Simplifying Home Automation Setup After a Loss: Seeking Guidance on a Gigabit Switch

Hello Everyone,

I recently experienced the sudden loss of my father, who was an enthusiastic home automation enthusiast. He meticulously set up our entire house using custom-coded Raspberry Pi devices, as he preferred to avoid external servers for privacy and security reasons. As a result, I’ve been tasked with the challenging job of simplifying this elaborate setup to make the home market-ready for my mother.

The Current Situation

The house is equipped with an extensive array of 36 Ethernet ports scattered throughout various rooms. All of this is connected to a main router located downstairs, which is further linked to a cluttered server room — a situation that is as overwhelming as it is complex. This room has been adapted for various functions, including satellite feeds, TV signals, telephone lines, and even ceiling speakers.

There’s a large Ethernet patch panel (which I’m learning is called a patch panel) that houses these 36 Ethernet ports. Essentially, to connect the wall ports in different rooms to the internet, an Ethernet cable must be plugged from a switch into this panel.

My Objectives

The imperative for me is to transform this chaotic setup into a more straightforward and user-friendly configuration. This will not only ease the burden on my mother but also enhance the appeal of the home to potential buyers.

To achieve this, I am considering purchasing a robust switch that offers 36 Ethernet ports to connect directly to the patch panel. The switch I have in mind is the TP-Link TL-SG3452.

Check out the TP-Link TL-SG3452 here.

Key Requirements for the Switch

• Gigabit Ethernet Support: The switch must support gigabit Ethernet to ensure fast and reliable connectivity.
• Plug-and-Play Functionality: I hope to find a switch that requires minimal interaction and setup — something akin to plug-and-play.
• Sufficient Ports: Ideally, the switch should have around 40 ports to allow for some extra capacity, in case we need to connect additional network-enabled devices, such as servers.

I’m reaching out to you, the community, for your insights or recommendations. This has been an incredibly challenging time for us, and the thought of maintaining the performance of this intricate home automation system while dealing with everything else is daunting. Any help