Home Network Setup Best Practice/Questions

[trentk10]

I am in the planning stage of setting up our network at home. I just want to make sure I don't accidentally make a rookie mistake. I will give the details, and if anyone is inclined to offer any advice, that would be great !!!

I will give the floor level, location, and devices at each location along with how they connect now, and how I plan to connect them when finished. The devices in the basement are new (new to me anyway lol) The server is up and running well enough to start to look into upgrading the network. I have not messed with any of the settings in the LB4M yet, and not sure if its even going to be necessary.

All of the 2nd floor wiring will have to travel into the attic, and then back down into each room. I guess I am wondering if I am better off pulling a cable for each room (or device) directly or setting another switch in the attic and only pull 1 cable from the basement to the attic.

Basement:
All on one rack:
Quanta LB4M - (1 cat5 from ATT NVG599 Router) *(not sure if this is changeable)
Server running FreeNas 11 (4 NIC's available, only using 1 right now, 1 cat5 to LB4M; also 1 cat5 for IPMI)
Eaton UPS (USB to Server)

1st Floor:
Area 1: (plan is to have 2 cables total to LB4M)
desktop PC ( 1 cat5 to LB4M) will stay the same.
printer (currently wifi) change to wired to LB4M

Area 2: (plan for 3 cables total to LB4M)
ATT NVG599 router ( 1 cat5 to LB4M)
Direct TV receiver (currently wifi) change to wired to LB4M
Playstation 3 (currently wifi) change to wired to LB4M

Area 3: (plan for 2 cables total)
Direct TV receiver (currently wifi) change to wired to LB4M
Playstation 3 (currently wifi) change to wired to LB4M

2nd Floor:
Area 1: (plan is for 4 cables or 1 cable and a 4 port switch)
Direct TV receiver (currently wifi) change to wired to LB4M
laptop (currently wifi) change to wired to LB4M
Playstation 4 (currently wifi) change to wired to LB4M
printer (currently local to this area only) change to wired to LB4M

Area 2: (plan is for 3 cables or 1 cable and a 4 port switch)
XBox (currently wifi) change to wired to LB4M
laptop (currently wifi) change to wired to LB4M
printer (currently local to this area) change to wired to LB4M

Area 3: (plan is for 1 cable)
desktop PC (currently not connected) change to wired to LB4M

Area 4: (plan is for 1 cable)
desktop PC (currently not connected) change to wired to LB4M

wifi mobile devices to stay on wifi:
4 smartphones
2 school issue I Pads

 

[whitey]

Seems solid enough to me. I'd take the single cable route from basement to 8 port POE switch on 2nd floor/attic, assuming the first floor already has cat5/6 runs but not the 2nd back to a distribution panel/switch or not? Probably doesn't need to be said but the AP I'd centrally locate on first floor if at all possible, an ubiquiti UAP is what I'd go with.

Done deal!

 

[trentk10]

Seems solid enough to me. I'd take the single cable route from basement to 8 port POE switch on 2nd floor/attic, assuming the first floor already has cat5/6 runs but not the 2nd back to a distribution panel/switch or not? Probably doesn't need to be said but the AP I'd centrally locate on first floor if at all possible, an ubiquiti UAP is what I'd go with.

Done deal!

Thanks for the insight !!

No, unfortunately I still have to run cable to the first floor as well, but it will be a lot easier than going to the 2nd floor. Basement, up the wall a couple of feet, and cut in a spot for the jacks.

Thanks for the suggestion, but the ATT Arris NVG599 seems to do a decent enough job with the wifi, and I am able to set up a separate guest wifi If I choose to on that device.

 

[K D]

Did this a couple of years ago.A few Thoughts :

1. Cat6a instead of Cat6. Atleast from your network closet to your workspace.
2. Atleast one fiber run from network closet to your workspace (office).
3. I have around 60 drops all over the house. For locations where I needed several drops, for example my living room tv has 8 drops. But for my bedroom TV there are only 2 drops and I use a small 8port switch powered by POE. I wish I had gone with multiple smaller switches. I could have gone with a smaller quieter core switch.
4. I use 1 Ubiquiti AP at each floor and one outside for the backyard and one in wall AP in a corner bedroom. Have had zero wifi coverage issues.

 

[gigatexal]

Did this a couple of years ago.A few Thoughts :

1. Cat6a instead of Cat6. Atleast from your network closet to your workspace.
2. Atleast one fiber run from network closet to your workspace (office).
3. I have around 60 drops all over the house. For locations where I needed several drops, for example my living room tv has 8 drops. But for my bedroom TV there are only 2 drops and I use a small 8port switch powered by POE. I wish I had gone with multiple smaller switches. I could have gone with a smaller quieter core switch.
4. I use 1 Ubiquiti AP at each floor and one outside for the backyard and one in wall AP in a corner bedroom. Have had zero wifi coverage issues.

drool worthy coverage there, wow. How'd you get proficient in routing cables through walls and floors and then fixing up the walls and such? i've no carpentry skills to save my life

 

[K D]

New construction Had the builder do it. The only ones I did were from the network cabinet in the basement to living room and a couple of lines from my office to a second bedroom via the attic.

I had taken pictures of every square foot of the walls and ceilings before they put up the drywall and so it was easy to identify where to cut and where to drill

 

[Drewy]

I'd put a switch in the attic and used that to distribute to the second floor. Run 2 cables between that and the lb4m, lacp.
Don't bother doing single cable drops, its generally no more difficult to drop a pair. You dont want to be filling the holes again when you add another device.

 

[trentk10]

K D, sounds like you have an awesome set up !!!

Noted, and thanks on the 2 cables at each drop suggestion. Will this allow for lacp anywhere if I choose? (not just to the attic switch)

 

[TangoWhiskey9]

If you can running fiber to infrastructure hot spots is a good idea.

 

[trentk10]

Would this be overkill? Seems like a good deal if the bidding doesn't get out of hand.

Trendnet TPE-1620WS poe web smart switch 16 port ethernet gigabit

I could run fiber to the attic from my LB4M.


***never mind...upon further review, I don't think the fiber ports are 10G

 

[freebsdrules]

Did this a couple of years ago.A few Thoughts :

1. Cat6a instead of Cat6. Atleast from your network closet to your workspace.
2. Atleast one fiber run from network closet to your workspace (office).
3. I have around 60 drops all over the house. For locations where I needed several drops, for example my living room tv has 8 drops. But for my bedroom TV there are only 2 drops and I use a small 8port switch powered by POE. I wish I had gone with multiple smaller switches. I could have gone with a smaller quieter core switch.
4. I use 1 Ubiquiti AP at each floor and one outside for the backyard and one in wall AP in a corner bedroom. Have had zero wifi coverage issues.

I second this advice. We recently moved into an older (1950s brick) home and I had it retro wired. If you can find the right people, it can turn out awesome (see my post here where I documented the work if you want to take a look at finished product: New home network/racks - Home and Office Setups | DSLReports Forums). I'll echo run as many drops as you can manage/afford. You'll always want more. I generally ran them in pairs but there are places like the family room where I have 4 plus a fiber drop. There are places where I would already like more. I, too, have overkill wifi that includes 5 Ruckus APs (one for the second floor, two for the main floor, one for the basement, and one outdoor) and a controller but it's been flawless. Fiber is nice to have and you can get pre-terminated for cheap at places like fs.com. My office has 2 fiber connections and I use one of them currently for my work/home PC.

 

[trentk10]

I second this advice. We recently moved into an older (1950s brick) home and I had it retro wired. If you can find the right people, it can turn out awesome (see my post here where I documented the work if you want to take a look at finished product: New home network/racks - Home and Office Setups | DSLReports Forums). I'll echo run as many drops as you can manage/afford. You'll always want more. I generally ran them in pairs but there are places like the family room where I have 4 plus a fiber drop. There are places where I would already like more. I, too, have overkill wifi that includes 5 Ruckus APs (one for the second floor, two for the main floor, one for the basement, and one outdoor) and a controller but it's been flawless. Fiber is nice to have and you can get pre-terminated for cheap at places like fs.com. My office has 2 fiber connections and I use one of them currently for my work/home PC.

Awesome pics from the link Cool set up, thanks for the input