How to activate ethernet ports in the wall

[hsiao715]

Hi,

I've recently purchased a townhouse and found out there were ethernet outlets in several rooms of the house. I also found what seems to be a central hub for these outlets. Below are some pictures of what I found.... I've tried plugging the lose cable wire and ethernet cable into my modem but that doesn't seem to activate the ethernet ports in the walls. Can anyone help me make sense of what I'm dealing with?

Thank you so much for the help in advance!

 

[USAFRet]

Hi,

I've recently purchased a townhouse and found out there were ethernet outlets in several rooms of the house. I also found what seems to be a central hub for these outlets. Below are some pictures of what I found.... I've tried plugging the lose cable wire and ethernet cable into my modem but that doesn't seem to activate the ethernet ports in the walls. Can anyone help me make sense of what I'm dealing with?

Thank you so much for the help in advance!

In your middle pic, those 6 black ports would probably lead to the wall ports in the rooms.

If so, then those ports would connect to a switch, which connects to a router, which connects to a modem, which connects to the ISP.

 

[hsiao715]

Hi USAFRet,

I tired connecting the hanging cable wire in the first picture into my modem and then connect the modem to my wifi router, and it does give me internet connection. Judging from your statement, should i then use ethernet cables to connect the switches in the second pic and my wifi router?

Hi,

I've recently purchased a townhouse and found out there were ethernet outlets in several rooms of the house. I also found what seems to be a central hub for these outlets. Below are some pictures of what I found.... I've tried plugging the lose cable wire and ethernet cable into my modem but that doesn't seem to activate the ethernet ports in the walls. Can anyone help me make sense of what I'm dealing with?

Thank you so much for the help in advance!

In your middle pic, those 6 black ports would probably lead to the wall ports in the rooms.

If so, then those ports would connect to a switch, which connects to a router, which connects to a modem, which connects to the ISP.

 

[USAFRet]

Hi USAFRet,

I tired connecting the hanging cable wire in the first picture into my modem and then connect the modem to my wifi router, and it does give me internet connection. Judging from your statement, should i then use ethernet cables to connect the switches in the second pic and my wifi router?

OK, from the first pic:

The blue cable to the modem
Another cable to the router

Connect your PC to the router, to verify it works (it seems to)

If so:
From the back of the router
Connect 1 router port to the leftmost RJ-45 in that block of 6
Go from room to room until you find the matching end
Repeat for the other ones
Label them...
Now connect 4 cables from the router to the 4 room ports you want.

If you want/need all 6, you'll probably need an inexpensive switch to add the other ports.

 

[USAFRet]

It should be required for an installer that does this wiring to leave behind a schematic, or just some basic labeling.

 

[hsiao715]

Got it to work! Thank you so much!!!

 

[USAFRet]

Got it to work! Thank you so much!!!

Excellent!