Need help: Moving to bigger house and need advice on new network gear & setup

[ahdaniels76]

So my goal is to get Comcast internet via cable modem and use its bandwidth to support a typical home network (wired and wi-fi) in a 3-story house with a detached garage/apartment (say 30ft from edge of house to edge of garage).

The house supposedly has some CAT5 wiring pre-installed, but it doesn't go to all rooms. My plan right now is to wire the cable modem to the CAT5 wiring, and then get a decent router and put it in a central room via a wired jack. Then possibly use a signal enhancer or something (if needed) to get a strong signal in the detached apartment (which doesn't have the CAT5 wiring).

Devices: 3 PCs, maybe an ipad, 2 smart-phones, a PS3, a Roku for streaming, and possibly at a later date a DirecTV whole home network (which I would start by using on the Coax wiring... which goes to the apartment, but supposedly has weaker signal due to the length of Coax).

I'm thinking a simple new wireless n (latest n?) router would work, I guess one that uses DD-WRT(?) for a stronger signal, although I've never used DD-WRT before. And then maybe either an electrical outlet - to - outlet signal enhancer (I read about this here, but it seems they work better unencrypted...) or some other device to ensure the apartment gets enough signal strength. I'm not sure if I need "switches" or anything beyond the router if most everything is wi-fi or connected via the built in CAT5 jacks.

So I'm looking for tips on good hardware specifics (had trouble finding anything quickly via searches), a good approach to ensuring adequate coverage, and some tips on the best way to extend the coverage to my garage apartment. I'd want my network secure, though, as I will be living in a fairly densely populated area. My phone picked up 9 other networks as I walked through the house...

Budget is relatively high to get the job done - although I'd prefer to stay away from super high end stuff ($250+ routers) if possible since my needs are not that extreme.

All help is appreciated,
Thanks,

 

[kornphlake]

I'd start by getting ethernet jacks in the rooms where you'll have wired devices, I'd probably install 3 or more jacks for each television and 2 for each desktop computer. You'll probably want a gigabit switch to connect networked devices, but if you're not sharing files on the local network it probably doesn't make that much difference. DDWRT is nice because you can tweak a lot of settings, but honestly the stock firmware on most routers is adequate for most people, not that I'm discouraging you from using DDWRT, but it doesn't sound like your application needs any of the advanced features DDWRT offers. I'm not a pro on locating wireless antennas, but I assume you'd want to put the access point as near the center of the home as possible, or nearest the area where wireless devices will be used most.

 

[ahdaniels76]

Why 3 jacks per tv? Just curious.

I think the guy wired his house with CAT5 cable (although I'm not sure how much wire, or how many jacks, he ran), which seems to cap out at 100 Mb/s. If I'm using a Comcast solution that's generally capped at 22 Mb/s ("Boost!", I think), there's no reason to upgrade the wiring to CAT6.

Right now the guy has the cable modem and I think a router and a switch in the basement, hooked up somehow to the CAT 5 wiring. Assuming he takes the hardware with him but leaves the wires, does that mean I likely need to get a router with a very large # of ports, or just a cheap switch (would I even need gigabit?), or both router and switch?

I'm thinking I go cable feed -> cable modem (the MOTOROLA SB6121) -> (gigabit?) switch -> CAT5 wiring. Then, for wireless, plug a wireless n router into a CAT5 jack in a central room. Does that sound reasonable so far? Then the next issue would be signal strength issues if a central point can't get everywhere.

Appreciate the help and sorry for some beginner questions. I'm trying to research this on the side, but hoping this might be more efficient.

Thanks

 

[dclive]

Why 3 jacks per tv? Just curious.

I think the guy wired his house with CAT5 cable (although I'm not sure how much wire, or how many jacks, he ran), which seems to cap out at 100 Mb/s. If I'm using a Comcast solution that's generally capped at 22 Mb/s ("Boost!", I think), there's no reason to upgrade the wiring to CAT6.

Really? You don't want GigE ethernet (100MB/s)? You're sure you won't want it in 3 years when Comcast triples their speeds again? You're sure you won't want a reliable wired connection that can shoot media / TV back and forth inside the house?

You want the best they'll put in there, and if CAT6 costs another $100 for the entire house, it's worth it. Once it's wired in the house, you're done - upgrades from there are very difficult.

Right now the guy has the cable modem and I think a router and a switch in the basement, hooked up somehow to the CAT 5 wiring. Assuming he takes the hardware with him but leaves the wires, does that mean I likely need to get a router with a very large # of ports, or just a cheap switch (would I even need gigabit?), or both router and switch?

I'm thinking I go cable feed -> cable modem (the MOTOROLA SB6121) -> (gigabit?) switch -> CAT5 wiring. Then, for wireless, plug a wireless n router into a CAT5 jack in a central room. Does that sound reasonable so far? Then the next issue would be signal strength issues if a central point can't get everywhere.

Appreciate the help and sorry for some beginner questions. I'm trying to research this on the side, but hoping this might be more efficient.

Thanks

It's fine. But if you have the option, you want the best wiring you can get. Period.

 

[ahdaniels76]

Don't get me wrong, upgrading to CAT6 would be ideal, I just don't know how much it'll cost since CAT5 cable is there and the house is already built. If wire can be snaked through (or I guess tied to one end and pulled through from the other), wonderful, but if it's tied up with other wires behind drywall or otherwise anchored it'll be a PITA.

More curious about the overall setup, though. Do I need a router pre-bridge/switch or can I send the signal straight to the wall jacks via bridge/switch?

If I run a powerline network to the garage apartment, should I use the wired connnection from the switch or wired from the router in the house... or does it not matter if the network is setup properly?

 

[dclive]

I misunderstood.

I don't understand your router pre-bridge/switch question or powerline. You need the signal to get from your devices to your router; how they get there isn't terribly important, as long as you have GigE (or 100Mb, in your case, I suppose) devices from top to bottom. You wouldn't want to have a GigE signal along one leg of the connection and only 100Mb signal on another leg, as obviously the entire line (of just that one connection, mind) would be limited to 100Mb speed.

If you have CAT5e, I suggest going with GigE everywhere and hoping you can get it on all your drops; it should work perfectly if the connections are all of fair quality.

 

[skyking]

You are lucky to have some wiring in place
Go back and take a pic of his setup and make a note of what is plugged in where.
If he takes it all, duplicate what he did. Plug the switch ports into the same ports/cables going out to the rooms. If things are not labeled, get a friend and a laptop, and map it out. Just watch what switch port goes live when your friend plugs in.
Now you know the physical wiring.
If there is a jack near the likely television/entertainment center, you can locate your new wireless router there with the modem.
plug one wire into that jack to send your network down to the basement location.
Now your network is live and you can do some testing.
I know you want specific hardware recommendations, but there is no magic bullet when it comes to wireless. Forget about fancy devices that promise the world. Bricks and wiring and multiple walls and wet foliage will stop them all
That is really not a problem for you though. Take the money you save and get two wireless devices if needed. No big $$ single AP will work better than a pair of properly located ones.
If you need to you can convert a second common wireless router into an AP and put it where you need it. For example, placing one upstairs near a window that faces your second building would insure good connectivity there, and also give good coverage of the upper floors.

 

[ahdaniels76]

Thanks, everyone. I think the plan now is to have cable signal into router, router into switch, and switch feeding CAT 5 jacks. 2 WAPs attached to jacks at opposite points of the house to get the house covered. Then in the garage apt. a bridge connecting to the closest WAP in the house. Maybe a NAS from one of the switch ports in the house, too. I'll likely plan for CAT6 wiring and go gigabit, even if I can't use the capacity right away.

 

[kornphlake]

Why 3 jacks per tv? Just curious.

I figure 3 because most people will have a blue ray, a game console and a dish or cable receiver, all 3 benefit from internet connectivity, some people have multiple consoles, some kind of set top box like a Roku, an HTPC, etc. In 2012 I don't think it's entirely unreasonable for a person to use as many as 6 ethernet connections in one entertainment center. In the future I expect entertainment will be increasingly dependent on network connections although I imagine wireless technology will eventually be reliable enough and fast enough to replace Ethernet for most home use.

I think the guy wired his house with CAT5 cable (although I'm not sure how much wire, or how many jacks, he ran), which seems to cap out at 100 Mb/s. If I'm using a Comcast solution that's generally capped at 22 Mb/s ("Boost!", I think), there's no reason to upgrade the wiring to CAT6.

you'll benefit from 100mb/s for moving data across the local network, sharing data across multiple devices may not be super important to you today, but in the future I expect devices will be much more interconnected. Even if all you're doing is sharing a printer, it makes sense to have a local network that is at least 100mb/s regardless of your internet connection speed.

Right now the guy has the cable modem and I think a router and a switch in the basement, hooked up somehow to the CAT 5 wiring. Assuming he takes the hardware with him but leaves the wires, does that mean I likely need to get a router with a very large # of ports, or just a cheap switch (would I even need gigabit?), or both router and switch?

I'm thinking I go cable feed -> cable modem (the MOTOROLA SB6121) -> (gigabit?) switch -> CAT5 wiring. Then, for wireless, plug a wireless n router into a CAT5 jack in a central room. Does that sound reasonable so far? Then the next issue would be signal strength issues if a central point can't get everywhere.

Appreciate the help and sorry for some beginner questions. I'm trying to research this on the side, but hoping this might be more efficient.

Thanks

The modem supplies internet to your home, in many cases ISPs supply a modem that has a built in router, the router distributes traffic from one public IP to multiple private IPs and assigns private IP addresses to the local clients, the router will have a built in switch that connects the private IPs together, the router connects to the switch and distributes internet to devices through the switch, most modern routers also have a wireless access point that functions like a switch without wires. Does that make sense? The box your ISP supplies will most likely meet all your needs today assuming you don't have more than 4 devices that need wired Ethernet. Most routers only have 4 ethernet ports, if you have more than 4 wired devices you can connect the router to a dedicated switch to expand your network, it's been recommended above to connect all devices to a gigabit switch so you'll have the fastest local network speed possible, the gigabit switch's uplink port would connect to the router (or the all in one affair your ISP supplies) so the router can assign private IPs and distribute internet. The access point or wireless router can be placed anywhere, it is convenient to keep it close to other networking equipment, but putting the access point in a location where the signal can be used is much more important than troubleshooting convenience.

So the simplest scenario is with an all in one device from your ISP and few devices needing a wired connection:
service from utility>all in one device>in wall wiring>devices
You'll need to locate the all in one device somewhere the wireless signal will be strong throughout the house, which may mean running telephone or cable lines to that location.

A more complicated scenario is if you don't have an all in one, if you have few devices it's still pretty straightforward though:
Service from utility>modem>wireless router>in wall wiring>devices
again the wireless modem will need to be located in some place that will give good wireless signal throughout the house, the connection from the modem to the router will be Ethernet and can be run in the wall, keep in mind though that several devices will connect to the router so you'll need to locate it near where all other in wall runs terminate, if this isn't practical you'll need to use an access point or a second wireless router configured as an access point, this will connect to the router through the in wall wiring.

If you have more than 4 devices you'll need to add a switch with more than 4 ports:
Service from utility>modem>wireless router>switch>in wall wiring>devices

Same as above applies to the wireless router's physical location in this scenario, if it's not practical to locate the wireless router in the middle of the house because all existing wiring is terminated in the basement you'll probably want to use a dedicated access point or a second wireless router configured as an access point only and connect it to the in wall wiring in some room where the signal strength will be best.