Structured Wiring Panels for Toronto Homes: Leviton SMC vs ICC SOHO vs OnQ

What a Structured Wiring Panel Actually Is

A structured wiring panel is the hub of your home network. Every Cat6a drop, every coax run, sometimes a few speaker wires — they all terminate here. The active gear (modem, router, switch, PoE injector) lives here too, either inside the same enclosure or on a small shelf next to it.

There are three brand families we install regularly in Toronto. Each has trade-offs.

Leviton SMC (Structured Media Center)

The most common pick. Leviton's SMC line covers most Toronto retrofits and renovations. Sizes:

• 14 inch — small, basic, fits a few terminations and a small router. Tight for anything beyond a condo.
• 28 inch — the workhorse. Fits a 24-port patch panel, modem, router, small PoE switch, coax splitter. About 90 percent of our installs.
• 42 inch — larger homes with more drops and a real switch.

Strengths:

• Widely stocked at every Toronto distributor (Westburne, Nedco, Acme Tools)
• Modular brackets for patch panels, telco modules, coax splitters, AC outlet strips
• Hinged door, paintable cover
• Recessed-mount kit for clean drywall finish

Weaknesses:

• Not a true rack — no rack rails for standard 19" gear
• Cable management is good but not great
• Active gear sometimes runs warm in a closed enclosure

Best for: Most Toronto homes. Standard pick for our retrofits and pre-wires. Cost: 28" enclosure $250 to $350, plus brackets and panels $100 to $200.

ICC SOHO Cabinet

A true wall-mount rack with rack rails for 19" gear. Comes in 6U, 12U, 18U sizes.

Strengths:

• Real rack rails accommodate proper switches, UPS, NAS, NVR
• Better cable management
• Better airflow
• Lockable
• Vented and ventilated options

Weaknesses:

• Looks more like office gear, less like residential
• Larger physical footprint
• More expensive
• Surface-mount only — does not recess into drywall as cleanly

Best for: Power users with a real switch (16-port+), NAS, NVR for cameras, or any rack-mount gear. Cost: 12U SOHO cabinet $400 to $550, 18U $600 to $800.

OnQ / Legrand

OnQ (now Legrand) makes premium structured panels with cleaner aesthetics.

Strengths:

• Most attractive enclosures in the category
• Thoughtful internal layout
• Good selection of expansion modules (audio matrix, video distribution)

Weaknesses:

• More expensive than Leviton for equivalent capacity
• Less stocked locally — sometimes long lead times
• Modules are proprietary

Best for: Custom homes where the panel is in a visible location, or projects already standardized on OnQ for whole-home AV. Cost: 30 to 50 percent premium over Leviton equivalent.

How to Pick

You have a small condo or townhome:

Leviton SMC 14" or 28". Done.

Average detached Toronto home:

Leviton SMC 28" with 24-port patch panel and a small PoE switch on a shelf below.

Large home with cameras and NAS:

ICC SOHO 18U cabinet — switch, NVR, NAS, UPS all rack-mounted.

High-end custom build with whole-home AV:

OnQ if you are integrating with their AV modules; otherwise ICC SOHO.

Where to Mount the Panel

Three good locations in a typical Toronto home:

• 1. Basement mechanical room — best for noise isolation, easy cable runs up.
• 2. Main floor utility closet — fine if you have one with adequate depth (panels need 4" of clearance behind).
• 3. Garage — works in newer homes but watch for temperature swings (active gear hates heat).

Avoid: bedroom closets (noise), exterior walls (condensation), under stairs without ventilation.

Power Requirements

The panel itself is passive — terminations and patch panels do not need power. The active gear inside does.

A typical install includes:

• One dedicated 15 A circuit to the panel area
• A 6-outlet rack PDU or surge-protected power strip
• Optional small UPS (CyberPower or APC, 600 to 1500 VA)

The dedicated circuit requires a Master Electrician and ESA permit. Low-voltage cabling and the panel itself do not.

What Goes Inside a Typical Panel

• 24-port Cat6a patch panel (top)
• Coax splitter (if applicable)
• Modem (Bell or Rogers ONT/cable modem)
• Router / gateway (UDM Pro, Eero, or similar)
• 8 or 16-port PoE switch
• Optional: small UPS, optional: cable management bars
• Power strip or PDU at the bottom

Honest Positioning

Mounting the panel and pulling cables to it is low-voltage work. No ESA permit required.

If we add a dedicated 120 V circuit for the panel power feed, our Master Electrician pulls the permit and the inspection is ESA-stamped.

Next Step

We design the panel layout as part of every networking project. Free assessment includes panel sizing, location, and power requirements.

[Book a Network Assessment](/services/electrical/whole-home-networking)

Related Reading

• [Whole-Home Networking Toronto 2026 Complete Guide](/blog/whole-home-networking-toronto-2026-complete-guide)
• [Cat6a vs Cat6 vs Cat7 Toronto](/blog/cat6a-vs-cat6-vs-cat7-toronto)
• [Cat6a During Renovation Pre-Wire Toronto](/blog/cat6a-during-renovation-pre-wire-toronto)
• [Smart Home Installation Toronto 2026](/blog/smart-home-installation-toronto-2026)