Help with pre-wired home network

[huie03]

I need help with my pre-wired home network. I live in a three story townhouse and I can't get a good wifi signal throughout the house. I have a pre-wired home network but it's not being utilized. I want to get all the bedrooms set up with so that I can plug a second wireless router and use it as a bridge (I think that's the right term). The image below is the main terminal which is located in the bottom floor in the garage.

https://imgur.com/a/woIZ7rJ

I don't know what to make of the terminal. You'll see the grey cables go to port 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6. The blue cables go to ports 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8. Both cables say they're Cat5E. I put the ethernet cable from the modem in port 6 which leads to my living room with my wireless router (an Asus RT AC1200). One of the things I don't understand is why the blue and grey cables have different port numbers. Do they serve a different function?

I think the easy solution to get all the rooms hooked up to internet is to install a switch in the terminal and keep the router where it is in the living room. But if I do this, will the entire network be protected by the router's firewall? If I do this, will I be able to install a second router to act as a bridge?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[kanewolf]

OK, your in-wall wiring just connects to a a patch panel. You will have to have a switch and maybe a router. It looks like the device with the coax is either a modem or a router (can't tell from the picture). If it is a router, then you could connect up each of the output ports to a numbered connection. If it is just a modem, then you would have to move your router to this area and connect the outputs of the router to the numbered ports. If you want more than your router can support, you would connect the numbered ports to a switch and a switch to your router.

 

[huie03]

Kanewolf,

It is a modem so you’re saying I’ll need a router. That is what’s I thought but if I add a router there, it’s so far from the rest of my house the wireless will be useless. So then would a good solution be to put a router in there and operate it without wireless, and then have another wireless router, or two, somewhere else in the house? Would the router by the panel be the main router and the other one or two be a bridge?

 

[kanewolf]

You can only connect one output from your modem. That output HAS to go the WAN connection of a router. It looks like right now you are using the in-wall wiring to accomplish that connection. To use more than one of your in-wall connections, you either have to relocate your router or have a second port near the router than can bring a LAN side port back to the patch panel where you could add a switch and use additional ports.

 

[kanewolf]

I would recommend purpose built WIFI access points rather than repurposed routers. Get a couple of the Ubiquiti UniFI AC-LITE access points.

 

[jsmithepa]

Item#1 is to identify where do each cable go where/what plate/room. Aren't they labeled? Draw yourself a map.

 

[hang-the-9]

That's a pretty clean setup, someone took their time to install it. Since there look to be only 8 ports there, it will be easy to get them all active.

Get a router to hook up to that modem, get a 16 port switch (extra is nice to have), connect a cable from the router to the switch (there may be an uplink port on the switch specifically for that, if not, any port is good. I like to use the last port when I do my setups). Wire ports 1-8 with ethernet cables to the 8 jacks on that wall mounted patch panel. Using a laptop, connect it to the wall jacks in the rooms and make sure they all have a good connection.

To get wireless access points, connect one for each floor to an active jack and you will have great coverage in the house with WiFi.

 

[Alabalcho]

One thing to make sure is that number of the cables coming to that patch panel matches number of wall outlets throughout the house. It is not uncommon (and working without problems for phones) for single cable drop to jump from wall outlet to wall outlet.

Get a LAN tester, it's like $25, and RJ45 connectors / crimping tool (I'd highly recommend getting boots as well). Plug the passive end into the cable in cable box, and start walking rooms to find where the other ends is. Once you find it, keep going to see whether there are other points connected to the same cable as well. Draw a map, and stick it inside the cable box.