On Sat, 24 Dec 2011 08:04:38 +0000 (UTC), Chuck Banshee
wrote:

This is my first time installing cat5 cable in my house and I am unsure
how to connect to RJ45 jacks that I need to put in the wall.

I've installed a WISP antenna 75 feet from the house & will be routing
the outdoor cat5 cable into the middle of the house (another 25 or so
feet) - but I have a few 'design' questions I'd like to ask those more
experienced than I am.

Pictured here is what I have in the wall in the middle of the house:
http://picturepush.com/public/7212874
or
www1.picturepush.com/photo/a/7212874/1024/Anonymous/cat5-questions.gif

I'm not sure if it's best to route the wire all the way from the antenna
to the middle of the house (about 75 feet to the house and another 25 or
30 feet zig-zagging to the crawl space and then up to the newly drilled
hole at the wall).

I'm going to put a wall plate at the wall in the middle of the house; but
should I also put a wall plate where the wire enters the house?

Does breaking the line into sections degrade the signal?

If I do put a wall plate at the entrance to the house, I'll likely put
the POE (power over ethernet) at the wall inside the house (otherwise it
will go in the middle of the house next to the WRT54G router).

When I put a wall plate in the middle of the house, would you add a
second female jack (just in case for future use?). Or does that also
degrade the signal?

In summary, I'm not sure if I should strive to keep the line intact and
how I should terminate it.

Any advice?
The short answer is yes, you should keep the segment in one piece if
at all [possible. Each connection can degrade the signal.

If you want to split the cable where it enters the building best
practice would be to install an active switch (if you are running
ethernet) at the entrance - you can go 285 feet (some say 100 meters,
but that's stretching it) on both sides of the switch, and up to 4
switches in "series"

Terminate with cat5 or cat5e spec RJ45 jacks or plugs. (plug on end of
cable goung ito and out of switch, jack in wall)

On Sat, 24 Dec 2011 10:32:51 -0500, clare wrote:
If you want to split the cable where it enters the building best
practice would be to install an active switch

Thanks for that idea!
I had not thought of the option of an active switch...

Does this makes sense?
- Start at the WISP antenna Bullet M2 radio (set up as a router) outside
- Wire goes from that radio/router (set to serve as DHCP) to just inside
the house
- Just inside the house, that wire goes to the 15 volt Ubiquiti POE
- From the POE, the wire goes directly to the 'active switch' also just
inside the house
- From that active switch, I presume I can have four (or more) ports
- So, one port goes to the 25 feet to the center of the house to a wall
jack (placed where I drilled the hole in the picture)
- At that wall port, I can put the central WRT54G wireless router for the
house
- I assume I can send another wire out of one of the four ports of the
active switch at the wall of the house to the game room (where the WII
sits).

Would that work?

I think the IP address of the WII would then be different than the IP
addresses of the devices on the other end of the WRT54G router ... so
that's why I ask if this would work?

On Sun, 25 Dec 2011 07:19:55 +0000 (UTC), Chuck Banshee
wrote:

On Sat, 24 Dec 2011 10:32:51 -0500, clare wrote:
If you want to split the cable where it enters the building best
practice would be to install an active switch

Thanks for that idea!
I had not thought of the option of an active switch...

Does this makes sense?
- Start at the WISP antenna Bullet M2 radio (set up as a router) outside
- Wire goes from that radio/router (set to serve as DHCP) to just inside
the house
- Just inside the house, that wire goes to the 15 volt Ubiquiti POE
- From the POE, the wire goes directly to the 'active switch' also just
inside the house
- From that active switch, I presume I can have four (or more) ports
- So, one port goes to the 25 feet to the center of the house to a wall
jack (placed where I drilled the hole in the picture)
- At that wall port, I can put the central
house
- I assume I can send another wire out of one of the four ports of the
active switch at the wall of the house to the game room (where the WII
sits).

Would that work?

I think the IP address of the WII would then be different than the IP
addresses of the devices on the other end of the WRT54G router ... so
that's why I ask if this would work?

I don't see any reason why not - but a few questions.
The antenna is a router ? - so inside for the wireless you only want
an ACCESS POINT.
Is the WRT54G capable of working as an access point?

Apparently yes:
From googling

Settings to change (obviously, do this while plugged into a LAN port
on it):
Setup basic setup select 'auto config DHCP' in the connection type
drop-down; enter a good (outside of your DHCP range) IP address (and,
of course, match your current subnet); and click 'disable' on the DHCP
server line.
Then (here's where it becomes an AP; but, the wording's a bit wierd):
Setup advanced routing select 'router' from the operating mode
drop-down (in Linksys, Router = AP, Gateway = Router); 'both' on the
dynamic routing line; and 'LAN & Wireless' on the interface entry.

Of course, remember to click the 'save changes' button before you go
on to the next screen. Do, this, and your WRT54G is now a switch/WAP

Any reason not to just put the access point at the entry point, as it
is also an active switch? Is the wireless range adequate???.

I'd try that first - and if the range is insufficient, move it
upstairs to the center of the house and add the switch.

On Sun, 25 Dec 2011 14:28:13 -0500, clare wrote:
The antenna is a router ? - so inside for the wireless you only want an
ACCESS POINT.
Is the WRT54G capable of working as an access point?
Apparently yes:

The antenna has an N connector on back which is directly connected to an
Ubiquiti Bullet M2 "radio" which can be set up either as a "bridge" or as
a "router".

Since my prior WISP required MAC authentication, and since Ubiquiti
Bullet M2 radios can only spoof MAC addresses in "router mode", that
radio was set up in router mode.

With my current WISP, who doesn't require the MAC address, I can now set
up the Bullet M2 radio as a "bridge" - so that is what I will likely do
(and what they are recommending).

But the BM2 radio on the antenna is currently still set up as a router.

On Sun, 25 Dec 2011 14:28:13 -0500, clare wrote:

Do, this, and your WRT54G is now a switch/WAP

Interesting. It's currently set up in "Gateway" mode, but, I went through
the motions you described (without hitting the save yet) and it 'did'
show all that you said it would in the pulldowns.

Any reason not to just put the access point at the entry point, as it is
also an active switch? Is the wireless range adequate???.

I'm not sure 'what' an AP is (with respect to a home setup).

Since all devices connect to my broadband router SSID, isn't the
broadband router in "gateway" mode already an access point (from the
computer's perspective)?

As for the range. The entry point into the house (garage) is on the far
end of the house; this I assume is too far for the other end of the house
(many walls away). But, there's an easy crawlspace under the house that I
could wire to the middle of the house and then on to the far end of the
house.

So, I think two actual wires will do me well:
* One to the middle of the house (main desktop computer)
* One to the far end of the house (Wii game room)