Setting up a Wired Network in New House

Jobean

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Jul 6, 2015
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So, I'm going to be setting up a wired network in a new house for my parents, and I've never set up a wired network in before. I've done some research, but I figured I'd see if anyone had tips.

The house is already wired into a central panel. There's a modem and router and a working wifi network. But the router is somehow plugged into the central panel and there is no network on the Ethernet. I haven't actually looked at it yet, but this is what I'm told.

All I need to do is get those Ethernet lines in the walls hooked in and getting Internet, and then put two WAPs in.

Anyone have any pointers, given this limited amount of info? Common pitfalls?
 
Solution

That is an unfortunate name, since the way most people draw a star looks nothing like the topology.

A more descriptive name for it is spoke and hub. Your main router/switch is the hub. The ethernet cables going to each device are the spokes.

And if the house has a central panel but it's not wired to ethernet ports in the rooms, then you've got a huge job ahead of you. Wireless extenders, powerline ethernet, and MOCA adapters were invented so you wouldn't have to go through all the labor of running ethernet cables through the walls and attic.
If the house is already WIRED for ethernet (this is the time consuming part) then all you have to do is to hook things up. Otherwise you will have to run CAT5 from the central panel to where the devices are, through walls, ceilings blah-blah.

Ethernet topology (how things are hooked up) is exceedingly simple:


ISP Modem -> router/switch (this is your hub at the central panel) ====> to all devices. This commonly described as a STAR topology, imagine a STAR.

 

That is an unfortunate name, since the way most people draw a star looks nothing like the topology.

A more descriptive name for it is spoke and hub. Your main router/switch is the hub. The ethernet cables going to each device are the spokes.

And if the house has a central panel but it's not wired to ethernet ports in the rooms, then you've got a huge job ahead of you. Wireless extenders, powerline ethernet, and MOCA adapters were invented so you wouldn't have to go through all the labor of running ethernet cables through the walls and attic.
 
Solution