but... with everything going wireless is it a matter of smart wiring a "whole house" with outlets, or simply providing an additional service to the house, eg phone outlet then go wireless from there?
This is something that has been occupying my mind for a while - what is the real requirement when it comes to wiring a residence, or in fact wiring a residential building. It's a difficult one because the goalposts keep shifting and no doubt will continue to shift. Here's my current thinking (that may well change).
1. Each building should have a decent-sized MDF (main distribution frame) cabinet/cupboard where carrier services can come in. I mean floor-ceiling, 600mm wide, at least 600mm deep. This means that whatever the future throws at you, you will be able to accommodate boxes from multiple carriers and have space for interconnect.
2. Each unit should have a small cabinet on the wall/in a storage cupboard somewhere, preferably somewhere central in the unit for wireless coverage. If it is metal, have a shelf above it where the main wireless router can sit. Doesn't need to be big. You'll just have a couple of rows of Krone or whatever in there. But have a door on it to keep it tidy and preferably a lock so prying tenants and children can be kept out. Call this the IDF (Intermediate distribution frame). There should be room for an Ethernet switch either in the cupboard on on a shelf above the cupboard.
3. From the MDF, run 2xCAT6 cables to each IDF. Terminate on Krone at each end. This will allow you to operate 1x hi-speed data service and 2x phone services if the carrier wants to use the in-building copper. Carrier can install their own termination and patch across. Note length of run should not exceed 90m between frames.
4. From the MDF, run 2 pairs of G.652 single mode optical fibre to each unit. This will allow the NBN to go full-fibre to the units one day. It's really a bet on the future because it's unlikely they will be used for some time. But this is a PITA to install later when all the firestopping is in. Leave decent length tails and coil up out of the way so they don't get damaged. No need to terminate. The only sure thing is that connector standards will change. Fibre is cheap. Running fibre is expensive later on.
5. Inside the units, consider where you will have physical points. I would say that as a minimum I would put one in the living room wherever the main entertainment console is likely to be and one in each room that is likely to be a home office. If the IDF is in a decent-sized cupboard, put at least 3 there. (One for a NAS/SERVER, one for the central modem/router, and one spare.) Where you have physical connection, run 2xCAT6 back to the IDF, terminated in RJ45 on the wall and on an RJ45 patch panel in the IDF. Optionally, I would put a double point in each bedroom.
6. I wouldn't futz around putting in any RG58 coax or speaker wires around the units. If you want to add more connectivity, add more Cat6 on RJ45. You can run audio signals over cat6 and have active speakers wherever you want. Security cameras can run over POE on cat5 and you don't need to power them at the endpoint.
7. General thoughts on wireless: Wireless is just fine for web browsing, watching youtubes, etc etc. Also these days most end-user devices are going wireless-only. But wireless can struggle if you are doing backups to a NAS/Server or streaming hi-def movies from a NAS/Server. That's why I recommend having full Gbps+ physical connectivity to the entertainment area and the office. Also, since the wireless is a shared medium, you might find it gets very slow when a backup starts if the backup is over wireless.
8. I am always a big fan of having a central riser just for communications. This can be expensive and also you have to be in compliance with current building regs, and it is 20 years since I was professionally active in this field so take advice from the builder.
9. If some carrier comes and offices to wire high-speed internet to all the units but wants you to sign some contract excluding other carriers from the riser, tell them to go away. Things are moving too fast to give exclusivity to anyone.
10. Building control systems. Add capacity for building control. For example, doorbells, smart central airconditioning systems like the new multi-split systems, etc. Build one single distribution infrastructure and build it right.
Also, conduit that is big enough to pull wiring through easily for any distance is often expensive to install in a sightly manner. Remember that unless conduits are installed correctly they are a path for fire to spread. Any builder would know more about this than me.