Do I need a patch panel ?

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lissie

495 posts

Ultimate Geek

#198958 29-Jul-2016 14:35

OK in the process of getting Fibre installed. I've had Fibre before so I know what the boxes look like. I've agreed with the Chorus chap to install the ONT pretty much in the centre of our house - where it will sit in a corridor behind some furniture. Up until now I've always just plugged a length of ethernet between modem and my work computer and run everything else in the house (one other laptop) on WIFI

But we are thinking it would be nice to get some cat5 cabled into the house - probably 3 outlets - one in lounge behind TV one in each study.

So am I right that we should be aiming to have those cables go to a patch panel and then the modem/router connects to those? We have a suitable cupboard near where the ONT will be (its an old broom cupboard) - but I think it would be easy to add a power point to).

Our current modem/router is from WXC and I think we have to return it when we leave them - which we will be after the contract expires in December.

Will putting the modem in a cupboard seriously affect the quality of the wifi signal?

Also does anyone know or recommend a company to do this type of cabling - I have an electrician but he wasn't keen (he's pretty old-school I think the USB enabled power point he did for us was the first time he'd actually installed one!) - we are in Porirua

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timmmay

20592 posts

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#1600827 29-Jul-2016 14:42

I have my ONT and router in a cupboard, high up in the middle of my house, it works great. Suggest you do the same - put the ONT in the cupboard too. You never need to touch it, other than maybe a reboot if something goes wrong, but I've never had to.

lissie

495 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1600859 29-Jul-2016 14:54

Can you remind me the actual dimensions of the ONT - the cupboard is quite small and shallow (long story short it's an ex-hotwater cylinder cupboard which extended into another room - we effectively halfed its depth to get back some space in the room behind - so the cupboard is now only 20cm deep.

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linw

2850 posts

Uber Geek

#1600861 29-Jul-2016 14:57

Personally, I would just plug those three cables straight into the router. A patch panel could always be added later if you wanted.

I have the ONT, router and a gigabit switch co-located and use the switch to distribute to the other rooms/comps.

I have a cheap 4 port wireless AP behind the TV that allows for good wifi in the lounge and for cables to the other devices there e.g. Sky box, A/V unit, etc.

Anyway, good luck with your project and have fun!

timmmay

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#1600863 29-Jul-2016 14:58

ONT is about the size of a small modem. It's a bit smaller than my Fritzbox. I guess it's less than 20cm wide, 15cm tall, and 3cm deep. The key thing is the fiber needs to reach it. My fiber comes in overhead, goes under the house, up a conduit to the roof space, along the roof space, then down into the cupboard. It takes that route as the fiber may have to be re-routed in the future and this makes that easier. The installers were great.

linw

2850 posts

Uber Geek

#1600867 29-Jul-2016 15:01

The ONT is vertically mounted so its depth is only 45mm. W 180, H 130.

lissie

495 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1600881 29-Jul-2016 15:29

I think I might leave the ONT outside the cupboard - dropping a cable from the top of the cupboard would be a bit of a pain as it has a false ceiling, and having it coming up from the floor would be a potential issue as it's a broom cupboard with lots of stuff in e.g the ironing board and the vacuum. ( the router etc can go on a high shelf)

What's an wireless AP ?

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froob

692 posts

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#1601091 29-Jul-2016 21:58

It sounds like your cupboard might not be an ideal place for a patch panel, if it will be difficult to get cables there.

If you are only planning to have three outlets, you don't strictly need to have a patch panel in a central cupboard. Instead, you could just have one of the three outlets as your central point, with the other two wired back to it. You would need to have the ONT installed next to one of the outlets, or have a fourth outlet in the corridor for it.

Having said that, it is nice to have a central cupboard where you can stash some of your networking gear out of the way.

Will putting the modem in a cupboard seriously affect the quality of the wifi signal?

It would reduce your signal a bit, but might still be ok depending on the size of your house and the location of the cupboard.

What's an wireless AP ?

Short for wireless access point - another name for the device that provides your WiFi. Your router is probably a router, wireless AP and ethernet switch all in one.

Guide: Installing Network Cabling in New Zealand Homes