Positioning of Router for house with UFB

Forums › New Zealand Broadband › Positioning of Router for house with UFB

alexisj

66 posts

Master Geek

#138998 24-Jan-2014 13:53

Hi All,

I've looked in previous threads, and can't quite find what I need. Apologies if this has already been asked answered.

I am getting Fibre installed next week and before chorus turn up, I want to sort out everything else in my head. Most importantly where to put the router. It will be a Fritzbox from SNAP.

The house is a pretty new build and there are 3 jack points via cat 5 cable running back to a star point in the internal garage. Firstly, what I want to be able to do:
A) connect work laptop up via cable to either jack point or directly to router. I need to maximise available speed
B) have decent wifi coverage in living areas

2 of the jack points are in the 2 living areas, at each end of a largeish open plan space, the 3rd is in the bedroom I will use to work in. Based on what I have read so far, I have thought of the following options. I would really appreciate feedback and help.

1) keep router close to ONT in garage and connect 3 jack points to it. Then add another device (airport extreme or similar) to one of the jackpoints to provide wifi coverage. I then just plug my laptop into one of the jackpoints for wired access.

2) Put the router into the jackpoint where I will work and connect laptop by cable directly to it. This option has risk of not enough wifi coverage.

3) another option I haven't thought of. Apologies if my descriptions aren't good. I'm not great with this network stuff.

I really appreciate any feedback / help.

Regards, Alexis

1 | 2

387 posts

Ultimate Geek

#973553 24-Jan-2014 14:03

I can think of one other option but it's too cowboy to recommend.

Because you have some form of structured cabling in your house, it makes a lot of sense to have the ONT terminate in the garage and as you say, put a wireless access point in your living area as you have suggested. If you put the ONT anywhere else you'll change your layout one day and then having that ONT in some strange location will become annoying.

An added bonus is that if you leave wireless turned on in the garage, the end result will be greater wireless coverage. If you set the SSID and passphrase to be the same on both wireless access points, but keep the channel different, your wireless clients will switch between the two access points seamlessly.

ghettomaster

387 posts

Ultimate Geek

#973556 24-Jan-2014 14:09

Also, there will be no difference in performance between having the router in your study as opposed to out in the garage. Just being cabled as opposed to wireless will make the biggest difference.

wongtop

565 posts

Ultimate Geek

#973559 24-Jan-2014 14:14

If the jackpoints are double RJ45 you could put the ONT in the garage, and the Fritzbox in a living area. You could then patch the ONT to the WAN on the fritz through one cable and from the LAN on the fritz to the jackpoint in your bedroom on another.

alexisj

66 posts

Master Geek

#973562 24-Jan-2014 14:17

ghettomaster: Also, there will be no difference in performance between having the router in your study as opposed to out in the garage. Just being cabled as opposed to wireless will make the biggest difference.

I guess the issue is more the wifi coverage of the fritzbox and the cost of a 2nd wireless access point.

timmmay

20581 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#973572 24-Jan-2014 14:25

You can get a WAP for $20. Not a good one, but it'd work. Suggest you get something < $100 and put it in the ceiling cavity. I have three WAPs at home, though two disabled since I got my Fritzbox.

LennonNZ

2459 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

#973597 24-Jan-2014 15:10

What I have done is put the router/ONT in the cabinet besides each in the cabinet and then use external Unifi in the house.

As the cabinet's are usually metal getting a wireless signal out of them can be a little problem and they are usually at one end of the house near the garage (not where people are)

alexisj

66 posts

Master Geek

#973618 24-Jan-2014 15:41

Do Chorus supply a cabinet for the ONT that I can stick the router in? I didn't wire the house and I'm a little ignorant on these things.

Quic Broadband

Move to New Zealand's best fibre broadband service (affiliate link). Free setup code: R587125ERQ6VE. Note that to use Quic Broadband you must be comfortable with configuring your own router.

sbiddle

30853 posts

Uber Geek

Retired Mod

Trusted

Biddle Corp

Lifetime subscriber

#973683 24-Jan-2014 16:53

Chorus don't supply a cabinet.

A cabinet is available as an optional extra as part of the home networking package, your ISP needs to request this via Chorus (charges apply).

alexisj

66 posts

Master Geek

#973693 24-Jan-2014 17:10

sbiddle: Chorus don't supply a cabinet.

A cabinet is available as an optional extra as part of the home networking package, your ISP needs to request this via Chorus (charges apply).

Thanks. I'll ask Snap

LennonNZ

2459 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

#973695 24-Jan-2014 17:16

Nope.. Chorus don't supply a cabinet.. but I found that nearly any new house in the last couple of years will have one installed with multiple cat6 cabling in all the rooms (unless the builder went cheap)

Retrofitting a house with Cat6 can be horrible.

alexisj

66 posts

Master Geek

#973705 24-Jan-2014 17:36

LennonNZ: Nope.. Chorus don't supply a cabinet.. but I found that nearly any new house in the last couple of years will have one installed with multiple cat6 cabling in all the rooms (unless the builder went cheap)

Retrofitting a house with Cat6 can be horrible.

There is 3 jack points with cat 5 cable back to a central star wiring point, but there is no cabinet here, just a small panel with the cables.

It's up to interpretation if the developer was cheap. :)

Regards,
Alexis

alexisj

66 posts

Master Geek

#977509 30-Jan-2014 15:38

Fibre being installed today

ONT is up and on the wall. It seems I am the first customer on a cabinet, so some commissioning issues. Chorus also rather uninterested in some questions, despite Snap telling me they should offer a home networking package. We'll wait and see about when it works. They are putting the ONT and router in a spot on the wall safe from my special needs kids and running a cable to the patch point. I am doing to get a data cabling tech in to look at the rest.

Cheers,
Alexis

Zeon

3916 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#977525 30-Jan-2014 16:17

What is the procedure for changing the position of an ONT out of interest? Like if I bought a new house and wanted it moved to the patch cabinet rather than being stuck on the closest wall they can find. Anyone with a splicer can just extend the cable?

Speedtest 2019-10-14

timmmay

20581 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#977571 30-Jan-2014 17:33

Zeon: What is the procedure for changing the position of an ONT out of interest? Like if I bought a new house and wanted it moved to the patch cabinet rather than being stuck on the closest wall they can find. Anyone with a splicer can just extend the cable?

I suspect you have someone from Chorus come to do it, since they own that infrastructure. The guys told me they're not really meant to be moved, but it can be done. It'll be charged for of course.

alexisj

66 posts

Master Geek

#977872 31-Jan-2014 10:26

alexisj: Fibre being installed today

ONT is up and on the wall. It seems I am the first customer on a cabinet, so some commissioning issues.

It turns out there is an issue between the exchange and the cabinet. No known resolution time :(

1 | 2