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Checking references for intended status: Informational ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- No issues found here. Summary: 0 errors (**), 0 flaws (~~), 1 warning (==), 1 comment (--). Run idnits with the --verbose option for more detailed information about the items above. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2 Network Working Group J. Arkko 3 Internet-Draft A. Keranen 4 Intended status: Informational Ericsson 5 Expires: September 6, 2012 March 5, 2012 7 Minimum Requirements for Physical Layout of Home Networks 8 draft-arkko-homenet-physical-standard-00 10 Abstract 12 Support for network technology in buildings varies greatly depending 13 on the age of the building, but the ease of building a home network 14 is also highly dependent on the chosen wiring, power, and equipment 15 space designs. As networking technology evolves at a fast pace, it 16 is important to choose designs that are expected to be useful for a 17 long time. While there are many cabling, equipment, and protocol 18 standards, only limited standards exist for the physical network 19 layout for new buildings. This memo sets a baseline requirements 20 that new, single-family dwellings must at least satisfy in order to 21 benefit from advances in networking technology. 23 Standardizing network technology for buildings is a challenging task, 24 however. This memo has been submitted for the home networking 25 working group at the IETF as one forum that the authors were able to 26 find that cares about the home network as a system. However, in 27 general the IETF has expertise only on protocols, not on the physical 28 medium. Advice is sought on what existing standards already address 29 this problem, what standardization efforts may be under way in the 30 world, and if work remains, what the right forum to discuss these 31 matters might be. 33 Status of this Memo 35 This Internet-Draft is submitted in full conformance with the 36 provisions of BCP 78 and BCP 79. 38 Internet-Drafts are working documents of the Internet Engineering 39 Task Force (IETF). Note that other groups may also distribute 40 working documents as Internet-Drafts. The list of current Internet- 41 Drafts is at http://datatracker.ietf.org/drafts/current/. 43 Internet-Drafts are draft documents valid for a maximum of six months 44 and may be updated, replaced, or obsoleted by other documents at any 45 time. It is inappropriate to use Internet-Drafts as reference 46 material or to cite them other than as "work in progress." 48 This Internet-Draft will expire on September 6, 2012. 50 Copyright Notice 52 Copyright (c) 2012 IETF Trust and the persons identified as the 53 document authors. All rights reserved. 55 This document is subject to BCP 78 and the IETF Trust's Legal 56 Provisions Relating to IETF Documents 57 (http://trustee.ietf.org/license-info) in effect on the date of 58 publication of this document. Please review these documents 59 carefully, as they describe your rights and restrictions with respect 60 to this document. Code Components extracted from this document must 61 include Simplified BSD License text as described in Section 4.e of 62 the Trust Legal Provisions and are provided without warranty as 63 described in the Simplified BSD License. 65 Table of Contents 67 1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 68 2. Requirements language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 69 3. Motivation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 70 4. Network Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 71 5. Cabling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 72 6. Space and Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 73 7. Security Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 74 8. IANA Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 75 9. References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 76 9.1. Normative References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 77 9.2. Informative References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 78 Appendix A. Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 79 Authors' Addresses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 81 1. Introduction 83 Support for network technology in buildings varies greatly depending 84 on the age of the building. Older buildings may have no wiring to 85 support any network infrastructure, power may be available only at 86 select places, and so on. Newer buildings can generally support some 87 wired networking mechanisms and provide space and power for the 88 necessary equipment. 90 But the ease of building a home network is also highly dependent on 91 the chosen wiring, power, and equipment space designs. As networking 92 technology evolves at a fast pace, it is important to choose designs 93 that are expected to be useful for a long time. A well-designed 94 network architecture at the physical, cabling, power, and equipment 95 space level could support anything from plain old telephone systems 96 to broadband IP networks, IP-based TV systems, and home automation. 97 The underlying physical infrastructure should not be impacted by 98 technology evolution such as moving from traditional telephony to 99 transporting voice over IP networks, variations in employing either 100 Ethernet switching, routing, and network address translation, moving 101 from IPv4 to IPv6, and so on. 103 While there are many cabling, equipment, and protocol standards, to 104 date there has been no standard for the physical network layout for 105 new buildings. This memo sets a baseline requirements that new, 106 single-family residences must satisfy in order to benefit from 107 advances in networking technology. The basic requirements call for 108 using general purpose cabling in a star topology and providing space 109 for equipment in an equipment rack, and sufficient power supply. 111 Standardizing network technology for buildings is a challenging task, 112 however. This memo has been submitted for the home networking 113 working group at the IETF as one forum that the authors were able to 114 find that appears to care about the home network as a system. 115 However, in general the IETF has expertise only on protocols, not on 116 the physical medium, equipment racks, power supplies, or civil 117 engineering and building requirements. 119 Similarly, cabling standards bodies have experience only on the 120 physical medium but not its application in a specific context, civil 121 engineering standards bodies have only experience on buildings and 122 not on networking requirements, equipment form factor and rack 123 specifications are not specified for a particular home network 124 context, and so on. 126 As a result, it is unclear what forum would have the right expertise 127 to discuss this. Advice is sought on what existing standards already 128 address this problem, what standardization efforts may be under way, 129 and if work remains, what the right forum to discuss these matters 130 might be. 132 The rest of this memo is organized as follows. Section 2 defines the 133 requirements language. Section 3 discusses the motivation for 134 needing any physical infrastructure beyond wireless in houses. 135 Section 4 specifies the required network layout and minimum capacity, 136 Section 5 specifies the use of Category 6 cabling, and Section 6 137 specifies the requirements for equipment space and power. Finally, 138 Section 7 outlines brief security requirements for house networks. 140 Buildings that satisfy the minimum requirements are said to be 141 compliant with this specification. Many buildings may support 142 additional facilities, however, and some of the optional requirements 143 are discussed throughout the memo. Note that requirements for 144 commercial buildings, apartment buildings, and special purpose 145 residences such as summer homes are slightly different, and not 146 covered in this specification. 148 2. Requirements language 150 The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT", 151 "SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and "OPTIONAL" in this 152 document are to be interpreted as described in RFC 2119 [RFC2119]. 154 3. Motivation 156 A frequently asked question is whether a wired infrastructure is 157 needed at all, given the existence of fast and inexpensive wireless 158 networking. End user computing equipment such as laptops employ 159 largely wireless networking today, and the trend is expected to 160 continue, and even accelerate, with other types of devices as well. 161 However, there are several reasons why the existence of a base wired 162 infrastructure within a building is still essential complement to 163 wireless technology: 165 o The need to support applications such as video surveillance, IP- 166 based TV, or network-connected backup storage that may exceed the 167 capacity of at least the current generation of wireless 168 technology. 170 o The need to support applications that benefit from Power-over- 171 Ethernet (PoE) and other similar technologies that can be 172 implemented only over wired infrastructure. 174 o The need to support legacy technologies, such as plain old 175 telephones and other devices that can benefit from wired 176 connectivity. 178 o Reconnecting parts from different areas of the house. For 179 instance, the Internet connection, the best place for a wireless 180 LAN access point, and the desired place for an IP-based TV device 181 may all be in different areas of the house. 183 Connecting these different locations is possible over wireless as 184 well, but it is typically more efficient to use a wired 185 infrastructure. 187 o A wireless access point infrastructure is often easiest built on 188 top of a wired infrastructure that connects to the access points. 190 While typical homes today cope with a much simpler architecture 191 that needs no infrastructure or multiple access points, evolving 192 wireless technology generally tends to decrease cell size while 193 increasing bandwidth. Future local area wireless technology or 194 even light-based communication mechanisms may make use of multiple 195 access points in a far more aggressive manner than today's 802.11 196 wireless LANs. 198 o Ability to employ future networking technology innovations that 199 may also require wired connectivity. As an example, one of the 200 authors has deployed sensor network on top of wired infrastructure 201 in his home. 203 Another frequent question is whether there is a need for a dedicated 204 space to place equipment in. While technology evolves at a fast pace 205 and is also being embedded in all of our devices, it is expected that 206 some central equipment, such as routers, ADSL modems, or Power-over- 207 Ethernet feeds will also be needed in the future. It is easier to 208 place these devices in a dedicated space that can be engineered to 209 provide the necessary power and connectivity. In addition, a 210 dedicated space can be designed to prevent the equipment from causing 211 a visual or aural distraction to the occupants of the building. 213 4. Network Layout 215 The network MUST use a structured cabling model and a star topology. 216 Note that single-family homes are typically well within the maximum 217 cable length limits even in this configuration. Exceptional 218 situations, such as secondary buildings MAY be handled through the 219 addition of extra local star configurations for the other buildings. 221 All external wired connectivity to the building MUST be brought to 222 the same space that holds the center of the star. For instance, 223 fiber-optic cables and phone cables are brought here so that they can 224 be easily connected to the routers, switches and other devices in the 225 central equipment space. 227 This model ensures that individual devices can be connected despite 228 changes in networking technology, merely by reconfiguring the central 229 cable cross connect panel appropriately. For instance, individual 230 devices within the house get to have full-speed connectivity to the 231 central equipment and the technology used to communicate to one 232 device is not dependent on another device. 234 At least one wired connection MUST be provided in this topology for 235 every primary room. This includes the living room, kitchen, 236 bedrooms, libraries, offices, media rooms, and other rooms where the 237 occupants may spend significant amount of time. These rooms are 238 likely to have a computer or a media device that needs connectivity 239 either directly or via a wireless access point device placed nearby. 241 Connections MUST also be provided in rooms dedicated to technology, 242 such as as heating or technology rooms or closets. It is expected 243 that these rooms employ technology that benefits from smart energy or 244 safety applications that may benefit from connectivity. 246 Connections MUST also be provided in hallways or entrance rooms 247 associated with the primary entrance, as those areas may employ 248 movement sensors, surveillance cameras, home automation panels or 249 other technology that again may benefit from connectivity. 251 Connections MAY also be provided in additional areas such as storage 252 rooms, hallways, bathrooms, basement, attic, and so on, but it is not 253 strictly required. The expected applications in these areas 254 typically relate to safety and building health monitoring. 256 5. Cabling 258 The network MUST use cables manufactured and installed according to 259 the Category 6 specifications [TIA.568-B.2]. This allows high-speed 260 networking applications such as Gigabit or even 10 Gigabit Ethernet 261 [IEEE.802-3ab.1999], as well as many other uses (including legacy 262 voice services and surveillance applications). 264 Note that a more stringent cabling standard MAY be used for all the 265 cabling, as long as it is compatible with Category 6. In addition, 266 the network MAY use other types of cables as seen appropriate. For 267 instance, the installation of fiber optic cabling within the building 268 may be useful, even if it is not something that should be recommended 269 today as the only cabling model. 271 Cabling SHOULD be installed in manner that makes it possible to 272 replace or upgrade the cables to future standards. For instance, 273 cables can be installed in tubes, cabling shafts, or other conduits 274 where they can be replaced without affecting the structures around 275 them. In general, the expected lifetime of buildings should be from 276 30 to 100 years or even beyond. While current installations are 277 likely to be useful in 20 years time, it is also likely that either 278 the physical lifetime of the cabling or the suitability of today's 279 cables to future applications demands replacement after some number 280 of decades. 282 6. Space and Power 284 The house needs to provide sufficient space and power for placing 285 equipment, such as modems, routers, and file servers. Each star 286 center point in the network topology MUST employ a 19 inch rack 287 system [IEC.60297-3-100]. The rack system MUST be at least 22U (97.9 288 centimeters) high and at least 600 millimeters deep. 290 There are no mandatory requirements on the configuration of the rack, 291 but it is RECOMMENDED that space in the rack be provided for Category 292 6 cable termination panels, a power panel, shelves for freestanding 293 equipment, as well as some free space for rack-attached equipment. 295 For instance, a 22U system could be used to accommodate a 2U 296 termination panel for 32 cables, a 24-port 1U Ethernet Switch, 1U 297 power panel, 2 shelves both taking up 4U space, and 10U remaining 298 space for rack-attached equipment. It is useful to reserve a free 299 shelf at the top of the rack with enough free space above it so 300 that larger equipment, such as standalone PCs can be accommodated. 302 Common industry standard of 900 millimeters deep racks may be 303 unnecessarily space-consuming for home environments, however. The 304 depth of 600 millimeters is sufficient for many types of equipment 305 (small switches are typically 200 to 300 millimeters deep, for 306 instance), even if it may not be sufficient for high end servers 307 and other full-size equipment. A smaller form factor rack 308 standard might be useful for home environments. 310 The placement of the rack shall be according to the relevant building 311 codes and practices. Often the rack is placed in a technology room 312 that houses other equipment as well such as electrical cabinets. 314 In addition, mains power MUST be provided for the equipment space. 316 This power MUST be fed from an dedicated circuit breaker and SHOULD 317 be filtered to prevent equipment damage from thunderstorms and 318 similar phenomena. 320 7. Security Considerations 322 While communications equipment does not have the same electrical 323 safety concerns as electricity cabinets, it is still RECOMMENDED that 324 the equipment cabinets are protected from children and accidental 325 tampering. This can be accomplished with a lockable door, for 326 instance. 328 Safety critical applications SHOULD employ connectivity that matches 329 the security requirements. For instance, fire and burglary alarms, 330 and medical applications should use either strong cryptographic 331 security over the wireless medium, or cabling that is not easily 332 tampered with by outsiders. For instance, burglary alarm systems 333 should not rely on cabling that is routed unprotected outside the 334 building. 336 8. IANA Considerations 338 This document has no IANA implications. 340 9. References 342 9.1. Normative References 344 [RFC2119] Bradner, S., "Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate 345 Requirement Levels", BCP 14, RFC 2119, March 1997. 347 [IEEE.802-3ab.1999] 348 "IEEE Standard Standard for Local and Metropolitan Area 349 Networks - Part 3: Carrier Sense Multiple Access with 350 Collision Detection (CSMA/CD) Access Method and Physical 351 Layer Specifications - Physical Layer Parameters and 352 Specifications for 1000 Mb/s Operation over 4 pair of 353 Category 5 Balanced Copper Cabling, Type 1000BASE-T", 354 IEEE Standard 802.3ab-1999, 1999. 356 [TIA.568-B.2] 357 "Commercial Building Telecommunications Cabling Standard 358 - Part 2 - Balanced Twisted Pair Components", TIA/ 359 EIA 568-B.2. 361 [IEC.60297-3-100] 362 "Mechanical structures for electronic equipment - 363 Dimensions of mechanical structures of the 482,6 mm (19 364 in) series Part 3-100: Basic dimensions of front panels, 365 subracks, chassis, racks and cabinets", IEC 60297-3- 366 100:2008. 368 9.2. Informative References 370 Appendix A. Acknowledgments 372 The authors would like to thank Marc Blanchet for the inspiration to 373 write about this. The authors would also like to thank all the 374 active members of the HOMENET working group for interesting 375 discussions about home networking, Ericsson for supporting Jari's 376 home networking experiments, Joel Halpern for excellent feedback, the 377 TEKES/TIVIT programs for future Internet and Internet of Things 378 research for funding, and Jari's family for endurance and for the 379 permission to use the kitchen table as a soldering platform. 381 Authors' Addresses 383 Jari Arkko 384 Ericsson 385 Jorvas 02420 386 Finland 388 Email: jari.arkko@piuha.net 390 Ari Keranen 391 Ericsson 392 Jorvas 02420 393 Finland 395 Email: ari.keranen@ericsson.com