Network Cabling/ Topology

[mclarko]

Condition 10 of Terms and Conditions of Employment: Do whatever your boss tells you to do!

A new office has been built. At each desk location there are 2 CAT5 cable ends. In the lobby downstairs, where there will be a BT line coming in, a bunch of cables hang down with bare ends (no connectors on ends). Below on the floor Im told is a Patch Panel. On this panel there are 24 sockets for RJ45. All 24 sockets on the patch panel itself are connected via a sheathed cable to a big white "shoe box sized" connection box. Thats it!

I have 3 questions:

1. If it is possible to ascertain from my description, where do the dangling cables in the lobby go? Should they have RJ45 on them so they can be plugged in to the Patch panel? Maybe they are destined to go into the Shoe box sized box? The latter would make sense, since I can imagine that the 24 sockets on the patch panel need to go to a router and then to a modem and then BT line?

1. Why are there *2* CAT5 cables going to each desk in the office? There are 17 desks, and so 34 cat5 cables, and yet the patch panel has only 24 RJ45 sockets. Are they for different types of networking?

2. What sort of equipment do I need (router/ switches etc) to set up a network, assuming I have 17 PCs and a Patch Panel with 24 sockets? Do I buy a 24 port router or do I need a switch (not sure what one is) ...


Crikey!

Slightest bit of light on this would be helpful :|

Malco

 

[IBMan]

wow..um..find out exactly what that shoe box sized box is, if thats a switch then good, the patch panel is probable connected to a switch which then is probably uplinked to a router, otherwise, get a router, and a switch and terminate the cables and plug them into the switch(or the patch panel and attatch the other side of each to the switch) and configure each as necessary. As to why there are 2 cat 5 outlets at each workstation, probably in case you need to do some work with a laptop at the workstation or if a cable dies you can unplug one from the patch panel and plug in the other one and swap the connection for quick redundancy, thats the only thing i can think of. any more info would be awesome.

anyway, a switch is a networking component which allows multiple computers to plug in to a central location to be networked. other devices such as servers(which..essentially are computers) other switches, routers, other network devices.

 

[mclarko]

wow..um..find out exactly what that shoe box sized box is, if thats a switch then good, the patch panel is probable connected to a switch which then is probably uplinked to a router, otherwise, get a router, and a switch and terminate the cables and plug them into the switch(or the patch panel and attatch the other side of each to the switch) and configure each as necessary. As to why there are 2 cat 5 outlets at each workstation, probably in case you need to do some work with a laptop at the workstation or if a cable dies you can unplug one from the patch panel and plug in the other one and swap the connection for quick redundancy, thats the only thing i can think of. any more info would be awesome.

anyway, a switch is a networking component which allows multiple computers to plug in to a central location to be networked. other devices such as servers(which..essentially are computers) other switches, routers, other network devices.

The shoe box is not a device, its a junction box for many connections. Its got an open back and looks as if its to be attached to the wall.

I think now that the dual CAT5 cabling is for phone and data.

You say I need a router behind the switch. Is this necessary? There are basically 17 PCs each wired straight to the lobby. Can I not just use a switch uplinked to a modem?

There will be a server too, which I was hoping i could just make the 18th PC going into the switch - or do I need to place the server in another configuration for the most efficient movement/ speed of data?

So much to think about!! :amazed: :amazed:

Thanks for your help

Malco

 

[IBMan]

most isp's are not going to give you 18 public ip addresses on top of the fact that if they did it would be a lot more expensive, you'll need a router to perform NAT functionality along with a DHCP server unless you want to use static IP's. If you're only going to have 18 pc's max currently placed in this network then just go buy a 24 port switch, uplink it to a router(leaving 23 ports left to go) 18 and you'll still have 5 ports left for upgrading if you need to add anything else.

im still confused on this shoe box sized thing, a junction box for many connections...to/from what? what can you plug into it, wat is it doing right now, is it just a cardboard box with cables in one end and out the other? for all i know this could be a ups, a surge protector, **** it could even be a switch for all the info i have right now..please provide as much info as possible.

 

[kranich]

Sounds to me that you “box sized deal” is a punch down panel for the bare wires coming into the lobby. Each of those, once properly punched, will terminate into a RJ45 port on the patch panel. If I were in this boat I would first look to see if the contractors labeled the CAT5 on each end, which they normally do. If not I would expose one set of wires (say green and striped green), twist the exposed ends together on one side and use a multi-meter to test for continuity on the green/striped green wires on the other side until I identified which cables are for which room. Of course I would also be labeling them as I went. It seems like a cumbersome task but 18 is really not that many. You could just terminate them all and just tone out each termination then label but that is sloppy since you want some order to the thing.

 

[mclarko]

Originally posted by kranich

Yes thankfully the cables are numbered. The white box seems to fit your description of a punch down panel. I cant get to the offices for a few days now to totally verify.

I think the jigsaw puzzle is coming together thanks to you guys.

Thanks IBMan for enlightening me on the need for a router and its placement with the switch.

Its clear that what I have to contend with really are a number of PCs with phone cabling all terminating at a punch panel before the CAT5 data cabling goes into a patch panel in the lobby. This includes the file server, which I have read would benefit from a Gigabit connection to a switch. I would then use straight patch cable to connect each PC to the 24 port switch. One port of the switch will then be used to uplink to a router/modem.

Will try and contact wiring guy and BT to see if wiring can be completed.

This all sounds like a job in itself - .... im now thinking of network software or rather how to give users permissions to specific directories on the file server...

Thank you all for your help. I dont feel I can ask more of you......for now

Malco

 

[IBMan]

make sure if you're going to be using gigabit connection on the fileserver that the switch supports gigabit.

 

[mclarko]

Ive googled switches and found some FE switches with 1 or 2 Gb ports on the end.


Thanks.

 

[IBMan]

thats good, those are usually used for uplink, if you're only going to have that file server on there then you could see if your router has gigabit ethernet and plug each into one of the gigabit ports.

 

[mclarko]

Router with a Gb port? Thats a good idea.

Is it also an idea to have two switches? One port of the 24 port switch is connected via Gigabit segment to a 4 port switch with the file server and 2-3 heavy bandwidth users.

Malco