Hills Home Hub data transfer

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Theclaytons

203 posts

Master Geek

#175814 12-Jul-2015 20:39

Hi,

We have just brought a house with Hills Home Hub installed. Upon further investigation I've discovered that it only has the 408s patch panel installed which appears to be the phone module and not data.

I have a few questions.

1. If this is only phone can this easily be upgraded to data too. I.e is it a matter of getting a 808 patch panel installed? Is this all I need when coupled with the VDSL router? Would this be expensive?
2. Is there a way to transfer data with the 408s module?
3. Where should the VDSl modem be installed? In the cabinet in the garage or in one of the rooms?

Any help greatly appreciated.

http://www.speedtest.net/result/6594768645.png

raytaylor

4014 posts

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#1341784 12-Jul-2015 20:55

You would have the router installed inside the home hub.
You will need to add a data switch - though it depends how the electrician has run the cabling.

If a cat5 cable has been punched down to a telephone port on the module then you would need to remove it and attach it to either the data module.

My preferred way is to have a pair of cat5 cables going to each jack in the house and have two RJ45 sockets.
One of the cables is punched down onto the telephone module, the other simply has a RJ45 plug terminated on the end of the cable arriving in the home hub - rather than using the data module.

The data cables can then plug straight into a switch mounted inside the home hub, or straight into a 4 port router.

A DSL splitter can be installed inside the home hub

One of the problems however is that the home hub is a metal enclosure - its not easy for the wifi to get out.

To solve this you could patch the DSL output of the splitter into the brown pair of a telephone cat5 cable. In the room where you place the router, have a custom made RJ45 crossover cable to move the brown 78 pair to the centre blue 23 position on an RJ11 plug.

The router can then plug back into the data port on the same outlet, which feeds a switch back inside the home hub, sending data to other outlets around the house.

So step 1 is to tell us...
Have they run data cables in addition to telephone cables from the homehub?

Can you post a few photos?

Ray Taylor

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InstallerUFB

840 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1341791 12-Jul-2015 21:00

1.You can change or add modules to your hub
- the bigger question is what cables are attached to the existing module (cat5e or just homelan) ?
- what type of sockets are on the end of those cables (if they are cat5e ) BT or RJ45 ? - if BTs then you will have to also change them to RJ45s as well as install the other module
- if not cat5e cabling then changeing modules will not help

2. The voice module is not suitable for use as a data module

3. as the HUB cabinets are usualy metel they are not suitable to house a router if you want to use its wireless functions - if you have enough cables going to a point were you can send your phoneline to a point (after the master spliter that is) and then return data back to the hub (and a small switch) then you could set up your vdsl modem/router in that location and still have the ability to have a cabled connection elsewhere.

Ray got there first while I was typeing a reply :-)

Theclaytons

203 posts

Master Geek

#1341799 12-Jul-2015 21:09

Hi,

Thanks for the replies. I'll post photos tomorrow so this might confirm something for you.

What I think is true is:

1. All of the 7 outlets have RJ45 ports on the wall. A couple have some sort of adapter converting to RJ12, looks a bit like an ADSL filter but is not.
2. In the HHH it seems that all 7 cables have 4 or more cables connected to the patch panel.

Does the incoming phone line typically terminate in the HHH and if yes, do I just do as you say and connect my VDSL router at one of the rooms where the phone goes for now until I get Sara sorted (cost permitting).

If I only needed the data module is that a big cost?

http://www.speedtest.net/result/6594768645.png

InstallerUFB

840 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1341820 12-Jul-2015 21:43

Theclaytons: Hi,

Thanks for the replies. I'll post photos tomorrow so this might confirm something for you.

What I think is true is:

1. All of the 7 outlets have RJ45 ports on the wall. A couple have some sort of adapter converting to RJ12, looks a bit like an ADSL filter but is not.
2. In the HHH it seems that all 7 cables have 4 or more cables connected to the patch panel.

Does the incoming phone line typically terminate in the HHH and if yes, do I just do as you say and connect my VDSL router at one of the rooms where the phone goes for now until I get Sara sorted (cost permitting).

If I only needed the data module is that a big cost?

1. if there are RJ45s on the end of the cables, then they are more than likely cabled with CAT5e, so you should be able to convert them over to a data module use

2 if all have the 4 prs connected to the 408 module then that is an over kill - unless you have 4 phone lines and need to access them in any location with (special rj45 addaptors for each line)

- generaly only the first line connection is used ( blue/bluewhite pr - which ends up (if the rj45s are wired up right) on the middle to pins on the wall sockets - which is the normal pins for phones, modems etc on a RJ11/RJ12 plug - this rest of the prs dont need to be connected for phones (I would go as far as to say shouldn't be connected to avoid issues)

- your incoming line would be punched down on the bottom two pins on the connector on the left hand side of the module (but can be configured differently if for example a master spliter is installed at the hub) - photos will help to sort this out for you

- because of the way the existing phone connections appear to have been made to the module, from your discription and without knowing if there is a master filter in the mix, just connecting up your router to any socket probably will not work without at least
1. the installation of a master splitter/filter and
2. some modifications to the connections on the module to split off the outlet you want to use from the rest.

raytaylor

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#1341829 12-Jul-2015 22:05

Your question regarding the capability of the HA-808 patch panel

To be honest, you dont actually need one of those. You can just use an ethernet switch instead, or if you only have four or less data outlets around the house, then a 4 port router.

If you did have the HA-808 patch panel, you will still need a router and possibly also an ethernet switch

The HA-808 in my opinion just consumes extra space in a usually congested space.

Ray Taylor

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Theclaytons

203 posts

Master Geek

#1341874 13-Jul-2015 07:16

raytaylor: Your question regarding the capability of the HA-808 patch panel

To be honest, you dont actually need one of those. You can just use an ethernet switch instead, or if you only have four or less data outlets around the house, then a 4 port router.

If you did have the HA-808 patch panel, you will still need a router and possibly also an ethernet switch

The HA-808 in my opinion just consumes extra space in a usually congested space.

Hi Ray,

I'll post a photo later this morning. But if I had a modem / router installed next to the 408s with 4 ports how would I patch the 4 rooms to this? I'm happy to have this scenario for sure.

I do not have a home line so don't care about that.

http://www.speedtest.net/result/6594768645.png

Theclaytons

203 posts

Master Geek

#1341928 13-Jul-2015 09:09

Hi All,

Thanks for helping. Photos attached;

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/8hn82fqkyweyhib/AAAlqsWE9FhyDk-I3-_YvtUIa?dl=0

Chris.

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raytaylor

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#1341996 13-Jul-2015 10:39

With regard to the cables that appear to be coiled in an S shape at the back of the middle left bay, below the telephone patch board.

Are they connected to anything? or is it just a coil of cables without plugs on the end?

Ray Taylor

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raytaylor

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#1341999 13-Jul-2015 10:43

Looking at it zoomed in it appears the installer only designed the system for telephone if there are no spare blue cables.

So I would just pull the cables off the telephone module, terminate them with an RJ45 plug, and install a network switch.

Can you please post a photo of one of your wall outlets?
Hopefully they have a "blank" for an extra socket on the same wall outlet panel.

Ray Taylor

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coffeebaron

6231 posts

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#1342005 13-Jul-2015 10:56

Keep the current phone module there for POTs & xDSL. Pull off all the other cables and terminate to a data patch panel. Terminate all wall sockets to RJ45. You can then patch data or phone to wherever.

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Theclaytons

203 posts

Master Geek

#1342603 13-Jul-2015 21:42

Thanks to all, I'm going to do as above on the weekend.

Chris.

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lxsw20

3552 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

#1342611 13-Jul-2015 22:00

Looks like yet another case of a sparky not knowing wtf he was doing to me.

andrewNZ

2487 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#1342660 13-Jul-2015 23:02

A patch panel/808 is a much better idea than just RJ45's IMO. It's tidier, and whats been run isn't designed to be moved around a lot.

Better to have a replaceable patch cable fail, than the fixed wiring.

Some will say it's a non issue because people setup and forget these panels. I say, it takes one kink to ruin a cable, and premise wiring kinks very easy.

sbiddle

30853 posts

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Biddle Corp

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#1342687 14-Jul-2015 06:29

lxsw20: Looks like yet another case of a sparky not knowing wtf he was doing to me.

Pretty much. They even seem incapable of even reading instruction manuals these days!

raytaylor

4014 posts

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#1342764 14-Jul-2015 09:23

I am working on a guide for sparkys that are doing new home builds in our coverage area.

I am sick of electricians saying that a wifi router will provide internet to a house, when all you need is one smart tv on wifi and collision collapse screws that idea.

So I am basing the ideas off of chorus' guide but will be going further by providing parts numbers from hills and dynamix.

What ideas do you guys think I should include in the guide?

Ray Taylor

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