Help with building a wired network

[mnoble0902]

Hello everyone!

I'm about to begin building a wired network in my home; I'm also going to have a primary wifi connection and a guest wifi connection. This is something new for me, but I believe I can do it if I can get a few pointers. I have Verizon Fios and use the standard Verizon box with a coaxial input, four ethernet ports, and one WAN port. I plan on using cat6, a patch panel, and a switch. My goals are:

1) Hard wire my devices that can be: PC, game consoles, TVs, and streaming devices.
2) Free up my existing wifi as all of my devices are running on wifi.
3) Separate mobile device wifi access (maybe).
4) Guest wifi access limited to Internet access only.

The first thing I'm stuck on is how to provide Internet to either the switch or patch panel. From the Verizon box, do I connect into the patch panel first (say port 1) and then patch into port 1of the switch? I think this question comes down to me being confused as to which piece of hardware (switch or panel) receives the initial Internet supply.

Second, my main PC will be located directly next to my switch. To connect my PC, do I connect it to the patch panel and then patch it to the switch, or connect directly into the switch? I guess the same question applies when I set up my WAPs; patch and then switch?

Finally, if I want to have multiple WAPs, I need a separate device for each one, correct?

Thank you!

 

[bill001g]

A patch panel is purely something to make cable neater. I am somewhat confused though. The patch panel is used to make the wires going to different rooms in your house not as messy. If you do not have in wall cabling you do not need a patch panel.

PC---ethernet cable---remote wall jack-------------patch panel---short ethernet cable---switch

If you do not have in wall cables you can just plug everything directly into the switch. Some people just put rj45 connectors on the cables that come from the remote rooms and plug those into the switch directly to save the cost of the patch panel.

The switch is the device that does all the work to connect the devices.

 

[jsmithepa]

Standard setup:

ISP ---> Modem/Router ---> Switch ----> Wall Wirings ----> PC or more Switch.

The 4 LAN ports on the back of your current box is a built-in mini 4 ports switch, if 4 ethernet devices is all you need you wouldn't even have to add a switch.

A ethernet switch is simply a splitter, like a cable TV splitter, use as many as u like to increase the number of ethernet devices.

U can add a WIFI base station anywhere there is an ethernet outlet, as many as u like to provide whatever coverage necessary for your mansion.

PC in the same room as the switch? just run a cable to it then, that's all that is needed. Nothing is gonna blow up.

 

[failboat]

1&2. Run ethernet to keystones at each client and run it all back to a place to setup all your stuff. This is what the patch panel is for. You can terminate a bunch of runs on it and it's numbered so it's easy to remember which keystone goes to which patch panel.

3. You need vlans for this. I'd recommend going all unifi. USG+switch+AP. You don't need multiple APs unless for coverage. layer 2+ carries many vlans over 1 wire. the router, switch, and ap needs layer2+ support.

4. unifi has guest isolation. a vlan separates the guests from you. guest isolation separates guests from each other.

I'd recommend buying stuff on monoprice. cat6a CMR UTP UL listed 23awg 1000ft, same rated keystones and patch panel, and then buy cat5e patch cables in bulk. CMR is what you want to run inside a wall. cat6a is rated for 10Gbs at good distances. UL listed means it's less likely to be fraud and built to spec.

You can plug the modem into the router or you can plug it into the switch and put it on a VLAN and then use that vlan on the routers WAN. There isn't much reason to put it on the switch unless you get multiple ips or have a failover router. My router only has 1Gbs port so I do it like that.

A side note the top of the line unifi AP hdnano is on sale on newegg. If you have really fast internet 400+ Mbs, I'd grab that deal.
If you can get away with an 8 port switch the unifi US-8-60W is great. it has 4 POE AF ports for the pro or nanohd APs. their other poe switches aren't worth the cost for home use. the non-poe ones are great.