Cat e cabling and setup query

[brainfry]

I’ve just moved into a 4 story property and currently have master socket on ground floor, Vodafone hub connected there with 3 netgear x6 range extenders on each floor for Wi-Fi.
The top floor office is where I need a good connection and it’s not great.
Ive just realised that there is cat e cabling in the property with Ethernet ports in the rooms. I’ve found out that the cabling leads to a white box on the ground floor in a cupboard under the stairs which has a telephone point underneath it.
Apparently this telephone point used to be master socket but the master socket has now been moved to another room on the same floor.
I’m not 100% wether it’s ever been used for internet connection or wether it was just for telephone connections (house is about 15yrs old if that makes any difference)

How do I set up /reconnect the cat e ?

 

[brainfry]

Still working out how to add a pic

 

[brainfry]

https://flic.kr/p/2raG4kX

This is the cupboard I’ve been told the cables lead to.
There is also a very complicated looking fire alarm panel and house alarm in the property so I’m not sure if this box would be connected in any way to that…

 

[brainfry]

Thankyou @NetMan

That’s clarified a lot
I did worry about the alarm going off!
On the info you’ve given I’m going to get someone out to look at it so Thankyou.

Couple of things I want to ask- the Ethernet ports in the rooms- are these used for telephones?

And also - running a cable to the top may be tricky, may have to run it up eternally, but is an option I’ll look at as I know it will be the best option, but wanted to ask - with my current equipment - Vodafone hub,
a netgear ex7700 router set up in AP mode and 3 netgear x6 range extender mesh, what would be the best way to set these up to cover the property.
Pic shows set up

https://flic.kr/p/2raRqan

 

[brainfry]

Thankyou all for your help

Ok so an update
We got openreach out and they moved the master socket back to where it was originally - in the cupboard.
The router has been moved in there and the small box is where all the Ethernet cables are which lead to all the room sockets.
So Yey!

Im now waiting for my switch to arrive so I can plug all the cables in there.

But I still have a problem with connection to Wi-Fi throughout the house. All the Ethernet ports are at the front of the property so I was thinking connect the net gear x6 mesh extenders through the Ethernet ports and it would boost Wi-Fi throughout …?
But ive tried plugging them in but they don’t seem to work - I think they still need to able to connect to the main hub via Wi-Fi - which of course they can’t as they’re too far away….
Is there a way to use these and change some setting…?

 

[brainfry]

The one that looks like a double socket?

Have they got RJ45 crimps on the cables then or have you fitted RJ45 sockets?

Have you tested them to make sure they are terminated correctly and all work e.g. plug a laptop (with WiFi turned off) into the socket and connect the other end to the router in the cupboard?


Can't they plug straight into the router thats now in the cupboard or doesn't it have enough ports?


Yes to a point, the signal won't have to go through the floors back to the Netgear router but if you have internal brick partitions and its a big house you might need to think about repositioning some of the X6 eg move the one so its in the TV room.




Your setup confused me a bit because you had the ISP router downstairs, the X6 units on the other floors and both a Netgear router and an X6 on the top floor.

I've not used these but when I looked them up it suggested

1. You don't need a Netgear router to use the x6 units they can connect to an ISP router
2. The X6 units have an access point mode so you can cable them instead of using them in a mesh
3. The X6 units have each got 2 LAN ports

https://www.downloads.netgear.com/files/GDC/EX7700/EX7700_UM_EN.pdf

Page 15 = using them in access point mode but you might need to reset them first.


There's a potential issue with using 2 routers because it creates double NAT from what I read most things would work but games consoles and a few other things can have problems.

If possible I would use your Netgear Router instead of your ISP router in the cupboard (assuming it has more features and Vodafone lets you use your own router?)
Edit: scrub that its DSL isn't it so you won't be able to plug it directly into your router?
I don't know if there is something similar to modem mode that Virgin have on their routers which would stop double NAT.
Or you should be able to use the X6 units without the netgear router by connecting them to the ISP router (I think!).


Then I would use the X6 units in Access point mode on the other floors.

The floor with the TV with poor reception I would consider moving the X6 to that room if you can run a cable from where the socket is; another option would be to use the second socket on the X6 and run a cable from that to the TV if it supports a wired connection.

They all have Ethernet plug on the cables that are in the box - my isp Vodafone router only has 3 Ethernet ports so that is why I’ve ordered a switch.

I put the net gear router on the top floor and set it in AP mode only so that it could be connected via Ethernet cable to a pc because the x6’s weren’t working.

I keep getting kicked out the internet on my Wi-Fi devices - is this the double nat issue?
Wired is fine - connection to the top floor pc has been absolutely fine on Ethernet connection via the netgear router and Wi-Fi up there is fine through that. But go one floor down and try and connect to any Vodafone Wi-Fi connection and it’s *****.

 

[brainfry]

Thankyou

I think I’m going to ditch the Vodafone router - I keep getting password error or it’s dropping connection on WiFi devices.
I’m looking for another netgear router that I can use with dsl - just getting a second hand one for now any recommendations?

Also I can’t login to the x6 mesh - it’s coming up with a error message saying you are not connected to your extenders Wi-Fi network -

I’ve had a blue screen pc today,(not related obviously to my internet issues) my switch I bought doesn’t seem to connect any of the Ethernet cables in the cupboard and my laptop won’t connect at all to the Vodafone hub Wi-Fi - so truly F’d off