[SOLVED] Whole home network

Nov 29, 2020
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Need help with whole home networking. Did research but I don’t think I understand the process enough to decipher. I have AT&T as my IP. My set is as follows:
Home configured with cat5 in all rooms routing to basement.
AT&T hub?(picture below) is in basement.
wire from hub goes up to room on second floor and connects (hardwired) to AT&T router/modem.
Wife‘s computer is hardwired to modem.

I want to:
Connect remaining rooms to the network. However, when I disconnect the cat5 going to the AT&T hub in the basement and connect it to a switch. I lose all WiFi and still have no wired internet in the other rooms. Not sure what I’m doing wrong.
 
Solution
This diagram probably best represents how it should look. Think of the ATT ONT box as the modem and that the router is also a wifi access point.

basic-home-networking-topology.jpg
Nov 29, 2020
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That looks like a fiber optic network termination (ONT). See the green plug on the bottom. That is a fiber cable.

If all your rooms are wired for ethernet, then were do those come together? That is where you need to add some network hardware.
All Ethernet terminates in the basement next to this box. I have a 8 port switch that connects all Ethernet in the Home except one room. The blue Ethernet cable on this box runs up to the one room that is not connected to the switch and it runs to the AT&T modem/router. I tried unplugging this Ethernet and putting it into the switch and running another Ethernet from the switch to the box depicted. Unfortunately this doesn’t allow me to have WiFi or utilize the other rooms Ethernet ports. Just keeps the Modem connected. Hope all that makes sense.
 

kanewolf

Titan
Moderator
All Ethernet terminates in the basement next to this box. I have a 8 port switch that connects all Ethernet in the Home except one room. The blue Ethernet cable on this box runs up to the one room that is not connected to the switch and it runs to the AT&T modem/router. I tried unplugging this Ethernet and putting it into the switch and running another Ethernet from the switch to the box depicted. Unfortunately this doesn’t allow me to have WiFi or utilize the other rooms Ethernet ports. Just keeps the Modem connected. Hope all that makes sense.
What you need to do is move the router down to where the switch and the ethernet cables are. Then connect one of the LAN ports on the router to your switch. Your wife's PC can still be connected to the router via the cable that is currently used to connect the ONT and the router.
 
Would the AT&T pictured in my post be the ONT?

Yes, ONT(Optical Network Terminal) converts the outside fiber optic cable into ethernet for inside your home. You can consider that the MODEM in the picture I posted above.

You need to connect the ONT directly to the WAN port of your router. Then from one of the other ports of your router to the network switch. But since all of that will be in the basement, you need need to add another wifi access point somewhere upstairs near all of your devices, also as shown in the picture.
 
Nov 29, 2020
5
0
10
Yes, ONT(Optical Network Terminal) converts the outside fiber optic cable into ethernet for inside your home. You can consider that the MODEM in the picture I posted above.

You need to connect the ONT directly to the WAN port of your router. Then from one of the other ports of your router to the network switch. But since all of that will be in the basement, you need need to add another wifi access point somewhere upstairs near all of your devices, also as shown in the picture.
Ok . Perfect. Makes sense. Thank you.