cyril7: Hi, some do things properly and provide a simple central patch panel others do it badly, but its not normal that your gear is mounted in the floor or building distributor.
Once you open the faceplates more will be revealed, but I would be its just a nasty daisy chain.
Cyril
Which basically means im screwed for makng a lan right?
Not unless all the wiring is daisy chained, in which case you may find the ADSL isn't that reliable either, since Cat5 jacks are not designed for it. I presume you can connect the ADSL on your router any Cat5 outlet, so they must be commoned one way or another.
scotteffone: I have noticed a couple of panels screwed shut but these are by the shower and laundry so I haven't opened them up as they are likely access for plumbing. I also assumed a patch panel (if there was one) would be easy to access.
Sometimes all the outlets are wired to a basic termination block hidden somewhere behind one of those panels, so that a landlord can upgrade to proper patch panels in future. The idea is that tenants are supposed to only use them for phone because property managers don't want to know about computer networks at all.
If this is the case the configuration won't be compatible with Ethernet, which requires all the lines to be separated into point-to-point links, but could be fixed. Pull off the extra wires joining all the links together and punch in new wires from each link in that panel to individual LAN ports on your router -- 8 wires per link. That allows you to wire the phone outlet on your modem to a single outlet where you want to put a phone. Or replace the module with a temporary multi-port RJ45 outlet, so that you can just use RJ45 patch cords to link them up.
There won't be space or power behind the panel for a router. Maybe you could get permission to mount your router on the wall next to the comms panel.
cyril7: Hi, some do things properly and provide a simple central patch panel others do it badly, but its not normal that your gear is mounted in the floor or building distributor.
Once you open the faceplates more will be revealed, but I would be its just a nasty daisy chain.
Cyril
Which basically means im screwed for makng a lan right?
Not unless all the wiring is daisy chained, in which case you may find the ADSL isn't that reliable either, since Cat5 jacks are not designed for it. I presume you can connect the ADSL on your router any Cat5 outlet, so they must be commoned one way or another.
scotteffone: I have noticed a couple of panels screwed shut but these are by the shower and laundry so I haven't opened them up as they are likely access for plumbing. I also assumed a patch panel (if there was one) would be easy to access.
Sometimes all the outlets are wired to a basic termination block hidden somewhere behind one of those panels, so that a landlord can upgrade to proper patch panels in future. The idea is that tenants are supposed to only use them for phone because property managers don't want to know about computer networks at all.
If this is the case the configuration won't be compatible with Ethernet, which requires all the lines to be separated into point-to-point links, but could be fixed. Pull off the extra wires joining all the links together and punch in new wires from each link in that panel to individual LAN ports on your router -- 8 wires per link. That allows you to wire the phone outlet on your modem to a single outlet where you want to put a phone. Or replace the module with a temporary multi-port RJ45 outlet, so that you can just use RJ45 patch cords to link them up.
There won't be space or power behind the panel for a router. Maybe you could get permission to mount your router on the wall next to the comms panel.
Well that sounds awfully complicated! I'm not sure I want to go to all that effort!
Anyway I finally got time to check and all the panels have a layer of paint over the covers and I'd need a sharp knife or something to make sure I don't rip the paint up the wall!
To be honest I'm not sure I want to worry about it for now (and I do have a knife!), I have a workable solution and its only my tower PC which I did intend to use as a media server I wanted hard wired anyway. But it's ok 'cause I think I'll just connect it wirelessly and be done with it.
Thanks for all your help. Had it been my own house I'd be more comfortable taking things apart and tinkering, but yeah the property manger/landlord isn't keen (even though it could work in their favour in the future) especially as fibre is coming soon. Which is the other annoying thing, I doubt this is fibre ready and I will have to pay for installation 'cause I doubt the landlord will foot the bill! I will ask closer to the time and try and see if they want to create a LAN at the same time!
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