How To Setup The PERFECT Home Network For Beginners

[@MisterFastbucks]

Some suggestions: 1. The company that makes that network cabinet also sells accessories for mounting hardware inside it. It's way more secure than command strips. 2. Never mount RJ45 jacks pointing up. All kinds of debris will eventually fill those little holes. Or buy covers for the unused ethernet ports. 3. Put a small UPS in that cabinet. 4. Disable every feature on the AT&T gateway and turn it into a dumb DSL modem. You already have a firewall/router. You don't need two.

[@amandaalexander1012]

I cannot possibly thank you enough for what you do on your channel. You explain everything so well, without making anybody feel like idiots.

[@BJizzel21]

I’m just a nerd that loves IT but hates doing it. So watching this video was very therapeutic for me.

[@davidcochran956]

SAAAAMMMEEEEE...... ive been neglecting my network but watching someone else do theirs... 👌perfect

[@OZAMAZER]

Relatable

[@ICGxR]

Same

[@malachibrown9054]

You explained something so complex in the simplest & most digestible way by walking us through each and every cables’ input & output. Awesome video, thank you.

[@alexoberfranc]

Also, for anyone wondering for the Internet going into a switch, it does not matter what port you plugged the cable into it into his example since he has a 16 port switch into port Port 12 that doesn’t matter what ports plugged into

[@jefflynn333]

FYI, rg-320 gateway vents heat out of the top. I install these for a living and there is a plastic shelf made for it to set correctly. Also the status light on the front cannot easily be seen that way. It lets you know easily if you have a service outage.

[@CaptainWheeler]

Do you need to let the service provider your setting up the home like this or can you do as he did and be done with it plug and play?

[@staytongordon8416]

@@CaptainWheeler You need to let your service provider know. For ATT which is the ISP in this video, the Fiber line is actually encrypted and assigned to his account. So if he were to plug that device in at someone else's house it wouldn't work because it would see that its not connected to the right feed. I was a ATT tech from 2018 to 2020 in Houston Tx and I installed hundreds if not thousands of these Modems on fiber networks.

[@jaronturner23]

Dude I seem that and was like yep he'll be calling 1800 soon hopefully it's not a repeat

[@progression_decibel]

Any special configuration changes one needs to make in the admin console of the BGW320 if we plug the gateway into an unmanaged or managed switch? I have similar plans, that is, to hook in all the rooms in the house pre-wired for Ethernet into a new switch that is subsequently plugged into the BGW320. The BGW would be dishing out DHCP addresses as usual.

[@coy_bacon]

@@CaptainWheelerOnce your ISP gets you setup, you can do the networking yourself. No need to contact them again. They won’t even help you with it.

[@Foodisbad225]

The way to get around the speed limitation is to install a switch in the cabinet that has 2.5GPBS up link. Of course the cable needs to be sufficient for those speeds as well. Great video, I am sure lots of beginners can benefit from it.

[@Desyphe]

Hey man, I work for AT&T and I would recommend having a technician come out and run a direct fiber line into your BGW320. It's better for you to have direct fiber into your RG vs CAT5e. You can schedule a technician to come out through the Smart Home Manager app.

[@stedly]

What type of SFP connector, LC or SC, are we running a SMF 1310nm jumper from the street?

[@Desyphe]

@@stedly Every neighborhood is different. If the max speeds you can get are 1000 than it’s either a yellow SFP (alt optic) or a green sfp (GPON). If you have up to 5000 speeds available than you’re on XGS Pon.

[@kaleb6885]

Hopefully its XPON and not GPON

[@Desyphe]

@@kaleb6885 All new fiber expansion areas are getting XPON only splitters now as AT&T is working to expand to 10g speeds and GPON is not capable for speeds past 1gig, so eventually all AT&T fiber customers will get access to XGS-PON.

[@jefflynn333]

Yes, it looks like the fiber comes in elsewhere and is being media converted to the gateway.

[@peter-hr1gl]

I am purchasing a new home with one of these panels in the utility room and had no idea what it was used for. Thanks for explaining its use and purpose as well as how to use it to actually install the cable modem/internet modem and the switch inside the cabinet. I was wondering how to hookup the connection from the internet provider that was coming into the house via an ethernet cable.

[@PeterHonig.]

I have a few suggestion (this is not a criticism): The Synology DS923+ supports LAGs (link aggregation groups), so I am surprised that you chose not to make us of it, as it gives you fail-over and traffic load balancing. Also, there is nothing wrong with connecting two switches, as it is done all the time when you have dual-homing. Combined with LAGs and Spanning Trees, you can create a very robust fault-tolerant network topology. Lastly, if at all possible, it is best to have all RJ-45 ports facing downward to keep out any debris that might fall from above (and it will). I does not take much to bend the fine prongs inside the jack.

[@Muriz26]

I honestly think that this is not for beginners. A couple of reasons... Mesh is considered layer 3. The best solution for a beginner would probably be a router/ gateway with unmanaged switch. You have too many devices connected. Mesh would only be a good solution if your house is like 5,000 sq or something. My house is 1450 and with one Netgear ac1750 covers the entire house. I would separate home networks setup based on needs and coverages. And if you are talking about security... A router like a TP link archer c7 can be enabled for openvpn.

[@terry7344]

so crazy, i was doing this morning and your video showed up straight to my feed. blessing!

[@megaoption]

I knew most, if not all, you just went through in this video. It was a good refresher. Thank you Steve!

[@staytongordon8416]

Nice job organizing the data cabinet, I always struggle to organize these myself. Where did you find the shelf? Also a thought I had, In the room you showed with the switch. Wouldn't you get the best signal and speeds if you were to bring the cord from the wall into the TP link node and then come out of the node into the switch? In my head that would mean your node still gets access to the signal from the split 5gb port on you modem. I am not 100% sure it would make a difference though.

[@Tides212]

What are the coaxial cables for?

[@Debbief2644]

You’re assuming that everyone’s house is wired. Most older homes only have the modem coming into the house.

[@lawrencemanning]

Yes indeed. Wiring is 95% of the battle. I’d do it my house except I don’t fancy the redecorating. Thanks for pointing this out in a comment and saving me the time watching this video.

[@LeftJoystick]

I have never lived in a place that has wired Ethernet. Only the older phone lines. To assume the average person in the USA has in-wall Ethernet wiring is folly.

[@sgtm7]

True. I wired mine myself. I am not in the USA though. So that means concrete/brick house. So I just ran it from my network rack upstairs using pvc cable moulding. Only a few lines though. One of them so I could use an ethernet backhaul for my mesh system. Wireless backhaul doesn't work as well in a house made of concrete /masonry.

[@KNGDarrion_]

@@LeftJoystickhe’s not assuming everyone has it. And depending on how old your house is you probably do have your house wired for the Ethernet ports in each different rooms.

[@richellebrittain2127]

I have an older house currently, and I have Ethernet cables running along the baseboards between my ONT in a far corner of the house & my mesh nodes in better locations. I even have a flat Cat 6 cable running across a doorway (with protection) that still works at full gigabit-plus speeds. Not everyone can wire everything, but if you try you may be surprised by what CAN be wired.

[@Mohamedshabir-y6m]

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CLEAR EXPLAINATION

[@larsord9139]

Thanks for the very good video on Installing a home network hardware. But nothing about actually setting up the network after the installation. Windows networking sometimes works and sometimes doesn't.

[@cbinder46]

On that 2nd switch, you could make it a managed one and reduce the bandwidth to those devices that don't need much

[@UltraZelda64]

Must be nice to have a central networking hub with wires going to every room in the house. Not everyone has that luxury. In fact, most of us probably don't. And for that... there's Wi-Fi for every room in the house other than the one that the Internet is directly coming in to with the networking equipment.

[@mihalyfreeman5928]

Not exactly true. There are more homes with a hub installed at home build time than without. My house is 13yrs old now and it has a central hub. Imagine all the homes built in 13yrs across America. Definitely more than old.

[@garymbushsr.7723]

Nice setup. Does the switch have PoE capability? Definitely an added bonus if it does.

[@LawrenceKaneshiro]

If that is an unmanaged switch, good bet there is no PoE. It is not one of the more expensive switches. JustSaying.

[@laffytaffykidd]

I want to confirm my understanding of the last part: the Ethernet port in your room provides a 1Gb connection, which is then split due to the additional switch in your room. However, wouldn’t that 1Gb connection potentially be even less since it’s shared with the rest of the house? For example, if other rooms have devices or additional switches, wouldn’t that mean the Ethernet port in your room is effectively always operating at less than 1Gb? Please let me know if I’ve understood this correctly.

[@rachaelb9164]

Man I wish we had a network box in the house. I have fiber and they put a box outside and ran cables along the eaves into my kitchen and into a modem/router combo taking up space on a shelf along with my surveillance equipment. I want to wire my rooms for Ethernet. I think some of them have old phone lines maybe but yeah I gotta fish cables through the walls to get there. I’m thinking a box like that would be more clean and secure. I just love cutting into drywall lol.

[@TheNated12]

Love the video. I've been debating on setting up a home network, mostly for fun, but faster internet never hurt anybody lol. Thank you for the walk-through! Did you wire your house yourself? I have my office and living room wired, but debating wiring the rest of the house and garage.

[@rachaelb9164]

Man I wish we had a network box in the house. I have fiber and they put a box outside and ran cables along the eaves into my kitchen and into a modem/router combo. I want to wire my rooms for Ethernet. I think some of them have old phone lines maybe but yeah I gotta fish cables through the walls to get there.

[@Mike_Hunt-k7c]

Would you ever replace your wall cabinet with the Dream Wall by Ubiquiti?

[@thanoswasright626]

What are the white network cabinets called? I'm trying to find them in the UK but not getting very far

[@Greciantrees]

I’d love to know this too

[@IHunger4Battle1]

The ATT gateway has a gyroscope built in and will fail your quality check if it isn't right-side up. Just a tip. Great vid!

[@Ched1787]

Wait Really? That's insane. haha Telstra doesn't do that over here.... (i think) You'd be surprised, the newer telstra modem / router combos are actually really nice, and they do a good job of everything all together. I did however do a similar approach that Steve has gone for. (Unifi Express Modem > TP-Link1GB Switch > Unifi U6Lite x2)

[@richellebrittain2127]

He MAY be able to do without that AT&T "gateway", which is actually acting as a pure router (though he says he disabled DHCP on it, presumably to avoid "double NAT" issues with multiple routers in the home network, though I wonder how his security system is working that way when plugged directly into the gateway). His incoming Internet "Feed" signal is actually an Ethernet cable coming from an optical network terminal (ONT) elsewhere in the house & plugged into the gateway's ONT jack; in a fiber network the ONT acts as the "modem". AT&T may have some network restrictions that require him to use their gateway; my fiber ISP doesn't, so I recently replaced my ISP router with a Deco BE63 being fed directly from my ONT.

[@whateverslutmonkey]

@@richellebrittain2127 At&t requires the modem and you cannot just plug a router into the ont and use it as is, there are ways around this but they are a bit complicated for the average customer.

[@brianmofomme865]

So simple and so direct, I enjoyed your way of connection.. ♥️

[@diegomontero9557]

Why not connect the switch directly to the gateway? Instead I see you connect to the router.. would it create a conflict if connecting directly to the gateway?

[@MartesWigglesworth]

@SteveDOES that enclosure is completely built out of plastic for consumer grade wifi devices such as what you thought you needed to place outside of that enclosure.

[@smirkinatu5512]

Thank you for recording and posting this valuable educational video.

[@timjacobs6610]

Great video. Can you please show us how to disable the router so you can just use the mesh system? Thanks.

[@David-bl1bt]

If you log-in to your router there will be a 'switch' to turn off the WiFi in your WiFi router settings.

[@josephconsuegra6420]

Place the wifi on the shelf. A hardware firewall would be nice.

[@mytrung]

New WiFi 7 routers are getting big for example the deco be95 won’t fit in there. Any recommendations as what to do? Also sometimes the plug is also shaped weirdly and doesn’t quite fit. Not sure which extension cord really fit the bill

[@joshuawalls8697]

Can you plug modem>switch> mesh or does it have to be modem>mesh> switch

[@JJFlores197]

You need a router in between the modem and switch. If your mesh setup acts as a router, you can use that.

[@faraggi]

@@JJFlores197 Does this apply in case our ISP supplies us with a super modem? In which case, I would use it as: a modem for incoming internet+router? In this case, is it recommended to do modem>switch>mesh, as OP asked?

[@kawikacraft8161]

I have a question? I see you have like 5 or 6 modems & routers from alot of different brands? Can you use 1 brand?

[@nikhileshkaranam4637]

A simple block diagram on a sheet of paper might help beginners to follow along and understand better. Nevertheless great content. Cheers.

[@mikepal830]

Can you just connect your first wifi mesh to an ethernet cable from one of the rooms? Or will you lose speed that way?

[@Sfcwill]

Does anyone have a tutorial vid for a house thats set up with incoming at&t fiber but also that is not hard wired with wall jack ports?

[@infosec1812]

Can you turn unused ports off with a managed switch? Is creating network share locations easer with an unmanaged switch?

[@ProtectiveDadPranks]

How THIS is a great idea for a video!

[@ScottMicale]

Are you positive that if you connect a switch to a switch that the 1GB from switch A to switch B shares the bandwidth between all ports on Switch B? I think you are thinking of how older hubs worked and switches are different.

[@richardfarr1966]

He has no idea

[@richellebrittain2127]

He explained it correctly. Though switches don't "share" in the same way hubs used to (i.e., all the data flowed thru every cable in the hub), still if you have multiple devices using the same Ethernet link in a network at the same time they cannot together consume more than 100% of that link's total bandwidth. That's true of multiple links in this network -- ONT to gateway (he didn't notice his fiber ONT elsewhere inside or outside the house), gateway to main Deco, main Deco to switch A, switch A to switch B, and even switch B to satellite Deco. The way to manage that is don't plug in anything downstream from the weakest link in the chain that's faster than that link; avoiding just such a potential issue is a major reason I chose a Deco BE63 mesh (all 2.5GbE ports) over this guy's Deco XE75 Pro (only one 2.5GbE port per node).

[@pekeevil]

you can plug your hue bridge in the principal switch

[@dragoness_gaming766]

Would getting a higher Cat ethernet line be more ideal for futureproofing for the long term? I know currently 1G is the norm, but after 5-10 years I would expect that to increase

[@joukenienhuis6888]

It is always best to use the best Ethernet cable that is around, but the problem of a network is, is that a network is as strong as it’s weakest link. And that will be then the incoming signal. Right now there is Cat7 which can manage two way data streams at a high gigabit speed and most likely the incoming speed will be max 5 Gbit and then Cat6e is enough. Cat7 is also very expensive, so I would advise to stay at Cat6

[@erickarroyo8987]

I have a BGW210 Arris from ATT and I want to put my own TP-Link router how should I do the configuration and connections?

[@blakeds1]

Where can I buy the shelf???? I have AT&T and they gave me that same equipment, and I would love to have that setup if I knew where to buy that little shelf.

[@jefflynn333]

Contact customer service and see if they can send you a BGW-320 plastic shelf

[@Eric-1701]

Home Depot sells a Leviton shelf that works.

[@BengLang84]

Nice! Would this be advisable if you are living in an apartment and you play online games? Thank you! 🙏🏻😊❤️

[@JonoFlex]

Can you use different mesh brands together?

[@imdarkjedi]

Also, what's the difference between TP-Link TL-SG116E and TL-SG116? I'm looking for a simple plug in play. Nothing that requires a complicated setup.

[@chrism3862]

Great video! Where did you get the shelf that you placed the modem on?

[@jefflynn333]

Contact customer service and see if they can send you a BGW-320 plastic shelf

[@fdurango]

Is cat5e enough for a 500mb internet speed? I just ordered cat8 cables 😅

[@EldenLord00]

How does the “feed” cable get to your network closet? Did your ISP go through the attic?

[@JJFlores197]

Since he has AT&T fiber, AT&T installed an ONT somewhere in his house, probably garage. AT&T runs their fiber cable from their distribution hub to the ONT. Then they run an ethernet cable from the ONT into this network closet. I'm not sure what the exact process is for running this cable as it usually varies between homes and setups.

[@EldenLord00]

@ I thought this would be the case, the hard part is deciding where to put the closest. Thank you for the detailed response

[@nieeeric]

Top notch video instruction. Thank you sir

[@watuzi]

Hi, my house already came with a patch panel in the closet and the rooms have network jacks. How do I setup the wired network for the house? If I hire someone, how much would it cost me? Im a diy kind of guy, but no expert in networking. Maybe you can point me in the right firection? I'd be mighty grateful

[@tan_k]

You lucky cat. Google is your friend. It’s not rocket science. You will figure it out.

[@joukenienhuis6888]

See the patch panel as the end of the cables. It is just a neat way of organizing the Ethernetcables, as I understand it. All you have to do, I think is putting a switch between the panel and the modem/router gateway and the rest can be the same

[@kevinlocdang]

I connected the smart hub to my POE switch and it showed no connection. But It is fine when it's direct with my router. Do I have to look for any specific POE switches?

[@branzap]

Use the last yellow cable to connect the 2 mesh units via cable. Then, from the mesh unit in the bedroom connect the second switch. Thank me later

[@landonakiyama]

Steve, did you have to put the BGW320 into Bridge/IP Passthrough mode for the TP router to start assigning IP addresses? If not, I would think the setup would be double NAT'd and cause issues. I'm asking because I'm trying to do a similar setup but read the BGW320 doesn't have proper bridge/IP passthrough.

[@akenney1234]

I’d also like to see how this step is done. Steve mentioned the pass through.

[@dramion5486]

Is that a ATT Fiber modem? ATT told me I had to sit mine upright or they wouldn't provide support. Since apparently it has something in it that they can tell it is not sitting in the recommended stance.

[@jefflynn333]

FYI, rg-320 gateway vents heat out of the top. I install these for a living and there is a plastic shelf made for it to set correctly. Also the status light on the front cannot easily be seen that way. It lets you know easily if you have a service outage.

[@thatguyfromca]

Do you have any idea why my 1GB switch only works at 100mbps when transferring files between my pcs? the settings on the switch says the ports are working at 1000mbps.

[@ghost6813]

The setup shown is fine for beginners, but it is kind of overpriced "consumer" hardware. Instead of buying one of those fancy plastic boxes, you can put opnsense on a old x86 box (or some dedicated low power unit) and access enterprise-level features. You will also learn a lot about networking in the process! The same is true for a NAS, you can DIY a unit for essentially just the cost of the drives if you have like most people some old hardware collecting dust.

[@Gleam1979]

Great video! Getting inspiration to finally clean up my wall cabinet :)

[@jaronturner23]

Hey that 320 modem isn't gonna last long if you keep it like that. It senses when the modem isn't straight up and will stop working

[@tonyfrescas6060]

at 12:23 you plug the wireless (mesh) into an unmanaged switch? Can you tell me why? is that necessary?

[@EldenLord00]

Maybe he plugged it in the poe+ port?

[@3lilchrizy3]

What is the benefit of using AT&T's modem/router? Doesn't the Deco router have the firewall built in so you can just use the smaller modem and plug it directly into the deco?

[@JJFlores197]

With AT&T, you're forced to use their modem. No way around it.

[@whateverslutmonkey]

@@JJFlores197 There are ways around it, just do a little research.

[@orestesdd]

Do you have a video showing how to install the internet cabinet? I'm about to buy a new home which will be wired with ethernet, but I don't believe the construction company will install such a beautiful internet cabinet-panel for me. My new home is under construction and it will be completed by June first 2024. Thank you for this video.

[@SteveDOES]

Sorry, i don't. Mine was installed by the builder.

[@eastbayivxx510]

Isn’t the modem going to overheat in there?

[@EvelynPhilips]

How do you know which mesh system is compatible with your ISP? My ISP says I have to use their GigaRouter, can I connect the mesh system to that instead of the modem?

[@joukenienhuis6888]

I guess they say that to ensure your connection will be guaranteed, because they designed it for you. If you use another modem or system, your ISP cannot guarantee your internet speed and cannot help you. Mostly their knowledge is as far as they have designed it

[@jonathanschwartz8]

So many questions. You set up the network closet but have NAS and mesh sitting outside of it? Is it time to upgrade to a rack?

[@Mike-In-O-Town]

'Or', if you're going to step up your networking cred, run one CAT cable to one location (or two to multiple locations depending on the size of your home), install POE WAP's on the ceiling(s), and bypass the MESH setup all together. Great WiFi everywhere, nothing sitting on tables around the house, and none of the signal speed degradation of daisy chaining MESH components. That setup would also allow you to forego buying a MESH router all together (save some coin), use your existing gateway for routing duties, and prevent you from having anything sitting out of your networking enclosure in the closet). And its always fun to have friends ask what that 'thing' is on the ceiling. If that setup is good enough for hospitals and corporate America, its good enough for my hacienda.

[@SteveDOES]

Totally agree, but where i get stuck is running a wire to a downstairs room. How do you navigate a cable between the 2 floors without cutting holes in the walls and ceiling?

[@Mike-In-O-Town]

@@SteveDOES Agreed. But since I live in Florida and my home is single story, my challenges aren't as severe as yours. I managed to install CAT runs to every room in my home by myself, so it is doable, and preps the home for future updates.

[@SteveDOES]

@@Mike-In-O-Town jealous. :)

[@ghost6813]

This 100%. Also used WIRED connections for important devices like PCs. At this point it is probably better to "future proof" and run fiber, but for most people 1gig ethernet might be enough for a while.

[@joukenienhuis6888]

@@SteveDOESI think if you are not able to drill holes or doing rougher stuff, you have to use existing running cables. If they ar not ethernetcables, you have to figure out both ends of the cable and bind your new network cable on one end and then pull the cables up to the other end. If you need that other cable too, I think you need a new wire and pull up 3 cables through the existing holes.

[@mechafiregod2559]

Can you tell use where you got the stand for the AT&T gateway?

[@jefflynn333]

Contact customer service and see if they can send you a BGW-320 plastic shelf

[@CharmPeddler]

Overall nice video. But at the beginning you said you were upgrading to 2.5 GBe. And then everything after that seemed to be gigabit from the switch out

[@imdarkjedi]

question regarding the network switch. I don't want to drill any holes in the wall (1st flr/ 2nd flr) to run the cat 5 cables. Can I use 2 8-port switches and run a single cable from router to 1st switch and another cable from 1st to 2nd switch?

[@kadentovcimak8896]

You can connect the second switch to a Access point (another router if you have a mesh system)

[@rml2675]

You can connect two switches together. Use a crossover cable to connect the switches together. Or the second switch needs an uplink port. You can use MOCA adapters to send signals over coaxial cables from the first floor to the second floor and connect your second floor switch without pulling cable. I went this route to backhaul my mesh system and add data keystones to the 2nd floor.

[@bamspay]

Why do all of your videos mentioning getting a router when most Modems these days have built in routers. In your other video you connected your ATT modem to a router for "protection" bit it already had a router built in.

[@fakename287]

I don’t know about him but personally I like using my own router because the ones from the cable companies are usually slower, have worse signal output, and are locked from the factory (meaning you can’t change any settings other than your network name and password)

[@goleft4088]

1:29 explanation

[@dadamnmayne]

i wouldnt consider it a router when compared to what you get with an actual router

[@falling_banana]

isn't this like... >5 yr old news... apart from maybe the coaxial modem...

[@ElChileno101]

Easy explanation. Modem/router tend to overheat over time. Having it separately works better if your home is using 20+ devices at the same time pulling more than 2gb at the time. Back in the day that was the main issue. I'm not sure now days

[@usmc187]

what is that little black shelf technically called at 6:40 ?

[@gregmckinley5178]

I personaly do not like the in wall ONQ/levtion or open home boxes. I also do not like to chain switches in the field.

[@jasonvargas798]

What about IP addresses? Does that switch give you a different address for each port?

[@JJFlores197]

Yes and no. Switches don't give out IP addresses. Its the DHCP server built-in to the router (on most home routers) that handles IP address leases.

[@jonathanschwartz8]

Your internet feed comes in from the street on Ethernet? Did I miss a step?

[@LawrenceKaneshiro]

He didn’t cover that. But my guess is the provider is using fiber to the home and is terminating the fiber with a transceiver that is then connected to the copper. JustSaying.

[@mangalover94]

I had this exact question lol

[@vegitagt]

Command strips wear out over time. The adhesive dries up and loses its strength. it only lasts a year to a year and a halfish.

[@flavihok]

Amazing video! Do you have any vid about how to config the mesh? I use my ISP's web interface to manage my connections but meshing seems like a scary step for me

[@devilskintarot6151]

Can we use a cat 8 ether cable on a wifi router to connect to the switch on an RV?

[@joukenienhuis6888]

I think it all depends on how much data your router can manage and put through. That is at that moment the weakest link as I guess the incoming data speed is high enough

[@LEUGIM408]

My Cat5e cables are not labeled, is there a way to find out which is the “feed” cable so i can connect it to the modem?

[@incognito4065]

I have the same question. I have a bunch of coax and ethernet cables in there. I know which is the feed coax cable but not ethernet. If you figured it out let me know.

[@LEUGIM408]

@@incognito4065 so the Coax is my main feed. Then i connect an ethernet cable from my modem to a switch then just connect all the ethernet cables to that.

[@kerimthedream1]

Really good info, thank you

[@JUST_GUNZ4881]

Question hypothetically could I connect multiple switches to my router instead of daisy chaining switches together

[@MaximumTechnologies]

yes! I would recommend it over the daisy chain method. Say you have a computer, a printer and a gaming console in one room and the same setup in a room on the other end of the house. Run an ethernet cable to each, attach a switch and port each device off the switch. (explanation for anyone not sure of the meaning of the question)

[@JUST_GUNZ4881]

@MaximumTechnologies should I be worried about a separate fiber bonding feed from switch to switch? Would that increase bandwidth?

[@MaximumTechnologies]

@@JUST_GUNZ4881 I'm not sure I understand the question. There would be no increase in bandwidth. With the daisy chain method there is likely a decrease in bandwidth with typical home networking equipment.

[@JUST_GUNZ4881]

@MaximumTechnologies so like say I'm connecting the 4 ports of the router to 4 different switches should I use a fiber connection to connect the switches together or would that be just over doing it?

[@HucklberyTaz]

Hey Steve watched your vids on home network and my problem is i do not have wired internet (wireless hotspot device) have any recommendations for what i would need in that case? Thanks

[@eldkir]

How do you get your whole house wired?

[@MrPir84free]

You can wire it yourself, but it can certainly be a fair amount of work. You can also pay someone else to wire it for you. Paying someone tends to be pricey. The best time to wire a house is when the house is being bult. Short of that, most people just resort to using wifi in homes without WiFi. Buying some brands of Mesh WiFi also come with wired ports, so you can connect wired devices to the remote mesh wifi nodes. If you are renting a home or apartment, getting it wired is often not an option. Mesh Wifi + nodes tend to be a more expensive option, but it's an alternative to wiring the entire house. There used to be a thing called a wireless desktop switch, or network extender that provides remote wired network connections over WiFi. My 1 floor slab mounted home is almost impossible to wire, after the fact, because it's mounted on a slab; wires can be routed up and into the attic, but it certainly would not be ideal. Wifi remains the best solution, and with WiFi solutions getting faster every few years, well, wired is not all that it's cracked up to be. Future proof your investments when you purchase by buying WiFi 7 although there are few devices using the standard. Wifi 6/6E is a crapshoot, but can provide nearly the same speeds as gigabit wired network does, provided you don't have a lot of devices on the WiFi. Depending upon your devices, and your router/access point, there are channel bandwidth options, where the bigger number often wins; like 40/80/160 mhz channel bandwidth. With my Wifi 6E access point, my speed is still limited to the bandwidth from the ISP, specifically about 940 Mbps download and 60 Mbps up. Faster wifi will do nothing to speed up internet access in my case, but it can make using internal devices like a NAS faster. Is it worth the effort ? Likely not. Many devices in use nowadays tend to almost always be on WiFi, like laptops, tablets and phones. A wired network is often not the only consideration.

[@CrazyGadgetGuy]

I having issues with my deco mesh system. It keeps kicking certain pcs and iPads off the Wi-Fi and then I have to reboot the deco in order to reconnect

[@the_bromies_podcast239]

it could be dns settings have you checked the system for isp default or tried changing to google or clouds open dns addresses?

[@Jjodoql]

Can I connect a switch in the number 4 port and connect other PCs to the switch?

[@SteveDOES]

Yes.

[@CyberKafe509]

Thanks for making this !

[@ArughaBang]

i move into a house with a home network but the cables aren't tagged and there's so many wires i have no clue what to do

[@stedly]

Now do a speedtest wired vs wireless. You will see those tplinks are faster on the wifi 6e connection than the hardwired.

[@thefunhouse8545]

I have one question. How do I disable the router in my all in one modem and router from my carrier so I can use the mesh system?

[@Marcel.Miranda]

I suggest using it as a bridge, there should be a “bridge mode option” I suggest using a rj45 cable to do this. Just turning off the Wi-Fi signal won’t turn off router capabilities from the provider device.

[@BishTheBearded]

Can be tricky depending on who your carrier is, but most gateways (as mentioned above) have a “bridge mode” that will disable the routing function of the gateway and just keep the modem function running. Some providers such as AT&T if you’re in the US use different terminology and methods to provide a similar function I want to say called “Pass though” or something similar. Don’t quote me on that. It works a little differently than your traditional “bridge” mode, but it serves a similar function.

[@thefunhouse8545]

@@BishTheBearded do any of you know what it would be for Bell in Canada?

[@BishTheBearded]

@@thefunhouse8545 Sadly I do not. It would be worth calling Bell, or perhaps checking on Reddit/Google to see if anyone else has made the switch to their own equipment and see what they’re running.

[@BishTheBearded]

@@thefunhouse8545sadly I don’t. Might be worth a Google/Reddit search to see what others that are in similar situations might be using. Bell themselves should be able to tell you if you give them a call.

[@dfiantii64]

That AT&T fiber modem is going to go intermittent service if you leave it in that position.

[@KoolCreation]

Great video nice setup!

[@54carlje]

does that 5g port have dhcp?

[@jefflynn333]

1 and 2.5,5,(and soon 10) gig port are all treated the same so yes. dhcp

[@54carlje]

@@jefflynn333 which router do you recommend for use with that 2.5GB port?

[@BallroomMusic]

Thank you Steve for the video. I do have a question regarding solving the switch to switch connection issue. If I would get a mesh network system that has more ethernet ports, I could connect in my other room away from the base node the cable from the wall into the node and then connect the ethernet cables for my PC, PS and Apple TV straight into the node? Would that solve the issue of splitting the speed?

[@Linda-jo8ys]

What is the SFP port for in the modem cable at 2:22

[@stevenlira6357]

That model of router is actually meant to be fed direct fiber via sfp connection. The set here is an older set up. When upgrading to 2.5 or 5 gig, it will require fiber line ran from the exterior to the router.

[@jefflynn333]

sfp port is for direct fiber connection. Evidently installer has him on separate ONT

[@jonathanschwartz8]

Ummm…your bedroom Ethernet cable is yellow. But, there’s no yellow cable plugged into the bedroom switch. Where did it go?

[@TechMedDurra]

I would assume the yellow cable goes to the mesh AP, to get the ethernet backhaul, and then out from the mesh to the switch.

[@OS690]

Why connecting the Wifi mesh directly from the router and then the wifi mesh to the switch, instead of, connecting the router to the switch and then the wifi mesh to the switch?

[@fakename287]

Because with the first method the wifi mesh gets full bandwidth instead of sharing it with everything else on the switch plus everything on the switch now gets intercepted and protected by the mesh’s firewall

[@OS690]

@@fakename287 nice, thank you

[@BobLablaEsq]

Fakename's correct. Though that first mesh point is almost likely a wifi Router/Switch, being the first on the inbound line it gains the routers security from firewall, N.A.T., and possibly P.A.T. while reaping the benefit of the switch, sharing all the bandwidth with each port all the time (routers divide bandwidth among available ports 100Mbps / 4 ports active = each port onlyvgets 25 Mbps, the Switchvin an identical situation, each of the 4 ports get 100 Mbps.)

[@geraldeaves3340]

If you want to create a fire hazard and bottleneck your internet speed, go ahead and follow this video. If you're going to use an enclosure, make sure it has a built in ventilation system that brings in cool air and sucks out the hot air. Notice the little gap to the side of the gateway and how he puts everything flat against the box? No-go. You need to put on 1" spacers on your devices and then have those stick the the case. You should have at least an inch of space on all sides of your device to allow proper air flow, prevent overheating, prevent bottlenecks, avoiding a possible fire, and avoid spending money on replacement devices because of burnout and malfunction.

[@geraldeaves3340]

Also, you don't want your mesh wifi sitting low. You want to put it at a high point to strengthen the signal to the next device.

[@BobLablaEsq]

Using command strips. Is the start of the mounting SNAFU. 1" is ideal but not mandatory....everything depends on ambient temperature-plus-total capacitance of heat generations' ability to exceed safe working parameters. He could rectify it without 1" spacers if he knew those maximum and subtracted a safety margin and set up thermostatic governed fans coupled to his fans thermocouples. Realistically, many boxes don't allow for ideal air margins for passive cooling, so he'd simply need to add 1-2 thermostatically governed low speed high effiency fans at the bottom (of a closed box with vents at the top) with their thermocouples at the top or ideally with the thermocouples on the top the most heat liable item.