[NTLUG:Discuss] LAN Planning

Fri Aug 23 09:11:54 CDT 2002

First off I would get SWITCH capable of 10/100 connections.  Zonets ZFS3016
16 port rackmount runs about 100 dollars and would be a worth while
investment check www.pricewatch.com.  Since this is a home install you could
run cable from fry's at between 49 and 69 depending on their mood
apparently.  A cable crimper you could use for this install will run you
about 20 dollars getting a good one will run you closer to 50.  As for a
punch down with cutter your looking at about 50 dollars as well.  You will
find however with the 66 block you can use a simple small flat head screw
driver and then clip the ends with a pocket knife.  Your also looking at
something like a recessed lighting fixture cover could be used to help
"close the hole" in the ceiling when your done.  This can be found at a
local hardware store but I don't have a price for you right now it should be
well under 40 bucks.  All you really need is the sleave and mounts and for a
good seal use the foam they use to stuff pillows and just cut a circle a bit
large than the hole in the top of the light and par it back as you put more
cable in there it will keep the closet from equalizing the temperature with
the attic. The next thing you might think about investing in or borrowing is
somehting know as fish tape.  This wonderful little toy will allow you to
feed a very strong metal wire through the wall to pull the cable through.
The investment on this is around 20-30 dollars and is worth it to guide the
cables down the wall to the outlet.  For your wall plates I would recomend
you just search those out on the internet.  The only place I know of that
you would be able to pick them up is relativly expensive for the keystones
for some reason.  Altex in addison carries the wall plates a set of plastic
wall mounts that work real good.  They have the wall plates and key stones
and they run from .89 for the wall mount 1.25 for the wall plate (single or
dual) 4.50 for the keystone and 2.00 for a bag of 10 blanks.  This can be
found for less but I use this place exclusevly for convenience.  They also
carry pretty much everything I've listed here with the possible exception of
the switch.  I would use bedroom 2 closet if possible as it represents the
most central point in the house and would save you in cable.  You should
also use as many "common walls" as possible.  Your next concern should be
connectivity and the pipe 50/85 require no proxy.  One could be setup if you
like but they do not need one on their own as they support a feature called
NAT which you can lookup on the net.  It supports outbound connections and
reverse port mapping a very nice feature for the type of setup your doing.
If you end up with the dsl solution you will most likely have to go with
some type of proxy.  If this will be in the garage I would suggest you go as
solid state as possible with low heat components like one of the lynksys
routers for 100 dollars.  as for the wireless connections enless you have a
personal need for the mobility it offers you i.e. being able to go into the
backyard with a laptop or pda I wouldn't worry about the 802.11 stuff.  The
standard will change more over the next couple of years  and hopefully the
quality will as well.  Already they have 22Mb products out there and I hear
54 is on the way so unless there is a need I wouldn't cut your performance
by 10 so I didn't have to run wires.

One last thing the best way I have found to make the holes so they don't end
up looking like you chewed them dirrectly out of the drywall is to use a
template.  You can make this out of the wall mount in cardboard then do your
tracing on the wall were you want it use a drill to start the hole and a jig
saw to cut it out.  Doing it this way will make the final product look like
you had someone come out a do the install for you.

-----Original Message-----
From: discuss-admin at ntlug.org [mailto:discuss-admin at ntlug.org]On Behalf
Of Aaron Goldblatt
Sent: Friday, August 23, 2002 4:53 AM
To: discuss at ntlug.org
Subject: [NTLUG:Discuss] LAN Planning

I need some suggestions for designing a LAN I want to put into my
(new, as in still-smell-paint new) house.

Objective:  Most of the computer equipment will be centered in a
bedroom, but one computer won't be in that bedroom, and it is
necessary to connect that computer to the LAN.

CURRENT SETUP:

I have two physically independent networks, one running 10.x.x.x,
one
running live IPs.  The live IP one runs 10BaseT.  The 10.x.x.x runs
100BaseT.  The private network is used for things like local IMAP,
SMTP relay, and NFS.  The public network is used to connect to
the
net without the hassle of a proxy.

All wiring lays on the floor and is a trip and choke hazard.  I have
a very small baby and I'm trying to clean things up some.

DESIRED SETUP:

Looking for suggestions.

Functionality requirements, notes and questions:

1) A single physical network is nice but not strictly required.  The
private side network must run 100meg.  The hub on that network is
a
3Com 100BaseTX hub with a couple of fiber inputs.  It will -not-
switch down to 10 megabits.

2) Easy to wire.  Patch panel optimal.  It can go in a closet.

3) Easy to expand to additional ports.  Big patch panel?  (How
many
ports would be good?  This is a 4br 2150 sqft house.  I want ports in
at least three bedrooms, and possibly the formal living room which
we're turning into a library.)

4) The Internet connectivity will be coming through some sort of
10BaseT port, either an Ascend Pipeline 50 or 85, or some kind of
xDSL modem/router thing.  This means that a proxy is necessary
unless
we go with two physical LANs.

5) Money is an object, but plenum cable is absolutely required.
Please tell me where it can be found at the price-performance
sweet
spot.  :)

6) In that same line of thought, does somebody have a punchdown
tool
I can borrow, or know where can I get one for not-a-lot?  Will also
need wall plates, wall plate pop-ins, male RJ45 ends, and a
crimper.

7) If we locate a wiring closet in one of the bedroom closets, what
can be done to make the hole in the ceiling pretty?  Just leaving an
empty hole isn't a good idea.  Would piss off the wife major bad.

8) Is there a standard color pattern for wiring in a house?  When
I've built cables, I've done it like this (hook facing away):

LEFT
Orange-White
Orange
Green-White
Blue
Blue-White
Green
Brown-White
Brown
RIGHT

9)  There is a lack of telephone jacks in this house (only one in the
kitchen and another in the master bedroom).  I know it's certainly
possible to run landlines on the unused CAT5 pairs; is it wise?
Should I simply drop new line?

10) For each faceplate I was planning two RJ45 ports, each with it's
own 4 pair lead.  Should I simply consolidate them and go for using
all four pairs, forgetting for the moment the landline issue?

11) Wiring closet in the bedroom closet, or in the garage?  Garage
is
not AC'd (obviously), which is my only major concern about putting
it
there.

IN THE ALTERNATIVE, should I simply forget wiring the walls and
go
for the 802.11x solution for the one computer not in the bedroom?
If
I do, I'll have a number of walls to go through, all sheetrock.

This is a brand new house.  I don't want to do this half-assed by
just running Cat5 through a hole punched in a common wall, but I
don't want to spend a fortune on it either.

Floorplan, for your enjoyment, is at
http://www.goldblatt.net/floorplan.png (450k).  The office will be
"BEDROOM 4," and the wiring closet will be in the closet for
"BEDROOM
4."  The location of the non-office computer is unknown at this time,
but let's assume less than 100 wire meters including patch cables.

The "library" referenced above is on the floorplan as "LIVING."  The
real living room for everyday use is labeled "FAMILY."

Your experience is appreciated.  :)

ag

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