New Home - Patch Bank Connectivity Issues

[kurtakeating]

Hello community,

I moved into a new home. The previous owner wired the entire house with CAT5, mainly (as he told me) to run an entire networked audio/visual system.

The previous owner wired the network with a patch bank. What I'm experiencing is general connectivity issues. As an example if I try to use my office computer the internet in my dining room doesn't connect. Its almost as if it has a very limited number of IP addresses to assign.

I've been a software guy for years (Oracle applications), however I'm not a network guy.

So my setup is as follows:
incoming service from WAVE Broadband connects to my Arris Modem (TM822).
Modem is connected to a TP LINK (TLSF1005d) Switch.
Switch is connected to 4 ports on my patch bank, which I figured out correlate to my Dining Room, my Living Room, and 2 in my office (by trial and error).
I'm not really sure how the patch bank is wired...didn't get that info from previous owner.

Maybe I need to understand how a patch bank works...but in the Dining room I would like to be able to plug in more than one connection, so I have another TP Link switch (Same as above) and I can never seem to get 2 ports to work at once....

Any insight is greatly appreciated. And I realize wireless would make this easy, but it's not an option for us.

Cheers,
k2

 

[kanewolf]

Your problem is that you aren't using a router. You can't connect a modem to a switch. Your ISP does only supply one IP address. That IP address needs to go to a router. THEN the LAN ports on the router can go to a switch or a patch panel. You are missing a router.

 

[failboat]

You need to get router asap. modem->router->switch->hosts, aps

you're likely using public ips right now. the router will provide nat.

 

[kurtakeating]

You need to get router asap. modem->router->switch->hosts, aps

you're likely using public ips right now. the router will provide nat.

Thank you, does the router have to have a 1:1 connection to the switch?

 

[failboat]

You need to get router asap. modem->router->switch->hosts, aps

you're likely using public ips right now. the router will provide nat.

Thank you, does the router have to have a 1:1 connection to the switch?

No, but most don't have many lan ports. if you buy a switch it's better to plug everything into it. local traffic won't go to the router in that setup.

keystone/patch panel = ethernet cable. the patch panel doesn't provide any networking. it's just for cable management. you need a diagram of which keystone goes to which patch panel number.

since you already have wires ran. buy an access point or two and use those for wifi. you can place them in ideal locations rather than where the modem is at. for POE inject the power in at the end if you aren't sure if the cables in the wall are rated for POE.

 

[failboat]

is it cat5 or cat5e? check some of the cable jackets. cat5 can only hit 100Mbs which is outdated. If your internet package is below this and you don't use much on LAN it is probably good enough.

 

[jsmithepa]

Maybe I need to understand how a patch bank works

Is very simple. Each jack on the patch panel correspond an outlet *somewhere* am surprised is not labeled? U got a weekend project.

Anywhere there is Ethernet, u can plug a switch for more devices.