I recently moved into a new construction home that has all the rooms “pre-wired” for ethernet, except the connections haven’t been made at the central panel.
In the image above, the one wire with the arrow pointed to it is connected to an Eero 6 Pro, from the outside Verizon Fios box. I think the setup I need to enable the ethernet ports in all the pre-wired rooms is:
Verizon Fios --> Eero 6 Pro --> Unmanaged Switch --> Individual Ethernet connections
My questions are:
- To enable all the other ethernet ports in the house, do I just need to cut/crimp the cables, add ends and follow the above setup?
- If so, what materials do I need? I figure I need a cable cutter/crimper, some cat6 ends. Do I need a LAN cable tester? Any other items?
- Can someone without networking experience do this, or should I realistically be hiring someone?
Couple notes:
- I have no experience with home networking other than setting up a modem/router (have always lived in apartments before). But I’m generally pretty tech savvy (though not home repair savvy) and can figure things out.
- Verizon tech said my ethernet cables were “A pattern”
- At some point, I do want to set up a POE camera system. (Probably a couple months down the line) Does this mean, I should get a larger POE-enabled switch? Or should I have a unmanaged switch for the room connections, and another POE enabled switch for the POE system? (I guess that would result in a switch plugged into a switch… which doesn’t sound like the best way to go, but figured I’d ask)
Thanks for any help!
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This will answer all your questions but there’s a lot there so kick back Home Networking Basics https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjRKID2ucPY&list=PLqkmlrpDHy5M8Kx7zDxsSAWetAcHWtWFl
I think the setup I need to enable the ethernet ports in all the pre-wired rooms is:
Verizon Fios --> Eero 6 Pro --> Unmanaged Switch --> Individual Ethernet connections
This is correct, following the general topology: modem>router>switch>devices
IF you lack the cabling to allow moving the eero to another location, you might consider installing a shelf above the pictured cabinet and routing the necessary cabling through an upper knockout in the panel and through a new opening in the wall. (Finished with a low voltage bracket and faceplate/method to your liking.)
Verizon tech said my ethernet cables were “A pattern”
Don’t take their word for it. Easy enough to open up a wallplate or two to check/confirm. Bottom line is that you’ll want both ends terminated using the same standard T568A or B, whether terminated to punchdowns or male RJ45 connectors.
Yes but get a patch panel don’t just put ends on.
Always terminate ends on. Then use female-to-female keystone couplers in a patch panel.
No
I am curious why not?
Inevitably, homelab setups will change and with that, ends/jacks will be too. Instead of having to re-punch and lose cable length, having a terminated end allows for minimal, if any, change to the actual cable or its length.
What is the downside of terminating the ends with an rj-45 connector?
Different person here.
It’s a best practice for solid core cables (I.e. the kind you run through walls, not patch cables) to be affixed in order to minimize handling. The idea is that too much handling can cause the cable to fail. Hence, the usual recommendation is to punch the cable down, not terminate it with a RJ-45 plug.
Many argue that the risk of a cable failing due to excessive handling is low. They are not wrong. Punchdowns are a best practice. It’s your decision.
Interesting. From my work in head ends at ISP’s, a government IT department, and an MSP; the preference was always to terminate to RJ-45 and use F2F couplers in patch panels. We just used high-quality terms and couplers.
Since the handling is just as infrequent as when punched down, the risk of failure is equally minimal. But flexibility for future use, testing, and maintenance is increased.
Don’t take their word for it. Get a cheap continuity type cable checker. You’ll be glad you did. Sometimes, a punch down doesn’t go well or they mistakenly used B instead of A, etc. Really need a patch panel. Will save a lot of frustration. Don’t forget to get the tool to punch down. I’d buy some short ethernet cables to make the connections in the panel, too much trouble to make them and I’m prone to make errors. Personally, I’d go with a separate switch for the POE connections. This will enable a separate LAN for the cameras, if needed.