Using existing Cat5e wiring in new home? how to network it?

[Athlon2K15]

i also agree with dir_d on puting the router before the switch. always do this so you have some sort of firewall between you and the internet.

 

[brandonwh64]

Yep both DIR_D and Athlon are spot on.

It should go as said, Modem>Router>Switch>Wireless Access point (if used)

The router will hold you DHCP Pool and will be your firewall between your private network and the world.

 

[Guttboy]

You guys ROCK!!!!

Ok so I went to Home Depot and picked up the Sperry Lan/Phone Wire Tracker and it is working like a charm thus far. I have checked all the existing jacks and have them labeled! Still have some bare Cat5e that is run through the house to the homerun area and am now looking for them.

I also installed a few Jacks and am double checking them now.

Good thing I already have crimping tools and connectors/jacks. The folks that butchered this system did some sort of weird connections having two sets of Cat5e running to one connection. Odd why they did this but it is fixed.

I also noted that in the Utility room where the home run is....they must have had multiple people working at different times on this as the wire ends were TOAST...many nicks where they must have swapped one line for the next....UGHHHHHHH

I trimmed all of the ends and they are squeaky clean now!

Will keep you all updated~!

And yes I always run Modem--->Router--->switch--->Devices

Never had a switch so that will come soon.

Plan is to move the modem and router downstairs and since I only need 3 extra lines the router will do fine. When I expand and upgrade in the next week or so then I will add the switch!

 

[Guttboy]

How the heck did they do this?

Slight snag in the process right now....

Nothing that can't be solved though!

I am not entirely certain how the phone company hooked up the DSL into the house. It appears as though they took the blue/blue white wires and hooked them to the phone expansion plugs. They also took the Brown/Brown white wires to the line going up to the jack in the office that connects to the DSL modem.

I am trying to figure out how to move the modem downstairs but right now it is eluding me. If the wires were traceable or I could tug on them I might be in business....trying to figure that out now.

EDIT:

Ok....here is a picture of how the telephone connected the line.

I am assuming that the Blue and Blue white lines that go into the Square D phone junction are for telephone. The Brown/Brown-white lines I am unsure of....at the computer where the modem is connected I have the blue/blue-white lines and ORANGE/Orange-white lines going into the jack?

I have full internet capability so I am unclear why the Brown/Brown-white lines are connected?

Any thoughts?

I am making an assumption that the circular connectors are DSL filters or am I mistaken?

 

[dir_d]

I hate how sloppy the phone company is, there was no need for that. They bonded Blue with Brown and White/Blue with White/Brown. If you have extra room on your patch panel you can punch down the incoming Blue and White/Blue and label it DSL. Then on the Brown White/Brown patch panel there in the picture punch it down and run a cat 5e patch cord from the DSL incoming port to the modem port. If you dont have the room just leave it alone. It looks sloppy but it works.

 

[Guttboy]

Thanks folks....

Still working out the kinks....LOL....I have the lines run and am going to leave the sloppy phone company wiring alone for the moment.

Been trying to figure out how to get the leftover Linksys routers (each has a 4 port switch) working. Having the damndest time trying to get "into" them via the HTTP address....it MAY be an issue with my laptop as it has seen better days and is working on a HDD that is on it's last legs...LOL

I am going to hook up an old PC that I made a few years back and use that as the test bed.

Wish me luck!

EDIT: FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!

The problem was with the laptop....it is about ready to be relegated to the collection of misc computer parts I have had since almost the *cough* TRS-80 4k color computer...

I was able to get into the Linksys BEFSR41 and can adjust the settings on it now. I also have a spare Linksys WRT54G that I was able to get into as well.....boy that was fun

Now....I am going to try to still make this work with either of the Linksys routers because I am learning a TON in a short amt of time and enjoying the "tinkering" aspects of this.

While I am playing with this I will post another thread on how to PROPERLY set up this system based on the sound advice from here at TPU.

I will be soliciting advice on hardware and design shortly....

Thanks so much for the help and I certainly appreciate you all "walking me" through this process and letting me know that these things can be done.

You folks ROCK!

 

[brandonwh64]

As per PM, Here is a network rack I built today at work. Sorry for the bad picture, I left my droid home by mistake.

 

[Guttboy]

NICE JOB BRANDON!!!!!!! She is a beauty!