[Jasper44]

Hey guys, I have a new home built a couple months ago that was pre-wired. But that's ALL they did, run the wire. I've attached a pic of the control box in the garage. You can see all the blue eithernet wires just sitting there. All the black wiring is Comcast's. I have NO idea what to do here. I'm close to calling a professional installer but I really don't want to pay a bunch for something if I can do it myself. I hate anything to do with networking though. At my last house I had everything going over wifi and that was a nightmare so I really want to use the ethernet wiring. I need help with the control box for sure but once that's done, here's what I want to do. Let me know how this looks.

Family Room:
The family room will have the modem, router, Comcast DVR, Wii U, Sonos Bridge, and Apple TV. It has 1 ethernet port wired. So would I hook the modem up to the router, the router to the wall, the router to a switch and then plug everything else into the remaining ports on the router and then into the switch or everything else just into the switch?

Room 1:
Room 1 has a PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Apple TV and Phillips Hue Bridge. So in this room I would connect a bridge to the in wall ethernet and then everything else into the bridge? And that will be a good connection between the computer and Apple TVs? I use iTunes to stream to my Apple TVs and that was a giant nightmare over wifi.

Room 2:
Room 2 doesn't have anything that needs to plug into the ethernet but it's on the opposite diagonal side of the house from the modem in a 2,700sqft single story so the wifi on my iPhone and iPad is rough. I can plug another modem into that ethernet jack and extend the wif to that room, correct? And it does have an iMac but for what I do on it, wifi is fine. If I wanted to go ethernet on the iMac though, I would just plug the extra router into the wall, then the iMac into the router, correct?

And that's it really, everything else are wifi devices. But every room does have an ethernet jack so for future reference, if I wanted to, could I plug a swtich into every single room? When do you have too many switches?

Also I currently use an Airport Extreme, the older version that isn't gigabit. So a recommendation on the main router and the extension router would be appreciated as well.

Thanks

 

[FlyingDiver]

1. You need a Gigabit switch in the garage. Something like: http://www.amazon.com/TRENDnet-Unmanaged-Gigabit-GREENnet-TEG-S82g/dp/B00C2H0YFU/

2. You need a router in the Family Room. If you get one with four gigabit ports, you won't need a switch here. But if not, same switch as (1) will work.

3. Room 1: You need a switch (not bridge) in this room as well. Same as (1).

4. Room 2: You need a wireless access point here. Not another modem. An Airport Express would work. Or any other Wifi router in Bridge only mode. If you want the iMac here on ethernet, you can't use an Express (only one ethernet port). So use a router. It must be in BRIDGE mode, not router mode.

5. Yes, you can put a switch in every room. You'll have too many switches when you don't have a room to put one in.

 

[Jasper44]

1. You need a Gigabit switch in the garage. Something like: http://www.amazon.com/TRENDnet-Unmanaged-Gigabit-GREENnet-TEG-S82g/dp/B00C2H0YFU/

2. You need a router in the Family Room. If you get one with four gigabit ports, you won't need a switch here. But if not, same switch as (1) will work.

3. Room 1: You need a switch (not bridge) in this room as well. Same as (1).

4. Room 2: You need a wireless access point here. Not another modem. An Airport Express would work. Or any other Wifi router in Bridge only mode. If you want the iMac here on ethernet, you can't use an Express (only one ethernet port). So use a router. It must be in BRIDGE mode, not router mode.

5. Yes, you can put a switch in every room. You'll have too many switches when you don't have a room to put one in.

1. That's easy enough but all the ethernet cables are cut, or came that way I suppose. Do you have a link for the proper connectors that I would need to patch the cables to? And is that realtively easy to do?

3. Yea, I meant switch. I think after writing phillips hue bridge, I had bridge on my mind.

And for the switch for the family room or room 1, would this work? I bought this for the family room not realizing the ethernet cable ran to nowehere. But I already have it.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KFD0SEA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Thanks.

 

[XJBaylor]

1. That's easy enough but all the ethernet cables are cut, or came that way I suppose. Do you have a link for the proper connectors that I would need to patch the cables to? And is that realtively easy to do?

3. Yea, I meant switch. I think after writing phillips hue bridge, I had bridge on my mind.

And for the switch for the family room or room 1, would this work? I bought this for the family room not realizing the ethernet cable ran to nowehere. But I already have it.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KFD0SEA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Thanks.

To terminate the Cat5e you will need THESE TOOLS. I don't know if the set I linked is any good, but the whole thing costs less than half of what my crimpers alone cost, so it is probably worth the gamble...if anything in the kit works you got a good deal.

Terminating cable isn't hard at all, it just takes a little attention to detail. I didn't look, but I am sure there are hundreds of videos on it.

Regarding the Netgear switch that you have, it will work perfectly fine.

 

[FlyingDiver]

Yeah, the Netgear switch is fine. I just seem to get TrendNet most of the time these days. There are lots of choices.

Personally, I prefer to terminate the cables to a punchdown block, then use short jumper cables to the switch. I find trying to put male connectors on the ends of the cables more trouble than it's worth. If it was my house, I'd connect the builder cables to one of these: http://www.amazon.com/Tripp-Lite-Wallmount-Ethernet-N050-012/dp/B000067SC6/. You'll need this tool: http://www.amazon.com/Cable-Matters®-Punch-Down-Impact-Blade/dp/B0072K1QHM/. Then a half-dozen or so 12-18" ethernet cables to the switch.

 

[Jasper44]

Okay, thanks guys. I'll order the stuff and give a go.

 

[SMHarman]

Yeah, the Netgear switch is fine. I just seem to get TrendNet most of the time these days. There are lots of choices.

Personally, I prefer to terminate the cables to a punchdown block, then use short jumper cables to the switch. I find trying to put male connectors on the ends of the cables more trouble than it's worth. If it was my house, I'd connect the builder cables to one of these: http://www.amazon.com/Tripp-Lite-Wallmount-Ethernet-N050-012/dp/B000067SC6/. You'll need this tool: http://www.amazon.com/Cable-Matters®-Punch-Down-Impact-Blade/dp/B0072K1QHM/. Then a half-dozen or so 12-18" ethernet cables to the switch.

Punchdown is far easier.

Then buy some pre made 3ft / 1m patch cables. Less stress imho.

Comcast modem to switch in garage.

Switches in each room with multiple devices.

I like the trendnet metal box integral power ones personally.

 

[mahicks]

Yeah, the Netgear switch is fine. I just seem to get TrendNet most of the time these days. There are lots of choices.

Personally, I prefer to terminate the cables to a punchdown block, then use short jumper cables to the switch. I find trying to put male connectors on the ends of the cables more trouble than it's worth. If it was my house, I'd connect the builder cables to one of these: http://www.amazon.com/Tripp-Lite-Wallmount-Ethernet-N050-012/dp/B000067SC6/. You'll need this tool: http://www.amazon.com/Cable-Matters®-Punch-Down-Impact-Blade/dp/B0072K1QHM/. Then a half-dozen or so 12-18" ethernet cables to the switch.

I know I am late to the party but FlyingDiver is right. Use a punch down. DO NOT terminate the solid cabling with male ends. Especially if it is CAT 6 but even CAT 5 I would not recommend. Even if you buy all the right tools, you run a very very high risk of not terminating them properly and even if you do get them all terminated properly it will take someone new to networking A LOT of time and trial/error to terminate all of the cables and all your hard work would probably not pass a real ethernet signal test. The punch down and punch down tool you will need will be a lot faster and actually a lot cheaper than buying all the stuff to crimp male ends correctly. You can buy patch cables pre made for dirt cheap on mono price.

 

[Skytrooper]

I'm with Flying Diver. Use a Punchdown Block and factory made jumpers to your switch. Crimping connectors straight to the switch is the preferred method to some members. But going to a Punchdown Block is a more reliable way, in my opinion. Also, factory made jumpers should be more reliable.

Also keep in mind if you are making your own jumpers, the connectors for solid and stranded wires are different.

 

[ifor]

Going to a punchdown block is not more reliable. It's the same reliability as the using rj45 connectors.
It all depends on the person doing the terminating. I would like to say that more connections will make for a more un-reliable system. I also would think that the more connections, means that you are unwinding more of the cat cable at all the connection points, slowing the speed the cable is capable of.

Like all things, practice makes perfect.

I do large installs and I've never used pre-made ethernet cables.

 

[FlyingDiver]

For a home owner who's not doing this for a living, using a punchdown block is a lot easier to get right than putting plug end on UTP cables. Since he's more likely to get it right the first time, I would argue that it is more reliable.