Help my project get off the ground and wired up??

[donaldj68]

Hello all.. first time to this site .. but seems like lots of reasonable people to look for advice from... so here goes

Looking to wire my house and need some advice

First off my current setup is a wired/wireless capable 4port router to a dsl modem to the internet and all other devices in house are attached via wireless to that same router

Not getting all the bandwidth I would like and wired seems to be the way to guarantee that connection at all times.. and I will need many of the devices to talk to each other , not just individual conversations to Internet ( ie network shares between PC's, computer audio from PC libraries to media streamers, video from one device to another, etc)

SO Plan is to wire several other rooms (not where router currently resides) and place either 8 port 10/100 switch or 8 port gigabit switch in each of those two rooms and home run from them back to the router..which would you choose??

IF... you think gigabit is way to go.. what wiring would you use and why (Cat 5, 5E, or 6) ?? and since going in walls is CM rated solid pair good enough or CMP rated??

and if I bring both those switches back to router site..if at gigabit (and they can speak 10/100 also on that port) is it ok to just plug those into current router ports (which are 10/100) or should I invest in another 5 port gigabit switch to aggregate the other switches and then use one port out of this to the router..??

And will all of this wiring and the devices connected to it be able to be in the same network domain... i.e ,(192.168.1.2---192.168.1.XXX)??


Sorry for long winded questions but really stumped here and looking for someone elses thoughts to maybe quiet my doubts and questions..

Thanks .. Don J

 

[thiggins]

Short answer is to home run CAT 5e or 6 cable to a central point, preferably where your router is. Single drops should be fine. I don't know that I would use solid wire, which will be harder to handle. But others may have different advice.

You can connect those drops to any combination of 10/100 or 10/100/1000 switches, or the router ports. Just watch for bottlenecks where too much data will overrun a port.

Here are links to the network building articles we've done:
How To: Diary of a New Home Network- Part 1
How To: Diary of a New Home Network- Part 2
How To: Diary of a New Home Network - Part 3


Homegrown Networks


Homegrown Network: A Concrete Example

 

[donaldj68]

OK but still looking for others??

Thanks Tim for the other articles.. reviewed them all and got some other interesting ideas for my project..

Current thinking after too much time on my hands and the Internet to do the research is..

Purchase two 8 port gigabit switches for the big connectivity rooms.. and purchase a new gigabit router to connect these two.. leaving access for several devices where the router is as well..

Can't see any reason to need Cat 6 cable.. so Cat 5e it is.. and then all other connecting components will have 5e certification as well..

Does anyone know good place to buy all the piece parts for cabling, bulk cable, etc..

Suggestions welcomed

Thanks
Don J

 

[thiggins]

Bulk cable, check Lowes and local electrical supply stores. Depending on what you need, shipping cost could outweigh savings.

I was happy with DeepSurplus for parts.

 

[moosport]

when i did mine, i used a 48 port patch panel and 24 port switch. Having the patch panel allows me to convert an exist LAN to phone port at will

Since the install, I have upgraded my old WRT-54GL to E4200 and added Ooma to the closet.

 

[donaldj68]

Plan moving forward

Well.. thanks to those of you who took the time to respond or at least view the thread.. all input was welcome and researched..

So... here is what I have decided...

Purchased a new Netgear WNDR3800 gigabit router to go along with three Netgear 8 port gig switches..

The switches will tie several rooms together with my main office where the Lan/Wan come together..

I will have approximately 20 ports used in total (each of the switches will have some unused ports for any crazy future expansion) and the routers four ports will be used to tie the switches together in a gigabit lan network and then out to my DSL internet connection..

I have enough gigabit devices to make this feasable and I like the idea of an entire network that has upgrade potential for any new devices I may purchase..

And the wiring will be relatively simple since I have a one story home with attic access and an able son-in-law who will make this happen for me... each of the main hubs in other rooms will have two wires coming back to the offica and my wife's simple hobby room will have two wires coming back as well...all of this will then tie into the router/switch complex in my office so that we don't have a rats nest of cables crisscrossing the attic for each individual device in the outer rooms..

Thanks again and when this is all up and running (fingers crossed and research still to do) I will come back to this thread and update (perhaps a simple diagram as well)

Don J

 

[donaldj68]

So.. another question for the experts here

Well.. the new year has brought more questions.. looking for answers

From the above .. you can see I have plenty on my plate.. but was wondering how I would utilize my other Netgear router/print server now that I have acquired the new gigabit router (which when installed will be my main router to the DSL internet service)

My question :: Is there a way to hook up the second router and just be able to use the print server features (it has two usb ports which would be perfect for the two printers I have installed in my office) ??

If not .. what would you suggest I use to get that functionality on my network.. I need to have access to both printers from time to time as well as my wife having access to these from another room (Laser printer is main and Inkjet is secondary)

Thanks again

Don J

 

[donaldj68]

Update

Well.. just trying to keep anyone who is following this up to date

I have connected two of the switches so far (additional room awaiting someone who can help me fish a long run in my small attic space to room about 20 feet down a hall) and connected many different devices to those switches and all is well!! Went with Cat 6 STP (recommended by Monoprice folks and cost differential wasn't too bad) and using Cat 6 patch cables supplied by them as well.. With plenty of time on my hands.. I have devised a system of wiring where each major room has it's own color for the cabling and this helps me keep them straight when I have to patch each switch in my office (the demarc for all the connecting runs)..

After getting that last run done.. my only concern left will be how to use the Netgear print server/router so that I can hookup two printers via USB to it without messing up my other router connection and keepin it all on the same subnet.. if anyone has ideas.. would love to hear it

Thanks again for reading

Don J