New Home Network at just 30Mpms: Do I need gigabit gear?

[twinrider1]

Do I need 802.11ac if I'm planning on 30Mbps, and don't see going above 60Mbps this decade?
Strictly normal internet/streaming/voip usage. I don't plan on large transfers between local computers.


Background
Not a big house, 1800sq ft. Two stories and a basement.
Switching ISPs, and will be buying a modem/wireless router instead of leasing.
For now I'm going with the wireless router. But I do have an itch to hard wire the house with a more professional network.


Update:
Well, while not a network guy, I've spent a fair amount of time around enterprise level equipment. And I've read the advice here that a proper network has home runs back to a patch panel and a central equipment area. Plus I just like the equipment. So I had plans for a proper install. But I was changing ISPs and had to put together something quick temporarily. I bought a $20 TP-Link wireless router as a stopgap, figuring I'd use it as a WAP for the 2nd floor at some point.

Well, the temporary setup is working great! The equipment is in the basement. I drilled one hole in the first floor so my main computer and my Obi box are wired. Everything else is wireless. The ROKU on the 2nd floor streams just fine. The PS3 on the main floor went from about 5Mps to 14Mps compared to the old AT&T 5031NV.

If there's a moral, I guess it is resist the urge to buy the latest and greatest just because it is the latest and greatest. Looks at what you really need. I could have spent a few hundred on the latest AC1900, triple googlephonic moon rock router when a $20 N300 router was all I really needed.

 

[frowertr]

802.11n would be more than sufficient for 60Mbps so long as you have adequate coverage but there isn't any downside to just go ahead and move to .11ac. I'd hardwire two APs myself. I'd probably put one AP in the basement and the second AP on the 2nd floor. Set both AP's to low power and put them on non-overlapping channels in the 5Ghz region.

Covering the entire house with a single wireless router may be difficult. Especially getting a useable signal down to a basement.

 

[frowertr]

Although i will say that you might get fine coverage using 2.4Ghz with a single router /AP on the 1st floor. It just depends on if there is a ton of interference (other 2.4Ghz radios from neighbors) on that band in your area.

Cant really know without testing.

 

[twinrider1]

Thanks. I've been watching a lot of videos, reading reviews. AC is the current thing so it's easy to think I HAVE to have it. But as I was looking at the speeds I began to wonder. It's easy to want to overbuild. This guy's 10Gbe home networks is cool..

 

[twinrider1]

Updated the original post.

 

[sdifox]

Since you ran a line to main floor already, why not move the router upstairs?

 

[twinrider1]

lol, I didn't even think about that.
I initially set everything up in the basement just to get it up and running. Since the wireless signal was reaching the 2nd floor, it never crossed my mind to move it to the main floor.