Setup cat6 home network
November 26, 2010 5:58 AM Subscribe
Home network setup with a lot of cat6 hardwired network drops and wireless
I'm building a new house. I have cat6 running a lot of places. I want wireless to cover the house as well for guests/iPads/etc.
The network setup is confusing me but it should be simple.
I have:
- Cat6 running to all hardwired ports. 31 total drops coming into one central location
- Two NetGear 24 port non-managed switches
- a motorola DSL modem for WAN connection
- a Mikrotik wireless b/g/n router with one ethernet port
Is this as simple as DSL->switch 1 and switch 1->switch 2 and switch 1->wireless or do I need an actual router that sits between the DSL and the switches/wireless?
I'm building a new house. I have cat6 running a lot of places. I want wireless to cover the house as well for guests/iPads/etc.
The network setup is confusing me but it should be simple.
I have:
- Cat6 running to all hardwired ports. 31 total drops coming into one central location
- Two NetGear 24 port non-managed switches
- a motorola DSL modem for WAN connection
- a Mikrotik wireless b/g/n router with one ethernet port
Is this as simple as DSL->switch 1 and switch 1->switch 2 and switch 1->wireless or do I need an actual router that sits between the DSL and the switches/wireless?
It depends on the modem. If it's a combination modem/router, then you don't need the router there. If it's just a modem, then you need a router.
Note that you already have a router in your inventory, and you can just stick it there, rather than further down.
So, if it's just a modem, you'll have DSL -> router/wireless -> switches (the two switches can be plugged into the LAN-side ports of the router, instead of chained).
If it's a router/modem, DSL -> switches -> wireless (where your router would not be "routing"; you will turn off DHCP on the Mikrotek and plug in only on the LAN-side to a switch, and you will treat it as a wireless access point without routing functionality).
You may want to use a patch panel as the terminating point for all the cable runs. It's easier to use keystone jacks, a patch panel and a 110 punch-down tool, rather than trying to crimp a few dozen cables.
If you want to separate the guests from your home network, you can get a couple routers with wireless, and chain them together. The guests will access the outer one, and your home network will be on the inner one. In that case, assuming the DSL modem is just a modem, you'll have DSL -> guest router/wireless -> home router/wireless -> switches. Also, if you have a wired guest you want to keep out of your home network, you can plug that drop's cable into the guest router and just mark it as such on the wall plate.
posted by chengjih at 6:22 AM on November 26, 2010
Note that you already have a router in your inventory, and you can just stick it there, rather than further down.
So, if it's just a modem, you'll have DSL -> router/wireless -> switches (the two switches can be plugged into the LAN-side ports of the router, instead of chained).
If it's a router/modem, DSL -> switches -> wireless (where your router would not be "routing"; you will turn off DHCP on the Mikrotek and plug in only on the LAN-side to a switch, and you will treat it as a wireless access point without routing functionality).
You may want to use a patch panel as the terminating point for all the cable runs. It's easier to use keystone jacks, a patch panel and a 110 punch-down tool, rather than trying to crimp a few dozen cables.
If you want to separate the guests from your home network, you can get a couple routers with wireless, and chain them together. The guests will access the outer one, and your home network will be on the inner one. In that case, assuming the DSL modem is just a modem, you'll have DSL -> guest router/wireless -> home router/wireless -> switches. Also, if you have a wired guest you want to keep out of your home network, you can plug that drop's cable into the guest router and just mark it as such on the wall plate.
posted by chengjih at 6:22 AM on November 26, 2010
Depending on the size of the house, you might need two wireless access points. The standard antennas push out perpendicular to the antenna, and you might not get good coverage on different floors.
posted by gjc at 7:13 AM on November 26, 2010
posted by gjc at 7:13 AM on November 26, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by stereo at 6:17 AM on November 26, 2010