Home wired & wireless network help!

[Meatball]

The house is undergoing an overdue extension and renevation. While walls are being ripped out I thought it would be a perfect excuse to put a wired network in vs. our completely (hopeless) wireless system:

Virgin Superhub --> all devices connected wirelessy

With my basic networking knowledge I've put together the following. Purchase this and place in the loft to serve 14 ethernet wall sockets:
Ground floor (8 ethernet ports total): Four ethernet ports in the living room and four in the downstairs bedroom
1st floor (6 ethernet ports total): 2 in each bedroom

Plug the Superhub (In Modem Mode) into the switch to provide the internet connection for the wired network. Can I then plug a regular wireless router into one of the downstairs ethernet sockets to provide a wireless connection to the house?

Any help would be appreciated .

 

[whitecrook]

if you want the super hub in modem mode you'll need to plug that into a router, which will then plug into your switch. Your router will provide dhcp and nat and firewall etc. So you'd have 3 boxes in your loft. Modem->switch->router. I'd go a further step and get a couple of the TP link access points (they are about £20 each) maybe plug one in at the loft, and another at the opposite end of the house to provide coverage.

This splits each duty nicely, rather than a combined wifi router. although that may work for you.

I'd also drop at least 8 into the living room and at least 3 into each room. You can also fire phone over cat5 as well if you want.

You probably also want to get a patch panel wire that to your ethernet jacks, then patch to the switch, and personally I'd try to go for a managed switch but you probably don't need that.

 

[Meatball]

if you want the super hub in modem mode you'll need to plug that into a router, which will then plug into your switch. Your router will provide dhcp and nat and firewall etc. So you'd have 3 boxes in your loft. Modem->switch->router.

I was hoping to have the superhub and router on the first floor where they are currently both from a wireless coverage point of view and because the coaxial cable is already there. So Superhub + Router (first floor) -> Ethernet cable to loft -> switch.

I'd go a further step and get a couple of the TP link access points (they are about £20 each) maybe plug one in at the loft, and another at the opposite end of the house to provide coverage.

This splits each duty nicely, rather than a combined wifi router. although that may work for you.

Could I use the switch for DHCP/NAT and use the access points to provide the wireless coverage instead of the router? The only thing I would be concerned about is seamless roaming between the access points.

You probably also want to get a patch panel wire that to your ethernet jacks, then patch to the switch, and personally I'd try to go for a managed switch but you probably don't need that.

I understand DHCP, nat etc but this went over my head if I'm honest. Googling as I type.

Thanks for the help .

 

[whitecrook]

I was hoping to have the superhub and router on the first floor where they currently both from a wireless coverage point of view and because the coaxial cable is already there. So Superhub + Router (first floor) -> Ethernet cable to loft -> switch.

you could do that I suppose. If the router was wifi then aye, if not, just pump the router up with the switch out the way.

Could I use the switch for DHCP/NAT

No, it's a switch not a dchp server. You need a router to do NAT. It's a switch not a router.

and use the access points to provide the wireless coverage instead of the router?

Yes, that's the point of the APs.

The only thing I would be concerned about is seamless roaming between the access points.

This isn't a problem. It's a radio signal. Start with one, see if it's enough.

I understand DHCP, nat etc but this went over my head if I'm honest. Googling as I type.

Thanks for the help .

a managed switch will allow you to control more precisely the networks and ports and things. stuff. You don't need it.

 

[whitecrook]

if you put the switch up stairs and jacks down below in the rooms you'll have a connection like this:

PC | RJ45-cat5 (stranded)-RJ45 | eth port-punched down-solid cat5-RJ45 | switch

This sucks.

You want
PC | RJ45-cat5 (stranded)-RJ45 | eth port-punched down-solid cat5-punched down-patch panel | RJ45- cat5 stranded -RJ45 | switch

Doing it this way 'un hardwires' it. This is extremely useful, for many reasons.

 

[Meatball]

So I'm thinking:

Loft: Superhub with wifi switched off (DHCP + NAT) + switch
First floor: Ethernet runs + Wireless Access Point
Ground floor: Ethernet runs from switch + Wireless Access Point

+ cost of CAT5e or CAT6 cable

I assume I wont have any problems with the long coaxial run from the street to the loft for the superhub?

if I run the ethernet cables with coaxial from Freeview will this be ok interference wise? I've read to keep the ethernet cables away from power cables.

Why does hardwire suck?

.

 

[whitecrook]

So I'm thinking:

Loft: Superhub with wifi switched off (DHCP + NAT) + switch
First floor: Ethernet runs + Wireless Access Point
Ground floor: Ethernet runs from switch + Wireless Access Point

+ cost of CAT5e or CAT6 cable

I assume I wont have any problems with the long coaxial run from the street to the loft for the superhub?

probably not, as long as your signal wasn't marginal which it shouldn't be. My old cable feed was split to 5 devices and the modem cable as 20+ metres.

If you do, just run a ethernet from the modem at the feed point, back up to the switch.

if I run the ethernet cables with coaxial from Freeview will this be ok interference wise? I've read to keep the ethernet cables away from power cables.

should be fine. I've done it before with no issues. Keep power cable separate though. and if you have to cross do it at 90 degree angles.

Why does hardwire suck?

.

You can get away with out a panel, but to do the job properly you really should.

Solid cables should not really be plugged into devices, you should use stranded although solid will work. Solid is for fixed install, not for pluggin and unplugging.

At the basic level it means you'll have wires hanging out your wall.
You can possible damage these wires, which could mean having to re-punch down the wire at the jacks, or worse having to re-pull a new cable.

Using a patch panel means your 'infrastructure' is properley terminated in to your building at both ends. You then plug in an configure what you like , independently of this.

Also if you'll have 20 wires lying in a bundle. How do you find the right wire, how do you know what device is plugged into the corresponding jack? Not too easily and not without 'searching'

Well what you do is you wire the cables in to a patch panel. this puts them behind the wall etc safely away. Number the ports (most are already numbered) then you know port 1 -8 living room, etc and you just plug in what you need. So you can have 20 jacks, but only have 4 devices plugged in, and therefore only need to deal with 4 wires from the panel to the switch.

This also allows you to patch stuff through. E.G say you wanted to plug you superhub directly into your computer in the upstairs room and your hub is in the living room. Plug the hub in to port 1 in the living room. Plug your computer in to port 9 upstairs bedroom. Then on the panel just patch port 1 to port 9 with a short cat 5 lead. This flexibility is VERY handy and is part of the point of wiring up your house, otherwise you don't gain one of the best benefits.

 

[Meatball]

I see what you mean, that would be very hand and add flexibility I'll inevitably need at some point. How much would a suitable patch panel cost?

 

[Nightglow]

I see what you mean, that would be very hand and add flexibility I'll inevitably need at some point. How much would a suitable patch panel cost?

Use Cat 6 cable, it will give you some future proofing,as to patch panels, i payed £10 for a 24 port Cat 6 one off Ebay, plenty on there cheap.

And I agree with WhiteCrook, definitely drop at least 8 into the living room and 2 or ideally 3 into each room, will allow VOIP phones & DLNA.

See this thread. http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?p=21294214#post21294214

 

[Meatball]

My CAT6 cable (all 305m of it! ) and crimpers arrived today, I started clearing space in the loft where the cabinet will go. I was very chuffed to see that coaxial cable has already been run from outside the house to the loft, ready for when I move the Superhub upstairs. The cabinet will house my switch, patch panel & NAS which I'm ordering on Friday. Just a couple of questions:
The switches I'm looking at all state gigabit but don't mention anything to do with CAT6 compatibility, is this something I should be looking out for?

Any tips for running the ethernet cable with a pre-existing coaxial cable in the wall? I was thinking of cable tieing them together and using a bit of vaseline to help ease the ethernet cable up.

 

[bremen1874]

My CAT6 cable (all 305m of it! ) and crimpers arrived today, I started clearing space in the loft where the cabinet will go. I was very chuffed to see that coaxial cable has already been run from outside the house to the loft, ready for when I move the Superhub upstairs. The cabinet will house my switch, patch panel & NAS which I'm ordering on Friday. Just a couple of questions:
The switches I'm looking at all state gigabit but don't mention anything to do with CAT6 compatibility, is this something I should be looking out for?

No. There's just an expectation that you'll use cable that'll handle Gigabit speeds (Cat5e or better).

Any tips for running the ethernet cable with a pre-existing coaxial cable in the wall? I was thinking of cable tieing them together and using a bit of vaseline to help ease the ethernet cable up.

If you need to use Vaseline to ease it up then… (I’ll stop before I get banned ).

Use tape to attach cables to the pulls. Cable ties will just snag on every possible obstacle. There shouldn't be any need to be applying lubricant.

 

[Meatball]

Well there's been a slight change of plan! The cabinet will now be going in a cupboard on the first floor, less wire channeling and theres already an access point for the Virgin Superhub. Just bought a 24 port gigabit Netgear switch GS724T from the MM. This one can be managed should I (when I ) decide to start faffing about once the house is wired up.

 

[Meatball]

Thought I would update with progress so far. I decided to put the cabinet in the office built in cupboard on the 1st story instead of the loft. All the Cat6 cabling has been laid for downstairs and currently terminates at the patch panel. Need to wait for the building work to finish downstairs before wiring the sockets downstairs. I've tested the furthest port at the end of the house where I will be placing the second wireless router to provide wireless coverage for the back of the house and garden.

2Tb QNap NAS is up and ready to go with all my media on .

 

[bremen1874]

Thought I would update with progress so far. I decided to put the cabinet in the office built in cupboard on the 1st story instead of the loft. All the Cat6 cabling has been laid for downstairs and currently terminates at the patch panel. Need to wait for the building work to finish downstairs before wiring the sockets downstairs. I've tested the furthest port at the end of the house where I will be placing the second wireless router to provide wireless coverage for the back of the house and garden.

SNIP

2Tb QNap NAS is up and ready to go with all my media on .

It almost certainly won’t cause you any problems, but you should be keeping the pairs twisted right up to where they’re punched down.

Also is there any chance that you’ve got the conductors going the wrong way? I’d have expected the conductors feed from the bottom and be trimmed off at the top. (Although it shouldn’t be possible to get it wrong without forcing the Krone tool)

 

[Meatball]

I read about keeping them twisted but it proved almost impossible with the CAT6 cabling. I'm sure it won't make too much of a difference?