New House Wired With Cat5....

[Nickc19]

So we're moving into a new house this week and its already hardwired with Cat5. What I'm wondering is what exactly does this mean for us and whats it enable us to do? There's only going to be 2 rooms in the house which we'll use internet access (my room and the office), and obviously both have a Cat5 jack in them already, so what exactly do we do/need to get it probably set up. Please be as specific and elaborative as possible. Thanks.

-Nick-

 

[oupei]

it means you can set up a 100mbps wired network in your house for all your computers wherever there's a cat5e port. you'll need ethernet ports on your computer and a wired router. Find out where all the connections go (for example, all the ports in my house go to this one closet in the basement) and put your router there. put your broadband internet access there too, if you have broadband.

 

[dudeman007]

Originally posted by: oupei
it means you can set up a 100mbps wired network in your house for all your computers wherever there's a cat5e port. you'll need ethernet ports on your computer and a wired router. Find out where all the connections go (for example, all the ports in my house go to this one closet in the basement) and put your router there. put your broadband internet access there too, if you have broadband.

You're lucky. Setting up a network should be a breeze. Just make sure you find out where all the cables lead to. Good luck.:beer:

 

[Mday]

It can mean many things. Cat5 is also used for telephone lines (4 lines per cable). Unless you can show us or describe some sort of panel in some mechanical room or basement, we cant help you.

However, assuming that your house is actually wired for a network... you may need a switch for a network, or a broadband router with a built in switch down in the basement or mechanical room\closet. Just because the wires are there doesnt mean there's a network device allowing you to set up a network. After you get the aforementioned device, all you need is a cable plugged to the back of your computer to the wall, and an ISP.

Summary: we cant help you without more information.

 

[0roo0roo]

means u can skoff at that slow wifi stuff 100mbit/s per port

does 1000mbit/sec ethernet use the same cable?

 

[dcheng]

AFAIK Gb ethernet can use the same straight cable. There are some pin difference when you make a crossover cable for Gb, but a straight cable should be fine.

Regarding the house, I agree that without more information, it's hard to say exactly what you can do, though chances are that you'll need to purchase a separate router/switch to share a broadband connection, and figure out if there is a common point where the connections come together. Wish my house had been pre-wired with Cat5e cable...

 

[Lazy8s]

heh it means that if you have a network problem and it's the cable you'll be getting a hole put in your wall like we did. Better check those cables yourself before you toss the builder's number.

 

[imported_FishTaco]

You think they gave him a switch? Or does wired with cat5 just mean all the wires run to a central closet, provide your own switch? I've never been in a house that was pre-wired with cat5.

 

[Caminetto]

What you need is a broand connection and an inexpensive 4 port router (about $40 from LInksys, D-link, Netgear or SMC) and a NIC (about the same price) for each computer. This will allow you to share internet access with no appreciable slow down, and set up is almost a no brainer.

 

[Nickc19]

Alright, thanks guys. When I'm there later today I'll remove that panel thats in the garage so I can give some more details on whats exactly there and hopefully yall can tell me whats going on.

-Nick-

 

[Arsynic]

Like you I just moved into a brand new home with structured wiring. I have Cat5e installed throughout the entire house and I was excited...however, my excitement soon dissipated. See, those CAT5e ports in all your rooms default to phone jacks. So that means you have to choose between phone or data. You can't do both because you run into funky voltage problems. You don't want the phone to ring when you have the jack connected to your NIC...you could fry your hardware since the phone line sends like 90V when the phone rings.

In order to change all or some of them to data, you'll have to use the second set of wires. To my disappointment, all the data cables were non-crimped. I don't really know a whole lot about crimping patch cable, but I know it's a lot of work. So I just went wireless. However, you can have the structured wiring folks come out and convert it for you. I just wished that they had phone and data connected. I mean, under the little panel, you have Cable, phone and data right there at your finger tips. Theoretically you can connect your Cable Modem, router and switches all in the closet and just plug your PC into a wall jack. However, it will take a little work to get it running. But you're right, your house is wired for data, phone and cable. The coolest thing I noticed is how the Cat5e ports allow phone cables to be easily plugged into them.

 

[sailor420]

One thing I will add is that if any of you ever build a house, make sure you have the builders install cable chases. Nothing more than a straight 3" PVC pipe running through the walls from attic to basement in a few strategic, hidden places (like a closet). Cut a little hole in it at each floor. It makes life *much* easier. When we decided to wire our house several years ago, most of the work was quite easy--we just ran the cabling through the chases which easily allowed us to get connections from floor to floor. You still have to install ports on the walls, but it was much easier than if we had had to get those cables all through the house. Its easy to upgrade too. You can put any sort of cabling in the chases, so if we want to upgrade to cat6, or fiber, or whatever, a lot of the work is as easy as dropping the cable through the pipe.

 

[rond36]

Originally posted by: Arsynic
Like you I just moved into a brand new home with structured wiring. I have Cat5e installed throughout the entire house and I was excited...however, my excitement soon dissipated. See, those CAT5e ports in all your rooms default to phone jacks. So that means you have to choose between phone or data. You can't do both because you run into funky voltage problems. You don't want the phone to ring when you have the jack connected to your NIC...you could fry your hardware since the phone line sends like 90V when the phone rings.

In order to change all or some of them to data, you'll have to use the second set of wires. To my disappointment, all the data cables were non-crimped. I don't really know a whole lot about crimping patch cable, but I know it's a lot of work. So I just went wireless. However, you can have the structured wiring folks come out and convert it for you. I just wished that they had phone and data connected. I mean, under the little panel, you have Cable, phone and data right there at your finger tips. Theoretically you can connect your Cable Modem, router and switches all in the closet and just plug your PC into a wall jack. However, it will take a little work to get it running. But you're right, your house is wired for data, phone and cable. The coolest thing I noticed is how the Cat5e ports allow phone cables to be easily plugged into them.

That's funny because a telephone system uses RJ11 plugs and ports and a LAN uses RJ45 and you can not plug a RJ45 into a RJ11 port because the plug is to big to fit in the port.

 

[Brazen]

Originally posted by: 0roo0roo
means u can skoff at that slow wifi stuff 100mbit/s per port

does 1000mbit/sec ethernet use the same cable?

GB ethernet does not use the same cable. 100Mbit uses CAT5e, 1000 uses CAT6. They look they same though, and both use rj45 jacks. The only way I know of to tell the difference is to look at the cable and see if it is printed on it, or plug in two GBe devices and see what speed they run at (they will auto detect the line speed and run at 100Mbit if it is CAT5e).

 

[mikecel79]

GB ethernet does not use the same cable. 100Mbit uses CAT5e, 1000 uses CAT6. They look they same though, and both use rj45 jacks. The only way I know of to tell the difference is to look at the cable and see if it is printed on it, or plug in two GBe devices and see what speed they run at (they will auto detect the line speed and run at 100Mbit if it is CAT5e).

Actually no gigabit can be used over CAT 5e. CAT 5e is CAT 5 cables made to more stringent requirements for use over gigabit ethernet. Here's a link for you.

 

[Alternex]

Originally posted by: rond36

Originally posted by: Arsynic
Like you I just moved into a brand new home with structured wiring. I have Cat5e installed throughout the entire house and I was excited...however, my excitement soon dissipated. See, those CAT5e ports in all your rooms default to phone jacks. So that means you have to choose between phone or data. You can't do both because you run into funky voltage problems. You don't want the phone to ring when you have the jack connected to your NIC...you could fry your hardware since the phone line sends like 90V when the phone rings.

In order to change all or some of them to data, you'll have to use the second set of wires. To my disappointment, all the data cables were non-crimped. I don't really know a whole lot about crimping patch cable, but I know it's a lot of work. So I just went wireless. However, you can have the structured wiring folks come out and convert it for you. I just wished that they had phone and data connected. I mean, under the little panel, you have Cable, phone and data right there at your finger tips. Theoretically you can connect your Cable Modem, router and switches all in the closet and just plug your PC into a wall jack. However, it will take a little work to get it running. But you're right, your house is wired for data, phone and cable. The coolest thing I noticed is how the Cat5e ports allow phone cables to be easily plugged into them.

That's funny because a telephone system uses RJ11 plugs and ports and a LAN uses RJ45 and you can not plug a RJ45 into a RJ11 port because the plug is to big to fit in the port.

The plugs are different but you can plug both telephone and RJ45 on Cat5 cable.
I think he meant that he has cat5 all over the house.. but the plugs are all for telephone.

 

[Alternex]

Originally posted by: mikecel79

GB ethernet does not use the same cable. 100Mbit uses CAT5e, 1000 uses CAT6. They look they same though, and both use rj45 jacks. The only way I know of to tell the difference is to look at the cable and see if it is printed on it, or plug in two GBe devices and see what speed they run at (they will auto detect the line speed and run at 100Mbit if it is CAT5e).

Actually no gigabit can be used over CAT 5e. CAT 5e is CAT 5 cables made to more stringent requirements for use over gigabit ethernet. Here's a link for you.

From what I heard cat5e and cat6 are both gigabit friendly. The link you provided didn't say othewise... I've run cat5e all over my house and on the box it said it's 1000Mbit ready

 

[Arsynic]

Originally posted by: rond36

Originally posted by: Arsynic
Like you I just moved into a brand new home with structured wiring. I have Cat5e installed throughout the entire house and I was excited...however, my excitement soon dissipated. See, those CAT5e ports in all your rooms default to phone jacks. So that means you have to choose between phone or data. You can't do both because you run into funky voltage problems. You don't want the phone to ring when you have the jack connected to your NIC...you could fry your hardware since the phone line sends like 90V when the phone rings.

In order to change all or some of them to data, you'll have to use the second set of wires. To my disappointment, all the data cables were non-crimped. I don't really know a whole lot about crimping patch cable, but I know it's a lot of work. So I just went wireless. However, you can have the structured wiring folks come out and convert it for you. I just wished that they had phone and data connected. I mean, under the little panel, you have Cable, phone and data right there at your finger tips. Theoretically you can connect your Cable Modem, router and switches all in the closet and just plug your PC into a wall jack. However, it will take a little work to get it running. But you're right, your house is wired for data, phone and cable. The coolest thing I noticed is how the Cat5e ports allow phone cables to be easily plugged into them.

That's funny because a telephone system uses RJ11 plugs and ports and a LAN uses RJ45 and you can not plug a RJ45 into a RJ11 port because the plug is to big to fit in the port.

That's what I thought too. However, you have to see it for yourself. The CAT5e ports have extra notches where a phone cable plugs right in. I'll post pics of it if I had to. It bewildered the f*ck out of me. But RJ45 is backwards compatible with RJ11. It just uses four out of the 8 total wires for phone. So while it surprised me, I wasn't totally bewildered.

 

[Arsynic]

Originally posted by: Brazen

Originally posted by: 0roo0roo
means u can skoff at that slow wifi stuff 100mbit/s per port

does 1000mbit/sec ethernet use the same cable?

GB ethernet does not use the same cable. 100Mbit uses CAT5e, 1000 uses CAT6. They look they same though, and both use rj45 jacks. The only way I know of to tell the difference is to look at the cable and see if it is printed on it, or plug in two GBe devices and see what speed they run at (they will auto detect the line speed and run at 100Mbit if it is CAT5e).

Isn't Cat5e 200Mb/s?

 

[mikecel79]

Originally posted by: Alternex

Originally posted by: mikecel79

GB ethernet does not use the same cable. 100Mbit uses CAT5e, 1000 uses CAT6. They look they same though, and both use rj45 jacks. The only way I know of to tell the difference is to look at the cable and see if it is printed on it, or plug in two GBe devices and see what speed they run at (they will auto detect the line speed and run at 100Mbit if it is CAT5e).

Actually no gigabit can be used over CAT 5e. CAT 5e is CAT 5 cables made to more stringent requirements for use over gigabit ethernet. Here's a link for you.

From what I heard cat5e and cat6 are both gigabit friendly. The link you provided didn't say othewise... I've run cat5e all over my house and on the box it said it's 1000Mbit ready

I should have said gigabit ethernet can be used over CAT 5e as well as CAT 6. The higher up you go you can use higher speeds.

 

[Lazy8s]

If it's all phone or internet (like our house) get Vonage and run your phone over the internet. it's great, we even get our voice messages e-mailed to us in MP3s so we can get our messages from anywhere, even out of town

 

[Nickc19]

Ok so the Cox cable guy was by today setting up the cable to the house and looked at the central point in the garage that all the wiring leads to (i wasnt there), and said that we just need to set up a router and cable modem by the panel, and then all we would need to do is connect our computers to the cat5 jacks in our rooms. Does this sound right? Whats the deal with a switch...some of yall have said we need that too. As far as transfer speeds, isn't that still determined by which Cox Cable internet plan we choose, as the more expensive ones have faster download rates...? Not sure if I have the wrong idea about any of this.

-Nick-

 

[CraigRT]

awesome!
if i ever move into a "new" house, it's gonna have Cat5 run all throughout the house for sure.
(thats if we're talking in the next few years of course - as wireless will become necessary probably at some point)

 

[kcbaltz]

AFAIK, a router handles all the duties of a switch, plus it takes care of sharing the incoming broadband connection with all the computers in your house.