Printable View
i want to wiring my house, and have all the computers networked, and i was wondering how many people here have networked there house and what did you use.
i was thinking about using STP CAT 5 cable, but i don't know what kind of switches or router i should use because of cost. or if i should even use wireless?
Well, Right now I have a tiny home network (2 computers) set up just for the purpose of ICS... I used Netgear NIC's, proffesional grade CAT 5, and a small Netgear router.... I also have 2 computers filtering all traffic that goes in/out of our house.... Soon when I get FreeBSD on the first computer I will be truly anonymous :)
P.S. - What kind of material you need depends on how many computers your thinking of supporting
i've got a watchguard SOHO router/FW and a dual nic'd box with a linksys phoneline network setup...just plug the linksys cards into the phone line and it runs a 10mbps connection..for up to 30 internal ip's....not great but beats the heck out of running cat5 through a finished house....doesn't disrupt phone use either...takes about 20 minutes to set up...gotta like that...
Myself, I wouldn't use wireless without a significant bit more equipment, but that's just me... also, it's kinda almost pointless unless you have a laptop or some other machine that you're going to move all the time, IMO. I don't know how many times I've driven around the local area and "found" wireless networks that were easy enough to quickly jump on and get out to the Internet on...
If you're wanting to run fast ethernet (100Mb), then CAT5 is the way to go... else CAT3 is about all you need (though I'm not sure how easy it is to get CAT3 cables anymore now that pre-manufactured CAT5 cables have gotten so cheap). So, something like a simple 8-port Netgear hub or switch and a bunch of 25 foot or 50 foot CAT5 cables and some reasonable network card should do ya...
Quote:
Originally posted here by zigar
i've got a watchguard SOHO router/FW and a dual nic'd box with a linksys phoneline network setup...just plug the linksys cards into the phone line and it runs a 10mbps connection..for up to 30 internal ip's....not great but beats the heck out of running cat5 through a finished house....doesn't disrupt phone use either...takes about 20 minutes to set up...gotta like that...
Well, i have an advantage. my house isn't all the way done, and i could wire my house with anything. someone even suggested that i do fiber, but that would be extremly exspensive, but it would be cool. :cool:
heh, I think Louie has fiber optic in his house... Hes a weird one... I dont understand why you would need more that 10/100 MBS
My $.02 on this: I'm running a cluster and a few stand-alone boxes over here. I've got 2 Cisco routers up and running, one SMC Tiger-Switch 100, one SOHO 9 port 10/100 auto-switching, auto-sensing switch, and everything's 100-base. Of course ... it'll be weird to explain to the landlord what these "phone-jack-like-things" are in the walls when I go, but that's okay. ;)
I waz wondering... If you are networking 2 computers, do u need some sort of router or hub? or could you just link the computers directly with a CAT 5 cable??
Also i have searched for networking, both software and hardware, but i have found none. Does anybody know any good networking sites???
I have three computers on my network it's simple it did not cost much it's in three rooms so I have cat 5 cable around the house one is 50' going to a hub.
xpaciscool >>> you can crosslink your boxes directly without a hub
PC1 ---- crosslink cable ---- PC2
So regular CAT5 won't work but a crosslink CAT5 does work, it's the easiest 10/100 Mbps ethernet setup between two boxes.
Here's a link how to make ethernet cables: http://www.atcomservices.com/highlights/makepatch.htm
clonetheplanet >>>> follow darziw 's comment. Just get yourself some lenght of CAT5 cable, let's say 200 meters (should be enough unless you have some giant house), the connectors (RJ45) and the tools to crimp them. Further you get a 10/100 auto sensing switch, a cheap old box (like a Pentium 133) to act as firewall / router and some good NIC's. If you think you are going to end with 1m cable and 199 pieces wasted, purchase cable with connectors instead of making them yourself ;) I prefer to make them myself, connect them to an RJ45 outlet and then use some pre-made cable to connect the NIC with the outlet.
hello
i have 2 desktops with xp and 2 laptops with xp with a wireless network useing intel anypoint 1.6meg per second usb with direcway sat for internet with download speeds reaching 1.2megs a second
Quote:
Originally posted here by VictorKaum
clonetheplanet >>>> follow darziw 's comment. Just get yourself some lenght of CAT5 cable, let's say 200 meters (should be enough unless you have some giant house), the connectors (RJ45) and the tools to crimp them. Further you get a 10/100 auto sensing switch, a cheap old box (like a Pentium 133) to act as firewall / router and some good NIC's. If you think you are going to end with 1m cable and 199 pieces wasted, purchase cable with connectors instead of making them yourself ;) I prefer to make them myself, connect them to an RJ45 outlet and then use some pre-made cable to connect the NIC with the outlet.
well the thing is that i do have a hudge house, it'sabout 5000+ square feet, the contractor *****ed up and made the house way to big, but the cool thing is that we have a rock in side the house, and a rock in the wall. I live in Billings,Mt and we have sand stone rocks all over. my house was build right up agaisnt it and it's pretty damn cool. i will have to post some images of my house, when i get a digital cam.
so yes, i could just wire the whole house. i could have patch panels and routers in a closet or what ever i might do
If you're house isn't completely finished.....has the electrician finished the electrical wiring ?
If he hasn't.....ask him to run the UTP Cat 5 (pick a location for the patch panel / hub / switch)
Most qualified electricians have some IEEE knowledge. Currently the standard cable code is
568/b.
this may seem like a really dumb question..but when you are talking about using an old comp for a router/firewall... is that basicly the same as just buying a router? or am i just confused as usual? :(Quote:
Originally posted here by VictorKaum
Further you get a 10/100 auto sensing switch, a cheap old box (like a Pentium 133) to act as firewall / router and some good NIC's.
well ... thanks in advance for any help :confused:
I personally wouldn't feel secure with a wireless network, any more than I would feel secure discussing sensitive topics over a cell phone or a cordless. I once owned a pair of inexpensive FM handheld tranceivers from Radio Shack. I could walk around the neighborhood with one of them and hear conversations on cordless phones nearby. It would also pick up the signal from those transmitters that people sometimes put in the bedroom of an infant. My personal opinion is that any signal that transmits data through the airwaves is likely to be intercepted by unintended listeners. ::hide-beh
destined 2 fail >>> you can aslo just buy a router with firewall (from D-link or linksys or SMC or 3COM, or whatever brand) but using an old box (80386, 80486, Pentium I, Pentium II depending on your needs and connection speed) will save you some money. I think most of us do have an old box somewhere in the corner of a room. You can easily turn a pc to a router with freeware software like freesco or BBIagent, these are single floppy based nix distro's that do the firewall and routing tasks for you. :) check out http://www.freesco.org or http://www.bbiagent.com
clonetheplanet >>> I do not have a clue what 5000+ square feet is... we count in square meters overhere, but it sounds very big. If you really have such a giant house, you also have lot's of money ;) therefor you can afford a contractor do your wiring and place outlets in every room. And since your house is a giant one you can consider fiber optics... that would be very cool and very expensive too ;)
no the wiring isn't completely finshed
pull Cat5, with a finished house, its a challenge, but you will be happy you did
Well, if the walls aren't all the way up yet, I'd just pick a closet where you could throw up a 19 inch telecom rack and stuff a patch panel in with enough ports to run one or two to every room (it's usually pretty easy to find RJ45 sockets that are integrated in to electrical face plates or similiar). Then simply wire the house with a cable or three to each room (numbered and labelled of course) and stuff a twenty-four port hub or something in next to the patch panel.
If you plan it right, you can even get a small rack-mountable PC in the closet and a DSL modem or something... install your firewall on the PC and hook it up to the DSL line and away you go. APC makes some pretty nice rack mountable UPS' as well.
You can even grab another machine or three (rack mountable, of course) and run a webserver or three... *shrug* DON'T forget the ventilation fans, though... the more machines you get in to that cramped space, the more you'll surely need it (you might even need to look in to AC for the closet, depending).
Quote:
Originally posted here by VictorKaum
clonetheplanet >>> I do not have a clue what 5000+ square feet is... we count in square meters overhere, but it sounds very big. If you really have such a giant house, you also have lot's of money ;) therefor you can afford a contractor do your wiring and place outlets in every room. And since your house is a giant one you can consider fiber optics... that would be very cool and very expensive too ;)
lol, yea it is a farley hudge house but i think i would prefer to do the wiring on my own. i am talking a cisco class right now and an in my 2nd semester, and it's pretty fun, we get to wire little demo dry wall and stuff like that, and get to use all the tools, like the "woorly gig"(thats probably the coolest word), punch down tool,crimpers etc. so it's a great class. i would encourage people to take it.
victorkaum...thanks for clearing that up for me.im still just learning about networking and pretty much just security in general. i am hoping to set up my own little ghetto network soon to mess around with.. its just a matter of finding some little crappy computers for cheap(or free) and setting them up
destined 2 fail >>> no prob. We are here to help each other :)
clonetheplanet >>> you have a class were they teach you how to crimp connectors?
cool. I had to learn all those things on my own or on the workfloor.
I was just talking to a Window teacher here at work (hes one of the coolest windows guys I know) He just finished Building his garage and put in friggin fiber optic.....damn thats tight
Well being a new house means inspectors permits all that stuff. Low voltage cert is needed most you can do without a cert is rough in. Cat 5 is the standard and use it with the telephone system as well. As far as outlets and RJ-45 Cat5, Home Depot has all of it. Then the patch panel 24 maybe 48 this must be on a rack either wall or floor mounted, I'd go with a unmanaged switch Nortel, LinkSys, D-Links 24 port from about $275 or so, chance of a loopback in a home system is nill to none so no need for a managed switch. Check your ISP, cable, DSL make sure you can even run a router without getting on the bad side of the TOS, matter of fact most TOS say you cannot run a server on home connects and they are getting hard on this from Nimda and code red. Suggest a cabel dsl modem with nat programable so the modem is the only thing they see. Ok TOS did not say a thing about this LOL detail. In short pull the wire, punch it down and have the telephone guy check stand there during the inspectors visit to sign it off.