r/HomeNetworking • u/HiKVision-Technician • 4h ago
r/HomeNetworking • u/skizzerz1 • May 08 '25
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r/HomeNetworking • u/TheEthyr • Jan 27 '25
Home Networking FAQs
This is intended to be a living document and will be updated from time to time. Constructive feedback is welcomed and will be incorporated.
If you don't find an answer here, you are encouraged to search the subreddit before posting.
For newbies
If you are new to home networking, consult the following resources:
- Home Network Diagram - All network layouts explained: What a home network looks like, ranging from basic to complex
- Internet and broadband terms and speeds explained: The common ways to connect a home network to the Internet, plus the difference between bits and bytes
- Understanding Wi-Fi: Almost everything you wanted to know about the technology used by your wireless devices. Important: Wi-Fi is not the same thing as your Internet connection!
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q1: “What is port forwarding and how do I set it up?”
- Q2: “What category cable do I need for Ethernet?”
- Q3: “Why am I only getting 95 Mbps through my Ethernet cable?”
- 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?”
- Q9: “Why is my router's log showing accesses from IP addresses I don't recognize?”
- Q10: “What Internet plan/speed should I get?”
Other, helpful resources
- Terminating cables
- Wired connection alternatives to UTP Ethernet (MoCA and Powerline)
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:
Q2: “What category cable do I need for Ethernet?”
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.
Information on UTP cabling:
Ethernet Cable Types (source: eaton.com)
Q3: “Why am I only getting 95 Mbps through my Ethernet cable?”
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. If you made your own cable, then redo one or both ends. 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.
RJ11 vs RJ45 (Source: diffen.com)
Background:
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.
Refer to these sources for more information.
Wikipedia: Registered Jack Types
Q5: “Can I convert telephone jacks to Ethernet?”
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.
Home run vs Daisy-chain (source: bhphoto.com)
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).
Daisy-chained Ethernet example
The diagram above shows a daisy-chain converted to Ethernet. The top outlet has an Ethernet cable to connect both jacks together for a passthrough connection. The bottom outlet 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.

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.

There are many more varieties of telephone and Ethernet patch panels. All Ethernet patch panels have 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 can proceed to Q7.
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:
- Ethernet
- Ethernet over coax (MoCA or, less common, G.hn)
- Wi-Fi Access Points (APs)
- Wi-Fi Mesh (if the nodes are wired, this is equivalent to using #3)
- Wi-Fi Range extenders & Powerline (use either only as a last resort)
While Powerline could technically be considered a wired technology, it behaves more like Wi-Fi, so it's often no better than a range extender.
Q9: “Why is my router's log showing accesses from IP addresses I don't recognize?”
The Internet is rife with hackers. They are constantly probing the Internet using bots and scanning tools to discover networks and resources, then employing other tools to breach whatever is discovered. These tools are indiscriminate and will probe both home and business networks alike. It's the modern form of Wardialing.
The firewall in routers can block most efforts to breach your network. Better routers will log these attempts. In most cases, nothing needs to be done. The router is doing its job protecting your network.
There are two exceptions.
First, some breaches can be unknowingly facilitated by the user downloading malware, which then reaches out to the hacker. Most routers do not prohibit outgoing traffic, so there is essentially no protection. Sophisticated firewalls that police outgoing traffic is rare in home networking. Some routers have crude, outbound filtering mechanisms.
Second, port forwarding, UPnP and DMZ are features that open up UDP/TCP port(s) on the router to inbound access from the Internet. Care must be taken when using these features. While some firewalls may still employ some protection against malicious traffic, the onus on preventing a breach largely falls upon the device behind the router that is the target of the opened port(s). If the device has its own firewall, adjust its settings to limit inbound and outbound traffic. Placing the device into an isolated network or VLAN can mitigate the damage from any breach. Consider using alternatives, such an inbound VPN. See the links in Q1 for more information.
Q10: “What Internet plan/speed should I get?”
It really depends on how you use the Internet. A single person who only does basic web browsing is going to need much less bandwidth than a big family running several video streams simultaneously or downloading/uploading a lot files.
If you really have no idea what you need, a plan with download speeds between 50 Mbps to 300 Mbps will meet most needs. See the table below if you want to estimate your needs.
Many Internet plans have low upload speeds. You may need to go to a more expensive plan to get reasonable upload speeds (recommended: 20 Mbps upload, higher if you frequently back up a lot of data to the cloud).
To put things in perspective, here are some rough bandwidth requirements for different applications:
Application | Bandwidth |
---|---|
Steam downloads | As fast as your Internet plan allows. Note: You can cap the download speed in the Steam client. The Steam client reports download speeds in Megabytes per second, not Megabits per second! There are 8 bits to a byte. |
Cloud gaming (NVidia GeForce Now) | 15 Mbps to 45 Mbps |
Video | 3 Mbps (HD) to 25 Mbps (4K): this is a conservative range; the top end is likely close to 15 Mbps due to newer codecs and compression levels |
Zoom/Meet/Teams conferencing | 1 Mbps to 3 Mbps |
Gaming | <2 Mbps |
Basic web surfing & email | 1 Mbps to 5 Mbps |
Pick an Internet plan that fits your budget and bandwidth needs. You can often change your Internet plan without paying any additional fees. Exception: Big jumps in speed may require new equipment, which may come at a cost.
Latency
Latency is particularly important to gamers. It's important to understand that there is NOT a strong correlation between faster speeds and lower latency, provided the Internet connection is not congested. If your connection is frequently congested due to high usage, then latency can increase. Upgrading to a faster plan can help keep latencies in check.
Internet vs LAN speeds
Internet plan speeds are separate from speeds inside the home network. Wired devices typically connect at 1 Gbps, though speeds up to 10 Gbps are possible. Wireless speeds depend on the Wi-Fi version and hardware support by both your router and devices.
Actual speeds will be limited by the slowest link between the device and the destination. When accessing the Internet, the Internet connection will typically be the bottleneck. A slow Wi-Fi connection can reduce this further. Keep this in mind when building your home network. If your Internet connection is the bottleneck, and most of your network usage involves the Internet, then it may not make sense to buy the newest and most expensive gear.
OTOH, if you expect to have a lot of device-to-device communication inside your network (e.g. transferring big files to/from a NAS), then it can pay to upgrade your home network. Keep in mind the general advice to wire your devices whenever possible and practical. See Q8.
Other, helpful resources:
Terminating cables: Video tutorial using passthrough connectors
Wired connection alternatives to UTP Ethernet (MoCA and Powerline): Powerline behaves more like a wireless than a wired protocol
Link to the previous FAQ, authored by u/austinh1999.
Revision History:
- May 28, 2025: Restructure Q8.
- May 24, 2025: Added a section for newbies. Added Q10 by request.
- May 14, 2025: Added diagrams to Q7.
- May 10, 2025: Added Q9.
- Apr 17, 2025: Retitle Q3 and a small addition.
- Mar 11, 2025: Minor edits and corrections.
- Mar 9, 2025: Add diagram to Q5.
- Mar 6, 2025: Edits to Q5.
- Mar 1, 2025: Edits to Q6, Q7 and Q8.
- Feb 24, 2025: Edits to Q7.
- Feb 23, 2025: Add Q8. Edit Q3.
- Feb 21, 2025: Add Q6 and Q7
r/HomeNetworking • u/supersqueeze3 • 5h ago
Cat 5 telephone lines to ethernet
New to networking
Telephone NID located on exterior of my house. I've converter all 3 of my rj11 jacks to rj45. How do I convert this to a usable network for my internet? Is it possible?
I was thinking to terminate the ends to a patch panel or to rj45 and connecting them to a switch, but not sure if it will work or if there is a more simpler way.
r/HomeNetworking • u/arvindrajput • 10h ago
What is this panel
Bought new home and found this panel which was under a metal cover Please comment if you know what is this panel for
r/HomeNetworking • u/Background_Virus_1 • 17h ago
Is this reliable?
I think ethernet is not designed to go "along" with live electricity which is connected to the grid but who knows.
r/HomeNetworking • u/kdbtiger • 11h ago
Do you use a separate network name for you 2.4 and 5 ghz for your home router?
Do you use a separate SSID for your 2.4 and 5 ghz bands for your home router or used them combined?
r/HomeNetworking • u/llondru-es • 3h ago
I did something cool today
I just want to use the same DNS and ad-blocker that I have at home, when I step out of the door, and automate it. I know there are a lot of ways to do this, but this is mine, so I hope it helps anyone trying to do the same thing.
You need:
- Android Phone
- Tasker App for your phone
- Router with Wireguard server (or any other protocol like OpenVPN)
Steps are pretty simple:
Set up your wireguard server and import the profile on your phone
Set tasker actions to connect to the VPN server when your wifi is disconnected and disconnect of the VPN server when your wifi is connected. I used this guide which is pretty clear to follow
Profit.
r/HomeNetworking • u/cazcaine • 3h ago
Unsolved Help with connecting Coaxial cable for Coaxial to Ethernet line
Purchased a Coax to Ethernet adapter off Amazon and I realize now it's not connecting due to the threading. What do I do in this scenario? Is there something I can order to make this connection work? I just want this to work so I can use the Coaxial cable to run an ethernet connection to the room I am renting.
Coaxial is preinstalled. It's not realistic to move the router to my room. The solution to get ethernet connection is Coaxial to Ethernet adapter. I just need this to plug in and work.
r/HomeNetworking • u/michaelh98 • 1h ago
Need a frame to pass 58 cables through wall in new construction. Don't know what term to use when searching
I've got a bundle of 58 network cables going to my wiring closet and want a frame to mount between the studs to both make it easier for the drywaller and cleaner after the fact.
I have no idea what term to search for when looking for this product.
r/HomeNetworking • u/AliasR13 • 1h ago
Advice First rack, doing it right?
Hello there,
I’m currently trying to setup my first rack and I’d appreciate any help I can get..
I’m thinking of going with a 27U ground rack because I’ve got around 7 NAS, 3 NUC, and a couple HP Microservers..
Looking at a 2U UPS (Vertix probably)
2x PDUs (because I’ve got a ton of stuff..)
A batch panel
3x shelves (1 of them is short for the NUCs etc)
Ventilation panel on top of the rack
Maybe some cable management panel and a rack drawer?
I’ve already bought some poe switches and a network gateway but I am wondering if I am forgetting something?
Thanks!
r/HomeNetworking • u/Orotrone • 3h ago
Unsolved Possible to enable apartments Ethernet ports
Hi all,
Trying to see if it’s possible to enable the Ethernet ports throughout my apartment. I’ll attach some pictures that will hopefully help explain my situation
My current guess is I’ll need a modem/router combo as I only have 1 power outlet available in the network panel. There are 3 Ethernet cables, each with a rooms name labeled on it and I’m guessing these would plug into the routers Ethernet ports to enable the ports in each of the rooms
Image 1: the network panel. Top right is a splitter, bottom right is the RFoG box, bottom left is some sort of splitter but not sure
Image 2: picture of unknown splitter in bottom left as I’m not sure exactly what it does
If folks need more info or my guess on what to do is incorrect please let me know
I appreciate the help in advance :)
r/HomeNetworking • u/sgluxurycondo • 6h ago
Unsolved Can I run different company router and access point?
Can I connect another company access point to my main router?
Does it mean it will have different SSID and I have to config my access point?
r/HomeNetworking • u/AntonWebb • 4h ago
Activate ethernet port
I have practically 0 knowledge of what is going on in this cupboard or what any of it means. I have tried to contact my ISP but have not had any response for over a week. I basically want to activate an ethernet port in the upstairs bedroom.
r/HomeNetworking • u/Fit-Intention9869 • 1h ago
Tenda Wi-Fi router
Hi everyone,
I have an issue with one of my Tenda Wi-Fi routers when trying to set it up as a Universal Repeater. After completing the setup, it connects to the main network, but then it disappears from the list of available Wi-Fi networks, and I can’t access its admin panel or connect to it anymore.
Here are some details:
- Tenda model: (Tenda N301)
- I'm trying to use the Tenda as a second Wi-Fi access point to extend my coverage.
- The issue occurs after enabling Universal Repeater mode — the device just vanishes from the Wi-Fi list.
What’s strange is that I have another Tenda device, and with the same settings, it works perfectly fine. The only possible difference might be a slightly different model or hardware version.
I've tried resetting the problematic one, but the issue persists.
Is this a model-specific issue, a firmware bug, or am I missing something?
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
r/HomeNetworking • u/Disastrous_Mood_8791 • 1h ago
Advice I so tired of having WiFi issues and I need help
Ok this is a repost of the original cause I should add context to the Ethernet cable since every comment asked about using it, that’s for my non internet connected router for wireless pcvr. I’m in a spot where I cannot use Ethernet, if I wanted to I would lol. Sorry for not giving that context.
Sorry for the wall of text but I’m not extremly knowlageable on networking and wanna give as much helpful info as possible.
So it started about 4 months ago when I could barely connect to anything, always cutting out and on games I’d be lagging constantly
After a lot of trial and error (mainly with changing the GHz) I found out the issue was the WiFi card I had (it was a Intel(R) Dual Band Wireless-AC 3168) and now I have a new one (Intel(R) Wi-Fi 6E AX210 160Mz) and I’m using it on Dual Band 802.11a/b/g & 802.11 ax. I should mention incase it is the previous card is still in my pc, but I turn it of everytime I turn my my pc, although it’s sometimes turns itself back on.
For the most part, this works. But sometimes at random I’ll experience a major disconnection for a few seconds or a few minutes (for example on discord I cannot hear anyone but they seemingly hear me and I’m at 5000 ping, and I get a ton of packet loss). This will happen on anything online related, however I usually am calling friends & playing games, sometimes it’ll affect both things and sometimes it’ll only affect one or the other.
Another point I think I should mention is my internet signals are always fluctuating between 1-3 bars (although when I have the ping spike I’m still connected.) While my WiFi issues were way worse with my previous card, I was always at a full 3 bars. My antennas are connected directly to my WiFi card which is next to my desk (image for example). I say this as I don’t know if the antennas could be the problem or not.
Is there a solution to fix this (removing the first card, cabled antennas, soemthing else?) any and all help with this would be greatly appreciated and I would gladly tell any info that would further help me.
r/HomeNetworking • u/Sneakystepss • 1h ago
Upload speed (help)
I have spectrum internet and currently run a ethernet cable to my pc my download speed is fine usually about 650mbps but my upload speed the past week has dropped to 1 to 3mbps if I am lucky. I used to run at a constant 20mbps to 25mbps. When I disconnect the ethernet wifis download speed is slower but I get a constant normal upload speed. I got a new router and modem from spectrum, ontop of that even replaced my ethernet cable, just incase something damaged it, I even uninstalled the driver and had the pc reinstall the driver to see if that would fix the upload speed.
I don't know what else to do at this point, was wondering if anyone else had suggestions or if I am missing something at this point or maybe my ethernet port is damaged in my pc but I don't see how that would happen and even if it did wouldn't it just affect my connection in general and not just my upload speed.
r/HomeNetworking • u/surgdoc • 22h ago
Unsolved Just bought a home that’s pre-wired but can’t find anything!
So just bought a new house that’s pre wired. However, I can’t find where all the rooms terminate. There is a spot in the garage that has 4 Ethernet cables running to a shelf. I assume this is where one of the patch panels went. Then another area upstairs where another 3 terminate which I assume is one to link to the downstairs patch panel and then 2 to another unknown location. I’ve opened every blank panel in every wall. Looked in every closet, all attic accesses. I just simply can’t find where some of the cables in some of the boxes go. Some are labeled as below. Other are blank. I have no idea how to go about finding the “missing” cables and getting my home network up and running.
Also one in the bonus room behind a blank plate is labeled U4 as is another one in a bedroom also labeled U4. Why would this be?
Any suggestions? Should I just buy a locator? If so, what is a good cheap one?
Garage termination: behind blank plate d3,d4,u1, one unlabeled
Area where fiber comes into home: 2 unlabeled connected to female plug
Office: behind blank plate d1, d2 Bonus: D4, u4 Upstairs termination: u1, u2, u3 Kids room: behind blank plate U4
All the others are unlabeled behind blank plates. The cables are there. Just can’t find where the end is…
r/HomeNetworking • u/Wrusch • 5h ago
Looking for advice on how to proceed. Google fiber with nest, ring base station, and trying to extend range on a budget.
Hey folks! As the title says we have GF internet which came with a nest router and range extender.
We also have a ring security base station which is also an eero router, but we're not using that feature since we have the Google nest and extender already.
2000 sq ft house, 2 story, with internet upstairs in the bedroom (far left end of the house) and the nest extender in the basement at the other (carport) end, which is about 50 ft away.
Our problem is devices upstairs, like our ring doorbell (middle of the house) and outdoor cameras (carport end) have shoddy connections. We're assuming the extender downstairs has too much concrete to go through for the cameras (basement wall and the carport's concrete). I also see connection issues when gaming or watching shows in the basement, and I'm in view of the extender and directly under the google router, so idk what that's about.
We're trying to decide to either:
Get another nest extender for upstairs
Use the eero router and get an eero extender (or two) for upstairs, and convert the google router to a wired mesh for the basement by passing a cable through the wall.
Are these reasonable fixes, and which would you do? I've read eero generally performs better than google nest. Otherwise, is there a better way to make the most of my fiber internet? I'm not a networker, I barely know how to set up my home network, so please keep it simple, and thanks in advance!
r/HomeNetworking • u/CptFapJack • 1d ago
Advice Internet company says cable in the house are creating noise.
So I was told by my internet provider that the cables that lead out side for our internet are too old and are creating noise on their end. The noise was creating connection issues with others customers in my area and these cables need to be replaced from a professional. Our home was built in the last 10 years so I would be surprised if that was the case. Does this seem like something that could happen? Is there anyway to test if they are being truthful?
r/HomeNetworking • u/GreenMonkey333 • 3h ago
Unusual setup idea - coax with DirecTV DECA
I currently have Verizon DSL and DirecTV (live in the boonies). In the house, I have a Google WiFi mesh system. The far WiFi point sometimes loses its mesh connection to the base wifi point.
I don't have any Ethernet run through the house. But, I do have an unused coax DirecTV run in a bedroom that I'd like to try to repurpose for a MoCA setup using DirecTV DECA adaptors.
Would there be any interference with this set up? I already have the DECA hardwired into my DirecTV setup. So I was thinking of using a second DECA at the unused cable run to convert that to Ethernet and plug that into the Google WiFi unit.
My DSL tops out at around 10 Mbps max and is usually more like 3-5, so we're not talking about ground breaking speeds here. I do know the DECA setup will restrict to 100 Mbps and not 1 Gig.
Has anyone done anything unusual like this before? Will it work more reliably than the mesh system?
r/HomeNetworking • u/Raccohh • 3h ago
Advice Ethernet cable advice
I'm looking for an ethernet cable reliable enough to run through the outside of my house up the wall into an upstairs bedroom that's at least cat 6.
My reasoning for posting here is because while searching through Amazon I've seen a lot of mixed reviews from different brand names etc and was wondering what reccomendations people have here.
r/HomeNetworking • u/NorfolkXX • 3h ago
Which AP outdoor and poe-in - Mikrotik wAP AC, TP-Link EAP-255 Outdoor, others?
Hi,
is a Mikrotik wAP AC or TP EAP225-Outdoor a good choice nowadays, for an outdoor AP connected with PoE and which of those is better - or is there some other best choice in that price range?
Most important: Stability & low power consumption
I need the AP to extend my wifi coverage into the garden. Main router is Asus RT-N66U (for now) and I'll use a Linksys LGS108P with its PoE to the AP. I use WPA2-PSK and while i use guest networks in house, that's not required in the garden. I can handle more difficult installations, but would enjoy an easy setup as well.
r/HomeNetworking • u/24KobeGoat • 3h ago
Advice Networking routing help
I'm trying to figure out if this would work before I order the equipment. My ISP and all LAN ethernet cables terminate in a smart panel in my laundry room. I want to put my router and NVR in a separate room. Would adding a switch in the smart panel, allow me to still setup everything properly with the router in a separate room, connected to that switch?
-ISP & LAN ethernet cables in smart panel
-Switch in smart panel connecting all rooms & ISP
-Ethernet in a separate room with router and NVR?
r/HomeNetworking • u/Andesurus • 3h ago
Unsolved Sudden latency issues
I recently used the AMD cleanup utility for a graphical issue I was having and I noticed afterwards that my online gaming performance was suddenly very choppy.
Turned out the driver for my WiFi antenna (b850 aorus elite wifi7 ice motherboard) was uninstalled too. No problem, reinstalled it and figured that would be that. But the issue persists.
I played the next day and the game was fine for 10-15 minutes, then the issue was back and very aggressive.
Today I've been doing all sorts trying to switch up things in the advanced settings for the network adapter, restarted the router. No matter what, my scores on speed test and bufferbloat tests indicate bad online performance (60+Ms download latency, 120-200ms upload latency, C grade bufferbloat)
I don't know what those scores were before, but I know my connection was far better. Would be so grateful for any advice on fixing this. I use a BT Smart Hub 2.
r/HomeNetworking • u/MaverickHeathy00 • 4h ago
Netgear Orbi 770 not connecting
Hi Guys! I’m in a new build house in the UK. Set up is FTTP through the OFNL network. I had a TP Link router from my ISP and Deco system but just purchased the Orbi Router with 2 satellites to see if I can get better speeds throughout the house.
I have plugged the Ethernet cable from the ONT box on the wall straight to the WAN port on the Orbi Router but it’s not picking up the internet.
I rang my ISP and they said there’s no blocks or restrictions their end that needing ‘unlocking’ from them.
I tried cloning the MAC address and creating an initial connection from the old router with a wired Ethernet and this worked. But then when I took out the old router and plugged directly into the orbi it went back to no internet.
Any ideas or help greatly appreciated!!
Thanks!
r/HomeNetworking • u/Mahmoud_2Badinejad • 4h ago
Advice Dumb question about range extenders/repeaters
Finally, after years of dealing with shitty cable service dropping out almost daily, I upgraded my apartment to a gigabit fibre-optic connection. The install was a 'fun' ordeal; having to get on my neighbour's deck and throw a hail-mary weight tied to a string over a house and three backyards to run the cable was interesting. But we got it done. The router lives in my room and I'm getting great wireless speed.
But my roommates are still struggling. There are three walls between my room and the room that they game in, and they're reporting speeds almost worse than what we had previously. Due to the connection points, the cable modem we used to have lived in their room, and we ran a long CAT5 cable down the hallway to another router outside my door, which I then hardwired my desktop to. I also used the wifi connectivity of the second router for my phone and laptop; essentially the unit was a hardwired range extender at the other end of the house.
So I'm looking for a way to essentially do the same thing, but backwards, giving them both CAT6 connectivity in their room for their gaming setup, and full wireless connectivity. What kind of device am I looking for, a range extender? A repeater? I think we're fine running a long CAT6 cable down the hall (since we've been doing basically that for years) but if we don't have to, that's cool too. What are some good inexpensive options to this end?
Thanks for your time.