[SOLVED] How to activate pre-wiring for Internet

[itsjosh7]

Looks like my home is pre-wired for ethernet. There are Cat5 ports in some of the bedrooms. I found the central location where these cables all connect to. See attached. I already have FIOS internet, with the router in the family room. How would I activate the pre-wiring ? Please advise. Thanks!!

 

[kanewolf]

Looks like my home is wired for ethernet. I found the central location where these cables all connect to. I already have FIOS internet. How would I activate the wiring?

Right now, the block that the cabling is connected to is a telephone interconnect. It says "telephone" on the bottom of it. You would have to unplug the cables from that unit and connect them to your router or an ethernet switch which is connected to your router.

 

[itsjosh7]

Right now, the block that the cabling is connected to is a telephone interconnect. It says "telephone" on the bottom of it. You would have to unplug the cables from that unit and connect them to your router or an ethernet switch which is connected to your router.

Thank you!! My router is connected directly coax port in the wall on the first level, while this patch panel is located in the basement. How would I connect the router to the cables, like you suggest?

Thanks again!!

 

[kanewolf]

Thank you!! My router is connected directly coax port in the wall on the first level, while this patch panel is located in the basement. How would I connect the router to the cables, like you suggest?

Thanks again!!

Good news is your cables are labeled. Notice the number bands on each cable. You need to determine which cable goes where. Start by taking the wall plate off one of the ethernet ports. Hopefully that end of the cable has a corresponding number. Once you have mapped all the cables you can start moving them. UNPLUG the cable closest to the router. Run a patch cable from the router to that wall plate. Then connect the other end of the cable to an ethenet switch. You have an AC plug there to power the switch. Then other cables can be connected to the switch to distribute the network.

I looked at your picture again. There are a few cables which are not connected to the telephone block. If you are lucky you can use those cables.
When dealing with in-wall cabling, I recommend you have a simple cable tester like this -- https://www.amazon.com/Klein-VDV526-052-Scout-Junior-Tester/dp/B004CI9NRM It includes a "remote" You can plug that into a cable in the box and go around to wall plates until you get a match.

 

[itsjosh7]

Good news is your cables are labeled. Notice the number bands on each cable. You need to determine which cable goes where. Start by taking the wall plate off one of the ethernet ports. Hopefully that end of the cable has a corresponding number. Once you have mapped all the cables you can start moving them. UNPLUG the cable closest to the router. Run a patch cable from the router to that wall plate. Then connect the other end of the cable to an ethenet switch. You have an AC plug there to power the switch. Then other cables can be connected to the switch to distribute the network.

I looked at your picture again. There are a few cables which are not connected to the telephone block. If you are lucky you can use those cables.
When dealing with in-wall cabling, I recommend you have a simple cable tester like this -- https://www.amazon.com/Klein-VDV526-052-Scout-Junior-Tester/dp/B004CI9NRM It includes a "remote" You can plug that into a cable in the box and go around to wall plates until you get a match.

Thank you for your reply! I already have a list showing where the cables terminate to. So the cables at the bottom of the patch panel that are not connected, are the ones that connect to the bedrooms. So should I just get an ethernet switch and connect these cables to the switch? That should activate the Cat5 ports in the bedrooms, correct?

Thanks again!!

 

[kanewolf]

Thank you for your reply! I already have a list showing where the cables terminate to. So the cables at the bottom of the patch panel that are not connected, are the ones that connect to the bedrooms. So should I just get an ethernet switch and connect these cables to the switch? That should activate the Cat5 ports in the bedrooms, correct?

Thanks again!!

The cables at the bottom, when connected to an ethernet switch would make them "live". But they would not have internet access until you get a link from your primary router to the common point and connect that to the switch.

 

[itsjosh7]

The cables at the bottom, when connected to an ethernet switch would make them "live". But they would not have internet access until you get a link from your primary router to the common point and connect that to the switch.

OK. I was mistaken earlier. My router is connected directly to a Cat5 port in the living room. So it should be connected to the patch panel in the basement? Or am I mistaken?

 

[kanewolf]

OK. I was mistaken earlier. My router is connected directly to a Cat5 port in the living room. So it should be connected to the patch panel in the basement? Or am I mistaken?

I don't know. You need a LAN port on the router back to the pictured common point. A cat5 port connected to the WAN port may be a DSL line or something else.
You would need to provide the model of your router to determine.

 

[itsjosh7]

I don't know. You need a LAN port on the router back to the pictured common point. A cat5 port connected to the WAN port may be a DSL line or something else.
You would need to provide the model of your router to determine.

I have the Verizon G1100 router. The Cat5 cable is connected to the white port, which I think is the WAN port, like you stated.

 

[kanewolf]

I have the Verizon G1100 router. The Cat5 cable is connected to the white port, which I think is the WAN port, like you stated.

Yes, the white port is the WAN. You need to get one of the yellow ports connected back to the pictured box. OR you may be able to relocate the router to the pictured area and tie the yellow ports to the ethernet cables. It will depend on where that cable going to the white port comes from.

 

[itsjosh7]

Yes, the white port is the WAN. You need to get one of the yellow ports connected back to the pictured box. OR you may be able to relocate the router to the pictured area and tie the yellow ports to the ethernet cables. It will depend on where that cable going to the white port comes from.

Thank you for your reply. Not sure how I would connect one of the yellow ports on the router to the panel. And I don't really know where the cable to the white port comes from? How could I accomplish these tasks?

 

[kanewolf]

Thank you for your reply. Not sure how I would connect one of the yellow ports on the router to the panel. And I don't really know where the cable to the white port comes from? How could I accomplish these tasks?

To get a yellow port to the common box, you would need to find an unused wall port that you could connect to. Hopefully you would be able to trace it by the cable number. Then use that cable (in the common box) to connect to the switch.
Same thing for the input cable. Maybe take the wall plate off and look for a cable number.

 

[itsjosh7]

To get a yellow port to the common box, you would need to find an unused wall port that you could connect to. Hopefully you would be able to trace it by the cable number. Then use that cable (in the common box) to connect to the switch.
Same thing for the input cable. Maybe take the wall plate off and look for a cable number.

There are unused wall ports in the bedrooms. But I don't think you're referring to these. And where in the common box would the connection be made?

 

[kanewolf]

There are unused wall ports in the bedrooms. But I don't think you're referring to these. And where in the common box would the connection be made?

What I am saying is you need an unused cable near your current router. Not the wall plates in the bedroom but one near the router. Maybe if you post some more pictures it would help. Take the wall plate which is connected to the white router port loose and post a picture of the backside/inside the box.

 

[itsjosh7]

What I am saying is you need an unused cable near your current router. Not the wall plates in the bedroom but one near the router. Maybe if you post some more pictures it would help. Take the wall plate which is connected to the white router port loose and post a picture of the backside/inside the box.

Here is a picture.

 

[kanewolf]

OK, well don't see a cable number. BUT what I do see is black coax. That black coax undoubtedly goes to the common box. You can use that coax as your trunk back to the common box. Get a this -- https://www.amazon.com/Actiontec-Bonded-Ethernet-Adapter-ECB6200K02/dp/B013J7O3X0 They will use the coax as the network. Connect one to the router via an ethernet cable and the coax to the wall. Then at the common box, connect the other one to the cable from that wall plate. It will probably take trial and error to determine which cable to connect. Then connect the ethernet port on the second MoCA adapter to the switch and the switch to the rest of the house.

 

[itsjosh7]

OK, well don't see a cable number. BUT what I do see is black coax. That black coax undoubtedly goes to the common box. You can use that coax as your trunk back to the common box. Get a this -- https://www.amazon.com/Actiontec-Bonded-Ethernet-Adapter-ECB6200K02/dp/B013J7O3X0 They will use the coax as the network. Connect one to the router via an ethernet cable and the coax to the wall. Then at the common box, connect the other one to the cable from that wall plate. It will probably take trial and error to determine which cable to connect. Then connect the ethernet port on the second MoCA adapter to the switch and the switch to the rest of the house.

Thank you. That looks like a solution, but a little pricey. Any other workaround?

The cat5 cable at the wall plate to which the router connects, seems to lead to the FIOS box outside the house.

 

[kanewolf]

Thank you. That looks like a solution, but a little pricey. Any other workaround?

Sure. Figure out where your ISP service comes from and see if you can get it to the common cable box. Run a new cable from the router to the common cable box. Run a new wire from the outside to the common cable box.
None of those are any easier or cheaper probably.

 

[itsjosh7]

Sure. Figure out where your ISP service comes from and see if you can get it to the common cable box. Run a new cable from the router to the common cable box. Run a new wire from the outside to the common cable box.
None of those are any easier or cheaper probably.

Thank you very much for your advice!!

 

[Mr.Spock]

yes a $15 network tester can confirm which cable in the panel it's going to

OK. I was mistaken earlier. My router is connected directly to a Cat5 port in the living room. So it should be connected to the patch panel in the basement? Or am I mistaken?