoE Standard poe-standard | Native | IEEE 802.3bt provides up to 90 W per port — sufficient for heated PTZ. |
Cat6A Cabling cat6a-cabling | Native | Required for PoE++ above 60 W per port and 10G aggregation links. |
Entity graph
Related entities in the engineering graph
technology
Wi-Fi 7 (IEEE 802.11be)
Current generation of Wi-Fi. Adds 6 GHz band, MLO multi-link operation and 320 MHz channels. Default for new premium deployments where dense-room capacity is the binding constraint.
protocol
Power over Ethernet (IEEE 802.3)
IEEE-standard delivery of low-voltage DC power over the same Cat-class cable as data. PoE+ delivers up to 30 W; PoE++ Type 3/4 up to 90 W — sufficient for IP cameras, APs, VOIP phones and small displays.
infrastructure system
Cat6A Structured Cabling
Augmented Category 6 structured cabling — 10 Gbps over the full 100 m channel, rated for 25 years of service. The default for any new commercial or premium-residential cabling layer.
Interoperability
Related interoperability matrices
Interoperability
CCTV + PoE switching + storage — the IP surveillance triad
IP cameras need PoE switches sized for both power and bandwidth, and storage sized for retention × bitrate × camera-count.
Interoperability
AV-over-IP + network design — the boardroom backbone
AV-over-IP places real-time video traffic on the building's IP layer. Network design must accommodate latency, jitter and multicast.
Interoperability
Wi-Fi density engineering — capacity over coverage
Premium Wi-Fi is sized for concurrent client density, not square-metre coverage. AP placement, channel plan and PoE budget are interlocked.
Engineering toolkit
Tools for this work
calculator
Network & PoE Calculator
Sized to year-three load — switches, Wi-Fi 7 access points, PoE budget, Cat6A run count, project cost. Cisco / HPE Aruba / Juniper-class enterprise gear.
calculator
PoE Budget Calculator
PoE-powered device counts in — total watts, switch tier (PoE+ / PoE++ Type 3 / Type 4), and indicative SKU band out. 30% headroom built in.
configurator
AV-over-IP vs HDBaseT
Six questions about endpoints, distance, growth, network, control and budget — and a scored recommendation between AV-over-IP and HDBaseT, with platform candidates.
Methodology
Methodology principles cited above
design
Infrastructure first, devices second
Power, pathways and cabling outlive every device that plugs into them. Specify infrastructure for the building's lifetime, not the current device.
interoperability
Interoperability is a constraint, not a feature
Vendor-lock saves money in year one and costs five times that amount in year seven. Open standards are the starting point.
Glossary
Related glossary terms
Networking
Cat6A
Augmented Category 6 structured cabling. Supports 10 Gbps over the full 100 m channel without compromise, rated for 25 years of service. Premium over Cat6 is no…
Networking
PoE
Power over Ethernet. Delivers low-voltage DC power to network devices over the same Cat-class cable that carries data. PoE+ delivers up to 30 W; PoE++ up to 90 …
Networking
Wi-Fi 7
IEEE 802.11be. The current generation of Wi-Fi as of 2026, adding 6 GHz band, MLO multi-link operation and 320 MHz channels. Real-world capacity gains over Wi-F…
· Last reviewed 2026-05-17 · pillar
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/ Engineering portal
Continue exploring
Concept
Power over Ethernet (IEEE 802.3)
IEEE-standard delivery of low-voltage DC power over the same Cat-class cable as data. PoE+ delivers up to 30 W; PoE++ Type 3/4 up to 90 W — sufficient for IP cameras, APs, VOIP phones and small displays.
Service
IT & Networking
Wires the building's nervous system.
Concept
Cat6A Structured Cabling
Augmented Category 6 structured cabling — 10 Gbps over the full 100 m channel, rated for 25 years of service. The default for any new commercial or premium-residential cabling layer.
Tool
Network & PoE Calculator
Sized to year-three load — switches, Wi-Fi 7 access points, PoE budget, Cat6A run count, project cost. Cisco / HPE Aruba / Juniper-class enterprise gear.
Service
Enterprise Wi-Fi
Coverage you can measure, not just claim.
Tool
PoE Budget Calculator
PoE-powered device counts in — total watts, switch tier (PoE+ / PoE++ Type 3 / Type 4), and indicative SKU band out. 30% headroom built in.