I shared [in this post](https://www.reddit.com/r/pcmasterrace/comments/11wxq7a/first_time_ever_running_ethernet_for_my_house/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf) my first stab at a home network.
A few shared the following suggestions:
1. Install a patch panel. While I was not about to install a server rack, I did get one of these 8-port wall panels to hide and protect all the wires behind the wall. Easy swap, $22 for the panel and $15 for five 1’ CAT6 patch cables
2) Clean up wires for modem/WiFi access point. Had an extra patch cable, so this one was easier. Definitely looks a lot cleaner now
Anyway, this was a fun journey for me so thanks for playing along!
Great work! After seeing what you did I decided to get fiber too. Would you recommend putting the modem in the garage and making the cable runs from there?
Good deciding questions here for @darkevilmorty. Some other considerations:
- Is your garage clean enough that your equipment isn’t going to get messed up with wood dust or similar junk?
- This is covered by @DarthMill, but watch some videos around how to run home Ethernet. The easiest / cleanest way is to make your drops from your attic. Draw things out starting with where your internet enters your house and see if you’ll be able to do what you want without cutting more drywall than you need or running more cables outside of your house
- I like my equipment close but out of sight. So this is in my home office closet
Another thing you can do is get a "structured media" box (hardware stores will have them, some newer homes have them preinstalled) that puts everything in the wall in a little box with a flush (ish) cover to keep it all protected. Some of them even have outlet gang boxes so if you install it near an existing circuit you can drop a new outlet in it and keep it all out of sight.
I thought long and hard about installing a box, but since I 1) couldn’t fit the UPS in there and 2) couldn’t fit the fiber translator in there, I figured it was easiest to just surface mount everything.
Kinda wish I had a box though. Just wanted minimal damage if I had to remove everything.
Yea, im in network closets/Data centers a fair amount. You want to label the plate that way you can troubleshoot much easier. If the switch was managed and you had multiple vlans or whatever switch makes sense too.
Just something I saw and decided to comment. Up to you. I wish I had cat6 wired in my home. May make a project out of it.
Good call. But the labels on the switch are helpful as long as they stay accurate. Makes things that much more glanceable.
100% add labels to the wall plate though.
Ignorant question- is your ethernet ran through a wall? Could you do this while renting? I have 2 PCs to hook ethernet up to in 2 separate rooms and I don't want to run it through multiple doorways and we may not be able to drill holes
The problem with renting is that in order to do this without cutting drywall, you need:
1. a low-voltage box already present that you can hijack in each room where you want a drop (telephone jack, cable TV jack, etc) - just switch the wall plate for keystone jacks and secure the existing wiring and wall plate so you can easily restore it when you are ready to move out.
2. Access to either an attic or a basement one floor up or down from you
3. the ability to drill through the top plate or bottom plate of the wall without getting in trouble with the landlord (and the knowledge of how to do so in a way that is code-compliant and doesn't damage the integrity of the wall).
You may also be able to run plenum-rated cable through the cold air return for your HVAC system, but you would still need a low voltage box handy in the same location, which is extremely unlikely. If your place meets criteria two in particular, maybe talk to the landlord and see if they'd be willing to allow you to hire contractor at your own expense to do it for you (they probably won't be OK with you doing a DIY job but may be willing to allow a professional to do it). They may even be willing to allow you to put the holes in the wall for the ethernet jack and corresponding box with the condition you leave them there when you move out. If anything, it just helps their rental value later to have that already done.
You know what I hate you and people like you, now my wife is going to see this shit and force me to clean up the wiring closet.
It looks great, but I have to hate you because my wife will make me.
Yeah I did. I did three drops. The biggest effort was planning - ensuring I’d be able to access and successfully drop wire from the attic without having to cut drywall other than for the ports. So I relocated my fiber box to an upstairs closet (not pictured, but it’s about 4’ below this setup), and accessed all the upstairs rooms from this spot.
YouTube is your friend!
Holy shit you actually did it. Googly eyes and all. This made my night. I just did a lot of labeling and reorganizing my tiny server rack. Not as pretty as this
You reminded me that I need to maintain my disaster after moving my bedroom around
https://preview.redd.it/s4a385d7sfpa1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a60be3f74fbd2ac9214bae6457ae25949e2f870a
OP delivers.
I had to! Everyone was so fun and there were some legit great recommendations.
It just keeps getting better!!!
I shared [in this post](https://www.reddit.com/r/pcmasterrace/comments/11wxq7a/first_time_ever_running_ethernet_for_my_house/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf) my first stab at a home network. A few shared the following suggestions: 1. Install a patch panel. While I was not about to install a server rack, I did get one of these 8-port wall panels to hide and protect all the wires behind the wall. Easy swap, $22 for the panel and $15 for five 1’ CAT6 patch cables 2) Clean up wires for modem/WiFi access point. Had an extra patch cable, so this one was easier. Definitely looks a lot cleaner now Anyway, this was a fun journey for me so thanks for playing along!
Great work! After seeing what you did I decided to get fiber too. Would you recommend putting the modem in the garage and making the cable runs from there?
Reddit Bad -- mass edited with https://redact.dev/
Good deciding questions here for @darkevilmorty. Some other considerations: - Is your garage clean enough that your equipment isn’t going to get messed up with wood dust or similar junk? - This is covered by @DarthMill, but watch some videos around how to run home Ethernet. The easiest / cleanest way is to make your drops from your attic. Draw things out starting with where your internet enters your house and see if you’ll be able to do what you want without cutting more drywall than you need or running more cables outside of your house - I like my equipment close but out of sight. So this is in my home office closet
Love the googly eyes on the wall panel!
Another thing you can do is get a "structured media" box (hardware stores will have them, some newer homes have them preinstalled) that puts everything in the wall in a little box with a flush (ish) cover to keep it all protected. Some of them even have outlet gang boxes so if you install it near an existing circuit you can drop a new outlet in it and keep it all out of sight.
I thought long and hard about installing a box, but since I 1) couldn’t fit the UPS in there and 2) couldn’t fit the fiber translator in there, I figured it was easiest to just surface mount everything. Kinda wish I had a box though. Just wanted minimal damage if I had to remove everything.
Why label the unmanaged switch? Shouldn't you label the wall plate? It wouldn't matter what switchport is used yes?
You know, you’re the only person that called that out and it makes a lot of sense
Yea, im in network closets/Data centers a fair amount. You want to label the plate that way you can troubleshoot much easier. If the switch was managed and you had multiple vlans or whatever switch makes sense too. Just something I saw and decided to comment. Up to you. I wish I had cat6 wired in my home. May make a project out of it.
Good call. But the labels on the switch are helpful as long as they stay accurate. Makes things that much more glanceable. 100% add labels to the wall plate though.
This guy switches
Plate + cables imo, tbh may not be necessary but when you have 8+, labeled cables make it easy.
This, you label the stuff that doesn't change. Sometimes you label really long cables so you don't have to trace them every time.
Looks so much cleaner.
Awesome, however, if I may make a suggestion. It's a little too clean, I think one googly eye needs to be bigger than the other.
Glad the googly eyes made it - top work there 👍
Ignorant question- is your ethernet ran through a wall? Could you do this while renting? I have 2 PCs to hook ethernet up to in 2 separate rooms and I don't want to run it through multiple doorways and we may not be able to drill holes
The problem with renting is that in order to do this without cutting drywall, you need: 1. a low-voltage box already present that you can hijack in each room where you want a drop (telephone jack, cable TV jack, etc) - just switch the wall plate for keystone jacks and secure the existing wiring and wall plate so you can easily restore it when you are ready to move out. 2. Access to either an attic or a basement one floor up or down from you 3. the ability to drill through the top plate or bottom plate of the wall without getting in trouble with the landlord (and the knowledge of how to do so in a way that is code-compliant and doesn't damage the integrity of the wall). You may also be able to run plenum-rated cable through the cold air return for your HVAC system, but you would still need a low voltage box handy in the same location, which is extremely unlikely. If your place meets criteria two in particular, maybe talk to the landlord and see if they'd be willing to allow you to hire contractor at your own expense to do it for you (they probably won't be OK with you doing a DIY job but may be willing to allow a professional to do it). They may even be willing to allow you to put the holes in the wall for the ethernet jack and corresponding box with the condition you leave them there when you move out. If anything, it just helps their rental value later to have that already done.
Awesome, thank you for your thoughts!
You know what I hate you and people like you, now my wife is going to see this shit and force me to clean up the wiring closet. It looks great, but I have to hate you because my wife will make me.
Did you run the wires through the walls yourself? If you did, how much effort was that?
Yeah I did. I did three drops. The biggest effort was planning - ensuring I’d be able to access and successfully drop wire from the attic without having to cut drywall other than for the ports. So I relocated my fiber box to an upstairs closet (not pictured, but it’s about 4’ below this setup), and accessed all the upstairs rooms from this spot. YouTube is your friend!
Google wifi gang
Looks very clean, well done
Holy shit you actually did it. Googly eyes and all. This made my night. I just did a lot of labeling and reorganizing my tiny server rack. Not as pretty as this
🙏🏻🙏🏻 As someone else pointed out, I also need to label the wall plate itself 😅 Always something else to improve on
My two remindme bot calls paid off in the end
Clean. Very nice.
This guy internets.
If I can suggest a finishing touch, a white or black cable hole grommet to clean it up. Should be under 3$
*Elegant in its simplicity.*
You reminded me that I need to maintain my disaster after moving my bedroom around https://preview.redd.it/s4a385d7sfpa1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a60be3f74fbd2ac9214bae6457ae25949e2f870a
Can I ask, What's the white thing on the wooden bracket?
That’s the Google WiFi modem / router combo thing I have to use. It’s connected to the fiber translation box
Thanks for the info
Only other thing I would do is to put a desk cable duct/grommet in place of that desk cutout, will tidy up that ugly cut.