New house, networked. I have questions.

[Modred189]

Just closed on the new house today, and I got to really explore. The good news is that the house is pre-wired for ethernet (huzzah!). The ethernet (and coax) all come into this neat little patch panel in the laundry room:
View attachment 99660
View attachment 99658

That's a netgear 8 port switch there at the bottom, which appears to plug into one of these https://www.homecontrols.com/OpenHouse-DataTelecom-Termination-Hub-LNH629
(Top right) I am NOT a networking person, so while this is VERY cool, it's new territory.

A few questions: 1) the lunatic that set this up does not appear to have labelled these ethernet cables in terms of where they go. (ONE is labeled "den"). To figure out where they all go, I assume I will need one of these:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M63EMBQ/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A1H9NMCPZH97BO&psc=1

Also, what is that white box thing on one of the ethernet cables?

2) Bottom left, there are two AC plugs. One has a power cord for the switch. The other is a wall wart with a coax out that goes into the top left coax junction box. Are they just using the coax for power instead of a normal wire? WTF?

3) That adapter is pretty warm. Is there a way to add some cooling to this little cabinet?

4) Not knowing networking well, can I run like this:

Modem ....router (Google WiFi 3 pack)...wall.....ethernet switch in patch panel... wall......ethernet switch (to PC and Drobo)?

I.e., is there any reason why you can't have a switch behind a switch?


5) Finally, this is [H], what else can I do with this setup that I don't know about? I've had one of these laying around, and I've been trying to decide if there is anything I can do with it.

 

[Axehandler]

The wall-wart with the Coax is a power feed to the coax Amplifier. (notice the green light on the Spliter)

Seen many of these data boxes run fine without cooling.

It looks like everything in here is connected correctly. so all the Ethernet jacks in the house talk to one another due to the switch.
which means.. you can technically run a modem and WiFi router at any location in the house and feed back into the rest of the house using this existing wiring.

(example put a modem and a WiFi router (or gateway) in the Den... connect the Ethernet from the router to the Wall - all the outlets in the house would now have internet as well)

you can chain multiple switches
Just trying to keep it simple and not overly complicated cause there are many ways to work with this setup)

 

[Brian_B]

Easy way to figure out where they all go without extra hardware

1.) Plug in one device somewhere, and only one.
2.) Look for the link light on the switch.
3.) Profit.

It's a star distribution - nice thing about ethernet. Axehandler is correct. you can pretty well plug anything in anywhere, including WiFi APs, and daisy chain switches if needed on a simple network.

 

[Cmustang87]

Lennar?

 

[Modred189]

The wall-wart with the Coax is a power feed to the coax Amplifier. (notice the green light on the Spliter)

Seen many of these data boxes run fine without cooling.

It looks like everything in here is connected correctly. so all the Ethernet jacks in the house talk to one another due to the switch.
which means.. you can technically run a modem and WiFi router at any location in the house and feed back into the rest of the house using this existing wiring.

(example put a modem and a WiFi router (or gateway) in the Den... connect the Ethernet from the router to the Wall - all the outlets in the house would now have internet as well)

you can chain multiple switches
Just trying to keep it simple and not overly complicated cause there are many ways to work with this setup)

Thanks, that's what I'm looking to do. Just need to wait until Thursday when Spectrum comes to hook it all up. I MIGHT stage it so they can just plug it in and go.

Easy way to figure out where they all go without extra hardware

1.) Plug in one device somewhere, and only one.
2.) Look for the link light on the switch.
3.) Profit.

It's a star distribution - nice thing about ethernet. Axehandler is correct. you can pretty well plug anything in anywhere, including WiFi APs, and daisy chain switches if needed on a simple network.

Alas, none of my portable devices have Ethernet jacks anymore. So the device linked able will work?

Lennar?

Wut.gif

My OCD is kicking in however. I'm going to hit home Depot and see if I can't find some brackets to mount that switch somehow. Apparently Open House used to make a gigabit switch that mounted, but not anymore.

 

[Brian_B]

Alas, none of my portable devices have Ethernet jacks anymore. So the device linked able will work?

Doesn't have to be a mobile device - just something with an ethernet port that will try to talk over the network... You have absolutely no ethernet devices anywhere? Then why are you worrying about running hardline and all of this in the first place?

 

[Modred189]

Doesn't have to be a mobile device - just something with an ethernet port that will try to talk over the network... You have absolutely no ethernet devices anywhere? Then why are you worrying about running hardline and all of this in the first place?

Well, my desktops and Drobo need monitors I don't have yet, and the Fire TV box needs aTV I don't have yet.

 

[elavanis]

I'm a little late answering and you've received good advice but hopefully I can still add something to the conversation.

1) As Brian_B said the best way to test that is to plug one device in at a time. I did see where you said you didn't have anything to test with but the switch for the pc/drobo or the fire tv box without being hooked up to the tv would work for testing which drop is which. The device you listed on amazon is for checking if the cables are wired correctly. It is usefully if you were the one running the cables and punching them down. That said it would work for determining if where each wire went in the house.
The white thing on the ethernet is an ethernet keystone. You will have one at each drop in our house attached to the inside of the wall plate. https://images.monoprice.com/productlargeimages/53841.jpg

2)Agree with Axehandler, it does appear they are using the coax for power. You could try unscrewing the coax cable and see if the light goes out.

4)To elaborate on what Axehanler said. You can plug anything in anywhere and it will just work because it is an unmanaged switch. Put your modem / router somewhere in the house and plug the lan port into one of the drops in the house and everything will have internet and be able to talk to each other. You can put switches behind switches, there is no limit to how many you could have together.

5)I would say use it as a nas but you have a drobo so scratch that idea. I use a small pc runnig kodi streaming local media from freenas device so we don't have to deal with disc when we want to watch a kids movie.
https://topnewreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/hp-elitedesk-705-g1-review.jpg

Hope this helped.

 

[Brian_B]

Well, my desktops and Drobo need monitors I don't have yet, and the Fire TV box needs aTV I don't have yet.

FireTV would be perfect if it has the ethernet port.

Don't need to plug it into HDMI, just plug it into the wall adapter (or USB port, think they are powered from microUSB) and ethernet. You won't be able to see the screen, but your not looking for the screen, the ethernet will attempt to link as soon as it has power, and that will light the corresponding port on your switch. Mark it, and move to next outlet.

 

[Modred189]

FireTV would be perfect if it has the ethernet port.

Don't need to plug it into HDMI, just plug it into the wall adapter (or USB port, think they are powered from microUSB) and ethernet. You won't be able to see the screen, but your not looking for the screen, the ethernet will attempt to link as soon as it has power, and that will light the corresponding port on your switch. Mark it, and move to next outlet.

Good point. Nice! Thanks!