cross-posted from: https://aussie.zone/post/19637893

Wifi networks and home automation systems are expected to last 50+ years.

I was reading up on the life expectancy of different building materials when I came across this gem.

Screenshot is of page 122 https://www.portseattle.org/sites/default/files/2025-02/SEA-SIPP Technical Report Appendix C Life Expectancy of Building Materials.pdf

I guess the ethernet cables could last that long, but they rate house wiring to a lower lifetime. Ethernet cables are not “wireless”, however.

The only other wireless systems I can think of are garage door openers, but they are definitely not expected to last 50 years.

  • southsamurai@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    0·
    29 days ago

    I’ve yet to have a router make it past five years or so, so I call malarkey

    Edit: this is why I love lemmy. What started as an offhand comment has ended up with me getting great advice from awesome people. It really made my evening a great one, no bullshit.

    • ragebutt@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
      0·
      29 days ago

      My network stack has been running for many years now.

      netgear cm1000 cable modem - since 2018 pfsense running on an old 1u supermicro server as router - since 2020 brocade icx switch - since 2016 hp procurve poe switch - since 2022 synology rt2600ac - since 2018, was router 2018-2020 and is AP since pfsense took over routing synology mr2200ac - secondary AP since 2020 cyberpower 1500va ups to run them - mentioning because power conditioning is maybe a factor in longevity Plus zwave and HA shit

      Some of the stuff is way older too. The switches were bought from computer recyclers for real cheap and had definitely been in service for some time. The brocade is probably 10-15 years old at this point and the hp is probably 8 or so years old. The server running pfsense is from like 2009, maybe older.

      house is running gigabit internet, 10g intranet, poe cameras, iot devices, etc with no issues. Probably over 100 devices on the network.

      • southsamurai@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        0·
        29 days ago

        Apparently, I just ended up with bad gear. It has been pretty much all consumer stuff though, at least since about 2008. Before that, my best friend was handling the network, and I had no idea at all what was going on, he just kept it working, but he was working as a network tech during that time.

        • ragebutt@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
          1·
          29 days ago

          Some of my stuff is consumer level (the netgear modem, which tbf I’m genuinely surprised has lasted this long). some is in that weird “prosumer” space like the synology stuff; they are a bit pricier but have, in my experience, more resilient hardware. They also had much better support but in recent years they’ve kind of scaled back on this, bummer

          My best advice is to not overlook the potential of e waste. The best and most resilient networking gear I have also happened to be the cheapest. The brocade switch? $45, 48 gigabit ports and 8 10 gigabit sfp+ ports. The hp POE switch? 24 gigabit poe ports and 2 port 10g sfp+. The server for pfsense was $50. These were good deals from local sellers, ebay prices are higher, sometimes quite a lot (especially with shipping). They also use much more power than just a consumer router which is worth mentioning. I’m transitioning to solar so I’m less concerned about it

    • yeehaw@lemmy.caEnglish
      0·
      29 days ago

      Router should, so long as you don’t have some consumer garbage. But just the wireless radios alone on wireless is laughable. Shit changes every 5 years tops.

      • AA5B@lemmy.worldEnglish
        0·
        28 days ago

        Seriously. I replaced my wireless with a mesh during COVID. I spent way too much to get WiFi6 when it was new, now 5 years later …

        Wifi7 is available, it is only gigabit Ethernet, and most importantly some promised features were never delivered and it never really got stable. I’m ready to replace it

        I may update Ethernet to 2.5g first