Question on Home Internet Wiring with Cat5e/Cat6

[Tidybuoy]

I just re-arranged my family room and need to re-route the internet wiring.

I have 3 devices: Projector, Stereo, and Blueray player. Do I need to use a separate cable for each device (which I can do) or is there something that can be on one end that splits one wire into 3 outputs.

Before your questions/comments: I want my stuff hardwired vs wireless. My router has output for 8-10 items. I prefer hardwiring because I have, on occasion, had my stereo start working intermittently during a party when others are signed onto my wireless. My router allows me to give priority to my devices and will cut off visitors before me. Lastly, I have to crawl into the attic anyway so 3 wires is just as bad as one but I thought I would ask.

[asphaltgambler]

Well, I'm unsure of your question completely. So I'll ask and frame part of it. I assume that you have cable / IE provider that drops outside of your house. What is the cabling from that drop point to inside your home?

[masraum]

The answer to your question is yes, and the answer is a "4 port switch."

If you do a search for 4 port switch on Amazon, you'll get hits starting around $10-15. What you DON'T want is a hub. I assume pretty much everything available is a minimum of 100Mbit. There are also gigabit switches available. It might depend on what your other devices are capable of and if the switch can do 100 or 1000 (most probably can). If the switch can do both, then one of those is fine.

[dad911]

I've done it. One cable to the attic, gigabit switch, then runs to the other devices (bedrooms)

If it's easy, run a pvc pipe or flexible conduit. Then you can pull whatever the next standard will be.

Having said that, ran very few wires in our new house/remodel, ran pipes to common areas, and ended up using wireless for almost everything.

We can stream 3-4 devices with no noticeable lag.

[masraum]

4 port switch connected to the cable that comes into the room with the equipment. Then each piece of equipment connects to the other 3 ports of the switch.

You've got to use your imagination with the clipart.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by dad911

I've done it. One cable to the attic, gigabit switch, then runs to the other devices (bedrooms)

If it's easy, run a pvc pipe or flexible conduit. Then you can pull whatever the next standard will be.

Having said that, ran very few wires in our new house/remodel, ran pipes to common areas, and ended up using wireless for almost everything.

We can stream 3-4 devices with no noticeable lag.

It depends upon the device providing the wireless and the house. Our old 2 story house had crap coverage in certain areas. Some of that may have been due to using <$100 APs.

Wireless is great, but if you can go wired easily, then it's better.

[Tidybuoy]

Originally Posted by asphaltgambler

Well, I'm unsure of your question completely. So I'll ask and frame part of it. I assume that you have cable / IE provider that drops outside of your house. What is the cabling from that drop point to inside your home?

I have Comcast Cable which runs a coax cable to the house, to a modem, then cat/lan cable to a router.

I had separate cables running to each device from my office to the living room which passed thru a hole in the wall (back to back outlets). Now I moved everything to the other wall in the living room so I have to go up, over, and down the other wall to the devices.

Originally Posted by dad911

I've done it. One cable to the attic, gigabit switch, then runs to the other devices (bedrooms)

If it's easy, run a pvc pipe or flexible conduit. Then you can pull whatever the next standard will be.

Having said that, ran very few wires in our new house/remodel, ran pipes to common areas, and ended up using wireless for almost everything.

We can stream 3-4 devices with no noticeable lag.

I prefer hardwiring only because I tend to have issues during a party when several people are signed onto my internet - people love their phones.

[dad911]

Originally Posted by Tidybuoy

I prefer hardwiring only because I tend to have issues during a party when several people are signed onto my internet - people love their phones.

I don't typically give out wireless passwords.

My router has a 'guest' network option with different settings, I think the guest speeds can be limited, and they cannot 'see' our network.

I also have 2 wireless routers. One for my father-in-law (lives with us) and one for our home/business.

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by Tidybuoy

Now I moved everything to the other wall in the living room so I have to go up, over, and down the other wall to the devices.

Is there a coax drop on that wall?

The way consumer broadband works is the coax in your house that carries the TV also carries TCP.

What that means is anywhere in the house that you have a coax drop you can hang a MoCA to Ethernet adaptor.

[Steve Viegas]

The difference between the two wire types is impedance. Unless your wire runs are more than 100 meters, there shouldn't be any noticeable difference.

[beepbeep]

I use multiple routers configured with OpenWrt as combined edge switches/Access points. That way, I have "free" four RJ45 1Gbit ports at every end *and* extra WiFi coverage for each device.

Of course, I configure them for WiFi roamin (using 802.11r protocol) and feed them via PoE injectors.

[stealthn]

Run multiple wires, perhaps spares too, go with the best cable you can get.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by masraum

4 port switch connected to the cable that comes into the room with the equipment. Then each piece of equipment connects to the other 3 ports of the switch.

You've got to use your imagination with the clipart.

Originally Posted by dad911

I've done it. One cable to the attic, gigabit switch, then runs to the other devices (bedrooms)

If it's easy, run a pvc pipe or flexible conduit. Then you can pull whatever the next standard will be.

Having said that, ran very few wires in our new house/remodel, ran pipes to common areas, and ended up using wireless for almost everything.

We can stream 3-4 devices with no noticeable lag.

Exactly. If you have 3 devices in one room and no plans to add more cabled devices, then a 4 port switch in that room will do. If you want, pick up a switch with 8 ports and you can connect other stuff in the same room if needed.

As Dad911 has, if not all of the devices are in the same room, then you can put the switch where ever it makes the most sense. In the attic, in the room near the main router/modem, whatever

The key is that it needs to be a switch. A hub will look like a switch, but they function differently and reduce your connections to half duplex which isn't good. Switches will maintain a full duplex connection and provide other benefits.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by stealthn

Run multiple wires, perhaps spares too, go with the best cable you can get.

Probably not a bad idea to have two going to every room in case something happens to one, but a small switch in each room will help and reduce the need to run extra. There are also possible issues with using switches. If someone connects one switchport to another switchport that can cause issues that will bring your network to its knees (which are fixed by unplugging the cable connecting two ports).

[flipper35]

If I were pulling wires, I would pull multiple wires or go with a good switch and not a cheap >$50 one with a common backbone or you will run into the same issue that you have with wireless. The cheap switch might have 4 ports but has limited throughput and they crap out easily with heavy traffic. I also would pull the latest spec cables for future use.

[flipper35]

Originally Posted by masraum

Exactly. If you have 3 devices in one room and no plans to add more cabled devices, then a 4 port switch in that room will do. If you want, pick up a switch with 8 ports and you can connect other stuff in the same room if needed.

As Dad911 has, if not all of the devices are in the same room, then you can put the switch where ever it makes the most sense. In the attic, in the room near the main router/modem, whatever

The key is that it needs to be a switch. A hub will look like a switch, but they function differently and reduce your connections to half duplex which isn't good. Switches will maintain a full duplex connection and provide other benefits.

A hub can have full duplex but they also send all the communications to all the devices connected which is a heavy traffic situation think party line as opposed to private.

[masraum]

Right. Hubs send all traffic to all ports because they are layer1 and have no knowledge of any addressing. They will also propogate errors across all ports.

I've always wondered about the super cheap switches and how they manage the MAC address table and if they really do only send traffic to the port that it needs to go to the way a switch should or if manufacturers are fudging by calling them a switch. I have assumed that chips and ASICs have gotten so common and cheap that they manage, but for my own use, I prefer a managed switch which also allows me to utilize other features. I am still a bit dubious about unmanaged, super cheap switches.

[Tidybuoy]

Originally Posted by dad911

I don't typically give out wireless passwords.

It doesn't happen that often with me but family/friends comes to visit and I give out the password. Months or years later, I have a large group over and many people already have the password stored in their phone. Anyone new gets the guest password. That said, my current router allows me to give priority to devices (ie., my stereo and TV) and that solved the bandwidth problem.

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

Is there a coax drop on that wall?

My house was built in 1949 - it's old. Fortunately, the original phone lines are thicker than romex so I have been able to attach speaker wire/cat 5, etc to the phone line and pull up the wall to the attic. Those old phone lines have not been used in 25 years and were replaced with modular lines under the house, which they are no longer used as cell phone has taken over.

Originally Posted by stealthn

Run multiple wires, perhaps spares too, go with the best cable you can get.

I got impatient and pulled 4 lines thru the wall. I actually needed 4 lines (projector, stereo, blueray, and the last one is from my security camera dvr to the TV for viewing in the living room).

This turned out to be a good solution since I was previously using 50' cat five for a 6' run and I had excessive coils of wire behind my router. Now that I pulled it all into the attic, my router area is much neater. Additionally, the original phone jack was directly behind my TV setup so no wires are showing. I bought a switch plate that is for neatening up data lines.

[blucille]

I'd be more concerned about the audio and the video connections to those devices....DVD player, most of the content is coming from the disc, not the internet, and the projector, too....run high quality HDMI cables, you might need a boosted cable depending how far it is from the receiver.

any cat cable (anything more than cat3) should do you fine for the amount of data you are running

[Tidybuoy]

Originally Posted by blucille

I'd be more concerned about the audio and the video connections to those devices....DVD player, most of the content is coming from the disc, not the internet, and the projector, too....run high quality HDMI cables, you might need a boosted cable depending how far it is from the receiver.

any cat cable (anything more than cat3) should do you fine for the amount of data you are running

Stereo & DVD & Projector are all together and use good HDMI cables (fyi, projector is a short throw type and sits under the screen - 3 ft from surround receiver).

The Cat5 cabling is only for internet for smart tv functions on projector and DVD. Stereo receiver uses internet for Spotify, etc.. as well as just being connected to the router so that other devices can connect wirelessly (i.e., Yamaha Musicast). Lastly, my security cameras use an HDMI to deliver video to the projector. Total run length from router to devices is 37 feet (up over and down). I've got it all wired now except for the HDMI for cameras - forgot to order that so one more trip crawling in the attic. Fortunately, I ran a string thru the wall which helps for pulling wires.