[SOLVED] Trying to move/extend my router to another floor, what's the best way to set this up?

[LkXIII]

I have a small 3 storey house.
The main router (connected via fiber) from my ISP is on the 2nd floor.
I have a better router (TPLink Archer C3200) which is now connected to the main one.

Ignoring the 1st floor, I now plan to move the C3200 to the 3rd floor and would like to ask for suggestions on the best way to do this.
Is it ok to run a long LAN cable and put it to the next floor up? If yes, are there specs for the cable to minimize loss (cable length should be around 20-25m)

I'm not very good in networking so I'm open to any suggestions on better ways this should be done.

 

[Ralston18]

Make and model for the current "main" router?

How many wired and wireless devices are being supported?

Is the fiber going straight into that router or is there an additional device between the ISP's incoming fiber and the main router?

New router being:

https://www.tp-link.com/us/home-networking/wifi-router/archer-c3200/

Correct?

Desired future connectivity being considered -Line diagram:

ISP --fiber---> 2nd floor Main router [LAN] ---Ethernet cable----> [LAN]3rd floor C3200 [LAN ports] ----> Other wired /wireless devices.

Yes you should be able to run a long ethernet cable from the second floor main router up to the 3rd floor C3200 router.

Use a Cat 5e UTP cable for the run. No flat cables or copper clad aluminum wires. Ethernet cables runs can be up to 300 feet so going between floors should not be a distance issue.

For more information:

https://www.tomsguide.com/reference/ethernet-cables-explained

Remember that only one of the routers should have DHCP enabled.

=====

The other option (and my suggestion) that may be more viable is to install the C3200 on the 2nd floor as the main router where its' wireless capabilities may serve the entire house from a central location. And be configured as the DHCP router for the network.

Then the original main router is moved to the 3rd floor where its' DHCP is disabled basically making the router just a switch.

Correct my line diagram as necessary. Feel free to post any additional questions, comments, or concerns.

 

[bill001g]

Ethernet cable can go 100 meters. There is no loss or speed drop at that distance.

You need nothing real special cat5e can run 1gbit. Other cable types like cat6 for example will not run any faster since it is the ports in the equipment that is limiting the speed not the cable.

Used to be all you needed to know. Now that the market is flooded with fake cables you have to be more careful. You want cable that is pure copper (no CCA) and has wire gauge 22-24 (no flat or thin cables). The fake cable you find do not meet the certification standards for ethernet.

 

[SamirD]

Used to be all you needed to know. Now that the market is flooded with fake cables you have to be more careful. You want cable that is pure copper (no CCA) and has wire gauge 22-24 (no flat or thin cables). The fake cable you find do not meet the certification standards for ethernet.

I appreciate these warnings about the fake cables. If they lie on the spec sheets, what are other telltale signs the cable won't meet spec? I'm guessing you've seen your fair share of them.

 

[bill001g]

They generally don't outright lie. Amazon cracked down on a bunch that failed to disclose they were selling CCA cable. The cable many time are correctly marked and show the wire size and if they are CCA.

What they do is put all kinds of marketing words in their ads and only in the fine print do they disclose that they are not really selling certified ethernet cables. What they also do is say stuff like certified cat5e. Problem is the term "cat5e" is not actually regulated. The actual certifications are things like EIA/TIA. Normally cables must pay to be allowed to print that on their cable but there were some on amazon that clearly said they were CCA cable in the text but the photos of the cable had EIA?TIA printed on it when it is impossible to get that certification if the cable is made form anything other than copper. They were being direct shipped out of china.

Now if you cut the cable it is very obvious the metal is not copper. The 30awg wires are also extremely thin so someone who has actually terminated cable will immediately see the difference.

It all comes down to the cost of copper metal and to get cheaper cables they are finding way to reduce the copper being used. Many people just look at the price and see "CATx" and assume it is the same as a more expensive cable.

 

[SamirD]

Thank you for the insights.

So the only way to really tell is to look at the cable labeling, correct? What about the ends and boots, etc? Any telltale signs of fakery?

 

[bill001g]

The flat cable is obvious but if the cable is say 24 gauge CCA cable there is no way to tell just by looking at it. You might if you are really lucky be able to see that the wire in the end of the plug has aluminum center with copper around it. You can on longer cables tell with a fluke meter because it will fail certain tests. Short cables work ok which is why they can get away with selling them.

The key problems with CCA cable is they have issue carrying PoE and because of aluminum and copper expand and contract at different rates the ends become lose over time. This is the same reason there are massive restrictions on using aluminum wire in electrical work. In those cases you can get a fire ethernet cables just stop working.

Pretty much any cable that has no marking you have to be suspect of.

 

[SamirD]

Gotcha, makes sense on the ends and the issue with poe.

Basically avoid shady non-labeled cable that doesn't look normal and check the ends for cca if you can view them closely enough.

Thank you for the insights. It will definitely keep me pointed in the right direction.

 

[LkXIII]

Make and model for the current "main" router?

How many wired and wireless devices are being supported?

Is the fiber going straight into that router or is there an additional device between the ISP's incoming fiber and the main router?

New router being:

https://www.tp-link.com/us/home-networking/wifi-router/archer-c3200/

Correct?

Desired future connectivity being considered -Line diagram:

ISP --fiber---> 2nd floor Main router [LAN] ---Ethernet cable----> [LAN]3rd floor C3200 [LAN ports] ----> Other wired /wireless devices.

Yes you should be able to run a long ethernet cable from the second floor main router up to the 3rd floor C3200 router.

Use a Cat 5e UTP cable for the run. No flat cables or copper clad aluminum wires. Ethernet cables runs can be up to 300 feet so going between floors should not be a distance issue.

For more information:

https://www.tomsguide.com/reference/ethernet-cables-explained

Remember that only one of the routers should have DHCP enabled.

=====

The other option (and my suggestion) that may be more viable is to install the C3200 on the 2nd floor as the main router where its' wireless capabilities may serve the entire house from a central location. And be configured as the DHCP router for the network.

Then the original main router is moved to the 3rd floor where its' DHCP is disabled basically making the router just a switch.

Correct my line diagram as necessary. Feel free to post any additional questions, comments, or concerns.

Thank you for the response. Yes, that diagram is accurate. The main router is a FiberHome AN5506-04-FA and the fiber goes straight through it.

I think I'll go with the long ethernet cable to the 3rd floor on this. I'm mostly on the 3rd floor and the main router can handle the 2nd floor (ignoring the 1st floor as It's being rented out). The house is mostly concrete also so even the C3200 can't pierce through from 2nd to the entire 3rd floor.

Another thing, searching through all the online shopping sites for a good Cat 5e UTP cable (no Amazon here), all are generic and no helpful specs on their info, the only ones that have helpful info are Cat6a, Cat7, and Cat8, will these do?

 

[bill001g]

CAT7 cable was never really certified and cat8 is still pending but it is designed for 40 or 100Gigabit/sec.

Cat6a cable is normally used for 10Gbit connections.

They all will run at 1Gbit they just cost more money than cat5e.

You need almost no special specs other than the cable is copper and has the correct wire size. Many people buy from a company called monoprice. There are many others and all reputable companies clearly state the wire characteristics.

You can find the cable on amazon you just have to spend the time to search. Price is a good clue. If you search for 1000ft boxes you will see prices in the $125-$150 range for pure copper 24awg cable. 1000ft boxes of CCA cable cost about $50.

 

[Ralston18]

Regarding:

"Another thing, searching through all the online shopping sites for a good Cat 5e UTP cable (no Amazon here), all are generic and no helpful specs on their info, the only ones that have helpful info are Cat6a, Cat7, and Cat8, will these do?"

@bill001g has answered that....

About all I can add is the old proverb that if a deal seems to be to good to be true, it probably isn't.

Simply watch where you buy and look for reviews by verified purchasers. Lots of "pros" and a few "token cons" triggers my warning flags.

 

[LkXIII]

CAT7 cable was never really certified and cat8 is still pending but it is designed for 40 or 100Gigabit/sec.

Cat6a cable is normally used for 10Gbit connections.

They all will run at 1Gbit they just cost more money than cat5e.

You need almost no special specs other than the cable is copper and has the correct wire size. Many people buy from a company called monoprice. There are many others and all reputable companies clearly state the wire characteristics.

You can find the cable on amazon you just have to spend the time to search. Price is a good clue. If you search for 1000ft boxes you will see prices in the $125-$150 range for pure copper 24awg cable. 1000ft boxes of CCA cable cost about $50.

Unfortunately the tax in importing a Cat5e bought from amazon to here will be more expensive than buying a Cat8 from a local online shop. Also can't go to shops because of this quarantine. 😩

All I see is the gauge as 24awg but does not mention if it's pure copper. Will search some more otherwise Cat6 will also be compatible for this correct?

 

[bill001g]

You can use any "CAT" cable when you are only running 1gbit ports...well don't buy cat3. I would be somewhat suspect of any company selling cat8 since there really is no such thing as cat8 "yet"

What I found last time I purchased boxes of cable was it is was cheaper to buy form the local home improvement store. It seems to be the shipping costs was the factor. The store could buy a whole pallets paying 1 shipping fee rather than the costs to deliver it to the house.

All depends where you live even when they had it locked down at max home improvement stores were allowed to stay open. Lots of discussion if people should really be buying flowers just because the store was open so someone could buy plumbing parts. Nothing was off limits to purchase.

 

[SamirD]

Definitely check your local home improvement store. Now that contractors are installing this wire in the walls, the stores do carry wire. And because they would have someone mad in their face if it was fake, you pretty much can rest assured that it's real too.