Home Ethernet

[charlie b]

This is not a DIY, but perhaps a CIY. I just want help understanding something.

Our townhouse is about 4 years old. In several rooms (including the main bedroom), there is an outlet box with provisions for an ethernet connection and a coax connection. We recently changed to a fiber optic service. During the initial construction of the townhouse, fiber had been run to a box in the main bedroom. The FO gateway now sits on my chest of drawers. I have run an ethernet cable from the gateway to a nearby ethernet outlet box.

I have one laptop computer that has an ethernet connection. It can't use its WIFI setting until I successfully connect it via the ethernet (ask me why some other time).

Here's my problem: If I plug the computer directly to the gateway, I can get onto the Internet. But if I plug it into a wall ethernet outlet box elsewhere in the house, it will not connect to the Internet.

Here's my question: Are all ethernet outlet boxes supposed to be automatically connected to each other, or is there some connection/junction box from which all wires run to all ethernet outlet boxes? Put another way, are you going to tell me to go into the basement (no easy task for me these days), find that connection box, discover ethernet wires that are not yet plugged into that box, and, "Connect it Yourself" (CIY)?

 

[don_resqcapt19]

They need to be connected to a router or a switch. It is not just a splice.

 

[mtnelect]

Call your provider, they can do it in a "Flash".

 

[Birken Vogt]

are you going to tell me to go into the basement (no easy task for me these days), find that connection box, discover ethernet wires that are not yet plugged into that box, and, "Connect it Yourself" (CIY)?

Yes.

The cat5 drops just come into some room somewhere and it is up to you to connect the other end to something, a switch, or router with built in switch.

 

[mtnelect]

Tools need:
1) RJ45 - Connector(s)
2) Tool - Crimping Tool
3) Cat5 - Cable
4) Modem
5) Instructions

 

[charlie b]

Thanks, everyone. For now, I will try once again to connect to the Internet by plugging directly into the gateway. If that gets me past the point that will enable WIFI, I will be happy.

 

[__dan]

Everything inside the dwelling would be on the same subnet, so you would use an Ethernet "switch", not a router. The router is most likely the device already provided to you by the utility, the FO gateway.

If you're prewired for "Ethernet", cat 5 twisted pair with RJ 45 jacks, each wire run, drop, goes to a central point star configuration. The switch would be located where the drops group at the central point, the star center. With a switch, each drop plugs into the switch ports and that will route your packets over your inhouse subnet.

One drop from any, a, switch port to the FO gateway and the packets from all the drops will route onto the external Internet.

Sounds like you need a "switch" to connect all the inhouse cat 5 runs.

If you use a wifi device as the switch, typically it has a WAN port that goes to the FO gateway and then additional wired RJ 45 ports that are from its switch.

Internally the WAN port should just be another port from the internal switch with the FO Gateway doing the routing. If the wifi device also acts as a router it would not be right. The switch connects to the gateway and the gateway does the router part. You only need one router and the FO gateway does that.

 

[tortuga]

Here's my problem: If I plug the computer directly to the gateway, I can get onto the Internet. But if I plug it into a wall ethernet outlet box elsewhere in the house, it will not connect to the Internet.

Charlie all those jacks are probably wired back to a structured wiring panel or some common point that looks like this:
We electricians terminate the Cat5/6 cable on a mini patch panel (circled in yellow) and you the homeowner provide a network switch (blue arrow). I would purchase a switch with one port for each room + a few extra.
Then you when you connect a patch cable from your modem/router to the wall jack that will provide a connection to the switch and the switch will 'light up' all the other wall jacks in your home.
I use wired internet (lan) jacks for things that dont move often like my large format printer, the TV/ Roku / home theater etc.

 

[hbiss]

I have one laptop computer that has an ethernet connection. It can't use its WIFI setting until I successfully connect it via the ethernet (ask me why some other time).

Here's my problem: If I plug the computer directly to the gateway, I can get onto the Internet.

So? Connect directly to the gateway, connect to the internet and set up your WiFi. Then you can disconnect your laptop from the ethernet connection and put it anywhere. If all you are using is the laptop you don't have to worry about anything else.

-Hal

 

[mtnelect]

So? Connect directly to the gateway, connect to the internet and set up your WiFi. Then you can disconnect your laptop from the ethernet connection and put it anywhere. If all you are using is the laptop you don't have to worry about anything else.

-Hal

I agree ... Then there is the Wi-Fi problem, does it cover the whole house properly. If the home is over 2,000 sq ft you will have weak signal problems, then you have to purchase an extender, which also don't work to well. If you have a cell tower close by then you have a "Hot Spot" for "Plan B". Hard wired you don't have these problems.

 

[mtnelect]

Charlie all those jacks are probably wired back to a structured wiring panel or some common point that looks like this:
We electricians terminate the Cat5/6 cable on a mini patch panel (circled in yellow) and you the homeowner provide a network switch (blue arrow). I would purchase a switch with one port for each room + a few extra.
Then you when you connect a patch cable from your modem/router to the wall jack that will provide a connection to the switch and the switch will 'light up' all the other wall jacks in your home.
I use wired internet (lan) jacks for things that dont move often like my large format printer, the TV/ Roku / home theater etc.

Nice system, you don't see that in the average home !

 

[hbiss]

I agree ... Then there is the Wi-Fi problem, does it cover the whole house properly.

You won't know unless you find that your laptop has trouble connecting to the internet where you want to use it.

I'm only a fan of WiFi for things like laptops and other devices (like phones) that are moved around or have no provision for a wired connection. I much prefer a wired connection wherever possible.

In your case Charlie, I know that all those wall jacks are home-run to common location hopefully already terminated (because that's the only way to test them). The first place I would look is behind the plate where the fiber comes out of the wall. Take it off and look. That would be the most logical location because you would locate your switch with the gateway.

-Hal

 

[charlie b]

Mystery solved! There is a jumble of Cat 5E wires close to the main breaker panel. I counted 3 that were cut and abandoned in place, but there might be more. I will try to attach a photo, but it might be too large for the forum.

WIFI is good throughout the house, even more so after we changed to fiber.

 

[charlie b]

Mystery solved! There is a jumble of Cat 5E wires close to the main breaker panel.

Here is what is shown on the wires:

 

[charlie b]

My remaining issue is still connecting to the Internet. It's a government laptop (I have rejoined the USACE on an intermittent basis), and their login process is eluding me. I will call their IT help line on Monday. Thanks again for all the assistance.

 

[tthh]

Have a look at this diagram....in your case, the Internet comes in on fiber.

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/46/fe/a2/46fea2947208ccb9081fadd914143b37.png

I am assuming the "FO Gateway" you are taking about has a built in router and a few Ethernet ports on it and is not just the fiber ONT. You might post the model number of the device.

The Ethernet drop coming out of the fiber router using that Cat5E you have in your hand need to go to an Ethernet switch. A $25 Gigabit Ethernet one from TP-Link from Amazon will be fine. Once you have this, each Ethernet outlet in the house you want to use is plugged into that TP-Link switch.

 

[tortuga]

Mystery solved! There is a jumble of Cat 5E wires close to the main breaker panel. I counted 3 that were cut and abandoned in place, but there might be more. I will try to attach a photo, but it might be too large for the forum.

WIFI is good throughout the house, even more so after we changed to fiber.

looks like you have plenty of room there, probably no more than 12 cat5e's
I'd put up a piece of 3/4 plywood and a punch down block like this:

Cat 6 Patch Panel, 12-Port | Allen Tel Products, Inc.

This 12-port Cat 6 patch panel is designed for small data cross connect applications with two (2) 6-port non-keyed jack modules.

www.allentel.com

You need some type of 'un-managed' switch, since you now have a fiber modem/router I'd probably get something with a decent uplink speed to the modem:

Gigabit with 10-Gigabit/Multi-Gigabit

Unlock the Potential of your 10G/Multi-Gig devices

www.netgear.com

But with the cat5 any gigabit 12 port unmanaged switch would do.
Then a few short jumpers to patch in.

 

[charlie b]

The FO gateway (if that is the correct term) has a built-in router, 3 ethernet ports, and 2 other ports. I don't know what they do, and I did not understand what the customer service person tried to describe to me. I tend to be more comfortable working in the range of 120 to 765,000 volts.

If I decide that I want the ethernet ports throughout the house to be operational, I will hire an electrician to set it up. For now, I will be content with the gateway's WIFI capabilities.

 

[augie47]

Hopefully your Cat5/6 cables now terminate at one location. If so, it's a simple in installation of a Ethernet switch (around $50) which would be connected to your router. Think of it as connecting branch circuits to a breaker panel (switch ports) with a feeder (router post)

 

[tthh]

The FO gateway (if that is the correct term) has a built-in router, 3 ethernet ports, and 2 other ports. I don't know what they do, and I did not understand what the customer service person tried to describe to me. I tend to be more comfortable working in the range of 120 to 765,000 volts.

If I decide that I want the ethernet ports throughout the house to be operational, I will hire an electrician to set it up. For now, I will be content with the gateway's WIFI capabilities.

Trust me, you are more than capable. The good news is that there are no hazardous conditions and the worst you can do is make it not work and then you just unplug it.