How does pre-wired ethernet work? - Page 2

I have a similar issue to some of those on this forum.
I would like to active the ethernet connection behind my living room TV so I don't have to use the wireless internet connection anymore for Pandora, Netflix, etc.

My home is prewired with Cat 5, but I am using a wireless network that originates in my study. There is an ethernet cable connecting my router to the only wall outlet in that room.

Here are three pictures of my media box to reference (assuming they attached).
Comms Box 1.jpg 2188k .jpg file
Comms Box 2.jpg 2075k .jpg file
Comms Box 3.jpg 2015k .jpg file

I initially I tried connecting a blue cable marked living room into a port (on a row labeled Open-Active) below the yellow cables in the second picture. Apparently the gray cable in the picture, which is plugged into the same row, is from my security system, because when I plugged in the blue cable next to it, my alarm panel beeped and indicated an error.

In the third picture, the two blue cables plugged together with the gray connector are labeled Uverse feed and Bedroom 1 data. I assume Bedroom 1 refers to my office where my internet originates.

Is the solution as simple as connecting the Uverse feed to one side (input) of an Ethernet Switch and the Data line (and others) to the output side?

thanks...

Those are just blurry enough...

Depends on your modem - is it acting as a router, or just a Uverse modem? Without being able to read the model numbers, I can't tell...

You need a router between the modem and your Ethernet network if you have more than one device attached. If the modem is also providing your WiFi, chances are its a router, and you'd just plug in a switch. But most routers will have more than one Ethernet port on them, so check there...

Jeff

It is a 2wire with 4 or 5 available ethernet ports

Then you just need to disconnect the room(s) you're interested in from the phone block and plug them directly into an available switch port on the router. You don't need a switch - you've already got one...

Jeff

I'm a bit confused.
My router is in a separate room from the media box.
The available room cables are all in the media box.

Then put a switch at the CAT-5 homerun point, and plug the router into one of the lines. It's all switched Ethernet. It doesn't really matter what's where.

Last question.
Going back to the last line of my original post, do I plug the U-verse feed and the data line (which are now plugged together) into the switch and add whatever other rooms I want to add to the same switch?
I assume the data line to the router now.

Then you've got two routers in the mix (and probably two wireless networks?). Check your router's settings (not the 2Wire) to see if the router/gateway functions and DHCP server can be disabled - having two of them in the mix will cause problems as you start to utilize the network ports on the 2Wire.

You mean fhe feed from outside (DSL/Uverse)? That's not Ethernet - it's DSL and must be connected to the AT&T / 2Wire modem side. Everything behind the 2Wire is Ethernet.

Jeff

Sorry for the confusion and maybe I should get an ATT tech out, but I'll take one more shot.

I do not have two wireless networks or routers, and yes I do have a Uverse/DSL feed from outside to my 2wire modem in my home office.

In the bottom of the main panel of my home, which I referred to earlier as the media box, there is powered white ATT box with one green wire going back into a conduit in the wall.
Nothing else is connected to it, unless it is internal where I cannot see.
See this picture: Comms Box 1.jpg 2188k .jpg file

In the same panel, there is a telecom distribution hub with all yellow lines labeled for each room and my security system plugged into it.
See this picture: Comms Box 3.jpg 2015k .jpg file

Then, in the same panel, there are various blue cables labeled for each room of my home.
All but two are not connected to anything.
However, there are two connected to each other, one labeled Uverse main feed and the other labeled to the room where my 2wire modem exist.
See this picture: Comms Box 2.jpg 2075k .jpg file

Since the last post, I have tried connecting the Uverse main feed, the room cable associated with my 2wire modem, and my living room cable (all blue cables).
I had no success getting the living room connection to work and the internet connection was lost.

Also, after putting everything back to the original configuration.
With a re-established internet connection, I unplugged the blue Uverse main feed from the other blue cable and got a message on my computer stating

The Broadband Link is Currently Not Available
Error: DSL Failed to Connect

Does this shed any new light on a possible solution?

OK, I'm confused, but I'll try to muddle through and help. You have a camera, take some more picts. What equipment do you have in your office? How many pieces of equipment? You call it a router and you can it a modem. If you have UVerse fiber service, which I am believing you do, you have an ONT(Optical Network Terminal) at the demarcation point which is usually the side of the house where utilities connect. This changes the fiber to network, phone and TV. I believe the white ATT box in the structured wiring cabinet is the battery back up for the ONT. The phone block is just that and should be left alone. Now if your "modem" is in the study, I have it all wrong. In this case you would have a phone line going to the "modem' which becomes the internet. This will go directly to your computer via a network cable. If the "modem" has 4 or 5 network jacks, it is a modem/router/switch, also AP if it does wireless. If the internet comes from the ONT, there is no need for a "modem" in the study. It would be a router/switch/AP. If so, it can be moved to the structured wiring panel and take the place if the gray inline connector. The line marked input into the wan port, any others you want connected into the other ports. This is only my bestest guess without actually seeing the setup.
Edited by jkxmlr - 1/23/13 at 6:36pm

Digging for info, here is equipment.
http://www.att.com/u-verse/explore/battery-specifications.jsp
http://www.att.com/support_media/images/pdf/phone/Delta_One_Piece_PSU.pdf
http://www.wireless.att.com/media/en_US/swf/uverse_center/uverse/downloads/att_connecting%20_to_gateway.pdf
Edited by jkxmlr - 1/23/13 at 6:46pm

I won't be able to take any pictures until tonight, but the equipment in my study is identical to the black residential gateway, the Belkin battery backup in your first link.

The ATT box in my panel, which is in the master closet is indentical to one of the ATT battery backups in the same link.

Ok, so you've got the router in your study, and two battery backup devices (one in the study and one in the structured wiring enclosure. You just need to add an Ethernet switch in the wiring enclosure, and connect the blue cable to your study to make it work. In your study, you'll connect an open port on the router to the wall jack (the other end of the blue cable). Then, back at the wiring enclosure, connect any other room's blue cable to the switch to get Ethernet in that room.

Jeff

I installed the ethernet switch in my wiring enclosure, and it appears I have a faster internet speed.
Unfortunately, the only ethernet port in my study is occupied by a cable going to the ONT on my 2wire modem.

Picts, model number of equipment, what equipment is in study? The ATT link indicates the battery back up in the wiring cabinet means that you have a Residential Gateway in your study. Correct? And that is all that is in your study other than your computer? Then move the RG to the wiring cabinet. This is doing the routing. It needs to be the first thing after the ONT on your network. Then connect the data lines to the locations that you want internet.

I know how to connect both ethernet + wireless routers when only the coax ports available for cabe internet connection. But now I moved to another home that is pre-wired with the originals installed by the builder as an upgrade. There are many 4-ports outlets (Phone/Data/2 Coax ports). I have ordered Dish Nertwork TV and then comcast Internet. Althrough I have no problem to hook up my cable modem to a coax port (one of the 2 coax ports under the phone port), but I hope I could utilized the in-home wiring. Currently I have 4-port cable modem, wireless N router and there is also an existing ethernet router in the control panel (unplugged). I have the outlet picture here.


Thanks in advance for any help!

Read the earlier posts in this thread. Chain goes: cable modem -> router -> (switch if needed) -> devices.

You can make the connections in that chain with patch cords if the two component will be co-located, or use the house wiring to connect them if one will sit in a room and the other in the distribution panel.

If there's a router already in the panel, you'll need to either 1) replace it with a switch, 2) disable its router/gateway functions (not likely an option on those products, but check), or 3) use it and disable the router functions on your wireless N router (turning it into a wireless access point - more likely that 'modern' device will support that option).


Jeff

Thank Jeff!

I got it working somehow with the clues found in your varies responses for the thread. My case is slightly different: in my central control panel downstairs, there is already 4-port router/switch (B) ) hooked to the dataports in the rooms, I just 'Insert' thcable modem (A)A) here to connect to one of the OUT ports of TV and the (B), then 4 of my dataports distributed in 4 rooms/areas would be working -->I got 4 wired connections. I was then use 1 dataport (out of total 4) upstairs to hookup my wireless router (C) so I get 4 wi-fi connections for total 7 connections in the house.

I ordered a new cable modem (didn't realized it has 4 wi-fi ports as well) to replace the current modem so I will replace the (A) AND (B) (B) and use the new Modem's wi-fi ports as WIRED to room's dataports, and make no change to (C). Not sure if I can remove the (C)? Since the wi-fi ports come with the new modem would be a kind of meaningless if the modem is sitting in a closet next my control panel downstairs. Please advice

Appreciated your help! This forum has been the most helpful for me to get everything working to this :)point

MJ

Not really following, but if you're changing equipment, I'm not going to try...

Again - Chain goes: cable modem -> router -> (switch if needed) -> devices.

If you replace the modem with a new model that includes a "wireless router" function (any modem that has 4 Ethernet ports and/or WiFi will be a 'router'), then you can do just about anything behind it - fan out the Ethernet jacks with a switch if needed.

Jeff

Jeff:

Yes, my new modem has 4 wireless ports, but the problem is, since the location of the control panel where to hook up the modem and router/switch to get all the wall data ports working is in a closet downstairs, while I need wi-fi connections mostly upstairs. So I thought to use the new modem as "WIRED" instead of "WIRELESS" router in order to get the wired data connections working, and then hook up my existing wireless router to one of the data port upstairs for additional connections (since I can only plug in up to 4 cables due to the port limitation for the modem/switch and thus get 4 wall data ports working at a time, while there are more wall data ports available in the house) -- is anyway I can hookup all the wall data ports with the new modem/router along with the existing Ethernet router/switch, and/or if I still need my existing Wireless N router? I might want to do additional wiring as there is one room doesn't have the data port while the adjacent room does.

The good thing is I have all the wiring documents on-hand for the home, but I migt not be cabable to go through this :-( Any advice would be appreciated!

Thanks again,
MJ

Yes, as I said, once you're behind a router, you can expand your network with switches. To extend your wireless coverage, you'll want to turn your wireless router (what brand / model is it?) into a WAP (Wireless Access Point), by disabling it's internal router functions. The switch ports will remain active, and the wireless "bridge" is just an "access point". Having two router/gateways on your network will cause weird behavior that can be difficult to diagnose - so you want to make sure your router is put into Access Point "mode" (whatever they call it). Post the brand / model, and we'll be able to tell you what setting needs to be flipped in the management interface.

Jeff

The modem is Motorola SBG6580 (combination of cable modem and wi-fi rounter) and the wireless N rounter is Belkin (had it for a couple years).
Well, I think you are right as I do have problem with my home network now. . . I have used MAC address filtering for wi-fi access, but this does have downside. Could you point me to the resources about how to configure the WAP and/or how to disable the internal router function as if necessary.

Thanks!

FYI - MAC address filtering is not a replacement for good wireless security...

Can't tell without the specific model, but a search of Belkin's site talks about "Wireless Access Point Mode":

http://www.belkin.com/us/support-article?rnId=2780

Hi,
I just moved into a new house.
I have ATT U-Verse & a bunch of ethernet cables plugged into something like a switchboard (maybe it's not...).


This switchboards has 10 "OUT" sockets and one "IN" socket in which a cable with "PH1" tag is plugged in.
None of the rooms have internet in this configuration.

A cable with "PH2" tag is plugged into Uverse modem/router.
When computer is plugged directly to Uverse router it has internet access.
I plugged cable into UVerse's router/modem connected it with a switchboard via "IN" socket - nothing.

I'd appreciate your suggestions.

Thank you in advance,

"PH1" = phone line #1 (the landline). That module is for phones, won't work for networking / Ethernet.

PH2 = The DSL line.

There wasn't a question there... But assuming you want some other room(s) to have Ethernet access, you need to move that room's RJ45 cable from the phone block to an open port on the Uverse router. If you're out of ports, you need a small Ethernet switch to expand the port count. Plug the switch into one of the Uverse router ports, and then any additional rooms into the Ethernet switch.

Jeff