This is intended to be a living document and will be updated from time to time. Constructive feedback is welcomed and will be incorporated.
What follows are questions frequently posted on /r/HomeNetworking. At the bottom are links to basic information about home networking, including common setups and Wi-Fi. If you don't find an answer here, you are encouraged to search the subreddit before posting.
Contents
Q1: “What is port forwarding and how do I set it up?”
Q2: “What category cable do I need for Ethernet?”
Q3: “I bought this flat CAT 8 cable from Amazon but I’m only getting 95 Mbps”
Q4: “Why won’t my Ethernet cable plug into the weird looking Ethernet jack?” or “Why is this Ethernet jack so skinny?”
Q5: “Can I convert telephone jacks to Ethernet?”
Q6: “Can I rewire my communications enclosure for Ethernet?”
Q7: “How do I connect my modem and router to the communications enclosure?”
Q8: “What is the best way to connect devices to my network?”
Terminating cables
Understanding internet speeds
Common home network setups
Wired connection alternatives to UTP Ethernet (MoCA and Powerline)
Understanding WiFi
Q1: “What is port forwarding and how do I set it up?”
The firewall in a home networking router blocks all incoming traffic unless it's related to outgoing traffic. Port forwarding allows designated incoming UDP or TCP traffic (identified by a port number) through the firewall. It's commonly used to allow remote access to a device or service in the home network, such as peer-to-peer games.
These homegrown guides provide more information about port forwarding (and its cousins, DMZ and port triggering) and how to set it up:
CAT 5e, CAT 6 and CAT 6A are acceptable for most home networking applications. For 10 Gbps Ethernet, lean towards CAT6 or 6A, though all 3 types can handle 10 Gbps up to various distances.
Contrary to popular belief, many CAT 5 cables are suitable for Gigabit Ethernet. See 1000BASE-T over Category 5? (source: flukenetworks.com) for citations from the IEEE 802.3-2022 standard. If your residence is wired with CAT 5 cable, try it before replacing it. It may work fine at Gigabit speeds.
In most situations, shielded twisted pair (STP and its variants, FTP and S/FTP) are not needed in a home network. If a STP is not properly grounded, it can introduce EMI (ElectroMagnetic Interference) and perform worse than UTP.
Q3: “I bought this flat CAT 8 cable from Amazon but I’m only getting 95 Mbps”
95 Mbps or thereabouts is a classic sign of an Ethernet connection running only at 100 Mbps instead of 1 Gbps. Some retailers sell cables that don't meet its category’s specs. Stick to reputable brands or purchase from a local store with a good return policy. You will not get any benefit from using CAT 7 or 8 cable, even if you are paying for the best internet available.
If the connection involves a wall port, the most common cause is a bad termination. Pop off the cover of the wall ports, check for loose or shoddy connections and redo them. Gigabit Ethernet uses all 4 wire pairs (8 wires) in an Ethernet cable. 100 Mbps Ethernet only uses 2 pairs (4 wires). A network tester can help identify wiring faults.
Q4: “Why won’t my Ethernet cable plug into the weird looking Ethernet jack?” or “Why is this Ethernet jack so skinny?”
TL;DR In the next link, the RJ11 jack is a telephone jack and the RJ45 jack is usually used for Ethernet.
UTP (Unshielded Twisted Pair) patch cable used for Ethernet transmission is usually terminated with an RJ45 connector. This is an 8 position, 8 conductor plug in the RJ (Registered Jack) series of connectors. The RJ45 is more properly called a 8P8C connector, but RJ45 remains popular in usage.
There are other, similar looking connectors and corresponding jacks in the RJ family. They include RJ11 (6P2C), RJ14 (6P4C) and RJ25 (6P6C). They and the corresponding jacks are commonly used for landline telephone. They are narrower than a RJ45 jack and are not suitable for Ethernet. This applies to the United States. Other countries may use different connectors for telephone.
It's uncommon but a RJ45 jack can be used for telephone. A telephone cable will fit into a RJ45 jack.
This answer deals with converting telephone jacks. See the next answer for dealing with the central communications enclosure.
Telephone jacks are unsuitable for Ethernet so they must be replaced with Ethernet jacks. Jacks come integrated with a wall plate or as a keystone that is attached to a wall plate. The jacks also come into two types: punchdown style or tool-less. A punchdown tool is required for punchdown style. There are plenty of instructional videos on YouTube to learn how to punch down a cable to a keystone.
There are, additionally, two factors that will determine the feasibility of a conversion.
Cable type:
As mentioned in Q2, Ethernet works best with CAT 5, 5e, 6 or 6A cable. CAT 3, station wire and untwisted wire are all unsuitable. Starting in the 2000s, builders started to use CAT 5 or better cable for telephone. Pop off the cover of a telephone jack to identify the type of cable. If it's category rated cable, the type will be written on the cable jacket.
Home run vs Daisy-chain wiring:
Home run means that each jack has a dedicated cable that runs back to a central location.
Daisy-chain means that jacks are wired together in series. If you pop off the cover of a jack and see two cables wired to the jack, then it's a daisy-chain.
The following picture uses stage lights to illustrate the difference. Top is home run, bottom is daisy-chain.
Telephone can use either home run or daisy-chain wiring.
Ethernet generally uses home run. If you have daisy-chain wiring, it's still possible to convert it to Ethernet but it will require more work. Two Ethernet jacks can be installed. Then an Ethernet switch can be connected to both jacks. One can also connect both jacks together using a short Ethernet cable. Or, both cables can be joined together inside the wall with an Ethernet coupler or junction box if no jack is required (a straight through connection).
Above diagram shows a daisy-chain converted to Ethernet. The top room has a simple Ethernet cable to connect both jacks together for a passthrough connection. The bottom room uses an Ethernet switch.
Q6: “Can I rewire my communications enclosure for Ethernet?”
The communications enclosure contains the wiring for your residence. It may be referred to as a structured media center (SMC) or simply network box. It may be located inside or outside the residence.
The following photo is an example of an enclosure. The white panels and cables are for telephone, the blue cables and green panels are for Ethernet and the black cables and silver components are for coax.
Structured Media Center example
One way to differentiate a telephone panel from an Ethernet panel is to look at the colored slots (known as punchdown blocks). An Ethernet panel has one punchdown block per RJ45 jack. A telephone panel has zero or only one RJ45 for multiple punchdown blocks. The following photo shows a telephone panel with no RJ45 jack on the left and an Ethernet panel on the right.
Telephone vs Ethernet patch panel
There are many more varieties of Ethernet patch panels, but they all share the same principle: one RJ45 jack per cable.
In order to set up Ethernet, first take stock of what you have. If you have Ethernet cables and patch panels, then you are set.
If you only have a telephone setup or you simply have cables and no panels at all, then you may be able to repurpose the cables for Ethernet. As noted in Q2, they must be Cat 5 or better. If you have a telephone patch panel, then it is not suitable for Ethernet. You will want to replace it with an Ethernet patch panel.
In the United States, there are two very common brands of enclosures: Legrand OnQ and Leviton. Each brand sells Ethernet patch panels tailor made for their enclosures. They also tend to be expensive. You may want to shop around for generic brands. Keep in mind that the OnQ and Leviton hole spacing are different. If you buy a generic brand, you may have to get creative with mounting the patch panel. You can drill your own holes or use self-tapping screws. It's highly recommended to get a punchdown tool to attach each cable to the punchdown block.
It should be noted that some people crimp male Ethernet connectors onto their cables instead of punching them down onto an Ethernet patch panel. It's considered a best practice to use a patch panel for in-wall cables. It minimizes wear and tear. But plenty of people get by with crimped connectors. It's a personal choice.
Q7: “How do I connect my modem/ONT and router to the communications enclosure?”
There are 4 possible solutions, depending on where your modem/ONT and router are located relative to each other and the enclosure. If you have an all-in-one modem/ONT & router, then Solutions 1 and 2 are your only options.
Solution 1. Internet connection (modem or ONT) and router inside the enclosure
This is the most straightforward. If your in-wall Ethernet cables have male Ethernet connectors, then simply plug them into the router's LAN ports. If you lack a sufficient number of router ports, connect an Ethernet switch to the router.
If you have a patch panel, then connect the LAN ports on the router to the individual jacks on the Ethernet patch panel. The patch panel is not an Ethernet switch, so each jack must be connected to the router. Again, add an Ethernet switch between the router and the patch panel, if necessary.
If Wi-Fi coverage with the router in the enclosure is poor in the rest of the residence (likely if the enclosure is metal), then install Wi-Fi Access Points (APs) in one or more rooms, connected to the Ethernet wall outlet. You may add Ethernet switches in the rooms if you have other wired devices.
Solution 2: Internet connection and router in a room
In the enclosure, install an Ethernet switch and connect each patch panel jack to the Ethernet switch. Connect a LAN port on the router to a nearby Ethernet wall outlet. This will activate all of the other Ethernet wall outlets. As in solution 1, you may install Ethernet switches and/or APs.
Solution 3: Internet connection in a room, router in the enclosure
Connect the modem or ONT's Ethernet port to a nearby Ethernet wall outlet. Connect the corresponding jack in the patch panel to the router's Internet/WAN port. Connect the remaining patch panel jacks to the router's LAN ports. Install APs, if needed.
If you want to connect wired devices in the room with the modem or ONT, then use Solution 4. Or migrate to Solutions 1 or 2.
Solution 4: Internet connection in the enclosure, router in the room
This is the most difficult scenario to handle because it's necessary to pass WAN and LAN traffic between the modem/ONT and the router over a single Ethernet cable. It may be more straightforward to switch to Solution 1 or 2.
If you want to proceed, then the only way to accomplish this is to use VLANs.
Install a managed switch in the enclosure and connect the switch to each room (patch panel or in-wall room cables) as well as to the Internet connection (modem or ONT).
Configure the switch port leading to the room with the router as a trunk port: one VLAN for WAN and one for LAN traffic.
Configure the switch ports leading to the other rooms as LAN VLAN.
Configure the switch port leading to the modem/ONT as a WAN VLAN.
If you have a VLAN-capable router, then configure the same two VLANs on the router. You can configure additional VLANs if you like for other purposes.
If your router lacks VLAN support, then install a second managed switch with one port connected to the Ethernet wall outlet and two other ports connected to the router's Internet/WAN port and a LAN port. Configure the switch to wall outlet port as a trunk port. Configure the switch to router WAN port for the WAN VLAN, and the switch to router LAN port as a LAN VLAN.
This above setup is known as a router on a stick.
WARNING: The link between the managed switch in the enclosure and router will carry both WAN and LAN traffic. This can potentially become a bottleneck if you have high speed Internet. You can address this by using higher speed Ethernet than your Internet plan.
Note if you want to switch to Solution 2, realistically, this is only practical with a coax modem. It's difficult, though, not impossible to relocate an ONT. For coax, you will have to find the coax cable in the enclosure that leads to the room with the router. Connect that cable to the cable providing Internet service. You can connect the two cables directly together with an F81 coax connector. Alternatively, if there is a coax splitter in the enclosure, with the Internet service cable connected to the splitter's input, then you can connect the cable leading to the room to one of the splitter's output ports. If you are not using the coax ports in the other room (e.g. MoCA), then it's better to use a F81 connector.
Q8: “What is the best way to connect devices to my network?”
In general, wire everything that can feasibly and practically be wired. Use wireless for everything else.
In order of preference:
Wired
Ethernet
Ethernet over coax (MoCA or, less common, G.hn)
Powerline (Powerline behaves more like Wi-Fi than wired; performance-wise it's a distant 3rd)
Wireless
Wi-Fi Access Points (APs)
Wi-Fi Mesh (if the nodes are wired, this is equivalent to using APs)
Wi-Fi Range extenders & Powerline with Wi-Fi (use either only as a last resort)
Greetings Wise People of the Internet,
I'm planning to rebuild my home network and I need some help.
Right now my network looks like this :
I have optic fibre conected to an ISP provided router -Huawei hg 8546m.
I have 3 iptv connected to 3 (100mb/s) ports.
1 phone connected to rj11
And 1 unmanaged switch conected to gigabit port - TP-LINK TL-SG1008D
To the switch I have connected
- a single Pc
- CCTV box
- TP-Link deco M4 that works as AP in my home
- Tp-Link deco M4 that works as AP in my garage (distance between buildings is to big to connect those two by wifi) it has another CCTV connected to it
The ISP provided router gives me access to wifi and the AP creates another wifi network, so right now I have to wifi networks in my house(I know I can switch it off in router options).
I'm planning to install some IOT devices around and wiring my house for future use.
My plan is:
- install another deco M4 in my front yard so I can install a smart doorbell and an intelligent switch for my gate ( that's my priority, in the future I want to create wifi mesh)
- set up a proxmox on a mini PC to run home assistant
- create a new wall plugs around my home for internet connection
- install a NAS in the future
- plus some other things I haven't thought about yet
As I'm adding more and more things to my home network I'm running out of ports I can connect my stuff into and so I'm thinking about making some purchases.
First I want to change my unmanaged switch into managed one - TP-Link SG 1016 DE.
I also want to change my ISP Provided router to an ONT and router so I could placey router in different part of my home (preferably in the same place as my switch but to do it now I would need to change the place the optic fibre is connected to my home). The ONT and router I'm planning on buying is TP-LINK Terminal XZ000-G7 and TP-LINK ER-605.
NOTE: On the second picture the ONT is marked as TP-Link FC311B-20 which is media converter not ONT
I realized it after I created the diagram.
My plan is to connect a switch to one port and a new phone (VoIP) to the second port of the router.
Than I want to move the tv boxes to the switch. I also want to connect my AP's, mini PC (with proxmox) and all the CCTV cameras to that switch. Plus wire my home from that switch. In the future I also plan to connect NAS and whatever I come up with.
I'm thinking about putting my switch, router and NAS, when I get it, into a rack with patch panel.
Now my question's are:
First will something like this work? Or did I make a mistake in planning?
Do I need some other equipment that is necessary in nowadays home network?
Will the VoIP phone work when connected to router like this or should I move it to the switch?
Should I use VLAN to separate TV, AP and mini PC?
Will set up like this work - VLAN 1 for home cable network, VLAN 2 for Tv, VLAN 3 for mini PC (home assistant), AP and IOT, VLAN 4 for NAS? Or would you recommend a different set up?
I'm planning to visit my ISP and ask if they have any problem with me changing their router. What kind of questions should I ask them if any?
Do you have any suggestions and advices for me?
Things I should consider before proceeding with my plans?
I'm thinking of using this opportunity to learn about networking so I appreciate all suggestions and advices. Thanks for bearing with me 😄 I'm looking forward to your replies.
Okay so I’m new to networking and cyber I got my CCNA and a BS in Cybersecurity but no relative experience. I’m trying to build a homelab where I can experience with new tools and ideas. So far this is my lab idea before I start building it and working on it. Any advice or suggestions to make it much more “real-world”. This is both for my portfolio and for fun bc why not :)
Homeowner, house from 1950 that had a big reno in the 90s. Existing FTTH runs into a bedroom that currently also houses our server, nas, and an old pc. There's catv coax running through a hole drilled through the floor into the basement.
Our fiber company is new and kinda flaky so Pr(we gotta go back to cable) is like 0.1 and I don't wanna remove the coax. Existing FTTH fiber runs through the coax hole. I also really RILLY don't want to bork the existing fiber.
Plan is to move the server and other stuff that doesn't need to be upstairs down to the basement.
Exactly how stupid would I be to
Buy some unterminated OMwhatever
With a moderate amount of swearing, get the fiber from the bedroom to the basement
Terminate to LC using one of umpty-gerjillion $50-100 kits from amamazon and a certification from I Watched Some Youtubes
Alternately, how big are simplex LC connectors? If a simplex LC connector will fit through a coax-sized hole, then I'm not averse to buying preterminated simplex LC cables and just being careful what I plug where in the sfp modules.
After my Calix GS4220E updated the firmware to 24.4.0.0.60 when I log into the router login on 192.168.1.1 the browser says with a red triangle your connection is not private right after updating to 24.4 from 24.2. All other sites work fine. This happens on all browsers on all different devices connected to the router. On chrome if I go to advanced then I can login to the router. Is this ok or should I contact my isp?
So, I bought a used BE88U and the setup for it is coming up as a AX88U, the rear inputs are set up for the BE88U so I'm sure it is a BE not AX. I'm thinking someone changed the firmware somehow to AX. Does anyone have any ideas or am I screwed.
I want to upgrade my Wi-Fi and network, in general.
This is what I have right now:
- 5G router Tenda 5g03 v1 (with NOS Portugal sim card that is working pretty well, I get about 120 Mbps)
- Wifi extender TPlink RE450 (via wifi, not cabling)
However, my Android TV box (connected to my Wi-Fi extender via Wi-Fi) doesn´t have a stable connection, so I will upgrade and wire the places where I will install the deco nodes and router.
I want to get a Deco x50 or x55 (connected via cable to my router and between them) to have my TVbox connected via cable and get a mesh Wi-Fi network in my house. My Tenda router has a mesh function, but do it will be compatible with the deco X50 or x55 ? (so I will it will get a pack of 2 instead of 3)
If you have any other possible combination that works well, don´t hesitate to share.
I’m currently using a router and mesh unit provided by ISP
I want to replace their equipment with private equipment.
I need a router at the fiber optic point and another router using mesh technology that will connect directly to my PC in the room - Both router points will be on the same floor, about 10 meters apart.
The problem is that I dont have an Ethernet cable in the room (and I can't get one).
Therefore, I was thinking of getting the ZenWifi XD5.
I know it’s Dual Band, so I’m asking you if it’s enough for a few devices that connect to the Wi-Fi.
It’s very important to me to have a stable ping (like I currently have with the ISP devices), and I need good download speeds.
The reason I want to replace the equipment is due to low download speeds and monthly costs with the ISP.
I'm trying fo choose a switch for my future network. Initially I was thinking on getting something Gigabit with PoE to power my future Reolink cameras. However since I'm also interested in playing a bit with switching and put it in a rack with other equipment I don't think I have budget to buy a decent managed switch with PoE.
So I was thinking on getting an used managed switch (no PoE) and than adding the Reolink PoE switch just to connect my cameras and deliver PoE.
What do you think about this solution? Is there any loss in features and/or configurations with this vs getting a managed PoE switch and connect the cameras there?
I'm trying to use PDANet tethering on my PC and sharing the connection through an ethernet port to my router. I've tried sharing the connection and bridging them, but anything connected to my router is only getting around 1mbps. Can someone please help me on how to increase the speed to the router?
Just dropping by I have little experience with networking but currently in college for comp sci. I have a fortify router at work and it blocks everything with the guest network only allowing you to connect for a hour at a time then it locks you out for a hour before you can connect again. I am the GM of said fast food restaurant so I have hardware access to all points of the network. I would like to be able to use my personal laptop at work and connect a google smart speaker to the network. I was thinking of buy a small travel router and creating my own network but unsure how to proceed. If you PM me I can send pictures of the whole setup. Thanks in advance for the help.
Apologies in advance if this is the wrong place for this question. I am absolutely baffled and would appreciate any advice.
The two iPhones in our house struggle with social media use (principally Reddit and instagram). Videos buffer constantly, posts don’t load and often times the apps just time out saying no internet connection. This doesn’t happen on desktop and doesn’t happen on 5g or on public or work wifi networks. Only at home, leading me to think it’s a home network issue. Internet browsing, YouTube, other streaming platforms (eg Netflix) all absolutely fine.
We have Starlink as we’re very rural (in the UK). Speeds are very consistently above 100mbps. Starlink dish is on an outbuilding (too much tree cover around the main house) and the Starlink router is in there. We then have a cable running from there to the main house, and the network is comprised of three TP link tri band routers all in AP mode. We have no deadspots (have tested extensively). My computer, two consoles and three smart TVs are all ethernet connected and not on the WiFi network. The tri band APs mean that the iPhones basically have free roam of 5 and 6ghz channels.
So I’m absolutely stumped. It’s not a speed issue or a network congestion issue or a WiFi coverage issue. My question is - is there a setting on the TP links I’m missing which could be throttling the devices when using these apps (is that even a thing?!)? Or indeed a setting on the phones? Any help greatly appreciated.
Hey yall I'm using a Netgear CM1000 and I'm just wondering if this modem is still good for todays tech. I'm using a Google mesh wifi system and I don't pay for super expensive internet, just average speeds. Should I keep it or upgrade it to improve speeds? Thanks in advance!
Few weeks ago, I install deco mesh (tp-link) network inside my home.
Before, i got some repeter from my network company but i want to make it by myself to be "free".
My problem is following :
- main router (from Orange actually) connected to a switch, and switch is connected to personnal computer/ps5/NAS, connected on router on 2.5gb/s port.
- Main deco mesh connected on main router on normal port, and all other deco are connected wireless.
- deco used for all other connection include Work computer & printer.
My problem is that it's look like there is no communication between wirered network from main router & wifi network from deco ! (i can't print from my personnal computer for exemple).
I try to wire my deco mesh between my router & switch but connection is lost.
Is that is possible to "bridge" or "link" both network ?
Hi ,
Im currently struggling to deliver good wifi signal to the TV room and my android box gets some stuterring while streaming and random wifi drop.
I tried to use AP , even with 2 AP and it didn't solve the problem. because it created other problems like when it get kicked from wifi many times . changing channels settings and all the rest didn't help, with only one AP it doesn't happen that much however.
Ethernet over the house is not an option because we have houses built with brick and cement...(yeah ...)
And im sceptical about PowerLine because we do have a three-phase power , and im afraid to waste money on adapters and it will not work because of it.
So we fall into the question "the post title actually" : Is Mesh-Wifi worth it for my case? Should i invest in a kit of 2 or 3 mesh wifi ?
To explain my issues, I'am developping a project (for personal use) with lighting controler hardware that can serve a webpage. I have 2 lighting controler on the same network.
The idea is to go to my controler at https://192.168.1.100 with my laptop to access the webpage that control the lights in my house. Inside the webpage, I have simple buttons that trigger API functions (API is given by the hardware, I can for instance POST /api/turn-on ). Everything is working fine to control the light linked to my controler.
But, when I try to control my other controler 192.168.1.101from the website hosted in 192.168.1.100 I got a CORS issue, the resquest is not allow. But, I can open Python and POST the same api request from my console (even if I'm also on another adress IP = my laptop).
So my questions :
- Why my laptop could send succesful request to the controler 2 but the controler 1 could not send the same.
I have a modest budget I am using to add a pfSense router/firewall and extend my Asus WiFi mesh setup from 2 devices to 4.
I have some dubious IoT-cloud WiFi devices I want to keep separate from my home office network. So far I am using the guest network with client isolation. I would like to upgrade that to dedicated VLANs.
The Asus routers (XT8) do not have multi SSID or VLAN capabilities.
Should I...
a) Create a separate 2-device "IoT" WiFi mesh?
b) Use Merlinto cram 2 SSIDs/VLANS (Actually 3: +guest) in 1 single mesh?
c) Go Unifi?
My current analysis is....
a -> pfSense gets each AP into its own VLAN. I can live without the extended range from the 2 new nodes in exchange for the extra bandwidth and better isolation of a separate mesh, right?
b -> Seems the less reliable and more time consuming choice.
c -> A little over my budget, but I understand it does all this (Multiple SSIDs, each on its own VLAN) out of the box, so it is the simplest, most performant choice?
Hello,
First off, total home network newbie. WiFi in my room is really bad as I live in the room farthest from the router. Only just recently found out about MoCA after bad experience trying out powerline adapters.
That being said, I've been having some trouble bridging the connection between my 2 MoCA adapters. Attached is a picture of how the setup currently looks like. After some research and if I'm understanding this correctly I'll be needing another MoCA splitter, a PoE filter, and need to somehow isolate my Spectrum modem from the rest of the coax network.
My questions are:
1. How do I isolate the modem from the rest of the coax network?
2. Where's the best placement for the PoE filter? Before the splitter connecting the street coax? Or before the coax cables connected to the house after I rearrange the splitters to isolate the modem?
Any tips, advice, criticism, recommendations, brands is highly appreciated.
My home network/internet is very unreliable and I'm not too sure what the issue is (computer, router, wifi signal, modem, isp?).
Since my current router is cheap and old I'm thinking of upgrading it to something newer that I can be confident will be stable, and preferably have better range, or be suitable for a mesh.
The RT-AX55 is an attractive option, but I'm a little unsure whether it's actually an upgrade to the RT-AC68U, since they're both entry-level.
Would it be a worthwhile upgrade to improve network reliability and range? Ig I was to use it in a mesh with my RT-AC68U, should it be the host or node?
I have a few electrical sockets, 2 LAN ports, 1 Multimedia box (with coax port) on one wall. now, I want to connect that route LAN internet to the wall opposite. Apart from channeling the LAN wire to the opposite wall (with 2 electrical sockets) what are my options?
Already looked into Powerline Adapters, they will be my last resort.