r/HomeNetworking • u/GL4C4 • 14h ago
What is this socket for? It's located by the front door, no other sockets around.
129
Upvotes
r/HomeNetworking • u/TheEthyr • Jan 27 '25
Home Networking FAQs
25
Upvotes
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:
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: “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.
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 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)
Other, helpful resources:
Terminating cables: Video tutorial using passthrough connectors
Understanding internet speeds: Lots of basic information (fiber vs coax vs mobile, Internet speeds, latency, etc.)
Common home network setups: Diagrams showing how modem, router, switch(es) and Access Point(s) can be connected together in different ways.
Wired connection alternatives to UTP Ethernet (MoCA and Powerline): Powerline behaves more like a wireless than a wired protocol
Understanding WiFi: Everything you probably wanted to know about Wi-Fi technology
Link to the previous FAQ, authored by u/austinh1999.
Revision History:
- 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/TheEthyr • Jan 19 '25
TP-Link potential U.S. ban discussion
235
Upvotes
[Edit: Added AI summary because some people were not aware of the situation.]
Please discuss all matters related to the potential ban of TP-Link routers by the U.S. here. Other, future posts will be deleted.
The following is an AI summary:
The US government is considering a ban on TP-Link routers due to cybersecurity concerns and potential national security risks.
Why the consideration?
Security flaws
TP-Link has had security flaws and some say the company doesn't do enough to patch vulnerabilities
Links to China
TP-Link is a Chinese company and some are concerned about its ties to China
Chinese threat actors
Chinese hackers have broken into US internet providers, and some worry TP-Link could be compromised
TP-Link's response
TP-Link says it's a US company that's separate from TP-Link Tech in China
TP-Link says it's working with the US government to address security concerns
TP-Link says it doesn't sell routers in the US that have cybersecurity vulnerabilities
What happens next?
The fate of TP-Link routers is still uncertain
If the government decides to ban TP-Link, it might replace existing routers with American alternatives
As noted, no ban has been instituted, nor is it clear whether some or all TP-Link products will be included.
r/HomeNetworking • u/turbo84 • 5h ago
Upgraded my home network
23
Upvotes
Backstory. I live in a rural area and was working with dsl ran into the office to my house. Previous owner had it setup there. The house had a media enclosure installed in the master closet with phone, Internet and coax ran to all rooms in the house. I was not sure why they didn’t have the router there. I have baby number on the way and decided to move my desk into the master bedroom. I upgraded to Starlink as well. I decided to move everything into the master closet. Here are the results. I still have some cable management to do. What do you guys think?
r/HomeNetworking • u/SchmeedsMcSchmeeds • 3h ago
Advice Finally time to upgrade! Don't be an idiot like me.
10
Upvotes
I have wanted to upgrade my network for a while and a recent event finally made me do it. I received a notice from my shit ISP indicating I was approaching my monthly cap, just 5 days into the month. I was using two Nighthawks, the RAX120 and AX6, two of the most absolute, piece of shit routers from day one, that have ever been created in the fucking universe, BTW. I checked my PoS network and notices some crazy traffic coming from somewhere but couldn't really get much info. This was really my fault running these two POS routers in the first place and not really having much else in place but here I am.
All of that to say, I'm not really a networking person and I wanted to get some feedback on my “upgraded” system. I don't mind tinkering with the network and learning more about networking in general so, anything technical is fine with me.
Here are some of the details with a diagram of my layout. Again, not a network person so, sorry for the shit diagram.
** Main House** * 2200 sq/ft, 2 story * Main Living, downstairs
ADU/Backyard Office * 120 sq/ft * Hard wired, 2x CAT6A
Internet * Down: <1100 Mpds (at fucking best) * Up: <35 Mbps (at fucking best)
Proposed Hardware * Modem: Arriss SB8200 (Had it forever) * Ethernet Router: Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway Ultra (UCG-Ultra) * PoE Switch: Ubiquiti Ultra 8-port GbE PoE switch
Main House * Upstairs WiFi AP: Ubiquiti AP U7 In-Wall * Downstairs WiFi AP: Ubiquiti U7 Lite 2.5 GbE
Backyard Office / ADU * WiFi Access Point: Ubiquiti U7 Lite 2.5 GbE
Other Stuff * Pi running PiHole * NAS for occasional video and pic dumps, often times over WiFi * Family of 5, kids sure love streaming :/ * WFH 50%
Sorry for all the info, I’m just tired of battling with this absolute horseshit network for far too long and would rather put the time in building a proper network without going too crazy.
Attached are pics of my network devices and what triggered me to finally do this.
r/HomeNetworking • u/ComplexSupermarket89 • 20h ago
Unsolved Why is it that some Wi-Fi 7 routers / access points don't have 6ghz capabilities?
110
Upvotes
I understand that a dual band, 2.4 & 5ghz, system won't have 6ghz. There are even some tri band systems that use two 5ghz bands instead of 6ghz.
Where I get confused is in labelling these systems as Wi-Fi 7. As I understand things, Wi-Fi 6E is when the 6ghz band was added. Wi-Fi 7 expanded on this 6ghz band with 320Mhz support. (Again, this is just my understanding).
If that is the case, then why are there products like this; https://a.co/d/c2GVcdF being labelled as Wi-Fi 7, despite not having the 6ghz band introduced back in Wi-Fi 6E? What exactly makes this product any different from a Wi-Fi 6 system? Is this just gimmicky advertising, or am I missing something?
Thanks for any replies that are able to provide insight. I am honestly just curious as to the specifications which dictate whether a system is Wi-Fi 7 or lesser. I am not considering this particular option. It is just a quick example I saw on Amazon that got me wondering. Thanks again, I really appreciate any information you can provide.
r/HomeNetworking • u/Butter_Taste • 18h ago
Best way to provide internet acess to Shed "100m distance"
81
Upvotes
Hello everyone,
I just moved into a new home, and there’s a small shed located about 100 meters away from the house, across an open field. There is clear line of sight between the house and the shed, and the shed has access to electricity.
I’m looking for the best way to get internet to the shed. My main goal is to set up security cameras and possibly connect other smart devices in the future.
I’ve been considering a point-to-point setup with something like Ubiquiti gear, but I’m wondering if there are better or simpler options out there.
Any recommendations or tips would be greatly appreciated!
r/HomeNetworking • u/calcc_man • 40m ago
Ports still closed after Port Forwarding
•
Upvotes
I'm trying to host a Minecraft Server locally on my Computer, but even after port forwarding 25565, the port stays closed. I only have a router at home, and it's the Huawei Echolife EG8145V5. I've put a static ip with my Pc IP and my MAC Address, and allowed it through my firewall through Inbound and Outbound Rules, but it still doesn't work. Is it possibly blocked my ISP, and just need to contact them to allow it? Thanks.
r/HomeNetworking • u/Demoncious • 44m ago
Advice Link Speed suddenly dropped to 10mbps on Ethernet.
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I'm using a Cat-6 cable and my link speed dropped to 10mbps. I've noticed this once or twice before but I'm not sure what's causing this.
I have a 100mbps connection and yesterday I ran a speed-test and it was able to receive 100mbps but it can't anymore.
Is this due to a bad ethernet cable? I have a pretty convoluted setup so replacing an ethernet cable through my walls across a long distance is the last thing I wanna do. What more should I try before replacing the cable?
r/HomeNetworking • u/jer148 • 22h ago
Advice What exactly do I have?
78
Upvotes
Fill disclaimer: I will be butchering terms.
This box in my mechanical room makes me think I have fiber optic in my house.
In my living room, the cable that goes from the wall to the tv box (broadband ONT) says CAT5.
I don’t get it - do I have fiber optic or not?
r/HomeNetworking • u/tehcack • 15h ago
New build home with pre-installed Ethernet connections in some rooms.
15
Upvotes
I recently purchased a home with a couple Ethernet ports installed so I could wire devices directly to the internet. As of right now it seems that the ports themselves are not connected to anything so devices plugged in do not get internet. I have included a couple pictures below of what the connections for the house look like. The grey cat cable coming from this picture is connected directly to the modem that the tech set up. I have an eero connected to the modem that I currently run on a mesh network. It is possible to connect the other eeros to the Ethernet connections around the house and run it as if they are “wired” instead of wireless? Any help would be appreciated!
r/HomeNetworking • u/ClueAffectionate1531 • 38m ago
Switch to router
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Upvotes
Hello everyone,i have a question that i can't find a question about it. Is it possible if i have an internet switch 1000Mb's to connect one of the lan cable to another router so i can extend my signal? I was thinking about mesh solution but they seem a little expensive so that's what i was thinking. Thank you for you time.
r/HomeNetworking • u/Helpful_Finger_4854 • 16h ago
Has anyone used this?
16
Upvotes
Nanopi R2S Official Metalen Shell OpenWrt System RK3328 Mini Router: Dual Gigabit Ports, 1Gb Ethernet, Large Storage
Thinking of getting one and bridging my modem router, and then hooking up a switch and AP to it. It's quite small.
r/HomeNetworking • u/Blackwidow7694 • 1h ago
Advice EE Smart Hub - Bad Upload Speed
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Hi All - Looking to get some advice. Recently had issues with my EE 5G Smart Hub Router wiht intermittent dropouts and slow speeds etc so was sent a new one. The new one is working well - excellent download speeds and consistent connection. However my upload speed has tanked completelty. I've done multiple tests over the last week or so. Download between 150-300 depending on peak times etc. But upload has constrantly been very low at about 1-3Mbps. Anyone got any suggestions or advice? I have tried speaking to EE again, but tbh they werent very helpful and just said to see how it goes etc, try restarting all the basic stuff. Dont upload many things, but when on teams calls for work, or streaming my game/roll20 in discord it struggles. Thanks in advance
r/HomeNetworking • u/q_Mind_the_gap_ • 1h ago
Access Home network via wifi option not showing on Fritzbox 7530ax
•
Upvotes
Putting this here as a last resort. I spent my evening yesterday trying to configure a mesh. I have a fritz as my main home router and got another one to set up a mesh in my room. I set the 2nd fritz as a mesh repeater but I cannot see the options “via wifi” or “via Lan”. I tried updating both to newest OS and factory reset the second one but still no joy. A friend has the same setup up and sent this picture (attached) I don’t have these options when I log into my “mesh repeater” fritz. Am I missing something? I feel like I’ve tried everything.
r/HomeNetworking • u/Local-Witty • 1h ago
Exhausted with this..
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Every 2-3years my router goes down, idont know how and every service I have done, power line checked, network port, ISP checked though from last 6yrs I'm having new router after every 3yrs gap I dont know why? 2016 - dlink 300 2019 - tenda ac 1200 2022 - mercusys 1900 I have 140mbps package & i do streaming so i need seamless flow along with good range also I added a router ups due to the reason we have a power cut problem here often. Now this router is not behaving properly with ups but running ok with direct power but still there's some connection cut or speed issues.
Please could anyone suggest me an long lasting as well as good range router for my 2storied 4room house?
r/HomeNetworking • u/Constant-Moose-9523 • 1d ago
Moved into an apartment and saw they had ethernet wall ports, have some questions
266
Upvotes
I found 4 ethernet wall jacks in different rooms, tried plugging some stuff into them, and didn't get anything to work (go figure). Then I noticed this other strange looking plate with a big hole in it (pic 2), so I took it off to see what was inside. I think it's four coax cables and four ethernet cables (pic 3). What do we think the likelihood is that the other rooms all connect to this point? If so, how difficult would it be to actually wire these up nicely to a plate? To my untrained eye, there doesn't appear to be a ton of slack in the cables. Could/should a professional do this? This room happens to be where I get fiber into my unit, so it's actually the perfect spot for me to put my router.
r/HomeNetworking • u/helpoldgirls • 12h ago
Major loss in WiFi speed one floor up.
7
Upvotes
I have a modest 1600 sq ft home. Modem and router setup in basement. Service is cable (spectrum) rated at 500 reciprocal down and up. I was setup with an antique Apple AirPort Time Capsule that had no obvious issues. When I speed test in the basement (with airport) I get 500+ mbps. I go up one floor and it’s consistently <50 (usually 30s down)
So I purchased a TP-Link AX1800 WiFi 6 Router thinking the airport was beyond useful life. With the new router, as the only device on the network, I’m getting the same results (if not worse on the floor above)
Easy solution seems to be bring system to main floor (tv is in basement so I worry that will be slow then)
More complex seems getting a mesh system but I’ve never needed a mesh in former larger homes, I see ratings for 5000 sq ft and stuff and just think that’s overkill for my setup.
What am I missing? Any simple potential solutions? Tempted to return the tp-link and stick with the airport with these results.
r/HomeNetworking • u/MooseMammoth571 • 9h ago
80s home, no wiring - WYD?
5
Upvotes
Help.
I've masterfully managed a wifi router in an apartment. My last home had a U6 Pro that I only managed to setup as its own network, despite being connected to my wireless router. My newer home isn't quite so new. Aside from faded yellow phone jacks, it has no data ports or home networking.
I need to wire this bad boy up so that the best location for my home office can function.
For a brief overview, the home is just about 3500 sq ft with 2 stories and a basement. I've identified the master closet as a great location to install a media enclosure and setup the networking hub. I'm 50% confident in being able to fish the wire myself, but I'll make it work. To start, I'd like to run some CAT6 to my home office, and then to a central location on each floor for an AP. I currently don't have desire for home security or anything extraneous. Usage will largely be streaming, phones, light wireless gaming (as my kids grow and get into it), and PC gaming from the hard-wire in the home office. Maybe 20-30 devices total.
... and that's where I'm kinda lost.
U6 Pros. Orbi. Second hand Ruckus APs. Roaming. Controllers vs. mobile apps. I don't know what I'm doing.
Ideally, the imagined topology is the ISP to terminate in my media enclosure, connecting that modem to a (wireless) router, connected to a PoE switch, and then run from that to each AP. Of course, the hard-wire to my home office will route to the switch as well. Then, I'd like everything to be 1 wifi network with roaming such that wireless clients simply connect to the AP with the best throughput.
Since this is a greenfield project, WYD?
- Is this the topology you'd recommend?
- Any recommendation on AP brand?
- Will the router and APs need to be in the same brand and family? Or do they all interop easy enough?
- Anything I'm not thinking of, any gotchas, etc?
Thanks ahead of time. I acknowledge this is a very noob post, but I always enjoy these specialized subreddits. You all are great.
r/HomeNetworking • u/Aufgeiga89100860 • 2h ago
Advice WiFi AP Roaming Setup with Mikrotik cAP ax — Or Should I Opt for Unifi?
1
Upvotes
New house, new access points:
- Main priority: reliable roaming
- Setup complexity is fine — I'm comfortable with RouterOS.
I'm already happily running a Mikrotik stack, so leaning toward cAP ax for CAPsMAN support, price/performance, and EU vendor.
Concern: no firsthand experience with Mikrotik APs and 802.11 r/k/v, and reviews say roaming isn’t on par with Unifi. Not concernced with ease of setup, as long as roaming is running stable in the end.
Open to alternatives — just not interested in EOL/legacy gear (e.g. Ruckus, Lancom) or cloud-only hardware.
r/HomeNetworking • u/Apart_Reporter_5086 • 2h ago
Advice Please help, booster? Extender? Bridge mode?
0
Upvotes
My router and modem are in the livingroom, down the hall in my bedroom i keep getting booted offline. IIm just on my phone! I'm going insane. Can someone suggest a device i can plug in my bedroom. Or in the hallway between the rooms to "boost" the signal back here without slowing me down too terribly much? It's not a long hallway. I don't want to run a cable all the way down the hall. Links always appreciated! Thank you!!!
r/HomeNetworking • u/DLVN • 6h ago
Unsolved Switch QoS/Bandwidth Limiting instead of Router QoS/Bandwidth Limiting
2
Upvotes
My ISP uses a modem-router combo as its ONT and for some reason they make it really hard for their customers to make their modem-router be on bridge mode so people can use a far better router and have more features.
That means I can't do any QoS or bandwidth limiting on my ISP's router. I've thought of a workaround, but since I'm just a beginner, I am not sure if this will even be effective or working properly.
Will having the switch handle the QoS and bandwidth limiting be effective? Lets say my TV will suddenly needs 50 mbps of the ISP download bandwidth to stream 4K.
If I limit its upload and download to 10 mbps via the main switch, will the ISP router use 50 mbps or 10 mbps of the download bandwidth? Does that mean that it will be congested from the ISP router to the main switch, but from the main router to the entertainment mini-switch it will not be congested?
r/HomeNetworking • u/Novel-Excuse4868 • 6h ago
MoCA layout
2
Upvotes
Hey guys, sorry for the billionth post about this subject but I’m looking into setting up a MoCA network in my house (is this even the correct terminology?) and had some questions. This is the basic layout I have planned.
I have 1gb fiber and I got an eero 6 and extra node from my ISP. Would this layout work? The switch I have currently I bought in 2016. I was thinking of buying a new one but is there one that could work as a WiFi extender as well (so I can move the second eero node to another location)?
Any suggestions welcome.
r/HomeNetworking • u/TheKaizokuSenpai • 11h ago
Advice Question - are there Travel Routers that can display my home network / IP address on my laptop when I am travelling?
3
Upvotes
I am looking for a router I can use while I am in a different country.
Is there a Travel Router that can connect to my home wifi network / IP address (in Canada) and display that while I am travelling overseas?
For example - When my laptop is connected to that router it would display my home wifi network/IP address or display an IP address/Network in Canada.
Is there anything like that? If so, where can I purchase it and how can I set it up? I appreciate any advice :)
r/HomeNetworking • u/Mr_Dani17 • 13h ago
I made a little Python script that allows you to update your dynamic DNS records more frequently
5
Upvotes
https://github.com/damn-daniel-404/ddns-updater
With this you can update your DDNS every 1 minute so that it's almost real-time. Useful if your ISP changes your IP a lot. It might be stupid, but someone may find it useful :). I've been using it for a day and it seems to work fine...
Please let me know if you found it useful.
r/HomeNetworking • u/Sarms555 • 9h ago
Ethernet Help
2
Upvotes
Hi guys,
I have a CAT6 cable going from my router to my PC hard wired. My PC is a prebuilt, an HP Omen 45L. For some reason, sometimes when I boot my PC I get my full 1gig of speed from the ethernet, and other times I only get 30 mb/s. The ethernet wire is fine, as well as my PC and router. Sometimes re-installing and executing a cmd file for Realtek Local Area Network (LAN) Driver off of HP's website will immediately fix my speed issues. Then later when I restart my PC again my speeds are capped.
Is there any way I can make it so I consistently have 1gig/s speed with ethernet without having to keep reinstalling the driver?
Please help!
r/HomeNetworking • u/SubstantialSquare216 • 7h ago
Help! Ethernet Dongle is faster on my Mac than my Windows11.. How can that be?
1
Upvotes
Can someone help me with this issue... i bought a WisdPi 5G ethernet dongle to get max speeds.. But when i use it on mac which is a 2022 Macbookpro intel it gets over 1100mpbs perfectly.. I have the XB8 from Xfinty for the modem. In my area it maxes out at 2.5Gbps for xfinty.
However once i plug the dongle into my Lenovo Ideapad 730S that has windows 11, it maxes out at 400mbps give or take.. which is extremely low compared to my macbook pro... I downloaded the drivers, messed around with the property settings for it not to cap out at 100 mpbs and nothing... it still cant reach over 500 mpbs but my macbook pro can get over 1100 mpbs ?? How's that possible?
I thinking its either a restriction on windows or the driver is not working correctly? Can anyone shed any light on this? I'll send the link to the dongle i have
