Resellers & integrators · Physical network design
Build better apartment internet.
Aditum Connect® brings private Wi-Fi and wired service to every apartment. Build on existing copper or fiber, add capacity where it matters, and deliver the same Zero Touch experience across your properties.
A flexible architecture supports direct Ethernet fiber, compatible PON, and mixed copper-and-fiber designs.
One Zero Touch router.
Wi-Fi and wired connections.
Network topology.
The Aditum core router connects the property to its internet service. Direct core ports or an access-switch network provide the upstream handoff to each Zero Touch router. Apartment wiring, tenant devices, and any additional cAP AX connect on the tenant LAN side.
- WAN handoffCircuit, speed and interface
- Aditum coreRouting and service connection
- Access networkDirect ports or switchesWi-Fi Traverse™+Carrier Connect
- Zero TouchApartment upstream handoff
- Tenant LANWired ports and Wi-Fi
Each Wi-Fi Traverse™ network is a conduit with its own VLAN, including Aditum Carrier Connect. Carry the required conduit VLANs over the existing physical Zero Touch uplink and through the access network according to the Aditum configuration for the property. No separate apartment cable is required.
| Topology | Deployment criteria |
|---|---|
| Direct core connections | Available core ports serve apartment routers directly. Direct and switched apartment connections can coexist. |
| Core → access | Access switches provide apartment port density at floor, wing, or building cable concentration points. |
| Core → distribution → access | Distribution switches aggregate access groups across larger or dispersed properties. |
| Ethernet fiber / compatible PON | Optical apartment handoffs terminate at Zero Touch AX S while retaining the same tenant LAN. |
Network rooms and cable distribution.
Core, distribution, and access locations follow the property’s MDF, IDFs, risers, and apartment wiring routes. Each equipment location needs suitable space, power, and backbone connectivity.
Four ports. One private network.
Both Zero Touch models provide four tenant LAN ports for room wiring and fixed devices, independent of the upstream connection. Zero Touch AX S retains all four LAN ports with either a copper or fiber uplink.
Zero Touch AX
Copper Ethernet upstream, with wired tenant LAN ports and integrated Wi-Fi for the apartment.
Zero Touch AX S
Copper or direct-fiber upstream, with an SFP port supporting link speeds up to 2.5 Gbps. Broad support for standards-compliant modules from multiple vendors accommodates compatible Ethernet and PON designs.
Extend the same tenant network.
An Aditum cAP AX pairs automatically with the Zero Touch router and extends the same tenant network over in-unit Ethernet, adding coverage where the apartment layout calls for it.
For Zero Touch AX S installations, use port 5 to carry data and power to the cAP AX. The cAP AX power requirements below cover this preferred arrangement and alternative supplies.
Wiring matched to the service.
Use Ethernet cabling rated and tested for the service speeds being delivered, usually Gigabit or faster. Suitable existing wiring can be reused.
| Existing wiring | Reuse guidance |
|---|---|
| Below Cat 5e | Not recommended. Certification and testing are required before use. |
| Cat 5e | Good for broadband service. Certification and testing are suggested before reuse. |
| Cat 6 or better | A preferred choice for Gigabit service. Certification and testing are suggested before reuse. |
| 2-pair telephone wire | Reusable only with third-party media converter equipment. The equipment and installation may cost about as much as replacing the wire. |
| Coaxial cable | Reusable only with third-party media converter equipment. The equipment and installation may cost about as much as replacing the wire. |
Suitable Cat 5e can support Gigabit service. Cat 6 is the normal baseline for new apartment cabling; consider Cat 6A to prepare for future service upgrades.
Copper, fiber, or both.
Copper
Apartment drops using Ethernet rated and tested for the delivered service speed.
Fiber
Backbone and inter-building links, longer routes, and direct optical apartment handoffs.
Mixed media
Fiber to floor or building access switches, with copper from those switches to apartment routers.
Use fiber between buildings, with access equipment suited to each installation location.
Capacity through every layer.
Select switches with the apartment port capacity, aggregate uplink throughput, VLAN support, management access, and PoE budget required by the Aditum deployment. Allow capacity for the WAN, distribution links, and planned growth.
Size the feed for the plans.
Start with the tenant plans the property will offer. Aditum’s residential planning baseline is 5 Mbps per apartment plus the fastest advertised tenant plan. This sizes a shared property feed that supports a choice of tenant speeds up to that maximum.
For 150 apartments, the apartment allowance is 750 Mbps. A 1 Gbps feed therefore supports plans up to 250 Mbps under this baseline. Offering plans up to 1 Gbps raises the baseline to 1.75 Gbps, making a 2 Gbps feed the appropriate upgrade.
Size access and distribution uplinks for the traffic they aggregate, with capacity for the selected tenant plans and planned growth. Use measured utilization and Aditum capacity reporting to schedule upgrades. The property examples below apply this approach at different scales. See Aditum’s capacity-planning formula.
Resilience and loop prevention.
Use RSTP or MSTP for loop prevention. Aditum equipment defaults to RSTP. Redundant uplinks and LACP can be included in the property design where supported. Verify service recovery as part of commissioning.
Switching and VLAN requirements.
Implement the Aditum port and VLAN plan across the core, distribution, and access network. The project configuration defines tenant transport, management access, service VLANs, and tagged or untagged handoffs.
| Configuration area | Implementation requirement |
|---|---|
| Apartment handoffs | Access/trunk mode, allowed VLANs, and native/untagged handling must match the installed Zero Touch configuration. |
| Uplinks | Carry the required tenant, management, and service VLANs through each switching layer, with consistent tagging at both ends. |
| Tenant isolation | Block direct Layer 2 communication between apartment WAN ports, including devices connected directly to in-wall WAN jacks. Contain rogue DHCP, ARP storms, and other disruptive Layer 2 traffic so it cannot spread between apartments. |
| Management | Provide the specified management VLAN, addressing, authorized access, and remote troubleshooting reachability. |
| Wi-Fi Traverse and Carrier Connect | Provide a separate VLAN for each Wi-Fi Traverse conduit, including Carrier Connect. Carry the required conduit VLANs over the existing Zero Touch uplink and through the property access network. |
| Layer-2 behavior | Use RSTP, the Aditum default, or MSTP with the agreed topology settings. Configure LACP where included in the design. |
| Frame handling and filtering | Support the required MTU and permit Aditum provisioning, management, and tenant traffic through any switch filtering. |
Properties deploying Carrier Connect also require the service configuration described in the Carrier Connect architecture.
Power that fits the installation.
Zero Touch AX and AX S accept passive PoE at 18–28 V. Specify compatible 24 V passive PoE or a supported local DC supply. A 48 V IEEE PoE source requires a compatible converter for these routers.
24 V passive PoE
The per-port and total source budget must cover the router, optics, powered attachments, and cable loss.
48 V IEEE PoE
Specify a compatible 48 V-to-24 V converter rated for the required Ethernet speed and endpoint power budget.
Powering the cAP AX.
The preferred arrangement is Zero Touch AX S port 5 to cAP AX port 1, carrying tenant LAN data and passive PoE over one Ethernet run. Size the 24 V supply for the router, optics, and AP, allowing for cable loss within port 5’s 0.6 A output limit.
The cAP AX can alternatively use 802.3af/at PoE or a compatible local DC supply; its supported input range is 18–57 V.
Keep the service running.
The project’s backup-power scope covers the active equipment needed to maintain service, including apartment router and AP power where required.
Fiber flexibility. Same tenant network.
Zero Touch AX S supports point-to-point Ethernet fiber and compatible PON designs, including reuse of existing PON infrastructure and passive splitters. Both terminate fiber inside the router and retain the same four tenant LAN ports and Wi-Fi.
On PON, a compatible ONU-on-SFP supplies the subscriber-side optical function inside Zero Touch without a separate apartment ONT. The OLT remains upstream at the property or provider. Match the module to the PON generation, OLT and provisioning system, installed optical budget, and handoff required for Aditum tenant and conduit VLANs. A retained external ONT can also provide an Ethernet handoff to Zero Touch.
AX S fiber handoff.
The SFP port offers broad support for standards-compliant modules from multiple vendors at supported link rates up to 2.5 Gbps. Select optics for the installed fiber, required link speed, and upstream equipment, and validate the module with the deployed software.
One platform. Different properties.
These four layouts apply Aditum’s residential capacity baseline to different properties. Each supports a choice of tenant plans up to the maximum speed shown.
Example A · 35 apartments
Simple, with room for speed.
Use a 1 Gbps property feed offering a choice of tenant speeds up to 750 Mbps. Suitable Cat 5e or Cat 6 apartment drops connect through available core ports and access switching. The planning baseline is 35 × 5 Mbps + 750 Mbps = 925 Mbps.
Aditum core router
Example B · 150 apartments
Capacity, floor by floor.
Use a 1 Gbps property feed offering a choice of tenant speeds up to 250 Mbps. Fiber serves floor or wing IDFs, with copper apartment drops. Upgrade the feed to 2 Gbps to offer a choice of tenant plans up to 1 Gbps; the baseline for that upgrade is 150 × 5 Mbps + 1 Gbps = 1.75 Gbps.
Aditum core router
Example C · 200 apartments
Scale across the property.
Use a 2 Gbps property feed offering a choice of tenant speeds up to 1 Gbps. A distribution layer aggregates multiple access-switch groups over suitably sized fiber uplinks. The baseline is 200 × 5 Mbps + 1 Gbps = 2 Gbps.
Aditum core router
Example D · 400 apartments
Connect separate buildings.
Use a 3 Gbps property feed offering a choice of tenant speeds up to 1 Gbps. Central core and primary switching connect by fiber to each residential building’s access-switch group, with protected local apartment drops. The baseline is 400 × 5 Mbps + 1 Gbps = 3 Gbps.
Aditum core router
For exterior access-switch locations, specify outdoor-rated equipment or protective enclosures with suitable local power.
Ready for tenant service.
Apartment connection
Verify that the installed copper or optical handoff delivers the selected tenant service speeds.
Tenant network
Confirm Zero Touch platform reachability, tenant provisioning and isolation, LAN and Wi-Fi service, and cAP AX pairing and power where installed.
Property services
Verify Wi-Fi Traverse and Carrier Connect where deployed, along with uplink capacity and service recovery where redundancy is provided.
Plan around the property.
- Apartment count, building layout, and equipment locations.
- Existing copper or fiber routes and verified service capacity.
- WAN handoff, property feed, and tenant plan choices.
- Available switching, uplink capacity, and power sources.
- Zero Touch and cAP AX quantities and power arrangements.
- Existing PON and upstream compatibility, where applicable.
- Wi-Fi Traverse, Carrier Connect, and other property service requirements.
Use these details to establish the Aditum equipment, connection, and service configuration. The owner wiring and network requirements page provides the companion overview for the property team.
Implementation references.
Use the Aditum project configuration alongside the selected equipment’s compatibility and power specifications.
- Aditum equipment and service plans: property capacity and the 5 Mbps per tenant planning formula.
- Carrier Connect architecture: additional carrier-service network requirements.