I'm about to start a house build, I've mapped out where my cameras will go and they all terminate back in the 'comms room'. I'm also wiring (Cat6) to nearly every room in the house, multiple points in common areas.
Ok, I understand that a dedicated computer should be used that runs BI. If I have 8 cameras, I understand an 8 port switch is required connected to the dedicated computer. For my network then, if using BI, I would effectively have two switches, one for BI and the other for my data points & tv. Could I get away with using only one switch (24 or 48 port)?
You could get away with one switch......but you are just waiting for an issue when it fails. Since you are building from scratch, here is my suggestion.
1 - do it right with a proper rack and patch panels.
2 - each floor/area gets its own patch panel and switch.
3 - cameras on their own patch panel and switch
4 - label everything and color code your jumpers (red for POE devices and yellow for pure data for example). Buy the premade jumpers....not worth the headache.
5 - put network jacks in the wall at any location that you think that you might want a tv, computer, camera, or any other network attached device
6 - one is none and two is one. Run more drops than you think that you will need.
7 - make every drop live
8 - buy a real router. Each switch gets it's own port. This allows for easy VLAN setup if you don't go with managed switches.
9 - not necessary, but put in real wireless access points. Don't rely upon the signal from an off the shelf wireless router setup.
10 - when it comes to buying patch panels, jumpers, keystone jacks, etc, you don't have to go with Commscope or Panduit. I've had great luck with the the less expensive stuff from Amazon. Don't waste money on the gold plated stuff unless you live in an area with high salinity in the air (near the ocean for example). No need for that inside the house either.
11 - For patch panels, keystone jacks are not really universal. Buy the keystone jacks from the same company that makes your patch panels or wall plates to ensure a proper fit.
12 - leave slack on both ends for service. For your headend, build it in such a way that you can get back into it as needed. Trust me, you are going to get everything ran, dressed out, and terminated only to find that some port in the middle of a patch panel mounted between two switches doesn't test out. Ease of access will serve you well down the road.
13 - buy an inexpensive
CAT5/6 MAP tester on Amazon and test/verify every drop BEFORE buttoning everything up
14 - Did I mention labeling?? Every drop should have a label at both ends. Label the wall plates. Label the switches and patch panels. Make it so that anyone that can read and has a little bit of common sense can figure out what you did. For example, U13 is a jack on the wall next to my desk on the second floor. I go to my rack and locate the U patch panel. Port 13 has a yellow jumper that goes to port 13 on switch U. I can look at the rack and tell you that the yellow denotes a non POE data only connection and that it is on the second floor.
I have a 100 year old 2 story farm house....with an attic and basement. I've ran all of the CAT6 connections here so I'm speaking from experience. All of my plates are setup for 4 ports. TV locations has one RG6 connection (or HDMI) with 3 CAT6. Standard locations are 4 CAT6. Might be overkill, but it aids in troubleshooting and prevents from having to have another switch. You have the opportunity to do this right and pretty much future proof. So spend the extra time and a bit more money.
Sorry for the rant.....just sharing my proffessional and personal experience.
Oh.....and have a full 200 amp service ran to the house....20 amps per room is nice to have. And don't forget to add power and network drops to the garage or other places that YOU might not think about. The only rooms that do not have network drops are the bathrooms....although.....that might be cool to have for a panel PC mounted for various reason (to do list, weather, camera viewer, stock ticker, etc).
