Home network wiring questions...

broona · 12 Feb 2017 at 23:11

We're moving house in a couple of weeks, the BT master socket is in the kitchen, and I want to run cable to a cupboard in the living room where my new Dell T20 server will be housed.

I need to decide on basic cabling, can't fit a full wired network so upstairs will be Wi-Fi/home plugs, but I want to make sure I've got downstairs set up right first.

My thinking is as follows :-

Phone line in kitchen with sky router connected as a modem

Cat6 cable from sky modem through to server in living room cupboard

From server into 8 port hub

From hub into Asus router for Wi-Fi

Also from hub into everything with an Ethernet port downstairs

Does that make sense and is it in the right order?

bremen1874 · 12 Feb 2017 at 23:41

There are only very limited circumstances where you'd connect via the server.

I'd have:

Sky router to network switch (not hub - they are different).
Server, Asus router (configured as an AP), and the other LAN devices connected to the switch.

If the Asus is going to be used as a router then it'd be:

Sky hub to WAN side of Asus router.
Switch connected to the LAN side if the Asus router.
Server and other network devices connected to switch and the remaining free LAN ports on the Asus.

broona · 13 Feb 2017 at 00:03

I'm looking to run PFsense on the server and route all my internet traffic through that.

The wi-Fi on the Sky Q hub is woeful, the Wi-Fi on my Asus RT-N66Uis far better but unfortunately it doesn't have a built in modem.

bremen1874 · 13 Feb 2017 at 00:21

What are you doing that requires pfSense?

Why would you use a Dell T20 for pfSense? Do you have some sort of virtualisation planned?

If you had to ask your original question are you even in a position to setup pfSense and know you've got it right?

broona · 13 Feb 2017 at 07:24

bremen1874;30497583 said:
What are you doing that requires pfSense?

I've looked into setting up a pfsense machine numerous times over the years, and now that I've got a server, I thought I may as well try to improve my internet security, is there any reason I shouldn't use it?

Why would you use a Dell T20 for pfSense? Do you have some sort of virtualisation planned?

It's going to be used as a Plex server first and foremost, with a couple of other VM's too.

If you had to ask your original question are you even in a position to setup pfSense and know you've got it right?

A friend has a very similar server setup and I'm picking his brains on that side of things, I just want to get the cabling organised before we move in and I'll take all the help I can get with that.

neodude · 13 Feb 2017 at 07:33

Should work. I would recommend that the pfSense VM have it's own dedicated dual port NIC within the server for security reasons. Also if you want more than one Wi-Fi network (Guest etc.) then you will need a Managed Switch as opposed to Unmanaged.

broona · 13 Feb 2017 at 10:35

neodude;30497768 said:
Should work. I would recommend that the pfSense VM have it's own dedicated dual port NIC within the server for security reasons. Also if you want more than one Wi-Fi network (Guest etc.) then you will need a Managed Switch as opposed to Unmanaged.

I've just stuck a HP NC360T dual port Intel NIC in there, and I'll be using a NETGEAR GS108E-300UKS 8 Port Web Managed Switch, hopefully I can get it all to work together through trial and error...

Quartz · 13 Feb 2017 at 11:57

broona;30497490 said:
I need to decide on basic cabling, can't fit a full wired network so upstairs will be Wi-Fi/home plugs, but I want to make sure I've got downstairs set up right first.

Can you not just drill holes in the wall and run cables around the outside or through the loft?

broona · 13 Feb 2017 at 12:41

Quartz;30498532 said:
Can you not just drill holes in the wall and run cables around the outside or through the loft?

It's complicated, we've got to rent it for now but we'lll be buying it when we can, so not wanting to do too much permanent work yet, plus it's an old house so the outside walls are 3ft thick.

Gigabit home plugs will do upstairs for now, we rarely watch anything up there anyway unless we're using Wi-Fi in the phone, just want to get downstairs right for now.

neodude · 13 Feb 2017 at 15:43

broona;30498224 said:
I've just stuck a HP NC360T dual port Intel NIC in there, and I'll be using a NETGEAR GS108E-300UKS 8 Port Web Managed Switch, hopefully I can get it all to work together through trial and error...

Should all work nicely. Similar set up to me actually.

Quartz · 13 Feb 2017 at 23:37

broona;30498707 said:
Gigabit home plugs will do upstairs for now, we rarely watch anything up there anyway unless we're using Wi-Fi in the phone, just want to get downstairs right for now.

Remember that a Cat 5 ethernet segment can be up to 100 metres long, which is plenty long enough to route around doors and halls and go up the stairs.

broona · 14 Feb 2017 at 14:33

Quartz said:
Remember that a Cat 5 ethernet segment can be up to 100 metres long, which is plenty long enough to route around doors and halls and go up the stairs.

I'll have a better look at it when I get time, cheers.

broona · 14 Feb 2017 at 18:30

So, I've had a think, I'm going to try and put a wired network in, makes more sense in the long run.

It's only 2 bedroom, so I'm looking to order the following, anything else I'd need :-

50m solid copper Cat5e/Cat6 cable
BT extension socket to go in cupboard, twin phone/vdsl?
2 twin port ethernet sockets, 1 per bedroom
IDC tool
That it?

Thanks again.

bremen1874 · 14 Feb 2017 at 20:03

You'll want something to terminate the cupboard end of the cables to. You can crimp plugs on, but it's not ideal and it's another tool to buy.

A basic cable tester is also well worth having.

broona · 14 Feb 2017 at 20:52

bremen1874 said:
You'll want something to terminate the cupboard end of the cables to. You can crimp plugs on, but it's not ideal and it's another tool to buy.

A basic cable tester is also well worth having.

I was going to put a phone socket of some kind in the cupboard, perhaps a filtered master socket, and terminate to that, basically like a phone extension, then connect to the Sky Q Hub with a short length of RJ11, would that work?

bremen1874 · 14 Feb 2017 at 21:26

I was referring to the connections to your other rooms. If you're going to install two ports in each bedroom you're going to have four cables that'll need their other ends terminating somewhere.

broona · 14 Feb 2017 at 21:55

I think I'm just going to put single port sockets in instead, make life a little easier with fewer cables.

Could I just buy RJ45 terminated cables, cut one end off to connect it to the socket and plug the other end into the hub?

bremen1874 · 14 Feb 2017 at 22:08

The faceplate connectors where you terminate the cables are designed to accept solid core cable. They're basically two facing blades that cut through the insulation on each side of the wire and into the copper conductor.

A pre-terminated cable will be stranded rather than solid core. You might get a reliable connection, you might not. It's certainly not a good long term solution.

Pulling two cables is almost as easy as pulling one, and cable is cheap. All you need to do is to fit faceplates at both ends of the cables. If you have enough connections you can use a patch panel instead.

You can also crimp your own plugs onto the end of the cable if you'd prefer.