Every Camera, Intercom, and Reader Runs on a Network. We Make Sure That Network Works.

The Single Router Misconception

The most common assumption we encounter in residential projects is that a single wireless router; usually positioned wherever the ISP installed it; will provide adequate coverage throughout a three-storey home. In practice, it rarely does. Walls, floors, and distance weaken the WiFi signal considerably, and by the time you reach the upper floors or the far end of the house, the connection is unreliable. This affects not just internet browsing, but every wireless security device on the property.

The right time to address this is during construction or renovation, when cables are being run anyway. Our recommendation is straightforward: run a physical Cat6 data point to every floor, ideally terminating at the ceiling of each level. A ceiling-mounted access point radiates the signal outward and downward across the floor plate; far more effectively than a wall-mounted router trying to push signal upward through a concrete slab.

For individual rooms, the decision depends on what is in the room and how it will be used. For mobile phones and casual browsing, a strong WiFi signal from the nearest access point is usually sufficient. But for a smart TV streaming 4K content, a gaming console, or a desktop workstation on video calls, a physical network point is always preferable. WiFi bandwidth is shared across all devices connected to the same access point. A wired connection is not.

The Ruijie RG-RAP1200: WiFi and Wired Ports in One Wall Plate

For rooms where a ceiling access point is not planned but WiFi coverage is marginal, or where wired connectivity is needed alongside wireless, we often specify the Ruijie RG-RAP1200 wall plate access point. It installs directly into a standard 86mm wall junction box; the same format as a power socket or data outlet, and does two things at once.

On the wireless side, it operates as a dual-band WiFi 5 access point running concurrently at 2.4GHz and 5GHz, delivering up to 1267Mbps per AP with support for up to 110 connected clients. It draws power directly from the PoE switch via the incoming Cat6 cable; no separate power point required at the wall.

On the wired side, it has front-facing LAN ports for connecting devices directly in the room: a smart TV, an IP phone, a desktop computer, or a security camera. This gives the occupant both strong local WiFi and wired connectivity from a single, neat wall-plate installation, with no additional cabling beyond the single Cat6 run that was already planned.

When multiple RG-RAP1200 units are deployed across a home alongside Ruijie managed switches, they operate as a unified network. Configured with a single SSID, a phone moving from the ground floor to the master bedroom connects seamlessly to the nearest access point without dropping the session or requiring the user to switch networks. For households that prefer separate networks for different uses or device types, separate SSIDs per VLAN can be assigned, for example, a dedicated SSID for security devices isolated from the general home network.

A Switch Per Floor. An Uplink to the Core.

For shophouse offices, commercial units, and any multi-storey building where security and communications devices are spread across multiple levels, running every cable back to a single central switch on one floor is the wrong architecture. Cable runs frequently exceed the 100-metre PoE limit, the central room becomes a cable management problem, and a single switch fault takes the entire system offline.

Our approach is to place a managed PoE switch on each floor or alternate floor, depending on device density and building layout. Every camera, intercom, access reader, and IP phone on that level connects to the nearest floor switch. The floor switches then uplink to a core managed switch in the server room, security room, or main comms cabinet via a higher-capacity dedicated connection.

This keeps every device within the 100-metre PoE limit, distributes the cabling load cleanly across the building, and means a fault on one floor's switch does not affect the rest of the system. Future expansion is also straightforward; adding a device on a floor means connecting to a nearby switch port, not pulling a new cable all the way back to a central room.

The physical cabling between floors; conduit, trunking, and cable pulling; is coordinated with the project's M&E contractor or electrician. Our scope begins at the switch port: design, supply, configuration, commissioning, and ensuring every connected device operates correctly within the network architecture.

The Core Switch, VLANs, and the Security Layer

At the heart of a larger network, in the FCC, security room, or main comms cabinet; sits the core managed switch. This is where uplinks from all floor switches terminate and where the security network is formally separated from the rest of the building's data traffic.

Think of VLAN segmentation as creating separate lanes on the same physical network; each lane carries its own traffic and cannot see into the others. Without it, every device on the building's network; laptops, printers, guest WiFi, staff phones; shares the same network as cameras, access readers, and intercom panels. With a properly configured security VLAN in place, security devices operate on their own isolated segment. If a camera port is tampered with; someone unplugs a device and connects an unauthorised laptop to the port; the VLAN limits what that device can see and reach. It is a straightforward and effective layer of protection that usually adds very little cost once managed switches are already part of the design.

For organisations with an in-house IT team or a managed network provider, we work with them at this level. We provide the VLAN design, the switch configuration parameters, and the requirements for any firewall rules governing traffic between the security VLAN and the wider corporate network. Perimeter firewall management and enterprise network security are their domain; ours is the security system network layer. Where both teams are involved, the handover point is clearly defined and documented so there are no gaps.

For smaller commercial clients and residential properties without an IT team, we handle the complete configuration, including router programming for remote access to cameras and security platforms via mobile app, using cloud relay services such as Hik-Connect for Hikvision systems, and the Omada or Ruijie Cloud platforms for network device management and remote monitoring.