planning a home network

In message <(E-Mail Removed)>, Ashirus
<usenet-replyATashirusnwNO_SPAM.freeserve.co.ukDeleteFollo (E-Mail Removed)
m> writes
>hi. totally refurbishing my house and the electrician needs to rewire it, so
>going to install proper network cabling to a lot of the rooms.
>
>Thing is, I have no real office or work area in the house so the central
>patch panel and router can either be installed below the stairs in a small
>cupboard, where there's no space for a computer or in the main dining room,
>where we'd hide it in a larger cupboard so there would be space for a
>server/central computer itself, but this maybe more inconvenient. We could
>also install the router and patchpanel in an upstairs spare bedroom where
>there is plenty of space, but I'm worried that the telephone extension up
>there won't be the central one and therefore I wouldn't have the best
>internet access setup. I need a good internet setup as I may run a full
>public web-server from my house and therefore run a leased line to my house.

If you use a separate leased-line you can have it terminated anywhere
you want. In the short term you may prefer an ADSL link. That requires
the router to be reasonably close to a telephone extension, I don't
believe it has to be the master socket.

>
>So...
>
>What do I do? Does it matter if the patchpanel and router are just near any
>old telephone extension, or should they be on the master plug (if there is
>such a thing)?
>
>Also, how useful is it to have the central computer/server next to the
>router? Or can it be plugged into any room in the house at the end of the
>installed RJ-45s a good 50 meters from the router?

The machines can be pretty much anywhere, 50m is no problem for a CAT5
cable. I think it's unlikely that you would need gigabit ethernet so you
probably don't need CAT6 cables.



--
Bernard Peek
London, UK. DBA, Manager, Trainer & Author. Will work for money.



Bernard Peek

In article <(E-Mail Removed)>, Ashirus says...

> So...
>
> What do I do? Does it matter if the patchpanel and router are just near any
> old telephone extension, or should they be on the master plug (if there is
> such a thing)?
>
> Also, how useful is it to have the central computer/server next to the
> router? Or can it be plugged into any room in the house at the end of the
> installed RJ-45s a good 50 meters from the router?
>
> Any other tips?

You can put the router and patch panel anywhere. My router is sat on a
30 metre budget home extension kit and works fine with low noise, good
speed and low latency in games BUT you need to get the copper wire
extension as alot of them are aluminium wire which isn't as good.

As for the location of the server...doesn't matter. Thats the whole
point of networking, to allow you to put the kit anywhere.

If it was my house?

Router/pach panel under the stairs. Buy a low spec PC (such as old
Compaq P2/P3) in a small case with around 512MB RAM but a large HDD
and stick it under the stairs as a fileserver. Stick RealVNC on it so
you don't need to use a mouse/keyboard/monitor but can access it and
use it as if you were sat at the keyboard instead from other computers
on the LAN.

--
Conor

Opinions personal, facts suspect.

Ashirus wrote about a home network.

Others have commented on the main points.

Personally I don't see the need for a patch panel or wall sockets in a
small network which isn't going to be reconfigured much. Just run long
flyleads which meet the required specification from workstations to the
switch/hub. You can use either solid or stranded cable; stranded is
probably better if any flexing is likely.

In fact, a network like this is potentially more reliable than with a
patch panel and wall sockets, as you are eliminating two cable joins per
work position.

If you change your mind, you can fit patch panel and wall sockets later
to the existing cables.

The switch can be located anywhere (unless it's also the ADSL modem); it
doesn't have to be near any machine.

HTH,
--
Michael Salem

hi. totally refurbishing my house and the electrician needs to rewire it, so
going to install proper network cabling to a lot of the rooms.

Thing is, I have no real office or work area in the house so the central
patch panel and router can either be installed below the stairs in a small
cupboard, where there's no space for a computer or in the main dining room,
where we'd hide it in a larger cupboard so there would be space for a
server/central computer itself, but this maybe more inconvenient. We could
also install the router and patchpanel in an upstairs spare bedroom where
there is plenty of space, but I'm worried that the telephone extension up
there won't be the central one and therefore I wouldn't have the best
internet access setup. I need a good internet setup as I may run a full
public web-server from my house and therefore run a leased line to my house.

So...

What do I do? Does it matter if the patchpanel and router are just near any
old telephone extension, or should they be on the master plug (if there is
such a thing)?

Also, how useful is it to have the central computer/server next to the
router? Or can it be plugged into any room in the house at the end of the
installed RJ-45s a good 50 meters from the router?

Any other tips?

(Using Cat5e rather than Cat6 though I'm planning a gigabit network because
of the complicated installation and handling requirments as my electrician
isn't that network experienced, and because everyone tells me it's not yet
possible to get fully-standard-compatible cat6 cables, see post below).

--
Thanks very much,
Ashirus

Michael Salem wrote:
> Ashirus wrote about a home network.
>
> Others have commented on the main points.
>
> Personally I don't see the need for a patch panel or wall sockets in a
> small network which isn't going to be reconfigured much. Just run long
> flyleads which meet the required specification from workstations to
> the switch/hub. You can use either solid or stranded cable; stranded
> is probably better if any flexing is likely.

Apart from it looks a mess , so if you are rewiring a house you would be mad
not to get all the cables hidden away.

> In fact, a network like this is potentially more reliable than with a
> patch panel and wall sockets, as you are eliminating two cable joins
> per work position.

Get real. How many professional networks have flyleads trailed around all
over the place?
CAT5 is not going to stop working just cause it has a couple of patch
panels.
>
> If you change your mind, you can fit patch panel and wall sockets
> later to the existing cables.

By which time you have surface mounted cables and panels.
An even bigger mess.
--
Alex

"We are now up against live, hostile targets"

"So, if Little Red Riding Hood should show up with a bazooka and a bad
attitude, I expect you to chin the bitch! "

www.drzoidberg.co.uk
www.ebayfaq.co.uk

"Ashirus"
<usenet-replyATashirusnwNO_SPAM.freeserve.co.ukDeleteFollo (E-Mail Removed)>
wrote in message news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> hi. totally refurbishing my house and the electrician needs to rewire it,
so
> going to install proper network cabling to a lot of the rooms.
>
> Thing is, I have no real office or work area in the house so the central
> patch panel and router can either be installed below the stairs in a small
> cupboard, where there's no space for a computer or in the main dining
room,
> where we'd hide it in a larger cupboard so there would be space for a
> server/central computer itself, but this maybe more inconvenient. We could
> also install the router and patchpanel in an upstairs spare bedroom where
> there is plenty of space, but I'm worried that the telephone extension up
> there won't be the central one and therefore I wouldn't have the best
> internet access setup. I need a good internet setup as I may run a full
> public web-server from my house and therefore run a leased line to my
house.
>
> So...
>
> What do I do? Does it matter if the patchpanel and router are just near
any
> old telephone extension, or should they be on the master plug (if there is
> such a thing)?
>
> Also, how useful is it to have the central computer/server next to the
> router? Or can it be plugged into any room in the house at the end of the
> installed RJ-45s a good 50 meters from the router?
>
> Any other tips?
>
> (Using Cat5e rather than Cat6 though I'm planning a gigabit network
because
> of the complicated installation and handling requirments as my electrician
> isn't that network experienced, and because everyone tells me it's not yet
> possible to get fully-standard-compatible cat6 cables, see post below).
>
> --
> Thanks very much,
> Ashirus
>
>
I would suggest putting the patch panel below the stairs together with say
an 8 or 16 port switch (if this is enough for the initial network).
You can put the ADSL modem/router there too or anywhere that has a network
and phone connection as long as it is not an extension that is connected via
an ADSL phone filter.
You can site the server anywhere that has some ventilation and where the fan
and drive noise would not be a problem.
When planning the cabling, it is a good idea to try to consider all things
that may need a network connection now or in the future eg. network
connected printers, game consoles or near TVs or even in the kitchen, where
appliances may in future be network connected (I think there are already
some washing machines and fridges available with network connections.)

Dave

If you are close to your exchange and the BT lines are of good quality
an ADSL modem/router will work quite happily on an extension phone line
provided the extenstion is connected before the adsl filter.
However if you are some distance from the exchange and want a fast
broadband service you should try and reduce extension losses to a
minimum ; the best way to install (for reduction in losses ) is to get
a fillter which is built into the face plate of the main phone point,
the connection can then be taken by cat5 cable to the router.
for info see http://www.adslguide.org.uk/newsarchive.asp?item=1364


To keep your network wiring tidy various colours and lengths of patch
leads can be found down to about 1 foot long but remember where a lead
goes directly from one device to another which are very close together
as for example connectiong a hub to a server that a minimum length of
cable is required --- I never use cables less than 1 metre long in this
situation.


If you shop around you should be able to find patch cables for 75p
upwards depending on length.

I wrote about not using a patch panel for a small (e.g., home) network.

Dr Zoidberg wrote:

> Apart from it looks a mess , so if you are rewiring a house you would be mad
> not to get all the cables hidden away.

It's not actually a mess; a few cables hidden in the usual ways, all
coming out at one place and being plugged tidily into a small wall-
mounted hub (point of emergence, cables, and hub could all be hidden in
a really small cabinet, ornamental if desired, or stuffed under the
stairs) are arguably tidier than a patch panel with all its patch
cables.

> > In fact, a network like this is potentially more reliable than with a
> > patch panel and wall sockets, as you are eliminating two cable joins
> > per work position.
>
> Get real. How many professional networks have flyleads trailed around all
> over the place?
> CAT5 is not going to stop working just cause it has a couple of patch
> panels.

I didn't mean to imply that a conventional network becomes unreliable
because of a couple of _properly_done_ junctions (the installers
presumably know about not untwisting too much cable to fit the
connectors), just to point out that the arrangement I suggest is not
inherently worse than a patch panel setup, but can actually be better
than less-than-perfectly-done cabling with extra plugs and IDC
connectors. If you can get them, you can use made-up Cat6 or Cat7 cables
(when the specification is finalised) without the need for finicky IDC
connectors with just a few mm of untwisted cable to work with.


You may not have understood what I meant: I don't mean to have cables
spahgettied along the floor, but to have them in ducting or whatever as
usual. But instead of being punched down into a patch panel at one end
and a wall socket at the other, they have RJ45 plugs on each end. Each
workstation would have the necessary length of lead going into the wall
(or wall sockets could be fitted for some or all workstations); at the
other end a bundle of cables would come out through one place and plug
into a switch a few cm away. If you buy cables with RJ45 connectors made
up to length, you have no connections to make: plug and play.

I've seen several such installations, done tidily: they work fine.
Surely this is quite a common setup?

You didn't mention the real Achilles heel: if the length of cable coming
from the wall to the workstation gets damaged (by frequent flexing or
yanking or by having a wheeled office chair running over it all the
time) you either have to re-pull the cable or cut off the end and fit a
wall box. This hasn't been a problem in practice (it has been in offices
with flyleads plugging into the wall). This is what I have seen; there
is no logical reason for a cable to be less vulnerable if it doesn't
plug into a wall socket.

While I clarify what I mean, I don't intend to get into an argument --
I've said enough to give anyone interested the idea, and it's non-
technical enough for anyone interested to make up their own mind.

You have to decide whether to use solid or stranded cable; solid is OK
if workstations are not moved around.

This is fine for a small installation, but I wouldn't advocate it for
more than about 8 cables.

Best wishes,
--
Michael Salem

have a look at this page very useful:and a superb introduction to home
networking
http://www.modfatha.com/structured_network_open.html


im currently trying to souce an enclosure the enclosure in the review is
from the usa and bought from http://www.hometech.com/

it looks like buying from the usa might be cheaper than the uk currently,
for serious home network and also av distribution

S







"Zontag" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:4147f4eb$0$22756$(E-Mail Removed)...
> If you are close to your exchange and the BT lines are of good quality an
> ADSL modem/router will work quite happily on an extension phone line
> provided the extenstion is connected before the adsl filter.
> However if you are some distance from the exchange and want a fast
> broadband service you should try and reduce extension losses to a minimum
> ; the best way to install (for reduction in losses ) is to get a fillter
> which is built into the face plate of the main phone point, the
> connection can then be taken by cat5 cable to the router.
> for info see http://www.adslguide.org.uk/newsarchive.asp?item=1364
>
>
> To keep your network wiring tidy various colours and lengths of patch
> leads can be found down to about 1 foot long but remember where a lead
> goes directly from one device to another which are very close together as
> for example connectiong a hub to a server that a minimum length of cable
> is required --- I never use cables less than 1 metre long in this
> situation.
>
>
> If you shop around you should be able to find patch cables for 75p upwards
> depending on length.
>
>

<snip>
actually, they are less than that from ARD.... but there is a delivery
charge, so you'd need to buy quite a lot. But if bought with all the
cable for in the walls, and the boxes and wall plates, would be a good
way to get them. Never had a problem with an ARD cable.
>
> If you shop around you should be able to find patch cables for 75p
> upwards depending on length.
>
>