Wired Home Network Setup....

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Jul 9, 2001
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We found a builder spec home we like and before we move in I'd like to setup a wired network throughout the home. Cat5e or Cat6?

Switch? Types? Consider me an idiot. I'd like to have 10 drops throughout the home, plus wireless. I THINK I'm going to have it all run throughout the house to the master closet. Then I'd like to make a wireless AP in the middle of the house in a hall closet. Couldn't I just put a drop in that closet and put a wireless router there or?

So you need a switch AND a router right?

Internet Connection -> Cable Modem -> Router -> Switch -> Drops

That's how it goes, right?

Any suggestions on equipment? The switch? Router? Wireless AP?
 
We found a builder spec home we like and before we move in I'd like to setup a wired network throughout the home. Cat5e or Cat6?

Switch? Types? Consider me an idiot. I'd like to have 10 drops throughout the home, plus wireless. I THINK I'm going to have it all run throughout the house to the master closet. Then I'd like to make a wireless AP in the middle of the house in a hall closet. Couldn't I just put a drop in that closet and put a wireless router there or?

So you need a switch AND a router right?

Internet Connection -> Cable Modem -> Router -> Switch -> Drops

That's how it goes, right?

Any suggestions on equipment? The switch? Router? Wireless AP?

Exactly what's I did too, except I had to wire my house after it was drywalled.

In e closet. Ate sure you have power and coax cable for modem or telephone jack for Adsl.

Don't buy a panel and stuff it all into the wall panel, use a piece of plywood on the wall or buy a small wall mounted rack.

12-24 port gig switch should be perfect..

Might want to look into a decent router or build one..
 
Cat 5e is fine, no need for 6. A good 16 or 24 port unmanaged gigabit switch will do, Dell or HP, depending on your budget. Router, wow there is a lot to choose from, really depends on budget, same goes for wireless. I like Dlink consumer wireless stuff.
 
I'll add I was thinking about picking up a Unifi AP for the hall closet to provide a wireless signal to the entire house.

This switch:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833122139

I bought a 9550 WAP with a poe injector off ebay, it's mounted in the middle of the house above the stairs, covers the WHOLE house too :)

Ap = 60$
Injector 9$

I run Untangle tho for a firewall, i hate cheap dlinks or linksys units.

DSCN3058.JPG
 
I WOULD do Cat6 just to future proof the drops a bit. Doesn't cost much extra either. I'd recommend using a patch panel as well. You can get all you need from monoprice.com.
 
The switch is fine if your not doing anything intensive. If your wanting to just buy an Asus or Netgear router the best ones are going to have wireless built in but you can turn it off or use it as a guest network among other things. Or you can build a pfsense or untangle box. I'd also suggest cat6 as it's not that much more and a patch panel is a must.
 
Any good spots to purchase a patch panel from? Link?

That guest network is a great idea!!!

cat5e all around my house, and I bought my patch panel from Mono price for 12$

How are you going to mount your patch panel tho ?
 
I'd mount the patch panel in the closet. On the wall. I'd prolly have all the equipment on the shelf in the master closet. Patch panel in that closet.
 
HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM. That's just about what I had in mind. I like that. A LOT.

I'm assuming that's in a classroom/office? I see the whiteboard there.

I'm digging the ASUS N66U router, however, with me using the Unifi UAP-LR for my wireless AP, is it necessary to get a router like the ASUS? Or will that ASUS help all aspects of my network, wired and wireless?
 
Some things I did when we built our house... Drops on nearly every wall in every room (infact every drop has three network drops and a coax connection, so yes some rooms have 15 network drops and 5 coax connections). Just because they are there doesn't mean you have to use them, but if you need them, they are already there. I used Cat 6 (6 years ago even) everywhere, no reason not to. My house is a multi-story house so I had a piece of 3" conduit ran from the basement to the attic so if I ever want to/need to run new lines (i.e. fiber :D) I can easily get it everywhere in the home. It sucks working in a little closet, I ran all my stuff to a room in the basement, might want to consider running your stuff to a utility room instead of a closet...plus it seems you never have enough closet space, why waste it on networking gear. Do the pulls yourself. You can get all your cable for a good deal from Deep Surplus or jack2rack.com. Also, pull a coax line with each pull, it's cheap cable and it's nice to be able to put a TV where ever you want, your room layout will no longer be dictated by the location of the TV connections.
 
Any reason NOT to have all this run to a garage? Heat an issue?
Yes, heat could be an issue. Depends on how hot and humid it gets where you are at. Ideal temperature for most things like this is around 74-78 degrees (that where most DCs cold rows are set to). Reality is, it may or may not be fine. I've had many routers that would over heat if they did anything but one thing (wifi, dhcp, firewall, etc, but not everything) such as Linksys routers.
 
I'm digging the ASUS N66U router, however, with me using the Unifi UAP-LR for my wireless AP, is it necessary to get a router like the ASUS? Or will that ASUS help all aspects of my network, wired and wireless?

Any help with that?
 
Any help with that?

Build a firewall/ router :) Plan for more than 1 ap in the house, drop the cable into a second zone some where don't have to use it, but if you need it, at least it's there already :)

No that' wasn't a school, it was a client's office.. The gear went into the back room on the wall..

I wouldn't rely on some asus router / linksys etc etc list goes on to run your whole house, like i stated id build a firewall Untangle, Pfsense, etc etc.. Use a cheap pc with 2 nic's and you're set..


Dash..
 
Dash- Why bother with a patch panel? he isnt a business doing a phone system, I would cut the extra work, just tip the cables at the switch and and plug em in.

if your just doing a house and not a lab or something, you will most likely install them and never touch them again, no need for a patch panel.
 
Dash- Why bother with a patch panel? he isnt a business doing a phone system, I would cut the extra work, just tip the cables at the switch and and plug em in.

if your just doing a house and not a lab or something, you will most likely install them and never touch them again, no need for a patch panel.

Neat and clean ? Cheap to do.. Why not do it right the first time ?

I could understand if this was $$$ and cost a ton to do, but c'mon, were talking 50$ for the rack & patch panel.

Then he can ffind a used rack mount switch etc etc...
 
I WOULD do Cat6 just to future proof the drops a bit. Doesn't cost much extra either. I'd recommend using a patch panel as well. You can get all you need from monoprice.com.

Be careful with Cat6. The connectors dont always agree with current devices.
 
Still haven't given me a real reason to use a patch panel, neat and clean is a crap excuse, you can do it neat and clean without if you arent lazy.

For this guys purpose, it just seems to me your adding an extra expense and more time, without any real reasoning behind it.
 
Still haven't given me a real reason to use a patch panel, neat and clean is a crap excuse, you can do it neat and clean without if you arent lazy.

For this guys purpose, it just seems to me your adding an extra expense and more time, without any real reasoning behind it.

Time ? really, it takes more time to crimp on a end than it does to punch down a cable.

Drop it, he already agreed he liked the idea.


crimping maybe 1-5 ends is ok, but anything more than that is a PITA!
 
I'm AM, using a patch panel. We can move on from there.

I also am not building a router....we can move on from that too.

What I'm most interested in is what benefits I'll get out of the Asus N66u if I am only using it as a router and not a wireless AP. I'll be using a Unifi wireless AP.
 
The 66u has a lot of routing horsepower for a hone router. It will be okay to use as a stand alone router.

The benefits are more tcp/udp connections at the same time. Will enhance things like bit torrent. Also having a fast processor on your router will asssit with faster qos and handling of thousands tcp connections.

Sorry for typos using my cell.
 
The netgear prosafe switches are decent unmanaged switches for home use. If you could find a cheap HP 1400-24g thatd be even better.
 
Why put it in the master bedroom closet?

Put in basement or utility room. Put the wireless spread in house in closer or what. Poe is perfect for this.

I like Zxyel gear. Inexpensive and been reliable.
 
Run more wire NOW to places you might need it in the future. Take lots of pictures of how the wire runs. Label everything. Stay FAR AWAY from those damn media panels. I only wish every house had an 8 foot piece of plywood on the wall where all the wiring terminated. Sigh...
 
Unmanaged - dlink or zyxel I've been using

Routers/ap for home use buffalo routers. They are 60-80 bucks. Disable dhcp on the access point ones.

I do this generally in all the houses we do. Generally the access point ones go near TVs and gives me extra ports
 
USE a PATCH PANEL. This is not really an optional piece of equipment. You expect those wires to last for decades and if you do not properly terminate them they will get damaged. For the little cost and time a patch panel costs it is worth every penny.

As for storing equipment in a garage. Besides heat, you have lots of dust, and bugs. None of which you want in your equipment. Moisture levels are normally higher and temp. swings are greater for more chance of condensation forming. Course this all varies based on location and type of garage. If you use your garage to do projects such as woodworking the dust from that would be very bad for network gear.
 
Alright, so far I've got that I need (not purchased yet):

1) Patch Panel (Monoprice)
2) Router - Asus N66U
3) Wireless AP - Unifi AP-LR

I still need to pick out a switch (24 port) that is capable of POE and running video cameras, and a cable modem.
 
Empty - what type of cameras and how many ports do you need?

I would suggest getting a unmanged 24 port gigabit switch for the network, and then a smaller 10/100 poe switch for the camera's.

I also in a home system wouldn't have this in the closet. I would have all the main equipment in teh utility room/basement. Then depending on where you are putting audio/video equipment for TV put the Access Point or Router turned into access point.

For example if you have a tv mounted to the wall chances are you either have the reciever and equipment below or in a closet. Most of those devices will need network wires. Put the router turned into AP in that area and you got your gigabit swtich and can save on network drops.

I haven't used that Asus but the Buffalo gear has been great and has DD-WRT on it.
 
You may want to pick out your cameras first since they might come with injectors included, saving you money on the switch or do as marley said and get a smaller poe switch in addition to the core one but then you also have to be sure of the total power requirement needed leading back to having the cameras picked out first anyways.

For the cable modem the Motorola SB6120 is the de facto standard
 
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