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stevob

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#323630 24-Dec-2025 18:27
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Moved into the new house in March, the folks that had the place before me made a bit of a hash of the network, so it's been low on my priority list.

 

Managed to get what I needed up and running and stuff was just bunged in any old how.

 

Now, thanks in no small part to the collective knowledge, wisdom and inspiration contained in these forums, I've sorted out the cabling and tidied up the LAN cabinet

 

Before 

 

 

After

 

 

Other than the obvious tidy up:

 

  • separated out the co-ax from ethernet cables
  • new 12 port patch panel
  • new slimline power board
  • new wired router
  • XT8 now used as a wireless mesh AP along with its twin

So ending the year in a good place, wanted to say thanks to one and all for the inspiration.

 

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year :-)


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mrgsm021
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  #3446973 24-Dec-2025 18:54
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What a transformation! Well done.

 

My cabinet is worse than your before photo with all the ethernet cable slacks with RJ45 plugs, no patch panel whatsoever.

 

I am curious what you used to mount the router and switch inside the enclosure?

 

 




Mehrts
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  #3446974 24-Dec-2025 18:56
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Nice work 👍

Are we placing bets on how long it'll be until you end up with a fully fledged rack of networking/server gear from fellow GZers? Because that's what tends to happen!

 

Merry Christmas to you too 🎅


stevob

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  #3446975 24-Dec-2025 19:01
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mrgsm021:

 

 

 

I am curious what you used to mount the router and switch inside the enclosure?

 

 

 

 

There's a couple of large Command Strips on the back of the router, and one on the switch. Not sure how the glue will hold up, plan B is to attach them to screws.




mrgsm021
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  #3446978 24-Dec-2025 19:27
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Thanks!

 

I was hoping you were using some kind of screws for mounting so could ask for the size/type used.

 

It certainly looks a lot tidier than the cable tie mess that's currently in my cabinet.


nitro
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  #3447112 25-Dec-2025 10:56
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looks awesome! good job!

 

 


k1w1k1d
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  #3447113 25-Dec-2025 11:17
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Big improvement on the original mess that you started with. 

 

Probably just me being picky, but you probably need to get a longer patch cable to go around the ONT rather than over the front of it.

 

What is the round thing with ears in the bottom right corner?


 
 
 
 

Shop now for Dyson appliances (affiliate link).
Delorean
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  #3447114 25-Dec-2025 11:34
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That looks awesome. From experience, I can say how transformative a clean setup like this is. When I bought my house, the cabinet was an absolute mess, so I’ve since relocated all of the equipment into a proper rack and re-routed the Ethernet to suit.

 

The original cabinet now only houses the ONT and an 8-port Ethernet termination block. I’ve run 24 structured cables throughout the house for networking, cameras, and future expansion. It was a significant upfront investment, but the result is a home that’s fully cabled, cleanly organised, and properly future-proofed.





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stevob

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  #3447115 25-Dec-2025 11:48
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k1w1k1d:

 

Probably just me being picky, but you probably need to get a longer patch cable to go around the ONT rather than over the front of it.

 

What is the round thing with ears in the bottom right corner?

 

 

Fair observation re the patch cable thanks! Was also thinking to make up shorter ones for the switch>patch panel to get rid of the looped slack in the middle. There's a Grandstream HT802 to fit in too, so a bit of shuffling still to do.

 

The thing with ears is the IoT hub that connects the cat door to the internet/App - the ears are LED indicators e.g. are red when disconnected and flash green when the cat comes in and out...not that you'd need an LED to  tell you that...!


k1w1k1d
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  #3447124 25-Dec-2025 13:03
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Daughter has the Sureflap pet door connect, but she didn't need the hub. She couldn't see what use it would be. Do you find it useful?


stevob

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  #3447155 25-Dec-2025 15:26
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k1w1k1d:

 

Daughter has the Sureflap pet door connect, but she didn't need the hub. She couldn't see what use it would be. Do you find it useful?

 

 

Yeah it's needed to use the Sureflap App - which we use to set a curfew, or lock/unlock the door remotely, also gives peace of mind when we're away to know if the cats are in or out.


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