home networking using cat5e

[FaBCarnation]

Hi guys,

If the cabling is daisy chain would hooking up the line to a router work?

Frankie,
You may want to consider having your builder or a cat6 drop on your main floor if you are planning to put the internet modem in your basement with a router... Because sometimes you might get dead spots with your router and not be able to get a stable internet wireless connection.

The cat 5e/cat6 cabling is used to hookup your PC/TV/media box devices to your home network (router, hard wired which ensure a stable connection and throughput of at least 100mbps)... On Wi-Fi you may not get the full throughput because the connection can drop..

[Frankie]

Originally Posted by FaBCarnation

Hi guys,

If the cabling is daisy chain would hooking up the line to a router work?

Frankie,
You may want to consider having your builder or a cat6 drop on your main floor if you are planning to put the internet modem in your basement with a router... Because sometimes you might get dead spots with your router and not be able to get a stable internet wireless connection.

The cat 5e/cat6 cabling is used to hookup your PC/TV/media box devices to your home network (router, hard wired which ensure a stable connection and throughput of at least 100mbps)... On Wi-Fi you may not get the full throughput because the connection can drop..

Thanks, FaBCarnation! Ok, so it sounds like the cat5/6 wiring comes 'after' rather than 'before' the modem in the order of operations, in case I want to set my computer up on a line instead of wirelessly.

What I don't understand is why they only asked where I would want one end of it to go... I have a three level townhome with no basement, so the location of the modem is not obvious. You'd think they'd ask for at least two points - one for the computer end and one for the modem end.

Perhaps this is an upgrade I need to skip altogether.

[FaBCarnation]

The other end is to the basement where your utility panel well be located. In your case the lowest level of the home is where they put the electric panel, furnace, etc. When your internet provider comes they ask where you want the modem located.

[GregS]

I really need to do a seminar about how this stuff works, because as always, the design centre people are clueless about what they are talking about. For the builders we work for, we do all the sales for the tech stuff in the homes for this very reason.

Would anyone like to attend something like this?

[Frankie]

Originally Posted by GregS

I really need to do a seminar about how this stuff works, because as always, the design centre people are clueless about what they are talking about. For the builders we work for, we do all the sales for the tech stuff in the homes for this very reason.

Would anyone like to attend something like this?

I would have had the timing been correct, but my design appointment has passed. That said, you'd likely catch others in my demographic!

Alternatively, a blog post or a youtube video may be suitable, as it's available for future review (and viewing at odd hours!)

[Mark & Lynda]

Originally Posted by FaBCarnation

Hi guys,

If the cabling is daisy chain would hooking up the line to a router work?

Probably not. If there were ever tel jacks installed at the rough in points, the cable would have been cut in half.

[GregS]

On my list of things to do.

[suezuki650]

Some information on this would be useful. I had every intention of just using my wireless router as I do now. It's on my main floor and easily covers the basement and second floor with no loss of speed or connectivity.

I just got off the phone with my alarm company. These days a lot of people are dropping their landlines and going with IP based alarm systems. Here's the problem though, in order to have all my various pieces work together, the router now has to live in the basement. This is fine for the basement and likely the main floor, but it's unlikely it be be clear and error free on the second level with the bedrooms (with TV's that use Netflix) or the home office is.

As a result, I'm adding some extra network jacks just to make sure that I have good solid connectivity throughout the house.

[GregS]

We just put a commercial grade wireless network in a 6000sf house last month. It was built 5 years ago with zero network wiring run throughout. The current homeowner wants to have AppleTVs all over the place and be able to use their mobile devices everywhere.

Oh, and it has radiant in-floor heating, stone and mirrors everywhere.
This is all a scrambled nightmare for Wifi.

Because the house was finished on all floors we were very limited as to where we could put things.

We ended up putting in 2 Ruckus Wireless R500 dualband AC access points along with a Zone Director to manage them and appear seamless.
It cost about 10x as much as your most expensive Wifi access point from Best Buy, however, it works, I can guarantee it works, and I manage it remotely if there is an issue. What you buy at BestBuy just is not the same.
Client was extremely happy when she could watch Netflix on her AppleTVs everywhere.


So yes, put network connections around the house. Every TV location should have at least 1.

Also, the common 'router' that you get has a number of things built into it such as:
a router (manages network traffic)
a network switch (all those ports on the back for plugging in computers)
a Wifi access point (the thing that actually does the wireless part)
and if you got it from your telco, it will also have a modem built in

You can buy all of these things individually usually of much higher reliability.

[suezuki650]

I used to do a lot more IT work than I do now (mostly web stuff now) but as soon as you aren't working with it daily, you are also not up to the latest and greatest with technology.

I've got a Netgear N600 Dual Band router with a hard drive connected to it (has movies and music and regular data). It works very well, and it's possible that it will work throughout the house, I'm just not willing to risk it as we are all geeks who love our computers, gaming units and tv.

Sue