Please help me make my ethernet ports in my home active

[ColinTaylor]

i agree optimal would be doing an electrician. I just don't know if i want to spend that much. I already have a daycare bill for 2 kids that is enough to make me broke.

It looks like you'll need a switch whatever you do, so it might as well be one that supports PoE. They're cheap enough. Plus the cost of an injector, ~$20? So even if the PoE thing doesn't work out you've only lost the cost of the injector.

 

[MNnetworkguy]

It looks like you'll need a switch whatever you do, so it might as well be one that supports PoE. They're cheap enough. Plus the cost of an injector, ~$20? So even if the PoE thing doesn't work out you've only lost the cost of the injector.

Yeah, that is seeming like what I will end up having to do. I know Luma and those things are not good. But what about Ubiquiti? If my ultimate goal is to get a stronger wireless network I was going to plug a couple of those into the cat5 cables to boost wireless. Plus I get the benefit of a cat5 system. Is there a better way to do all this?

 

[L&LD]

I can check on adjacency. I have a rambler (4400 sq ft) and have the router centrally located in the top floor. (Like the table lamp analogy haha) I think it is located as best as possible. I do, however, have it in a cabinet and not displayed like a nice piece of art though. The issue i am having is in the basement where i have a amazon fire stick and my sons nursery ip webcam which goes out fairly frequently

Inside a cabinet?

Location, location, location. (Not just for homes).

At least test it outside the cabinet and see how it affects those devices.

 

[MNnetworkguy]

Inside a cabinet?

Location, location, location. (Not just for homes).

At least test it outside the cabinet and see how it affects those devices.

Yes, inside the cabinet. Ok okay, i can test outside, maybe that will help a little But now that i have been talking about this whole house cat5 i kind of want to do that now haha. So many more benefits down the road. Especially when I upgrade to 4k and want to stream netflix. i could have that location wired.

 

[CaptainSTX]

Would looking at 1 wall jack's pinout not be conclusive enough? I mean... I know it's dangerous, but I would assume all jacks would be wired the same.

You would think so, but it always pays to test before you install your network devices. When you are terminating cables you don't always get a good connection on the first try and even more likely is that a cable has been damaged during the construction process, by screws, nails, etc. after it was installed in the walls.

As for POE, you can buy a gigabyte POE injector pair from WiFi Texas and I assume elsewhere that you can use to power a standard small unmanaged switch. I power my 8 port switch using a 35 foot Ethernet run using this adapter. It requires 9 volts and it runs fine and it tests as connecting at gigabyte speeds.

Gigabyte capable adapters are not as common as 100Mbps capable adapters so read the specs before buying.

 

[MNnetworkguy]

You would think so, but it always pays to test before you install your network devices. When you are terminating cables you don't always get a good connection on the first try and even more likely is that a cable has been damaged during the construction process, by screws, nails, etc. after it was installed in the walls.

As for POE, you can buy a gigabyte POE injector pair from WiFi Texas and I assume elsewhere that you can use to power a standard small unmanaged switch. I power my 8 port switch using a 35 foot Ethernet run using this adapter. It requires 9 volts and it runs fine and it tests as connecting at gigabyte speeds.

Gigabyte capable adapters are not as common as 100Mbps capable adapters so read the specs before buying.

Alright, I will look into the POE injector. Any recommendation on a good switch to pair it with?

 

[CaptainSTX]

Alright, I will look into the POE injector. Any recommendation on a good switch to pair it with?

I use a small 8 port unmanaged gigabyte switch made by TP-Link. Sells for around $25. Have used it for eight months mounted in my media wiring cabinet powered by the POE injector which cost me $4.95 and is also available at Amazon.

 

[MNnetworkguy]

I use a small 8 port unmanaged gigabyte switch made by TP-Link. Sells for around $25. Have used it for eight months mounted in my media wiring cabinet powered by the POE injector which cost me $4.95 and is also available at Amazon.

I may have hit a snag or at least I know I have a question. So, if i use a POE injector to power the switch in another room that is fine. However, I also want to wire my house with ubiquiti access points. It looks like ubiquiti also requires PoE but they have their own proprietary gear. So the Ubiquiti won't work for the switch and the switch PoE won't work for Ubiquiti APs. I am guessing i can't have two PoE's on my cat5 run.

Is there something I am missing or how do i get around this? Maybe I just ditch the thoughts of one of the two solutions. Thoughts?

 

[ColinTaylor]

I'm not familiar with Ubiquiti products but I'm failing to see their attraction. Can you explain their advantage over a traditional access point?

I'd assumed that after you'd setup your Ethernet cabling you would just go out and buy one or two of the cheapest access points you could find, plug them into the socket in an appropriate room and that would be it.

 

[MNnetworkguy]

I'm not familiar with Ubiquiti products but I'm failing to see their attraction. Can you explain their advantage over a traditional access point?

I'd assumed that after you'd setup your Ethernet cabling you would just go out and buy one or two of the cheapest access points you could find, plug them into the socket in an appropriate room and that would be it.

From my very limited understanding it really helps when it comes to switching because an AP has its own SSID and password so a PC doesn't naturally switch like ubquiti bills itself to do. Let me know if I am incorrect.

 

[ColinTaylor]

From my very limited understanding it really helps when it comes to switching because an AP has its own SSID and password so a PC doesn't naturally switch like ubquiti bills itself to do. Let me know if I am incorrect.

Fair enough I suppose. Although I don't understand the reference to SSID's and passwords as you can use the same ones on all the AP's and routers (as I do).

The problem, as you say is "sticky clients" as discussed here: http://www.snbforums.com/threads/what-are-sticky-clients.30689/#post-241258

Personally I don't find it a problem. All of my devices (even the mobile ones) tend to always be in the same part of the house and therefore connect to the closest router/AP when powered on.

 

[MNnetworkguy]

Fair enough I suppose. Although I don't understand the reference to SSID's and passwords as you can use the same ones on all the AP's and routers (as I do).

The problem, as you say is "sticky clients" as discussed here: http://www.snbforums.com/threads/what-are-sticky-clients.30689/#post-241258

Personally I don't find it a problem. All of my devices (even the mobile ones) tend to always be in the same part of the house and therefore connect to the closest router/AP when powered on.

I will try this route first before going the ubiquiti route. Thank you! What APs have you found to be the best for you? Have you found a good article on how to optimally configure your router and APs to works as efficiently as possible together? For example, make sure all SSIDs and passwords are the same, turn off xyz...

Thanks!

 

[KenZ71]

Just my thoughts from the peanut gallery :

OP is a self admitted newbie. We all were at one time.

Option 1) For kicks call your ISP and ask if they can help setup a wifi network. Most offer a rental Modem for a few bucks and it comes with installation. The installer might be able to test the lines and let you know what your dealing with.

Option 2) go small & slow. Almost guaranteed any choice made now for equipment and location you will second guess later.

If their is a light in the closet you can tap that line for power, no need for POE.

Instead of trying to crimp RJ45 plugs I would say go with either a patch panel or Keystone JacksCable Matters 10-Pack Cat6 RJ45 Punch-Down Keystone Jack in White https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IO3HEN6/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_J6L0wbMKMJ2BG then buy some pre made patch cables.

Ideally network equipment is located in an out of the way area, well ventilated, and secure from kids, pets, random stuff piled up against it, etc. That can be a tough spot to find.

 

[ColinTaylor]

I'm not sure I can offer any fair recommendations for hardware as my experience is limited to only a few devices. Also my requirements (short range, 2.4GHz only) probably aren't the same as yours.

But FWIW, I used a couple of dirt cheap (£20) Buffalo wireless routers that can be used in AP mode. They were OK.

Then I had a Belkin wireless repeater (not an AP) that was a horrible little device. So much so that I'll never buy another Belkin product. YMMV

Currently I'm using a ZyXEL powerline AP. It's also dirt cheap but works well enough considering that it has no external antennas. It covers one room and can stream HD video from my media server to my TV.

As for whether you should use the same or different SSID's..... Well I've heard people strongly arguing either way on that one.

It would be nice to have different SSID's for each AP then it's easy to tell which one a client is attaching to. Or restrict access to only certain AP's. You'd have to setup multiple "profiles" on each device and in an ideal world it would connect to a different profile/SSID as you move around.

Unfortunately we don't live in an ideal world and in my experience devices rarely switch profiles by themselves. So for me it works better (and is simpler) with one SSID for the 2.4GHz APs and one for the 5GHz one.

In my experience you'll have to work around the peculiarities of the client devices rather than the AP's!

As for any other settings... Just go with the defaults.

 

[ColinTaylor]

That's an interesting idea @KenZ71. I think I'd prefer a patch panel rather than lots of dangling Keystone jacks. Something like this looks quite compact and would probably be fairly easy to screw onto a wall.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UVQI8B6/?tag=snbforums-20

 

[MNnetworkguy]

That's an interesting idea @KenZ71. I think I'd prefer a patch panel rather than lots of dangling Keystone jacks. Something like this looks quite compact and would probably be fairly easy to screw onto a wall.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UVQI8B6/?tag=snbforums-20

So does this just serve the purpose of the switch and instead i punch all the cables into this? Am I still leaving the "feed" line out of this equation since it seems it isn't needed. I really appreciate all the help. I know @KenZ71 mentioned trying to steer clear of the PoE. However I don't know if i am going to do that in phase one. How would i get power to this thing or is it not necessary?

 

[CaptainSTX]

I may have hit a snag or at least I know I have a question. So, if i use a POE injector to power the switch in another room that is fine. However, I also want to wire my house with ubiquiti access points. It looks like ubiquiti also requires PoE but they have their own proprietary gear. So the Ubiquiti won't work for the switch and the switch PoE won't work for Ubiquiti APs. I am guessing i can't have two PoE's on my cat5 run.

Is there something I am missing or how do i get around this? Maybe I just ditch the thoughts of one of the two solutions. Thoughts?

You are correct if saying that you can't have more than one source of power for each Cat5 drop. You can only have a single voltage and the total power requirements for multiple devices may exceed what can be delivered using spare pairs in the Ethernet cable. This is a limitation of both POE switches and injectors.

However there is nothing to prevent you from having multiple POE sources on your network as long as are on separate drops.

In your case the simplest solution is either to run AC power to the location of your wiring panel and install a POE switch or power use POE for the switch at this location and then utilize APs that have their own AC power source.

 

[ColinTaylor]

So does this just serve the purpose of the switch and instead i punch all the cables into this? Am I still leaving the "feed" line out of this equation since it seems it isn't needed. I really appreciate all the help. I know @KenZ71 mentioned trying to steer clear of the PoE. However I don't know if i am going to do that in phase one. How would i get power to this thing or is it not necessary?

No this does not replace the switch. It's just a matter of aesthetics with the wiring.

The original suggestion was that you detach (cut) the existing Cat5 cables from the GE board and then crimp rj45 plugs onto the ends of each cable. The cables would then be plugged into your new switch.

KenZ71 was suggesting 2 different wiring options that meant that you didn't need to "crimp" any new rj45 plugs (which can be a bit tricky). Instead, you take the wires and use "punch down" tool (easier to use IMHO) to attach rj45 sockets instead of plugs. These little sockets can either be free standing (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IO3HEN6/?tag=snbforums-20) or mounted altogether in a panel (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UVQI8B6/?tag=snbforums-20).

You will then have to buy "standard" Cat5/6 patch cables to connect from your new sockets to the new switch.

Both these options involve more components in addition to the switch; sockets and patch cables (so more cost).

These options may be attractive if your existing Cat5 cables won't reach to where you want to place the switch.

The advantage of option 1 is that you can just use a punch down tool rather than a crimper, which is easier to use.
The advantage of option 2 is that the whole thing looks "more professional" and potentially neater. You're effectively replacing the GE patch panel with your own.

As for the "feed" line, I don't know. I couldn't see it in the pictures you posted, unless it was the "Input" block? You'll have to trace the cable, but if it is the "Input" block then logically it should be the main telephone feed into the house.

Edit: I forgot to mention... these are just plain plugs and sockets so there's no power requirements.

 

[MNnetworkguy]

You are correct if saying that you can't have more than one source of power for each Cat5 drop. You can only have a single voltage and the total power requirements for multiple devices may exceed what can be delivered using spare pairs in the Ethernet cable. This is a limitation of both POE switches and injectors.

However there is nothing to prevent you from having multiple POE sources on your network as long as are on separate drops.

In your case the simplest solution is either to run AC power to the location of your wiring panel and install a POE switch or power use POE for the switch at this location and then utilize APs that have their own AC power source.

Yup, that looks like it will have to be the case. I am going to ditch my ubiquity idea for now. Any thoughts on the best APs or will any middle of the road one work? I shouldn't have to upgrade my a66u router, should I?

 

[MNnetworkguy]

No this does not replace the switch. It's just a matter of aesthetics with the wiring.

The original suggestion was that you detach (cut) the existing Cat5 cables from the GE board and then crimp rj45 plugs onto the ends of each cable. The cables would then be plugged into your new switch.

KenZ71 was suggesting 2 different wiring options that meant that you didn't need to "crimp" any new rj45 plugs (which can be a bit tricky). Instead, you take the wires and use "punch down" tool (easier to use IMHO) to attach rj45 sockets instead of plugs. These little sockets can either be free standing (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IO3HEN6/?tag=snbforums-20) or mounted altogether in a panel (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UVQI8B6/?tag=snbforums-20).

You will then have to buy "standard" Cat5/6 patch cables to connect from your new sockets to the new switch.

Both these options involve more components in addition to the switch; sockets and patch cables (so more cost).

These options may be attractive if your existing Cat5 cables won't reach to where you want to place the switch.

The advantage of option 1 is that you can just use a punch down tool rather than a crimper, which is easier to use.
The advantage of option 2 is that the whole thing looks "more professional" and potentially neater. You're effectively replacing the GE patch panel with your own.

As for the "feed" line, I don't know. I couldn't see in in the pictures you posted, unless it was the "Input" block? You'll have to trace the cable, but if it is the "Input" block then logically it should be the main telephone feed into the house.

Edit: I forgot to mention... these are just plain plugs and sockets so there's no power requirements.

yes, the feed cable was in the "input" block. So i will just disregard that one. Thanks for the clarification about. I will probably go the punch route that ken suggested so i don't have to deal with crimping and then just buy patch cables.