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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  • plooger@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    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.