How to set up a pre-wired home network?

[notsizzle]

Hello, first off I'd like to thank you all for checking this out and helping me.

So my home was built 10-20 years ago and already has a wired system with ethernet plugs around the house. I'd like to know how to get this working, as I am not the most experienced at this (yet).

I have pictures below of my ethernet box, modem, and router. I'd also like to know if I need some sort of different ethernet cable to fit an ethernet port on my wall (ethernet cables that plug into my computer do not plug into it).

Here is my list of questions that I'd like to be answered:

1. Do I need a special modem for this?
2. IS there a different size ethernet cable to fit the port on the wall?
3. Do I need a switch that I often see?
4. Is it not possible to do this as the wiring in my house is outdated?
5. Does the little box that I plugged a cable into have any relevance to the wiring in my home? It was connect to the big box itself.

Thanks!

Pictures:

 

[ElectrO_90]

Ok from the photos I see this
Cat 5(e) cable has been used
Each plug has only been wired up for Telephone (4 cables) instead of all 8

From what I can tell it is some sort of Telephone exchange

Now if all cables have 8 wires - then all you need to do is put them into a Patch Panel and all cables are wired into that
Then on the side where the rooms are, make sure there are proper sockets where all 8 cables are wired up.
Then from Switch/router the cables go from that with short patch cables into the patch panel and your place is wired up.

May sound more complicated than it is, but it's just time and patience, you will need a Punch Down tool kit as well which are very cheap.

Its not 100% clear in the photos due to resolution, but you can google How to wire Patch Panels and should be able to understand it from there.

 

[failboat]

Does the jacket say cat5e? Do all your wall outlets go to the same location?
RJ45 is the plug end for ethernet. The wire needs to be rated for 1Gbs. For patch cables just buy cheap cat5e, getting cat6a or cat7 won't do anything.

cat5e can do 1Gbs which will be standard for quite some time. it's going to take a long time for internet to get there. home networking on LAN doesn't need very fast speeds, 1Gbs is good. 10G LAN might be affordable in 3-5yrs. Right now it's around $100 per 10G compared to $2-5 per 1Gbs on unmanaged switches. 10G LAN has little use at home. If you edit media a lot it can be nice.

 

[jsmithepa]

need some sort of different ethernet cable to fit an ethernet port on my wall

No. There is one type of jack and that's it. It's called a RJ45 and it's like a FAT RJ11 phone jack. An RJ11 has 2-4 pins, an RJ45 has 8 pins. You MUST use RJ45. If wall doesn't have RJ45 then you must change it.

The cabling itself are called CAT5, CAT5E, CAT6, CAT6a, but they all use the same RJ45 plug.

Do I need a special modem for this?

Nope. Modem has nothing to do with your house's wirings.

IS there a different size ethernet cable to fit the port on the wall?

No. See paragraph 1. Non negotiable.

Do I need a switch that I often see?

Only if you need more ports than already available. They are cheap.

Is it not possible to do this as the wiring in my house is outdated?

Looks like CAT5 to me. Worse case scenario, can go up to 10/100 only. Best case, takes you 1000 mbit.

Does the little box that I plugged a cable into have any relevance to the wiring in my home? It was connect to the big box itself.

Well, this is where the complication begins, I see a large circuit board at your junction, where all the wires converge, I would want to know what that thing is for before I start messing up with it.

 

[BuddhaSkoota]

This is an alarm panel. It has nothing to do with the wiring going to the wall jacks. Touch nothing here. (The wires in this box go to the various sensors (door, window, motion, etc.) around your home.)

You'll need to investigate your wiring further. It could be that the jacks are wired for phone only, even though they are RJ45. Only the blue and orange pairs are wired to the jack, which is typically used for primary and secondary phone lines. Ethernet uses orange and green at minimum, and all 4 pairs are required for gigabit.

You'll need to find where the wires to these jacks terminate. Be warned that they could be daisy chained together.