New build patch panel

rodge123

Hi guys

Hoping to move into our new build in next 6 weeks.
We have all cat5e cables returning to one central location.

Any advice on what patch panel and gear ill need?
Ideally I would like to use the room as central media hub, send router signal down cat5e to other wifi routers in house (Main router in this room wont send signal to all house), etc...

Thanks

ED E

Whats space like? How many points?

19" 8U cab if you can fit it, 24 port patch, maybe a 12 port switch, shelf for modem. If you have a NAS/home server design it to fit that if you want, personally I dont bother with rack gear for my NAS/Plexbox and just have it on a shelf.

rodge123

ED E wrote: »

Whats space like? How many points?

19" 8U cab if you can fit it, 24 port patch, maybe a 12 port switch, shelf for modem. If you have a NAS/home server design it to fit that if you want, personally I dont bother with rack gear for my NAS/Plexbox and just have it on a shelf.

Plenty of space, have about 20 points returning to the room.

Any tips on patch panel and port switch to use? Prices?

ED E

I'm a fan of Netgear for home use, others will rant about how they're crap but its really not my experience of them.

Something like this:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/NETGEAR-GS324-100EUS-Ethernet-Rackmount-Unmanaged/dp/B01ARQWN6U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1474979929&sr=8-1&keywords=netgear+24+port+rack

+

http://ie.rs-online.com/web/p/rj-patch-panels/6162205/

Whatever rack/cab suits your space and mounting.

rodge123

ED E wrote: »

I'm a fan of Netgear for home use, others will rant about how they're crap but its really not my experience of them.

Something like this:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/NETGEAR-GS324-100EUS-Ethernet-Rackmount-Unmanaged/dp/B01ARQWN6U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1474979929&sr=8-1&keywords=netgear+24+port+rack

+

http://ie.rs-online.com/web/p/rj-patch-panels/6162205/

Whatever rack/cab suits your space and mounting.

So I got that Netgear switch and our electrician put in some standard 24 port cat 6 patch panel for us. (House is wired with 5e which seem to be of varying colors for whatever reason)

I think we may have a problem.

I cant get any lights to appear on my switch when I connect all combinations of ports from patch panel to switch.
I have moved a Netgear router around to a few points in house and plugged into a network point that should be going back to patch panel.

One of the 24 port indicators on the switch lights up when I connect my Netgear router directly to Netgear switch.

I hope the problem is as simple as the patch panel or wall points and not something in between as the wires all run through suspended ceilings!

Am I missing something simple in my setup/testing here?

heroics

rodge123 wrote: »

So I got that Netgear switch and our electrician put in some standard 24 port cat 6 patch panel for us. (House is wired with 5e which seem to be of varying colors for whatever reason)

I think we may have a problem.

I cant get any lights to appear on my switch when I connect all combinations of ports from patch panel to switch.
I have moved a Netgear router around to a few points in house and plugged into a network point that should be going back to patch panel.

One of the 24 port indicators on the switch lights up when I connect my Netgear router directly to Netgear switch.

I hope the problem is as simple as the patch panel or wall points and not something in between as the wires all run through suspended ceilings!

Am I missing something simple in my setup/testing here?

its possible they are labelled wrong or they are punched incorrectly. Do you know anyone with a network tester?

rodge123

heroics wrote: »

its possible they are labelled wrong or they are punched incorrectly. Do you know anyone with a network tester?

That's anoher problem, they are not labeled! I've asked they come back and test/label them.

But I have connected all the patch panel ports one by one to my switch anyway with no connection indication appearing on the switch.

heroics

rodge123 wrote: »

That's anoher problem, they are not labeled! I've asked they come back and test/label them.

But I have connected all the patch panel ports one by one to my switch anyway with no connection indication appearing on the switch.

sounda like you are going to need a cable tester.

Something like this would be enough. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ethernet-Internet-Broadband-Connection-Capability-x/dp/B004BVIIAS

What part of country are you in

rodge123

heroics wrote: »

sounda like you are going to need a cable tester.

Something like this would be enough. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ethernet-Internet-Broadband-Connection-Capability-x/dp/B004BVIIAS

What part of country are you in

Living in Meath, working in Dublin.
I'll should be able to get one off networking working colleague tomorrow.

listermint

Dude you should have had all these cables terminated and tested and labelled before the electrician left.

There's nothing to indicate the problem isn't in the run.

rodge123

listermint wrote: »

Dude you should have had all these cables terminated and tested and labelled before the electrician left.

There's nothing to indicate the problem isn't in the run.

Our contract is with the builder, he has sub contracted the electrician.
It will all have to fixed at no cost to us if there is a problem...we have retained 10% retention on the build.

heroics

rodge123 wrote: »

Living in Meath, working in Dublin.
I'll should be able to get one off networking working colleague tomorrow.

Check the cables with a tester. Maplins sell them for about a tenner if you can't borrow one. Could be electrician didn't know what to terminate and did it wrong. I've seen it done before

ED E

rodge123 wrote: »

So I got that Netgear switch and our electrician put in some standard 24 port cat 6 patch panel for us. (House is wired with 5e which seem to be of varying colors for whatever reason)

Varying internal colours or external?

This is the problem with Electricians, all know about mains work, some know about comms but some are CLUELESS about comms. I wouldnt be surprised if he's gone and wired you up for phone (1x pair to each point instead of 4x). If so, useless for networking.

When you get it rectified make sure each run manages 1000Mb and not just 100Mb before everything is signed off on.

heroics

ED E wrote: »

Varying internal colours or external?

This is the problem with Electricians, all know about mains work, some know about comms but some are CLUELESS about comms. I wouldnt be surprised if he's gone and wired you up for phone (1x pair to each point instead of 4x). If so, useless for networking.

When you get it rectified make sure each run manages 1000Mb and not just 100Mb before everything is signed off on.

I too have seen this before where an electrician wired for phone and another had terminated them all as crossovers for some reason. Take one of the face plates off and make sure all 8 wires are punched

Something like this picture didn't attach for some reason
https://www.google.ie/search?q=rj45+wall+socket&rlz=1CDGOYI_enIE664IE664&hl=en-GB&prmd=ivsn&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiS-ZCTr4bRAhVUelAKHcijBFsQ_AUIBygB&biw=320&bih=492#hl=en-GB&tbm=isch&q=rj45+wall+socket+wired&imgrc=gQInkqy5E-8YxM:

TallGlass

ED E wrote: »

When you get it rectified make sure each run manages 1000Mb and not just 100Mb before everything is signed off on.

That was the first thing that stood out to me (besides the cables not been terminated correctly!). Why did they give you a CAT 6E patch panel but cable you for CAT 5E ! That's just bizarre, I wouldn't be surprised at all if that the source of your problems. But they should be backwards compatible. But again if your making them type of mistakes you don't know what else has been missed over!

Out of interest, how big a job is it too re-cable the house? If its not that hard, I would be seriously questioning why CAT6E was not used, after all you want to future proof any tech install.

Gadgetman496

heroics wrote: »

I too have seen this before where an electrician wired for phone and another had terminated them all as crossovers for some reason. Take one of the face plates off and make sure all 8 wires are punched

Something like this picture didn't attach for some reason
https://www.google.ie/search?q=rj45+wall+socket&rlz=1CDGOYI_enIE664IE664&hl=en-GB&prmd=ivsn&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiS-ZCTr4bRAhVUelAKHcijBFsQ_AUIBygB&biw=320&bih=492#hl=en-GB&tbm=isch&q=rj45+wall+socket+wired&imgrc=gQInkqy5E-8YxM%3A

You needed to take the actual image link location and not just the page link.

rodge123

ED E wrote: »

Varying internal colours or external?

This is the problem with Electricians, all know about mains work, some know about comms but some are CLUELESS about comms. I wouldnt be surprised if he's gone and wired you up for phone (1x pair to each point instead of 4x). If so, useless for networking.

When you get it rectified make sure each run manages 1000Mb and not just 100Mb before everything is signed off on.

Varying external colours (They all say cat5e on them though).

rodge123

TallGlass wrote: »

That was the first thing that stood out to me (besides the cables not been terminated correctly!). Why did they give you a CAT 6E patch panel but cable you for CAT 5E ! That's just bizarre, I wouldn't be surprised at all if that the source of your problems. But they should be backwards compatible. But again if your making them type of mistakes you don't know what else has been missed over!

Out of interest, how big a job is it too re-cable the house? If its not that hard, I would be seriously questioning why CAT6E was not used, after all you want to future proof any tech install.

Too big a job I'd imagine...it's a 2800sqft new build. Cables are chased through walls/ceilings/attics all around house!

I'll revisit many years down the road if it becomes an issue but I suspect 1Gb will do me just fine for some time!

rodge123

Gadgetman496 wrote: »

You needed to take the actual image link location and not just the page link.

Cool, I'll give that a go at the weekend.
Electrician aint gonna get to us before Christmas.

Thanks Gadgetman.

heroics

Gadgetman496 wrote: »

You needed to take the actual image link location and not just the page link.

I had the image on the phone and it wouldn't accept the upload so just stuck the link in in a rush. Cheers

TallGlass

rodge123 wrote: »

Too big a job I'd imagine...it's a 2800sqft new build. Cables are chased through walls/ceilings/attics all around house!

I'll revisit many years down the road if it becomes an issue but I suspect 1Gb will do me just fine for some time!

I get that but if its a new build why didn't they use CAT6e! Cost?

rodge123

TallGlass wrote: »

I get that but if its a new build why didn't they use CAT6e! Cost?

Because drawings specified Cat5e or higher.
How much more would it be for 6e vs 5e?

Cuddlesworth

rodge123 wrote: »

Because drawings specified Cat5e or higher.
How much more would it be for 6e vs 5e?

About 20% the cost of the cabling.

Edit:Its not a huge deal by the way. If its proper Cat 5e, short runs(under 30 meters) can do 10gig.

rodge123

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

About 20% the cost of the cabling.

Edit:Its not a huge deal by the way. If its proper Cat 5e, short runs(under 30 meters) can do 10gig.

Had guy out fitting wired alarm today.
He took a look at patch panel and wall points for me, he reckons it could be the RJ45s used as he was able to detect some frequency on the wires between two points.

And it looks like a combination of 5e and 6 has been used.

rodge123

Gadgetman496 wrote: »

You needed to take the actual image link location and not just the page link.

Here's a picture I took of patch panel
PatchPanel.JPG

Maybe the orange and greens need to be switched sides?
Didn't take picture of one in wall plate.