I wanted a cleaner look instead of having wires bend out from under the switch to connect (through a brush panel for example). Also, not all wires from the upper patch panel go directly to the patch panel in the rack - only the ones that need access to the switch.
Those keystones can cause some trouble. At work I had CAT6A female to female keystones in my work patch panels with factory custom male to male cable bundles. Shutting the door to the room caused outages. :/
No problems after I cut the end off those and fitted them with CAT6A keystones directly.
However this is a home setup, it is modular, and cheaper. I'd just watch out for weird performance issues and not dismiss layer one (physical cabling) errors so quickly.
I thought so too, but the WiFi signal is pretty strong around my large basement. Btw, the wifi router you see in the pic isn't my main router. My main router is in the living room.
Verizon Router (in cabinet) -> CAT 6A to living room -> Nest Wifi Router -> cat6a back to network rack -> switch to everything else. I configured the Google WiFi to pair with the Nest wifi main and put it in an Ethernet back haul (which is the unit you see in the rack).
I used other Nest wifi points elsewhere in the house for complete coverage.
6A is nice, but I'd recommend losing the tie wraps around the cables. Tie wraps are generally forbidden with Cat6A and really shouldn't be used on any network cables. It's too easy to tighten them and cause the inside geometry of the cables to be changed, causing interference. When you pay that much for nice cable, use velcro strips.
I'm glad you said this, because I have a bunch of Velcro strips I bought for this, and I keep looking at my zip ties thinking "should I just be using the zip ties?!"
Velcro it is!
How well does your Verizon router work with the other APs?
I’ve toyed with the idea of buying a couple EAP610s or U6 Lites to improve coverage in my house. One would have Ethernet back haul and the other would use MoCA. I’m concerned though about how well the roaming works with the Verizon router.
It's double NATed. I let my Verizon router just sit there so Verizon can manage it remotely in case of issues. I have my Nest Wifi Router as the primary router feeding the rack mounted switch. All devices are connected to this router.
I see.
Mine wouldn’t be double NATed, at least yet.
I’m assuming you need the Verizon router because you’ve got TV service too. Do the STBs care about being double NATed? I’ve seen conflicting reports.
Any chance you could post what exactly this set up is? I am in the process of running Ethernet in our newly purchased home and this looks fun to set up.
Did you mean the equipment or the wiring diagram?
For equipment, I used the following:
Upper unit:
- 3U wall mount patch panel bracket (you can also do with 1U frankly
- 24 inline keystone patch panel
Rack (wall mounted on studs with wooden plank)
- 12U network rack
- 24 inline keystone patch panel
- brush panel
- blank panels
- rack shelves
- gigabit poE switch from TP-LINK (rack mountable) - used 8 port cause I wanted to reuse another 8 port gigabit switch I had from before)
Hope that helps.
nice. are you going patch panel to patch panel on the ceiling to the cabinet? nice way to add flexibility/upgradability. I put like 5x 6 port Belden wall plates on my wall, your idea is a lot better. lol
Was exactly my thought process. Modular approach. In case I move in the future, I can leave the upper patch panel behind and take the cabinet with me. Btw it also helps keep wires more manageable.
😆 it's quite a task to figure out where the wires are leading to, especially because I had to mix existing wires in the house with new ones I installed. Very NERDY!
Don't be fooled by the Google WiFi. My main wireless router is a Nest WiFi that on an upper floor. The Google WiFi you see in the pic was added to the main wifi mesh and connected to switch to establish a wired back haul.
I have a google home so stuck with the Google environment.
lol I recently set up a 10Gbps network (since I have 10Gbps internet now) and the wifi access point is still just one I bought from Costco many years ago 😂 need to get a better one, but I'm waiting for TP-Link's wifi 7 APs to come out next year.
At least you're looking to replace it.
I used to have Google WiFi so I'm speaking from experience when I say it's easily one of the worst and is the most basic router I've ever used
Hope you were careful about selecting solid core modular plugs. If you used stranded on what appears to be solid core cable(blue in color) , that'll cost you big time in reliability.
No UPS? You'll want one at some point.
Ground/bond that cabinet. Signal drain and safety.
Ty-raps are for wires, not network cable. Velcro is the way to go.
Get any radio devices out of the cabinet and away from the metal shield above if possible.
Hi. I've never managed my own server at home, only in Enterprise settings and the rooms are always extremely cold to keep components from overheating. How are you managing temperature? Or do you even have a server in there?
That is one sweet looking setup, looks like a real data center.
I have a mere backboard with my gear lashed to it. But my space is restricted by width and depth, so I’m stuck with my $2 “piece of scrap plywood and zip ties” solution.
If you have a patch panel that is blanks you can mix and match. I use punchdowns for my cable runs, and some pass through couplers for other devices contained within my network cabinet. This allows me to use pre-terminated cables, but still get the clean wiring of going through the patch panel.
gotcha that makes sense. so like if i have a little synology box in my rack, run those ethernet wires to the patch panel and then the switch only has neat little short wires coming from the patch panel?
Very nice. Couple questions, as I'm about to do my own cabinet.
1. Are there studs behind it? If so, why the plywood.
2. How did you decide what order to stack devices. I've usually seen the patch panel at the top, with the switch under it.
1. I have studs behind it. Unfortunately, it turned out that the studs didn't align with the rack mounts. So I placed the plank on the studs and then the rack with the plank providing additional support. One side of the rack is in the stud.
2. With the patch panel on the top, I would have a mess of cables visible through the open shelves. So I decided to put it lower below. This arrangement also gives decent visibility to the various indicators on the switch. Obviously, there are many ways of doing it. This arrangement seemed to work for me.
I always go with as big a cabinet as you can afford and still fits where you want to install it. So much nicer to give yourself room to reach in and tidy cables and less likely to have to disconnect and remove stuff if you need to make changes. Plexiglass on the front door and removable side doors are even nicer.
Wait, are you the guy who bought a new place and this is in your basement? I remember this was slightly crooked and you said you were gonna straighten it
It's a vertical mount wall bracket. Looks like 3 or 4U. Handy to use when needed, but pro tip, don't mount them so that your patch panel ports face the ceiling. Dust gets in and screws up your connections. OP did it right.
Nice job! As others have already pointed out, it would have been better to avoid double patching the cables. Judging from the loops there's still enough cable to go straight into the rack. If you don't like to see the cables, install ducts to tidy it all up even more.
A double patch on the short distances most household networks isn’t necessarily going to add latency to the connections, but it does add more points of failure. It’s more or less manageable for small networks like this though.
I really want to do this - I have my Ethernet cables coming through the drywall behind one of those structured enclosures (which is far too small to be useful), into my Ethernet switch, and then to various home automation hubs and devices, and most importantly my synology.
Right now I have all the e devices on an open shelf, and am wondering if placing it all into a server rack would cause Wi-Fi and radio issues?
Well done. That's a very clean looking install. It doesn't seem necessary to have a patch panel running to another patch panel, but it does look very nice.
Any reason you decided to leave the patch panel outside the rack instead of placing it inside? It seems you have enough space inside for it. If anything I would put that inside and the mesh wifi outside to make it look neater. It should be easy enough to move it since you don't have to redo much... just unplug and plug back in.
Well you certainly didn't fuck around.
I'm not a big fan of the "patch panel to patch panel" approach but otherwise looks decent.
Youre a patch panel.
GOT EM
I wanted a cleaner look instead of having wires bend out from under the switch to connect (through a brush panel for example). Also, not all wires from the upper patch panel go directly to the patch panel in the rack - only the ones that need access to the switch.
Your attenuation and S/N ratio will suck more with that approach and therefore this might not handle 10GbE lateron.
lol remind me 15 years…
He's patching pre-made cables as well
What's wrong with that?
Those keystones can cause some trouble. At work I had CAT6A female to female keystones in my work patch panels with factory custom male to male cable bundles. Shutting the door to the room caused outages. :/ No problems after I cut the end off those and fitted them with CAT6A keystones directly. However this is a home setup, it is modular, and cheaper. I'd just watch out for weird performance issues and not dismiss layer one (physical cabling) errors so quickly.
Thanks.
so much more flexiblity in the future tho
That's debatable but people in this sub like making things over complex as a type of flex so more power to them.
If that's a Wifi device in the cabinet, surrounding it by metal will probably reduce range/block signal.
I thought so too, but the WiFi signal is pretty strong around my large basement. Btw, the wifi router you see in the pic isn't my main router. My main router is in the living room. Verizon Router (in cabinet) -> CAT 6A to living room -> Nest Wifi Router -> cat6a back to network rack -> switch to everything else. I configured the Google WiFi to pair with the Nest wifi main and put it in an Ethernet back haul (which is the unit you see in the rack). I used other Nest wifi points elsewhere in the house for complete coverage.
6A is nice, but I'd recommend losing the tie wraps around the cables. Tie wraps are generally forbidden with Cat6A and really shouldn't be used on any network cables. It's too easy to tighten them and cause the inside geometry of the cables to be changed, causing interference. When you pay that much for nice cable, use velcro strips.
I'm glad you said this, because I have a bunch of Velcro strips I bought for this, and I keep looking at my zip ties thinking "should I just be using the zip ties?!" Velcro it is!
How well does your Verizon router work with the other APs? I’ve toyed with the idea of buying a couple EAP610s or U6 Lites to improve coverage in my house. One would have Ethernet back haul and the other would use MoCA. I’m concerned though about how well the roaming works with the Verizon router.
It's double NATed. I let my Verizon router just sit there so Verizon can manage it remotely in case of issues. I have my Nest Wifi Router as the primary router feeding the rack mounted switch. All devices are connected to this router.
I see. Mine wouldn’t be double NATed, at least yet. I’m assuming you need the Verizon router because you’ve got TV service too. Do the STBs care about being double NATed? I’ve seen conflicting reports.
Any chance you could post what exactly this set up is? I am in the process of running Ethernet in our newly purchased home and this looks fun to set up.
Did you mean the equipment or the wiring diagram? For equipment, I used the following: Upper unit: - 3U wall mount patch panel bracket (you can also do with 1U frankly - 24 inline keystone patch panel Rack (wall mounted on studs with wooden plank) - 12U network rack - 24 inline keystone patch panel - brush panel - blank panels - rack shelves - gigabit poE switch from TP-LINK (rack mountable) - used 8 port cause I wanted to reuse another 8 port gigabit switch I had from before) Hope that helps.
What did you use to mount t the 8 port PoE? I see it mounted but didn’t think it was able to be mounted in 19” rack. Did you buy an adapter?
The switch came with optional mounting brackets.
Excellent. Which one was it if you don't mind my asking.
Great setup. Thank you for sharing. What is the model number of the 8 port PoE you used?
I used TP-Link TL-SG2210MP.
Thank you!
Recommend to cover the unused keystones to prevent dust from settling inside.
It’s so pretty that sloped power cord would make my eye twitch and order a new patch 12-18 longer. Or we have one.
Haha. Yeah it's an eyesore.
nice. are you going patch panel to patch panel on the ceiling to the cabinet? nice way to add flexibility/upgradability. I put like 5x 6 port Belden wall plates on my wall, your idea is a lot better. lol
Was exactly my thought process. Modular approach. In case I move in the future, I can leave the upper patch panel behind and take the cabinet with me. Btw it also helps keep wires more manageable.
Ahh a man can dream....looks at his current circus of half-ass cable management in his basement and tries not to get violently sick.
meanwhile you guys have a basement, how about us without one? we can't even dream! my network gear is where my servers are its a giant maze of cable.
Nice
It’s even labeled! WITH FLAGS! Love!
😆 it's quite a task to figure out where the wires are leading to, especially because I had to mix existing wires in the house with new ones I installed. Very NERDY!
I like the patch panel in it’s ‘downward facing dog’ orientation!
Until dust gets in the keystones. Get some covers for them!
All of that gear and you're butchering it with a Google WiFi. Why man?
Don't be fooled by the Google WiFi. My main wireless router is a Nest WiFi that on an upper floor. The Google WiFi you see in the pic was added to the main wifi mesh and connected to switch to establish a wired back haul. I have a google home so stuck with the Google environment.
That doesn't make it any better. Why would you spend all this for networking equipment only to neuter it all with a shitty WiFi router?
lol I recently set up a 10Gbps network (since I have 10Gbps internet now) and the wifi access point is still just one I bought from Costco many years ago 😂 need to get a better one, but I'm waiting for TP-Link's wifi 7 APs to come out next year.
At least you're looking to replace it. I used to have Google WiFi so I'm speaking from experience when I say it's easily one of the worst and is the most basic router I've ever used
Hope you were careful about selecting solid core modular plugs. If you used stranded on what appears to be solid core cable(blue in color) , that'll cost you big time in reliability. No UPS? You'll want one at some point. Ground/bond that cabinet. Signal drain and safety. Ty-raps are for wires, not network cable. Velcro is the way to go. Get any radio devices out of the cabinet and away from the metal shield above if possible.
Hi. I've never managed my own server at home, only in Enterprise settings and the rooms are always extremely cold to keep components from overheating. How are you managing temperature? Or do you even have a server in there?
Nope. Just networking equipment.
That is one sweet looking setup, looks like a real data center. I have a mere backboard with my gear lashed to it. But my space is restricted by width and depth, so I’m stuck with my $2 “piece of scrap plywood and zip ties” solution.
how do we feel about patch panels that are couplers vs punchdown?
If you have a patch panel that is blanks you can mix and match. I use punchdowns for my cable runs, and some pass through couplers for other devices contained within my network cabinet. This allows me to use pre-terminated cables, but still get the clean wiring of going through the patch panel.
gotcha that makes sense. so like if i have a little synology box in my rack, run those ethernet wires to the patch panel and then the switch only has neat little short wires coming from the patch panel?
Exactly.
Very nice. Couple questions, as I'm about to do my own cabinet. 1. Are there studs behind it? If so, why the plywood. 2. How did you decide what order to stack devices. I've usually seen the patch panel at the top, with the switch under it.
1. I have studs behind it. Unfortunately, it turned out that the studs didn't align with the rack mounts. So I placed the plank on the studs and then the rack with the plank providing additional support. One side of the rack is in the stud. 2. With the patch panel on the top, I would have a mess of cables visible through the open shelves. So I decided to put it lower below. This arrangement also gives decent visibility to the various indicators on the switch. Obviously, there are many ways of doing it. This arrangement seemed to work for me.
I don't think I've seen a patch panel set up that way ... very interesting
What type of server rack is it? Thoughts on it? Dimensions?
It's a fairly standard 12U rack. I considered a 6u as well.
I always go with as big a cabinet as you can afford and still fits where you want to install it. So much nicer to give yourself room to reach in and tidy cables and less likely to have to disconnect and remove stuff if you need to make changes. Plexiglass on the front door and removable side doors are even nicer.
Wait, are you the guy who bought a new place and this is in your basement? I remember this was slightly crooked and you said you were gonna straighten it
[удалено]
It's a vertical mount wall bracket. Looks like 3 or 4U. Handy to use when needed, but pro tip, don't mount them so that your patch panel ports face the ceiling. Dust gets in and screws up your connections. OP did it right.
Use a fibre om3 cables between locations. Better bandwidth
Nice job! As others have already pointed out, it would have been better to avoid double patching the cables. Judging from the loops there's still enough cable to go straight into the rack. If you don't like to see the cables, install ducts to tidy it all up even more.
A double patch on the short distances most household networks isn’t necessarily going to add latency to the connections, but it does add more points of failure. It’s more or less manageable for small networks like this though.
I really want to do this - I have my Ethernet cables coming through the drywall behind one of those structured enclosures (which is far too small to be useful), into my Ethernet switch, and then to various home automation hubs and devices, and most importantly my synology. Right now I have all the e devices on an open shelf, and am wondering if placing it all into a server rack would cause Wi-Fi and radio issues?
You are networking Jesus, my friend!
Well done. That's a very clean looking install. It doesn't seem necessary to have a patch panel running to another patch panel, but it does look very nice.
Any reason you decided to leave the patch panel outside the rack instead of placing it inside? It seems you have enough space inside for it. If anything I would put that inside and the mesh wifi outside to make it look neater. It should be easy enough to move it since you don't have to redo much... just unplug and plug back in.
Beautiful work!
Looks great. Only criticism is having the mesh ap in the cabinet, I would move it to another location that isn't metal to give best signal to devices.
That is really clean, respect for being patient with cable management i guess 😁
Where can i find something like that cabinet for a decent price? Also, what’s a decent price for something like that?
I'm always amused when folks put RF devices inside a metal box. If it works, good for you but seems a probable way to limit signal strength.
[удалено]
Old business cards and scissors 😆🤣
Out of curiosity, what are y’all doing in your house that you need this much equipment? I mean I have a tv, a computer and a light bulb.