Activation of CAT 5 ports

[D1]

Hi,

We have all three of your services (TV, Internet and phone) and I'm very new to setting up a network, and need help with the activation of the CAT 5 ports in my home. The current setup for the internet service is: Coaxial cable, to the Actiontec router, LAN to computer. The home is only a couple of years old, and each room has a wall panel that includes a CAT 5 port and coaxial outlet.

The home also has a "junction box" or central panel inside the master bedroom, which appears to feed the phone lines and coaxial outlets. There is an open ethernet port on the panel, along with a few loose coaxial cables. Would I be able to activate all the CAT 5 ports in the home, by moving the router within the panel, and connecting the open port on the panel to the WAN port on the Actiontec router, along with a connecting one of the coaxial cables?

I would appreciate your help.  

[Provider7]

I presume you have FIos?

If your house is wired with ethernet, why cant you take an ethernet wire from your actiontec lan port, run it to the outlet in the office....now it's feeding the junction box in the master bedroom.  If you have a panel/switch where the other cat5's are plugged in, they should now be distributing the internet to the other outlets.

The other option...If your Ont is feeding coax to a splitter in the junction box, you could hook up your actiontec to the splitter and then run the Lan out to your panel/switch feeding the other rooms.

Remember...LAN....NOT...WAN

[D1]

"If your house is wired with ethernet, why cant you take an ethernet wire from your actiontec lan port, run it to the outlet in the office....now it's feeding the junction box in the master bedroom."

Yes, I have Fios. What outlet in what office are you referring to, that feeds the junction box in the master bedroom?

[Provider7]

I thought you mentioned that "each room has a wall panel that includes a CAT 5 port and coaxial outlet"  and don't they all terminate in the junction box in the master bedroom?.

[D1]

Each room does but, I'm not sure how you came to the conclusion that there is an office and, that would be the outlet that feeds the junction box in the master bedroom.

Anyhow, as I asked initially, would I be able to activate the CAT 5 outlets by, plugging the open ethernet port on the junction box to the LAN port on the router/modem?

[Provider7]

Hi D1,

The "Office" statement was just an assumption nothing more...I was typing in a hurry...In your first post you said that each room has a wall panel that includes a CAT 5 port and coaxial outlet So I figured the room with the Actiontec router had one also.

The answer to your second question is yes, you could.  But as I already mentioned without seeing your junction box...You need a switch or some form of distribution panel in the Junctionbox to properly feed all the ethernet/cat5 ports in the house.

[D1]

Thank you for your response. Perhaps these pictures can better describe the panel I'm referring to and, you can inform me on what I would need to activate all the CAT 5 ports in my home.

Top panel:

Bottom panel with open ethernet port:

Amplifier:

[Provider7]

Hi D1,

Thanks for the pictures...it makes it so much clearer.  Looks like they are using the cat5 for your telephones, not internet.... However that doesn't mean it can't be done.  I would be curious how they have the jacks in each room wired.  With cat5 wired to each room, they can be modified to work in a network situation.  The individual wires would have to be removed from the telephone hub. a modular plug placed on each wire your going to use and inserted into a switch.  I will upload a wiring diagram on how to place the wires into a modular plug later when I have access to my home computer.

The problem i see is: if every jack to all the rooms are wired for telephone, once you disconnect those wires from the Open House telephone hub, you loose dialtone to that jack.  Now it can be wired for Ethernet.  It's one or the other (phone or internet)

If you only going to do only a few rooms for internet, then placing the router in that junction box makes sense. (router has 4 lan ports off of the back)

The next question, I presume that when they hooked up your televisions, they ran a coax wire from our Ont to that splitter?  If so, you can tie into the splitter if there is an extra port.

[Provider7]

Here is an example of what your trying to accomplish with a product that is designed for your junction box.  CLICK HERE

Unfortunately they don't show how the internet is fed into the switch, so imagine our router sitting in that junction box feeding a cat5 ethernet from the lan to one of the ports...The other end of the router is conected to our coax...

[D1]

Hi,

Regarding your last question, I'm not sure if a coaxial is coming from the ONT to that splitter there. Is there a way I can check? Do I just open the ONT at the side of the house and see if there is a coax there?

That would be our preference, to have a mixture of jacks for ethernet and phone. You are correct, the phone functions on all the jacks without a problem.

I would really appreciate a wiring diagram, as well pictures or links to the modular plug and switch I should use, to complete this conversion; from phone to ethernet.

[Provider7]

Hey chief,

Just got home and about to have dinner...to check the Ont...there should be one coax leaving the Unit, usually on the right side.  Follow it and see if it ties into your junction box.  Here's a hint...on the splitter there is one input and 8 outputs I believe.  The coax from the Ont may be running to the input.

[Provider7]

Just for the record...I'm not really familiar with these units...The original link I sent you was designed for a neat and orderly installation.   

The first link is how to crimp and wire the ends  Click Here  Link 2

Now i'm not into recommending products, so I found a couple by searching Google.  It will give you an idea of what to look for. 

 Link 1 - 5 port switch

 Link 2 - 8 port switch

[D1]

I really appreciate you going beyond the call of duty, like this. Kudos to you my man.

I checked the ONT and there is a coaxial cable coming out of the right as you have described and, more than likely that is the same coax in the junction box because, it feeds into the output with 8 separate coaxial cables, as you have mentioned as well.

I'm not sure these will help but, I have provided pictures of the wiring inside the wall panel and the ONT:

[Provider7]

Hi D1,

I can't seem to locate any wiring diagrams to your cat5e jacks, but this link may help give you an idea. CLICK HERE

In your second picture.... the top part of the jack has a clip.  If you press it downward the jack comes off of the faceplate.  In the link I sent you is shows the cat5 wired into the jack.  after removing your jack you wish to activate, check if it's wired correctly...if so you well on your way.  (one less thing to worry about).

[D1]

Hi,

I'm looking through all the links you have provided and, it is a lot more involved than I thought it would be; But, I do thank you very much for the links.

Let me see if I can vaguely simplify all of these steps; I unplug the current telephone wires (for the desired jacks) in the junction box, strip them and place a modular cap on them; plug those modular caps into a switch and plug the switch to the Actiontec router/modem, to activate those CAT 5 ports?

Does that sound correct?

If this becomes overwhelming and I decide to call a Verizon tech out here, how much would it be?

Message Edited by D1 on 01-22-2009 08:59 PM

[Provider7]

That is exactly correct. 

I don't think Verizon contracts to do this kind of work however.  You will have to find an electrician or someone in home networking to terminate those wires.  I'm sur ehe will also have the equipment to trace out each wire for you too.

[D1]

If I'm going to choose to activate a select few of the CAT 5 ports, do I use the actiontec router or, the router in combination with a switch; after converting the wires in the junction box?

In the response after I posted the pictures of the junction box, it sounded like it is one or the other: a switch if I'm going to activate all the CAT 5 ports in the home; and a router if I'm choosing to activate some of the ports and keeping some for phone.

[Provider7]

If your only going to activate 4 or less you won't need a switch, just plug them into the back of the router.  If you going to have more...then run lan out of the actiontec to one of the inputs of the switch.

---

In the response after I posted the pictures of the junction box, it sounded like it is one or the other: a switch if I'm going to activate all the CAT 5 ports in the home; and a router if I'm choosing to activate some of the ports and keeping some for phone.

---

When it comes to the wires, it is one or the other...phone or cat5 ehternet.  Regardless you will need a router...It serves 2 purposes...it gives ip addresses to the set top boxes, provided video on demand and guides on the video side and of course supplies you with your internet broadband

[D1]

Okay, hopefully these will be the last of my questions:

1. Do I redo the sets of wires that is to the right of these "Expansion Ports," only?

2. How can I determine which of these sets of lines, feeds to a certain jack?

3. The wires on the port do not match the color of the wires on an ethernet cable. First off, how can I rewire the port on the panel, that just clips on, as you can see. Secondly, do I rewire the port so, the color sequence matches the ones on the ethernet cable?

[Provider7]

1 - Yes

2 - generally we would place a toner at the outlet end and using an amplified probe disconnect one pair of wires at a time to isolate each wire.

3 - Looking at teh jack, the look like they are wired correctly.

Up to this point we have been talking about your original topic, re=using the original cat5 jacks.   If thsi seems to be too big of a project, there is another option.  Presently your internet is being fed by coax, which means that all the jacks habe broadband capability.  This means you can plug your router into any of the coax wires shared withthe set top boxes.

There is a device called a Motorola NIM100.  THey are not easy to com by but work pretty nicely.  Basically the way they work is coax feeds into the modem, and the modem has an ethernet port on the back to which you plug in your computer. 

You could in essence get a hi band bi-directional splitter connect the input from the wall to the input of the splitter, connect the outputs one to the set top box, and the other to the Motorola NIM100, which would then connect to the computer.

Just a thought if this job seems overwhelming.

[D1]

The Motorola NIM100 sounds like a great option but, would I need each of these units in each room where I want the jacks activated? And are they only for rooms with a set top box?

Lastly, you said the wall panel with the CAT 5 port appears to be wired correctly but, the color sequence on the port doesn't match the sequence on the ethernet cable. For example, the color to the far right of the ethernet cable (not the one in the previous picture) is solid brown; while the color of the wire in the same position on the CAT 5 port is a solid white. The color to the far left of the ethernet cable is white with an orange stripe; the color of the wire in the same position on the CAT 5 port is green.

Are they supposed to match up?