Networking 6bed uni house.

ChroniC · 9 Apr 2006 at 16:51

Ok, networked a few houses with Cat5 or wireless with 4-port routers. Simple.

But can you buy 6-port routers, or will i need to use 2?
Also whats the max range i can use wireless, before i have to run hundreds of metres of wire through the house.
Its a 3 story house, and from the phone line its gona have to go through about 3 walls to the loft.

Secondly.
6 people using connection, what option is recommended, for downloading, gaming, browsing. 8mb adsl possible?

Thanks

aaazza · 9 Apr 2006 at 16:56

You can get an 8-port switch don't think you can get six ports. I got 30m network cables for under 7 quid each because i was very reluctant to use wireless. But up to you. Some decent wireless kit is apparently good for range and reliability but I didn't want to take the chance.

EDIT: As for connection, depends on the availability of ADSL, ntl, telewest etc. I'd say 8-10Meg with a high usage limit.

aaazza

ChroniC · 9 Apr 2006 at 17:05

aaazza said:
You can get an 8-port switch don't think you can get six ports. I got 30m network cables for under 7 quid each because i was very reluctant to use wireless. But up to you. Some decent wireless kit is apparently good for range and reliability but I didn't want to take the chance.

EDIT: As for connection, depends on the availability of ADSL, ntl, telewest etc. I'd say 8-10Meg with a high usage limit.

aaazza

Agreed reliability wise cable is easily better especially considering the distance, but running 6 wires up some stairs is gona look pretty naff.
Think i shall run the router to the landing so is in the centre of the house.

8 ports is fine but cant seem to find wireless as an option above 4
Can i use 4 wireless, and 2 ports on the router at the same time or does it only use 4 fullstop. Will look about for a good connection.

R4z0r · 9 Apr 2006 at 18:17

ChroniC said:
Agreed reliability wise cable is easily better especially considering the distance, but running 6 wires up some stairs is gona look pretty naff.
Think i shall run the router to the landing so is in the centre of the house.

8 ports is fine but cant seem to find wireless as an option above 4
Can i use 4 wireless, and 2 ports on the router at the same time or does it only use 4 fullstop. Will look about for a good connection.

You could connect 4 wired users to the four ports and then still take on additional wireless users. A wireless user does not take up a physical port.

My advice would be to get a wireless router, for any easy cable runs use cable and for the trickier places use the wireless. As for BB, ADSL Max would be a good bet if you have a good quality line. Cable may be good as well but I don'tknow anything about it.

ChroniC · 9 Apr 2006 at 22:37

R4z0r said:
You could connect 4 wired users to the four ports and then still take on additional wireless users. A wireless user does not take up a physical port.

My advice would be to get a wireless router, for any easy cable runs use cable and for the trickier places use the wireless. As for BB, ADSL Max would be a good bet if you have a good quality line. Cable may be good as well but I don'tknow anything about it.

thankyou. you have answered what i hope. I shall run it from the landing in the middle of the three layers, and use 2 wires to the closest 2. The wireless shall solve the rest there.
Sorted.

Now just need to find a BB compramise between cost and speed.

Topgun · 9 Apr 2006 at 23:12

I've got a similar setup in my uni house. managed to wire up 5 bedrooms + living room using cat5 with barely a wire showing. It just takes a bit of time to do it neatly.

4-port Kcorp 180mbps Wireless router £25 (very good wireless coverage!)
2 x 8-port dynamode switches £8 each
100m stolen cat5 cable £0
25 pack rj45 plugs £3
rj45 crimp tool £5
cable tacks £2
borrowed hammer drill £0
crappy 8mm bore 400mm long drill bit £2

If you spread out the switches, you shouldnt end up with thick bundles of cables all over the shop. Somehow nearly all the ports are occupied with voip phones, consoles, hifis, digiboxs, laptops etc etc! guess that's what happens when you live with a bunch of nerds. I think just wireless would be acceptable if we didn't have 20meg internet and also loads of equipment that needs ethernet.

ChroniC · 10 Apr 2006 at 00:41

Topgun said:
I've got a similar setup in my uni house. managed to wire up 5 bedrooms + living room using cat5 with barely a wire showing. It just takes a bit of time to do it neatly.

4-port Kcorp 180mbps Wireless router £25 (very good wireless coverage!)
2 x 8-port dynamode switches £8 each
100m stolen cat5 cable £0
25 pack rj45 plugs £3
rj45 crimp tool £5
cable tacks £2
borrowed hammer drill £0
crappy 8mm bore 400mm long drill bit £2

If you spread out the switches, you shouldnt end up with thick bundles of cables all over the shop. Somehow nearly all the ports are occupied with voip phones, consoles, hifis, digiboxs, laptops etc etc! guess that's what happens when you live with a bunch of nerds. I think just wireless would be acceptable if we didn't have 20meg internet and also loads of equipment that needs ethernet.

pardon my stupidity, but what role does the switch play??? Surely the router will work as the switch in this case.

hhhhbk · 10 Apr 2006 at 04:55

ChroniC said:
pardon my stupidity, but what role does the switch play??? Surely the router will work as the switch in this case.

switches will give additional ports to the 4 ports that most routers have
ie can connect more pcs

also say you have 2 floors 4 computers upstairs 4 computers downstairs
would make more sense to run a single cable with the switch on to the floor the router isnt on rather than 4 x 30m cables

Mercutio · 10 Apr 2006 at 13:15

ChroniC said:
pardon my stupidity, but what role does the switch play??? Surely the router will work as the switch in this case.

You will have the internet as far as your router. After that everything works as per a normal network. My recommendation would be to have the router as close to the BT master socket as possible using a short, shielded RJ-11 cable. Run any downstairs machines off the switch built into the router.
Use 1 of the ports on the router to uplink to a "normal" 4/7/8 port hub/switch on the 1st floor landing/tucked away in one of the rooms. Most switches will have an uplink port or be auto-sensing. If not get a Cat5(or whatever grade cable your using) crossover cable.
Any machines on the second floor can then run off the switch, either by running cables up to the top floor or again use uplink/crossover and put a 2nd extra switch on the 2nd floor landing.

When connecting networking kit together as a general rule of thumb if you connecting "infrastructure" devices (switchs/hubs/routers/gateways/bridges etc) together you need to use crossover cables or uplink ports. Connecting devices (computers/NAT storage devices etc) to infrastructure is normal/"straight through" cables

ChroniC · 10 Apr 2006 at 17:12

Ok thanks, i was under the impression that an internet connection could be split by the router into additional signals but i didnt think you could do that again after with switches through one port of the router. In theory you it would be possible to run 4 8port switches from the router?
Thanks

Topgun · 10 Apr 2006 at 21:15

4 switches would be no problem at all. Infact you could daisy chain multiple switches which would allow you to progressivlely increase the number of hosts on your network almost indefinitly. The only slight negative effect would be the minor propogation timing delays introduced by the switching (althought i doubt it would be measurable). The upper limit would be dependent on the number of MAC address your switches can remember which is normally in the region of 1000's with any modern switch.