Finalizing my new home build - Need a switch

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y0bailey

Gawd
Joined
Mar 31, 2003
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558
Alright networking guru's...we are a short time away from completing my new home, and I finally have a home network setup that I am happy with. Basically fully networked the house with cat5e and threw some extra conduit in if I want to upgrade in the future.

Told the electrician to dump everything into my basement and don't install anything else to save some money (turns out it is easy to go over budget when building a new house, so every bit helps).

So....18 drops are now nude in the basement.

My plan is to go as follows:

1) Cable modem to
2) Netgear N7000 (already own) to
3) 24 port switch (need help here) to
4) Rest of house

I will mostly just be streaming movies from my plex server, running file back-ups, transferring files, and running a few security cams.

NOW...my questions.

1) Do I really need a patch panel? Is it worth the extra trouble for a simple home network setup? I don't see many scenarios where I need to "patch" things through. I am dreading making a boatload of short cables to go from the patch panel to my switch. Should I just suck it up and do it? Do those of you with relatively straightforward home networks see the benefit?

2) 24 port switch...I'm not going to need a "fully managed" switch. I was likely thinking just midline "smart" switch. Any preferences here? The choices are overwhelming.


Let me know what you would do!
 
I'd go with a JGS524Ev2 "Unmanaged Plus" for some basic extra features on the switch or a JGS524PE for a similar model with POE for the security cams. Netgear seems to support this line of switches with firmware updates and I haven't known any ProSafe switches to die yet between friends and family. If you get a patch panel just buy a bunch of short cables, you don't need to hand make all of those. On the off chance you do end up making a few dozen CAT cable terminations, you will get real good at them real fast :D
 
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Since you went through all the trouble of wiring up the entire house, I'd go with the patch panel and label everything. It'll look better too. Spending the time now could save you time later especially if you ran solid core cable. Those solid cores can break if the cable ends get shuffled around a lot.

As for a switch, I LOVE POE switches, but at home I went with POE injection because of cost of replacement. If the switch fails, I don't need to purchase another expensive switch to bring all my POE devices back up. Also, if the switch fails, my cameras continue to record to their personal edge storage even without a functioning network.

Personally I'd use an 8-port passive POE injector w/ power supply:
http://find-a-poe.com/product/8-Port-Passive-PoE-Injector-with-Optional-Power-Supply/

Plug that into a 24-port gigabit unmanaged switch
(Like the Netgear JGS524).

If the injector power supply fails, you're only out $30 bucks for the power supply.
If the unmanaged non-POE switch fails you're out $160 bucks.
If a medium-quality 24-port POE switch fails you're out $400+ (yuck).

If cost isn't too big of a deal, I suggest the Zyxel GS1900-24HP. Don't buy the cheapest POE switch out there I've seen too many power issues with them.
 
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Honestly...POE wasn't even on my radar. I was thinking peasant wifi cams...and just a few. POE wasn't even on my radar....and I didn't wire cat cables in anticipation. FAIL.

So if I went WIFI...would you just go unmanaged switch or still go the more expensive route?
 
Yes, put in a patch panel. Do it right. Besides, punching down the cables to one is really no more difficult than crimping on numerous RJ-45 jacks.

Monoprice and others sell short patch cables, so you don't need to make them yourself.

Without knowing what features you need in a switch it's difficult to make a suggestion. Do you need VLANs? Link aggregation? Security features?
 
You still need to run power from a UPS protected backup source to wifi cameras. So may as well just go with POE cameras.

Definitely go with a proper patch panel as well. Setup either a network rack or a small wall mount rack, at the very least. While walls are open and options are open may as well make it right from the get go.

If you're not sure what you want for a switch you can always cheap out on a used ebay 24 port 10/100, it would be fairly easy to swap it out later on.
 
Alright....Not trying to sound inflammatory at all and I honestly do appreciate the comments.


That being said...what does a patch panel "get me" in the end game? Space in my basement is unlimited. There are literally 10 coax cables and 18 cat5e cables with 2-3 feet of extra slack hanging in my basement right now. It all terminates in an unfinished "closet" in the basement. I have conduit running from my attic to my basement in case of "needing new stuff."

I understand that patch panels are "[H]" but what will I actually "patch" from my upstairs HTPC to my server in the basement? Will I ever actually need it? Is it just me taking unterminated cat cables to a patch panel and spending extra money to wire them to the switch and never touching them again? When I could just skip the process of wiring it to a patch panel to then directly throw it into a switch?

I'm basically 5% worried about my security cameras. If someone wants to cut power to my house and break in, they will deal with a 70# pit bull, not getting tagged by a shitty wifi cam, and then "fuck it they can have my shit I've got insurance anyways."

I'm not saying this to be an asshole. I'm saying this because at heart I am actually a giant nerd and I want to learn. I honestly appreciate every comment. I'm just about to order a bunch of shit to wire my house and I want to really think it through before I drop an extra couple hundred bucks for "fringe scenarios,"


Thanks all....I want arguments on here...it does honestly help me.
 
If you just crimp ends directly on the cables it's just messy, and from unplugging and plugging stuff etc you risk wear and tear on the ends and eventually having to recrimp which eventually could lead to not enough slack. But mostly it's just cleaner. Look at a patch panel like power outlets, you would not just have a bunch of wires dangling and hard wire all your home entertainment stuff, you have outlets then you have power cords going from each device to the plugs. Same idea. It acts as a central connectivity point for all the jacks in your house. It also opens up options for odd ball scenarios like say you have a device in one room you want to connect directly to a device in another, you can just go patch it in that way in the panel. Overall it's just more configurable and clean.

If you get a keystone patch panel you can also have more than just ethernet going to it. Cable, phone, etc.
 
The patch panel doesn't really get you anything besides looking pretty. It helps with organization to have a panel with a bunch of labeled jacks, and wire management/routing is much more attractive, but functionally it doesn't do anything for you unless you move things around a lot, which you won't. I'd put a patch panel in, but that's just because I'm a former datacenter guy and I'd want it to look pro.

I second the JGS524E recommendation, btw.
 
Thanks folks...CRAP. Good arguments on both sides of the fence.

Still debating on what to do. A patch panel is $30 plus a $20 tool...and maybe $25 in extra cables. Seems minuscule in the grand scheme of this new house in which I have dropped thousands of dollars.

I still fell like a patch panel is a waste....but really "patching in" and dropping a few bucks seems kinda like a no brainer.

Alright...patch panel it is. Thanks all.
 
Alright all...just checking in to let everyone know my progress and ask a few more questions.

24 port patch panel and short 1 foot patch cables purchased. Going to dump it into a JGS524E

Going the POE injection route for simplicity of replacing if needed.

I don't need to monitor my house from afar...likely just going to setup a few cameras and have them dump to my Windows10 Server using ispy. Keep a week or so worth of video and have it auto dump.

Anyone have any recommendations for outdoor, IR, ~$100 POE WIRED cameras they like? I've heard "decent" things about FOSCAM for the price (and for me needs) so they seem like a winner. Something like the FI9803EP.

Probably going to start with 3 cameras. One to monitor the road, one on the porch, and one for the back of the house.

Anything you would do differently? I don't need anything fancy, mostly just "theft deterrence" meaning "this house has a visible camera on the front and back, I'll just find somewhere else.

Lastly...how important is it that my cat5e cables being "waterproof." For the most part, I'm dropping in from the attic and they will be in a "covered" area or running briefly along the siding until they reach a "covered" area. Do I need special cabling or should my solid core cat5e be OK?

Thanks again!
 
I've been so impressed with everything Ubiquiti that I use them for everything I can now. That includes their surveillance products. They make POE dome and mounted cameras that work well. I don't have any experience with others.
 
y0bailey said:
Anyone have any recommendations for outdoor, IR, ~$100 POE WIRED cameras they like? I've heard "decent" things about FOSCAM for the price (and for me needs) so they seem like a winner. Something like the FI9803EP.
Click to expand...

Typically these days I strictly look toward Hikvision cameras, specifically the DS-2CD2132 in that price range or the DS-2CD2032F if I need something a bit more spot specific. Prices are very reasonable and the picture quality is very impressive. They also make a line of 2MP and 4MP versions as well as various lens zooms (tho I typically try to stay with 2.8mm for the widest view.)
 
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