setting an AP/router downstream of a switch

footprintinconc · Dec 8, 2013

ORIGINAL ISSUE: I have comcast cable internet...it comes into the house into an Xfinity Cable modem/wireless router device (refered to as XM+WR from here on out). My XM+WR is setup upstairs and when we are downstairs, the some devices (like my mac-mini, android phone, etc) keep loosing signal or stream in painfully slow because it keeps buffering.

PARTIAL SOLUTION: so to solve part of the problem (mac-mini issue), I decided to hardwire it into the wall with an ethernet port. My house is wired with CAT6 wires and they run from each room to the outside of my house. So I installed a box on the outisde of my house where i installed a Netgear 5 port gigbyte switch outside: XM+WR (lan) --- to (lan)switch --- to wall outlet --- to mac-mini. now my mac-mini is connected to the internet and to my synology server and this issue is resolved.

PROPOSED WIRELESS SOLUTION: I though that i could set up an Asus WL520GU as (1) configured to act an "access point" or (2) as a router with the DHCP mode turned off downstairs, which would mean hardwired downstream of the Netgear switch...I could then harwire my mac-mini to the Asus and it could set a wireless signal for my device....setup with the same SSID + sercurity as my XM+WR.

CURRENT SETUP:
cable ---connected---XM+WR(192.168.0.1) upstairs----hardwired to:
(a) synology server (192.168.0.3) - next to XM+WR
(b) Netgear 5 Port Gigabit Business-Class Desktop Switch (GS105) - downstairs outside the house

....Netgear switch------(LAN) Asus WL520GU (192.168.0.2) connected as either "access point" or "router with DHCP turned off" then connected:
(a) (LAN) ---- hardwired to Mac-mini
(b) wirelessly to my devices downstairs

CURRENT ISSUE: I cannot get my Asus set up either way to work downstream of the switch....it works with connected directly to the XM+WR....as soon as I disconnect it and take it down stairs and hardwire it downstream of the switch, I get no internet or connect to anything.

What do I need to do to get my this to work?

Thank You in advance for your time and help!

Someone Somewhere · Dec 8, 2013

You need to plug the cable from the switch into one of the LAN ports, not the WAN port. Having a switch in the middle shouldn't make a difference (my second WAP is a router connected through a big 24-port switch, and you can get to both the net and other local devices).

The fact that it works when connected directly, but not when through the switch, is strange. Using the same LAN port? Do the lights light up showing there's a physical connection?

footprintinconc · Dec 8, 2013

I am connecting to the LAN and not to the WAN......I am also using the same LAN port on the Asus as when directly connected to the Modem/router and when I am downstairs downstream of the switch.....

I also chose your answer as a solution....didn't mean to, and dont know if it can be undone or not---the problem is not solved.

Someone Somewhere · Dec 8, 2013

I've unselected it. No problem.

What happens if you take the router outside and plug it into the cable from the XM+WR to the switch? And directly into the switch using a short cable?

Is it just a dumb switch, or is it managed?

footprintinconc · Dec 8, 2013

I can try that doing that...but will have to get a long extension wire.....I wil get back to you with an answer.

now as far as dumb switch or managed, I have no idea what that even means....i just bought that switch, pluged it in the wires...that was it.

Someone Somewhere · Dec 8, 2013

A managed switch has a web interface, like a router does (though with different options). If it's a bargain-basement one, it's just a dumb switch.

You'd need to have somewhere to power the switch from, wouldn't you? Just plug the WAP in there.

footprintinconc · Dec 8, 2013

ok, here is the test results of the following configuration:

Asus router is setup as an Acess Point right now--

1-XM+WR----outside: LAN --Asus-- LAN to laptop -> internet works
2-XM+WR----outside: LAN --Asus-- LAN to switch ---- to laptop -> internet works
3-XM+WR----outside: LAN --Asus-- LAN to switch ---- to mac mini inside -> internet works on mac mini

footprintinconc · Dec 8, 2013

Now here are some more configurations that I tried:

4-XM+WR----outside: to switch ---- LAN --Asus-- LAN to laptop -> internet works

BUT

5-XM+WR----outside: to switch ---- to living room wire....connect INSIDE to LAN --Asus-- LAN to laptop -> internet NOT working

How is this possible? Currently if I plug that wire into the mac mini or directly into my laptop, I get internet.......but as soon as I introduce the Asus in the middle it, no internet? Is this a sign of reversed cables?

When putting on heads on the wires currently in the wall, I had a tester that tested that the wires were not reversed....?

Someone Somewhere · Dec 8, 2013

So it's the cable from the switch to inside? Try re-terminating. Those RJ45 plugs are a pain.

Do you get a connection (lights blinking etc)? Are all the devices gigabit, or are some 100Mb/s?

footprintinconc · Dec 8, 2013

Someone Somewhere :

It seems like it is the wire from the switch to the inside....all the lights are on the switch and the Asus.

Them being gigabyte...why would that matter? The only thing between the switch and inside is the wire.....

Why would I get Internet when I connect the inside wire to my laptop or the MAC mini but not when I connect that wire to the Asus unit and then to the laptop or mac?

Someone Somewhere · Dec 9, 2013

Gigabit Ethernet needs all four pairs in the cable, while 100Mb/s works with only two. It might work if one of the pairs is broken.

That said, your switch was already gigabit, and I'd expect the laptop and mac mini to be as well.

Given it appears to be the cable, I'd try re-terminating. RJ45s are a pain in the neck at intermittent faults.

footprintinconc · Dec 23, 2013

I just finially got to get back to this and well, as you mentioned, the issue was in the wire .... i ended up redoing the RJ45 end connection outside the house, everything started working except: now when streaming video on my mac mini (which is hard wired to Asus) from my synology, it kept on bufferring a lot. But earlier on, when i was running a video on my laptop (wireless) it was working fine.

So I went and redid the RJ45 and everything stopped working except when the macmini was directly plugged into the wall....So I redid the RJ45 outside and now when mac-mini is hardwired to Asus, it now bufferes at 3 times in a 40min show that is about 1.2 GB (mkv file)....However now my wireless down stairs is putting out the signal but no internet on wireless.

I am leaving town over the holidays, so I will redo the connection again and see what happens.....why is it so difficult to get this connection right? i take a lot of time and make sure the wires are in and i am using the proper tool (paid 40 for the crimping tool...didn't cheap out on that) and i am having trouble with this one wire!?!

Thanks "someone somewhere" for helping me out through this issue....merry christmas and happy new year to you!

I am still open to suggestions if you have any on making those ends for that one wire.

Someone Somewhere · Jan 16, 2014

Cut back the wire by ~10cm - sometimes one of the conductors can be fractured.

Also, look at picking up a punch tool and some punch connectors. They're a lot harder to screw up, and faster.

footprintinconc · Jan 17, 2014

i am using a crimping tool....and inside the house the wall face plate came with a small plastic pusher...that is what you are referring to as a punch tool, right?

keeping my fingers crossed, hopefully this weeked, i plan on getting the wire hooked up for the room behind the living room and route a wire from there and see if that is any better and i dont have issues.....

will update with results.

Someone Somewhere · Jan 19, 2014

Yeah, the punch tool pushes the separate conductors into slots on the faceplate.

You may want to consider doing the same thing for the box outside.

footprintinconc · Jan 20, 2014

does it matter if i use a cat 6 connector in the faceplate inside the house instead of a cat 5 .... the wiring is cat 5, i believe....do i need cat 6 wiring for what i am trying to do or will the cat 5 wiring work?

Someone Somewhere · Jan 20, 2014

Doesn't matter much if you mix cat6, cat5e, or cat5 cable and connectors. Theoretically you shouldn't, but unless you're running up near the 150m limit, it won't matter.

footprintinconc · Jan 21, 2014

i just got done! everything works now. as suggested, i redid all my connections....

orginially, i had the wires as they were in the wall....the last 1ft shied was removed, and the wires were unwraped and i just stuck the wires into the jack and called it good.....however, on the outside, i made my connectors correctly, except that i did not follow the A or B pattern....i made sure that i used the the same pattern outside as i did inside...the wire checker checked everything fine.

now: i bought another tester and it showed that my middle 4 wire were "split paired"....but the simple checker showed the pairs were green....after some research, i cant recall exactly why, but they say that you need to follow the A or B pattern otherwise you may end up with noise and out of sync signals that will cause data loss. the other thing i found out was that the main shield should be only removed as much as needed to make the connection and that the wires twist should remain as far as possible, otherwise there will be noise again due to it picking up radio signals or what ever... END RESULT...I used the B pattern and made the connections in the wall neatly by cutting back all the wires that were not shielded, kept the untwisting to a minimal!

now it all works!

Thank you "someone somewhere" for your help and direction!!

setting an AP/router downstream of a switch

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