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New House: OnQ panel + Comcast = no idea what I am doing

L

LegendKiller

Lifer
I need some help. I just bought a new house with 4 rooms pre-wired with dual phone/ethernet jacks (as well as cable). However, the builder didn't hook everything up and comcast won't touch it (of course). So I need to finish the job but have no idea how to do it.

See links to pictures of the jacks, the panel, the telecom hub and the 8-port network hubs. Can you guys help me make some sense of this?

A friend said I need a switch but I don't even know where to plug it in. I need a map.

Thanks

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b274/LgndKiller/Network/20130306_233545-1.jpg

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b274/LgndKiller/Network/20130306_233535-1.jpg

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b274/LgndKiller/Network/20130306_232958-1.jpg

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b274/LgndKiller/Network/20130306_213922-1.jpg
 
I'm assuming:
1 All those white wires are coax for cable TV.
2 The comcast modem/router is sitting in the bottom of the panel.

Correct me if I am wrong.
How many LAN network ports on the comcast box?
 
White cables are coax but I need a coax distribution system for all of that to work. Not too concerned about that right now.

Modem has 4 ports.
 
It appears all the Cat5 runs from the rooms are blue cables, and terminate in the middle and bottom box. Then there's black cables that look like patch cables that go to the upper box.

I'm not too familiar with the newer home network stuff, can you see any model numbers on those?

It also looks like the blue cables have some writing, probably labeled for what room they go to...

If that top box is a switch, then one run down to the modem would suffice.

You can always run those black patch cords to a switch, then down to the modem.
 
For the first 4 connections all you need is 4 longer patch cables.
If you want more you will need a switch and more cables.
1) plug your laptop into 1 of the 4 ports of the comcast box to test function.
Stop and fix that if it does not get you to the internet.
2) Unplug all the black cables from the middle box.
3) Plug the 4 longer cables into the comcast box, and into the 4 ports on the middle box of your choosing. IF they are properly labeled on each end, you are done. If not;
4) Go around and test your results with laptop. Find the ports you connected. This is easier with two people. After you find a hot port ( one you have connected in the onq box), have the second person unplug cables in the box until your internet connection says "cable unplugged".
5) label both ends.
6) lather rinse repeat until all ports are labeled.

For the phone jacks:
The box at the top is this device, for the phones.
http://www.smarthome.com/29039/OnQ-F1478-4x12-Telecom-Module-w-RJ-31x/p.aspx
Right now, every port in the house has been made into a phone port by those short black patch cables.
After you sort out all the labeling, go back and connect up the ports you want for phone.
Manual for above devices:
http://www.smarthome.com/manuals/29039.pdf
 
Last edited:
OP - everything looks like the builder terminated everything correctly. The white coaxes are typically not terminated as the builder relies on the cable company to terminate what is going to actually be used by the home owner.

I would need a closer pic of the top box to be able to tell you exactly what it is but if i had to guess, I'd say it's a phone distribution box - 4x12. If you want to use some jacks for network/internet, simply put a network switch in there and at the top, secure with velcro or something and disconnect the patch cables from the 4x12 phone distribution box and install them in the switch. Then take one patch cable from the switch and plug it into the LAN port of your comcast internet router. Done.

The setup you have is designed to be modular as scale so you can choose whether a jack/outlet is for phone or for your network.
 
skyking said:
For the first 4 connections all you need is 4 longer patch cables.
If you want more you will need a switch and more cables.
1) plug your laptop into 1 of the 4 ports of the comcast box to test function.
Stop and fix that if it does not get you to the internet.
2) Unplug all the black cables from the middle box.
3) Plug the 4 longer cables into the comcast box, and into the 4 ports on the middle box of your choosing. IF they are properly labeled on each end, you are done. If not;
4) Go around and test your results with laptop. Find the ports you connected. This is easier with two people. After you find a hot port ( one you have connected in the onq box), have the second person unplug cables in the box until your internet connection says "cable unplugged".
5) label both ends.
6) lather rinse repeat until all ports are labeled.

For the phone jacks:
The box at the top is this device, for the phones.
http://www.smarthome.com/29039/OnQ-F1478-4x12-Telecom-Module-w-RJ-31x/p.aspx
Right now, every port in the house has been made into a phone port by those short black patch cables.
After you sort out all the labeling, go back and connect up the ports you want for phone.
Manual for above devices:
http://www.smarthome.com/manuals/29039.pdf
Click to expand...

Sorry didn't see this post - this post pretty much sums everything up that the OP needs to do.
 
Actually, I just realized that instead of dropping one cable per outlet they dropped 2. Each one goes to a punch down then they have one feeding into the telecom outlet. What's nice about that is I can have 2 ethernets to the rooms that don't need a phone. Since the router has 4 ports I can hit 2 rooms twice or whatever other combo. I will still eventually need a switch though. That and a coax amp/distribution for all of the cable.
 
Cat5e is good enough for gigabit and unless you're doing high end CAD work or video editing on a high end SAN at home, don't really see the need right now for cat6a. If I had to choose now, I'd have cat6 put in but won't really have a need for it for probably another 5-10 years.
 
LegendKiller said:
Actually, I just realized that instead of dropping one cable per outlet they dropped 2. Each one goes to a punch down then they have one feeding into the telecom outlet. What's nice about that is I can have 2 ethernets to the rooms that don't need a phone. Since the router has 4 ports I can hit 2 rooms twice or whatever other combo. I will still eventually need a switch though. That and a coax amp/distribution for all of the cable.
Click to expand...

How many rooms do you have that are wired with cat5e - 4?
 
kevnich2 said:
How many rooms do you have that are wired with cat5e - 4?
Click to expand...

Yeah, 4 rooms. I am going to keep them going through the router now. I have better places to spend time/money but eventually I'll get an 8-port gigabit switch and turn all 8 ports into ethernet. I also need to get the coax amplified splitter.
 
It works well to pick one of those rooms that is central to the house, and install a common wifi router there after you make it into a switch/AP. Ezlan.net has a guide explaining that process. Now you have wireless and 3 more ports in that room.
A good place is at the entertainment center location.
You may not want a switch down there in the onQ panel at all.
http://ezlan.net/router_AP.html
 
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