Hi. I'm seeking advice/tips for re-wiring my home computer network.
Background: I have minimal handyman experience (and even less computer networking knowledge), but several years ago, I managed to set up the following in my home office: a cable modem, which connects to a US Robotics Router, which then connects to an 8-port switch. I've also installed wall jacks in 2 other rooms, and then connected those rooms to my switch via CAT5e that I fished through the walls. (Because my house has a lousy setup, routing my cables through the attic was not an option. Therefore, I had to do everything from the crawl space.)
Well, the home office now needs to become a bedroom for our youngest child. So, I need to relocate the network components to another room.
At this point, I'm thinking about putting the modem/router/switch in my laundry room--particularly because that room already has its own outlet.
For the new setup, I want to run a total of six cables (ie, five CAT5e and one coax) to the laundry room. I don't plan to run lines for anything else (eg, phone, video, etc) to this laundry room.
I'd appreciate any tips/suggestions you might have regarding how/where to situate the devices.
I also have a few sets of questions:
1) Where to cut into the laundry room wall: Where on the wall do you suggest I cut the hole for the 6 cables? Is there a minimum distance I should stay from the outlet to avoid electrical interference? Also, it seems that most people situate their cables fairly high (>4 feet) off the ground, so I'm wondering if (and why) I should do this, too? Isn't it easier to fish all these wires when the hole is lower to the ground?
2) Wall plate? Patch Panel? Something else?? Once I cut into the wall, I'm unsure of the best way to route the cables through the hole. I'm guessing that some people use something like this: [img]http://xs233.xs.to/xs233/08485/wallplate527.jpg.xs.jpg[/img] If so, how do you seal it to minimize air leaks? Also, should I use a patch panel? I have confession to make: I haven't been able to really figure out exactly what a patch panel is and what it would buy me, but most people seem to use one.
3) Drilling up the wall from the crawl space: If I try to run all 6 cables through a single hole from below, I'd imagine I'd need to use a fairly large drill bit. I guess I'm nervous that that this might compromise the structural integrity of the wood? Any idea how big of a hole I should drill for my coax & CAT5e cables? Also, do I need to be aware of any limitations (eg, "max number of CAT5e cables to run through a single hole")? Lastly, once the cables are in place, how do you seal the resulting air gaps if the hole is bigger than the cables? I'm particularly concerned about termites and other insects making their way up and into the house.
Thanks very much for your patience with my inexperience!
This message has been edited. Last edited by: must_golf_more,
Is this a wireless router? If not, you can save yourself loads of grief by getting one. (link-sys is 49 bucks). No need to run all that cat-5 etc. You can get wireless connections for the p/cs you wish to use to - plug in to a usb port. Up and running in no time flat. I did not get into detail about the drilling and running you want to do, since I offered up a different possibility. But If that can't work - post back and I will look for best alternatives.
You won't know if you can do something if you don't try.
Thanks for the quick reply. Yes, the router is wireless, and we do use its wireless capabilities every now and then. However, I don't want to rely on wireless moving forward.
Not that I am out to change anyones opinion, but what is the issue with wireless. Just curious. Is it a security issue? Misunderstood technology? It sure makes life easier than fishing wires and drilling holes.
You won't know if you can do something if you don't try.
I don't care for wireless either! It is not as reliable as a hard wired system. I had a completely wireless system and it was not reliable, somtimes I would get good signal then other times, none.
Just my opinon
Posts: 132 | Location: Oklahoma, USA | Registered: Jun 14, 2005
From the photos you don't have a lot of room to work. Running wires as you wish does require some holes be made to accomplish the task.
Choose a location where you want the wires to all come out of the wall and try to align it with a stud at least on one side so the box may be fastened to it. As stated earlier choosing a wall that is an inside wall without insulation will make the installation go much easier.
Choose a location where you want to mount the box where the wires will come out. Since it is the laundry room, I'd try to stay clear of all drains, water lines and electrical wiring above and below the floor. Once you have chosen the location for the box particularly at the height you want, use a nail to locate the edge of the stud by driving it into the stud until you locate the edge then position you box upside down on the drywall and trace its outline on the wall with a pencil. Use a scrap knife or a drywall saw to cut along the outline for the box to open up the wall fro the box.
As to the holes you wish to drill to feed your wires through to the box, a 3/4 or 7/8" speed drill bit should allow you room to fish 3 or 4 wires easily and making 2 holes close by one another will allow you to feed all wires you need to the box.
Once the hole is made for mounting the box go to the floor and cut another opening which will allow you to place the drill and bit within the wall cavity and drill through the bottom plate, subfloor, and into the crawl space. Drill the first holes 1" or so away from the stud and the second such that it is within 1/4" of the first or less. Doing it this way will make an opening larger in the wall than you may originally planned but fixing a hole in drywall is basically the same whether it is small or large, it's basically the size of the patch that changes. It also allows you to place the holes in the middle of teh stud and not guess should you drill up from below in the crawl space. Plan to use a sharp knife and cut the drywall back to the middle of the stud along side the whole length of the hole you make so that you have an anchor and support point for the patch of drywall you will add later.
Fish all wires through holes in the floor and feed them to the box above. Seal the wires through the bottom plate with foam insulation. You may wish to add a scrap piece of 1x3 to the drywall opposite the stud and fasten it with drywall screws so that extends into the opening and provides an anchor point to add screws to anchor your patch piece of drywall in place. Doing this provides 3 surfaces to which your patch will be fastened making it a much more secure patch which will stand up. Then use drywall mud and tape to patch the access hole. Once the drywall mud is dry, sand, cleanup, prime and paint as desired.
Below is a link on patching drywall, though it doesn't appear to mention adding a support as suggested above though doing this does work quite well. That I can test too.
I myself would stay away from studs and run it in the middle of the opening. Use an "old work" plastic box with flanges. This type of box can be inserted into the drywall without attaching to the stud. If you can run it on an inside wall with no insulation, it should be easy enough. Monica
all wireless gateways are hackable. you MAY have a unit with 128-bit encryption, but that is no good if any of your equipment can't count that high, and you have to fall back to 64 bit. that is grade-school cracking.
in addition, studs, wires, ducts, vents, and occasionally dust particles will mess up transmission on wireless.
I'm still a die-hard wired network guy.
the way to deal with this IMPHO is to pull two cat-5s to each room ever likely to have connections (including the video/stereo center) and home-run them to a single ethernet switch in the basement, or wherever your utilities come in.
the reason I say two everywhere is that unfortunately, cable modems require positive authentication from The One True Computer and there is no getting away from having the cable modem next to that machine.
oh, yes, indeed, any little toy router worth its salt can spoof the hardware address of the ethernet adapter in The One True Computer . but occasionally the modem, router, or both will get power bumped, unsettled, or just plain owly and won't talk. then you have to plug the unit into The One True Computer again to verify the network works, swap the router in between again, and command it to spoof again.
evil pernicious ( ) ( ) cable outfits.
but that's why two cables. feed the toy router into the computer once it's spoofing again, and feed the rest of the house via the common router through the other jack.
sig: if this is a new economy, how come they still want my old-fashioned money?
1. you can cross eletrical wires at 90 degrees, but it best to stay away one bay away ( so that's about 16 inches ) when running parallel to them, but i have run cat5 next to electrical ( in the same bay ) with no ill effect
2. you can use a low voltage 2 gang cut in ring ( and really a 1 gang low voltage cut in ring ) will accomodate 6 cat 5 ports plates, also known as keystones, on one decora style port plate ( max of 6 keystone per single gang port plate ). home depot carries the leviton system. terminate the cat 5 wires at the port and insert into the keystone, then use a short patch cable from the port plate set up to the router / switch set up.
but if you are putting your router / switch in there, are you placing your cable modem there as well? then you need a rg-6 cable fished to there as well ( or at least that's where i would place it ), in that case that's 7 ports, and you would definitely need a 2 gang cut in with a 2 gang / port set up a patch pane l is not necessary for small networks, in structured media cabinets, small 6 to 8 port patch modules are used, terminat
3. drill 2 3/4 holes dead center of the bottom plate and fish the 6 wires through there this will not compromise stuctural integrity of a sole plate. air gap can be seal with expanding foam on the holes coming up
Why no wireless? Wired=1gb a second Wireless=40mb on a good day. No biggie as far as the internet goes (you can't surf that fast anyway) but when you want a lot of data going from one box to another, wireless is kind of a turd. Windows network are especially gabby too, and are always eating up more bandwidth than they ought too with elections and so forth (not a problem if you're running linux) so for desktop networks, wired is better.
Posts: 17 | Location: Cornish Maine | Registered: Jun 09, 2008
