Home network problem

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Mulletamoeba

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Nov 23, 2016
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Hello. I have had a lot of stress with setting up a home network over the last few days. I have read a lot and spoken to several people but still no solution. Wouldn't really appreciate if anyone could shed some light on our problem.

This is an old house with thick stone walls. Too big for a single WiFi router to work.

We got "fastcom" broadband (through an antenna) in Northwest Ireland. The cat6 cable terminates in a utility cupboard upstairs and is plugged into a TP link ac750. WiFi in vicinity works well. Internet also works when I plug an Ethernet cable directly from my computer (2009 Mac book pro 17") directly into the back of the router.

The problem is getting a connection in other rooms.

The house is wired with cat6 cables in most bedrooms and living spaces. These all terminate in the utility cupboard next to the router. The electrician tested all these last week and every one was found to be functioning.

When I connect any device, either my laptop or another TP link AC 750, into the Ethernet port in any other room, I cannot connect back to the router in the utility cupboard. This is the case whether I plug the relevant cat 6 cable directly into one of the 4 ports at the back of the router, or if I plug all the cat 6 cables into a netgear 16 way switch and then into the router.

I have spoken to the electrician, the internet installers and an electronics shop without any success. frustrating.

I don't know what is wrong and would appreciate any advice. Are some routers not able to work with cat 6 cables? Could there be something wrong with my wiring, even though when the electrician checks it everything seems to be working with it?

Many thanks

Zachary
 
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kanewolf

kanewolf

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Wiring is the most obvious problem. If the macbook pro works when directly connected to the TPLink but NOT when connected through the in-wall wiring, then the wiring is the obvious problem. Start by getting an inexpensive tester -- https://www.amazon.com/Klein-VDV526-052-Scout-Junior-Tester/dp/B004CI9NRM/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1455461789 You can use that to double check the electrician. Also verify that the color code (order of the colored wires) is correct. If you have wall jacks, you can remove the cover from the wall and visually inspect it. The color code should be 568B.
 
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Mulletamoeba

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Nov 23, 2016
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Thanks. Yes wiring is my impression although the electrician maintains that is not the case.

Some of the runs are quite long and the wiring is now completely inaccessible (apart from the terminals) as all plastering and painting is complete.

The terminals should be wired in a straight through pattern rather than any of the crossover patterns - is that correct?
 
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Mulletamoeba

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Nov 23, 2016
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Checked with electrician there, all terminals are T568B. I'll get a tester double check situation when im home this eve. Hopefully it turns up something simple. What's very strange is that the same electrician also wired the cat 6 cable that comes from the aerial to the router, and than one is working perfectly. Of note, I have tried with a second router of the same model in the utility cupboard with no success.
 
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Mulletamoeba

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Nov 23, 2016
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I double checked the terminals in the utility room , they are wired as t568b ..... Electrician tested all cables and says they're working. Maybe it's haunted?
Any other explanations?
 
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Nafryti

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Sep 26, 2008
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oh dear, i know your problem all too well, and i know your solution...
What you're having an issue with is multiple routers assigning the same IP address ranges... what you need to do is dedicate ONE router as your primary DHCP, and then disable DHCP on any other router, they will handoff the DHCP requests to the DHCP server, you will have to assign each router an IP outside of the DHCP Server range so you can access them at a later time, basically what you are doing is converting your routers into cheap yet effective, AP/Switches.

You can still setup the WiFi of each DHCP Disabled router, you can even name them the same so you can seamlessly roam your home without losing connection. But this issue is easily resolved with the little known Router into a Switch trick.

Think of it like this:
Modem -> Router -> Multiple DHCP Disabled Routers

Its a cheaper method than buying AP's and Switches.
Good Luck!

NOTE:
DO NOT plug into the WAN port of the router after disabling the DHCP when connecting it to the primary Router, use LAN 1 to do so, the Router will report not having internet, but it will still work, i do it all the time!
The exception to this would be routers like the ASUS RT-N65U that i have where it can be converted into an AP/Switch through a built in setting, that then allows you to use the WAN port... This is not the case with ALL routers, so please do use discretion when converting your routers.

Reference:
https://www.bizmate.biz/articles-mainmenu-2/18-little-it-tricks/40-routertoswitch
https://www.techwalla.com/articles/use-router-switch
 
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Mulletamoeba

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Nov 23, 2016
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1. I have exchanged the wireless router for a new one.

2. The Cat 6 cable from the dish plugs into a switching mode power supply. An ethernet cable runs from there to the router. The router then works for wifi in the local area.

3. However, when I plug any of the other cat 6 cables into the back of the router, either directly or via a 16 way network switch, I cannot get any connection from any room back to the router.

4. I have also tried plugging the Cat 6 cable that leads to the master bedroom into the switching mode power supply. I then plugged the router into the data port in the master bedroom. Again, no connection made. The only change with this setup (versus that in point 2.) is that the Cat6 from bedroom to utility is now in use and this was enough to stop an internet connection being made.

I have spoke to the internet installer and they say it is a local issue and their only role is to get the internet into the house and not the internal LAN.

Any ideas? It's very frustrating!
 
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Nafryti

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Sep 26, 2008
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he said he was doing just that, but never offered any details as to whether or not he disabled the DHCP/DNS features of the slave routers, so in my mind he's been trying to use multiple routers which are trying to assign the same devices multiple IP's in his network...

I would really like some clarification as much of his statements are not making sense, he said he bought a new router and connected the old one to it... GREAT! what else? what did you hope to achieve? i'm so confused...

DID you connect all the end points in the utility cupboard to the switch then to the routers LAN 1? using the host router to connect to the internet through WAN... then with all other routers configured without DNS handoff or DHCP, and taping over the WAN port and connecting the wall plate to the LAN1 port of each modified router, did you attempt that method? or is this just something you're not willing to try... especially since this is possibly the very way you are wanting to configure your house for complete wifi coverage... i will once again link you source reference, and this time walk you through it.

STEP 1:
Define PRIMARY router's IP address range to assign devices (usually 192.168.0.100 - 192.168.0.200)
STEP 2:
Using the LAN1 of each router to be used as a range extender (access point) of your Wireless Network, connect a computer and configure each router through the administration page (usually 192.168.0.1) and perform the following steps:
--THESE STEPS APPLY TO THE SECONDARY ROUTERS ONLY--
STEP 3:
Assign an IP to this router either above or below the subnet range defined by Primary Router's DHCP server. This is so you can access it later on if you need to change some settings, would be useful to write it down depending on how many you plan to setup, either on a note pad or on the device itself. (Sharpies for the win!)
STEP 4:
uncheck, disable, turn off, stop, halt, alto... which ever term your router uses for disabling the DHCP Service as you need to have it turned off, so that it will not try to assign devices on your network IP addresses, that is the Primary devices job, not the secondaries...
STEP 5:
DISABLE DNS Handoff, this is highly important, as it will determine whether or not your devices connected to it can access the internet or not, DNS Handoff works by quickly sending DNS requests to the ISP DNS (or configured DNS) through the WAN port, but as defined in the next step, there is no WAN port usage...
STEP 6:
put a piece of tape over, or remember NOT to plug into the WAN port, this is a whole circuit unused now by the router and you should use the LAN 1-4 ports instead as they are now the same as a switch with a wifi radio attached to them.
STEP 7:
OPTIONAL- Most routers have Wifi, the steps provided will not only expand the ports on your network, it will also create a new access point, you can name it the same as your primary routers SSID however, that requires a roaming tolerance on your Wifi device, otherwise you can make a completely new SSID say for instance "ROOM 1 Wifi" or so forth...
STEP8:
Enjoy your newly learned talent of being a network wizard.

Resource:
http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/basics/wireless-basics/30338-how-to-convert-a-wireless-router-into-an-access-point
 
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Nafryti

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additionally, what do you mean, "switching mode power supply" i did a quick google search on the term, and i don't know how you expect to get internet through that, much less HOW internet is coming from that at all! I have a "Switching mode Power Supply" in my closet, i bought one to see if i could replace the failing power supply of (and save) my D-Link Xtreme N Gaming Router which it could not even make the needed 2 amps 12 volts so... it was a bust...

But still, very intrigued by that switching mode power supply thing...
 
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Mulletamoeba

Commendable
Nov 23, 2016
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1,510
Thanks for your help guys. Sorry for any ambiguity. I'm pretty sure I have worked it out. The internet installer wired in the cat 6 from the dish with orange stripe on the left in a t568b pattern. The electrician wired all the other cat 6 cables to the various rooms, but he (or his apprentice) wired them in the same order but starting with orange stripe on the right rather than on the left. A mirror image. Thus when he tested them individually he found each wire to be working but when plugged into the router - no joy. I'm pretty sure this is the problem. Electrician will have to rewire sockets.
 
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Nafryti

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Sep 26, 2008
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uh... so long as the two pairs in the middle of either T568A/B are split appropriately there shouldn't be any noticeable change in connectivity, like, at all.

I too have wired my home with the T568B termination, I grow impatient, and am edging into intolerance, so i'm unsubscribing from this thread to prevent myself from lashing when he comes around to saying "no i didn't feel like bothering with what you suggested"
 
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nigelivey

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Dec 6, 2011
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"When I connect any device, either my laptop or another TP link AC 750, into the Ethernet port in any other room, I cannot connect back to the router in the utility cupboard"
 
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M

Mulletamoeba

Commendable
Nov 23, 2016
7
0
1,510
Hello,

Thanks for the advice

To clarify

Router in utility room works fine.

I was initially trying to set up a second router to work in the living space and be connected via Ethernet port and cat 6 cable back to the router in the utility room. This did not work despite following instructions quite closely which included disabling DCHP.

At that point, I didn't know if it was a problem with the second router setup, or the wiring, or something else. I stopped using the second router to eliminate it as an issue.

I then plugged a laptop and a ps4 into the Ethernet port in the living room. Neither were able to connect back to the router in the utility room. However, when I brought these devices physically into the utility room and connected them directly into the back of the router, they worked fine.

I also tried moving the original router to the living room and connecting it back to the internet via the Ethernet port with the corresponding cat 6 cable in the utility room wired directly to the external internet antenna. Again, no joy .

By this process I deduced that it must be an issue with the wiring of the cat 6

Initially the cat 6 were all checked by the electrician and found to be "working fine". However, on closer inspection they have been set up as an enantiomer - in the same sequence of colours as 568b but with the orange stripe on the right as opposed to being on the left. As this is the only discrepancy that I have found, I think this must be the issue but I will have to wait till it's rewired.

As to "switching mode power supply", that is the name of the device supplied by the internet installer and manufactured by Ubiquiti networks.
 
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