[SOLVED] Help with Prewired Home

[Kcab30]

Hello everyone, I am here today hoping to get some help or guidance with my Home automation/Network system, or lack of. I have a new house that was pre-wired for both security cameras and Internet networking. However, I do not have a panel , Network installer did not provide panel but all the Cat5 wires are bundled up in the attic with no labels. I have 4 rooms in the house with the cat 5 plates and coax combo on the wall. My game room is the central hub where the router is installed and connected via the coax on the wall. My question is, if I want to use any of the cat5 jacks in the other rooms, how do I make the connection to the cable (cat5 to Coax) that I have already identified in the attic that runs through my central hub? Unfortunately, when I got my internet recently installed, the tech was unable to do any network job (per their policies) and advised I needed some sort of switch to have those ports connected to the main cable. Any idea what that is?

Thanks

 

[bill001g]

The ISP tech is correct. The simple way is to plug all the cables into a switch. You then connect 1 of the router lan ports to the wall jack in the room the router is in with ethernet. What you have now done is connected all the other rooms to the router.

This is not the most optimum though. It would be nice to have a patch panel rather than plugging the loose cables into a switch. Also the attic is not the best place for a switch. Many of the very inexpensive switches are actually rated for high temp but they have issue if it gets very cold. Unless you have the option of somehow extending the wires down to say a closet where you could put in a wall box I guess the attic will have to do.

 

[gggplaya]

You need a few things and there no real reason to label the wires unless you like things nice and tidy.

1. Patch Panel: https://www.amazon.com/Buyers-Point-Patch-Management-System/dp/B07GL3HZ6Y
2. Network Switch: https://www.amazon.com/Rosewill-RC-GS1016-Unmanaged-Ethernet-Rackmountable/dp/B07G29354N
3. Network Rack: https://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-Bracket-Equipment-Mounting-WALLMOUNT6/dp/B000VDPBXM
4. Small ethernet cables: https://www.amazon.com/Maximm-CAT6-Ethernet-Cable-Internet/dp/B08MB549K4
5. Punchdown tool: https://www.amazon.com/Cable-Matters-Punch-Down-Blade/dp/B0072K1QHM
6. Ethernet Stripping Tool: https://www.amazon.com/trueCABLE-Stripping-Cutting-Ethernet-Adjustable/dp/B07Z9H5H1K

1. Use the punchdown tool and connect all the wires to the patch panel.
2. Mount them on the wall using the network rack.
3. Mount Network Switch onto rack.
4. Use small 2ft cables to connect each patch port to the network switch. It doesn't matter what port, it can be random.
5. Connect a cable from the 4 port switch of the router to the wall ethernet port. This will give a path on the attic switch to make all the ports have internet access.

How many wires are there(rooms) that have ethernet? This will dictate how big of a network switch to buy.

 

[Kcab30]

Thank you. This is helpful. I have 4 rooms with ethernet ports. But i also have a total of 8 c5 cables, to which I assume includes the camera wires.

 

[Kcab30]

The ISP tech is correct. The simple way is to plug all the cables into a switch. You then connect 1 of the router lan ports to the wall jack in the room the router is in with ethernet. What you have now done is connected all the other rooms to the router.

This is not the most optimum though. It would be nice to have a patch panel rather than plugging the loose cables into a switch. Also the attic is not the best place for a switch. Many of the very inexpensive switches are actually rated for high temp but they have issue if it gets very cold. Unless you have the option of somehow extending the wires down to say a closet where you could put in a wall box I guess the attic will have to do.

You need a few things and there no real reason to label the wires unless you like things nice and tidy.

1. Patch Panel: https://www.amazon.com/Buyers-Point-Patch-Management-System/dp/B07GL3HZ6Y
2. Network Switch: https://www.amazon.com/Rosewill-RC-GS1016-Unmanaged-Ethernet-Rackmountable/dp/B07G29354N
3. Network Rack: https://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-Bracket-Equipment-Mounting-WALLMOUNT6/dp/B000VDPBXM
4. Small ethernet cables: https://www.amazon.com/Maximm-CAT6-Ethernet-Cable-Internet/dp/B08MB549K4
5. Punchdown tool: https://www.amazon.com/Cable-Matters-Punch-Down-Blade/dp/B0072K1QHM
6. Ethernet Stripping Tool: https://www.amazon.com/trueCABLE-Stripping-Cutting-Ethernet-Adjustable/dp/B07Z9H5H1K

1. Use the punchdown tool and connect all the wires to the patch panel.
2. Mount them on the wall using the network rack.
3. Mount Network Switch onto rack.
4. Use small 2ft cables to connect each patch port to the network switch. It doesn't matter what port, it can be random.
5. Connect a cable from the 4 port switch of the router to the wall ethernet port. This will give a path on the attic switch to make all the ports have internet access.

How many wires are there(rooms) that have ethernet? This will dictate how big of a network switch to buy.

The ISP tech is correct. The simple way is to plug all the cables into a switch. You then connect 1 of the router lan ports to the wall jack in the room the router is in with ethernet. What you have now done is connected all the other rooms to the router.

This is not the most optimum though. It would be nice to have a patch panel rather than plugging the loose cables into a switch. Also the attic is not the best place for a switch. Many of the very inexpensive switches are actually rated for high temp but they have issue if it gets very cold. Unless you have the option of somehow extending the wires down to say a closet where you could put in a wall box I guess the attic will have to do.

thanks, I live in TX so the cold weather shouldn’t present any issues. Thanks to you and Billio, i think I now have somethig to work with

 

[kanewolf]

You need a few things and there no real reason to label the wires unless you like things nice and tidy.

1. Patch Panel: https://www.amazon.com/Buyers-Point-Patch-Management-System/dp/B07GL3HZ6Y
2. Network Switch: https://www.amazon.com/Rosewill-RC-GS1016-Unmanaged-Ethernet-Rackmountable/dp/B07G29354N
3. Network Rack: https://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-Bracket-Equipment-Mounting-WALLMOUNT6/dp/B000VDPBXM
4. Small ethernet cables: https://www.amazon.com/Maximm-CAT6-Ethernet-Cable-Internet/dp/B08MB549K4
5. Punchdown tool: https://www.amazon.com/Cable-Matters-Punch-Down-Blade/dp/B0072K1QHM
6. Ethernet Stripping Tool: https://www.amazon.com/trueCABLE-Stripping-Cutting-Ethernet-Adjustable/dp/B07Z9H5H1K

1. Use the punchdown tool and connect all the wires to the patch panel.
2. Mount them on the wall using the network rack.
3. Mount Network Switch onto rack.
4. Use small 2ft cables to connect each patch port to the network switch. It doesn't matter what port, it can be random.
5. Connect a cable from the 4 port switch of the router to the wall ethernet port. This will give a path on the attic switch to make all the ports have internet access.

How many wires are there(rooms) that have ethernet? This will dictate how big of a network switch to buy.

That is the best implementation but not required.
If you can get the ethernet cables in the attic to where your current router is then you can use some of them. Home routers typically have 4 wired ethernet ports.
You would have to terminate the cables. That requires an RJ45 crimper and connectors. Or you can use the patch panel method above.
One thing not listed above is a simple ethernet tester. It will allow you to trace your cables and check basic wiring correctness.
I recommend this -- https://www.amazon.com/Klein-VDV526-052-Scout-Junior-Tester/dp/B004CI9NRM There is a more expensive version that has multiple remote dongles that can make tracing quicker.

 

[Kcab30]

That is the best implementation but not required.
If you can get the ethernet cables in the attic to where your current router is then you can use some of them. Home routers typically have 4 wired ethernet ports.
You would have to terminate the cables. That requires an RJ45 crimper and connectors. Or you can use the patch panel method above.
One thing not listed above is a simple ethernet tester. It will allow you to trace your cables and check basic wiring correctness.
I recommend this -- https://www.amazon.com/Klein-VDV526-052-Scout-Junior-Tester/dp/B004CI9NRM There is a more expensive version that has multiple remote dongles that can make tracing quicker.

. How would the tracer work, connecting it to the end of the stripped cable? The other end are the jack ports on each wall

 

[Ralston18]

And I will recommend that you do label the wires (on both ends) and sketch out a network diagram.

If possible get a copy of the house floor plans that you can write on to show where wires are routed, where network components and other devices are located, etc..

Does not need to be fancy or a work of art. Good chance that you will end up making changes on the fly and need to edit the diagram.

Also -I believe that Texas had some unexpected problems last winter due to colder than normal weather...... Just something to keep in mind.

 

[Kcab30]

. How would the tracer work, connecting it to the end of the stripped cable? The other end are the jack ports on each wall

Also, running all the cables down to the center hub is unfortunately not an option for me.

 

[kanewolf]

Also, running all the cables down to the center hub is unfortunately not an option for me.

Somehow you have to get at least one wire from your primary router to where the bundle of wires are. That may mean you have to pay a professional.
What temperature extremes will happen in your attic? Generally attics are not friendly to network hardware because of extreme temperatures.

How would the tracer work, connecting it to the end of the stripped cable? The other end are the jack ports on each wall

The tool I linked to has two parts. The bottom of the unit separates to become the remote. You would plug that unit into a wall jack with a jumper. Then you would go to the common cable area and after terminating the cables somehow, connect the main unit to one wire after another until you get the connection to the remote. You then label that wire, and move to the next one.

 

[Kcab30]

Somehow you have to get at least one wire from your primary router to where the bundle of wires are. That may mean you have to pay a professional.
What temperature extremes will happen in your attic? Generally attics are not friendly to network hardware because of extreme temperatures.


The tool I linked to has two parts. The bottom of the unit separates to become the remote. You would plug that unit into a wall jack with a jumper. Then you would go to the common cable area and after terminating the cables somehow, connect the main unit to one wire after another until you get the connection to the remote. You then label that wire, and move to the next one.

Thank you. TX temperature, so attic could run somewhere between 85-100 degrees

 

[kanewolf]

Thank you. TX temperature, so attic could run somewhere between 85-100 degrees

TX -- you should plan on 140 unless you have radiant barrier roof decking. Winter could be 0 to 30 depending on specific location. I don't recommend network hardware in that environment.

 

[gggplaya]

Somehow you have to get at least one wire from your primary router to where the bundle of wires are. That may mean you have to pay a professional.

The way I read his first post as "cat 5 jacks in the other rooms" implies a cat5 jack in the same room as the router? Is that correct? This is what you'll need to connect the network switch to the main router, to ensure all the ports have internet access.

With 4 rooms and 4 cameras, you'll need an 8 port switch at minimum. Depending on price and availability, I'd get a 10 port or greater switch to give room in the future to expand if you need another security camera or want to install a ceiling mount access point or something.

 

[kanewolf]

he way I read his first post as "cat 5 jacks in the other rooms" implies a cat5 jack in the same room as the router? Is that correct? This is what you'll need to connect the network switch to the main router, to ensure all the ports have internet access.

It is not clear where cable are installed and where they aren't. But as I said in my previous post, a POE switch in a TX attic is a short lived device because of the extreme heat.

 

[gggplaya]

The unifi flex switch is outdoor rated and has a temperature range of -40F to 131F at full 46watts of power. You'll also need to buy the POE-50-60w injector.

What kind of cameras are you putting in?? That'll tell us the voltage and wattage requirements.

The problem is, you'll need to inject POE power into the flex switch. The POE-50-60W injector(Sold Separately) has a temperature range of 32F to 104F. So the injector would need to be inside the house. The only way I can think to make this work is to sacrifice and only install 3 cameras instead of 4. Install the injector near the router and feed that to the Flex Switch in the attic. Connect the flex switch to the 3 cameras and the network switch.

If you need more cameras, you can sacrifice using a wall outlet in one of the other rooms. Install 2 unifi FLEX switches. Inject power from the router outlet and the other room outlet. Connect both Unifi Flex switches to the main rack switch.

 

[kanewolf]

The unifi flex switch is outdoor rated and has a temperature range of -40F to 131F at full 46watts of power. You'll also need to buy the POE-50-60w injector.

What kind of cameras are you putting in?? That'll tell us the voltage and wattage requirements.

The problem is, you'll need to inject POE power into the flex switch. The POE-50-60W injector(Sold Separately) has a temperature range of 32F to 104F. So the injector would need to be inside the house. The only way I can think to make this work is to sacrifice and only install 3 cameras instead of 4. Install the injector near the router and feed that to the Flex Switch in the attic. Connect the flex switch to the 3 cameras and the network switch.

If you need more cameras, you can sacrifice using a wall outlet in one of the other rooms. Install 2 unifi FLEX switches. Inject power from the router outlet and the other room outlet. Connect both Unifi Flex switches to the main rack switch.

"Industial" switches are another option. They have extended temperature ranges. I have used them in outdoor enclosures in TX sun.

 

[bill001g]

Most microtik switches are rated -20c to +70c so they run just about anyplace. Microtik is fairly inexpensive but a bit more than consumer grade stuff. They also likely have many feature you can just ignore.