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Discussion in 'Off-Topic Discussion' started by bobbilly, May 26, 2021.

  1. May 26, 2021 at 7:52 AM
    #1
    bobbilly

    bobbilly [OP] New Member

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    Looking for a little guidance on our new(to us) home. It's currently prewired with cat5e cable that is being used for rj11 jacks. I plan on rewiring to rj45. With that we are in the queue to have fiber ran to the house. I also have preordered Starlink, once that's available I'll be keeping both as the wife and I are both working remotely.

    On to the question(s)/guidance. Currently the cat5e cables are setup for phone lines in a wall panel in the garage. Ideally I'd like to move the connections to the basement. I know I need quite a few items but what's the best bang for my buck. I would like a wall mounted server rack. What do I need?

    The current list:

    Wall Mounted Server Rack
    Patch Panel(24 port)
    Network switch(24 port)
    Fortinet firewall, this should handle a redundant internet setup from what I'm being told.
    patch cables
    RJ45 female ends

    Am I missing anything? What have you used in your home setups that you've had luck with. I don't want to spend a fortune but I don't want to skimp out to save a few dollars.
     
  2. May 26, 2021 at 8:10 AM
    #2
    ezdog

    ezdog New Member

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    Why would you move the headend to exactly???

    Also none of the stuff you list us very pricey either.
     
  3. May 26, 2021 at 8:23 AM
    #3
    bobbilly

    bobbilly [OP] New Member

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    More for accessibility than anything.

    I guess pricey is relative. I've looked at unifi switches and for a 24 port pro(again, is this over kill for my situation?) and it's $699, but on the other side of that a tp link 16 port is $70(unifi non-pro 16 is $299). I don't like the idea of $700 on a switch, but I want to get something that's quality that won't be crapping out on me every 5 to 6 months.
     
  4. May 26, 2021 at 8:30 AM
    #4
    Danimal86

    Danimal86 Looks clean even when its dirty!

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    I would go with some retired enterprise equipment off ebay.
     
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  5. May 26, 2021 at 8:48 AM
    #5
    BiggHertz

    BiggHertz DZTLIMO

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    Stuff and Things
    Wireless?
     
  6. May 26, 2021 at 9:15 AM
    #6
    ezdog

    ezdog New Member

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    I was mainly talking about the infrastructure stuff you listed,all of the wiring and cabinet stuff is really cheap in general.

    Whether you need Enterprise Grade gear or not is something it is still tough to say based on what we know but I will tell you that I install and service Home Networks every day and have all throughout this time with everyone working from home and most people do not need anywhere near the capability that they think they do.

    So I like and use the Unifi and all other the Ubiquity lines all the time and it is my go to gear but I like it mostly for the ability to administer it remotely one setup as much as the simplicity of setup and reliability in general and the performance is as good as anything out there in my experience but it is less expensive in general in apple to apple comparisons too.

    The cheapest Unifi Router has dual input ports for Broadband too and the switches are great and it sort of boils down to whether and how much POE you need overall deciding which ones you might want.

    Most houses hardly need every jack location to work so a 24 port powered switch is often complete overkill for the home.

    The Dream Machine is a really compelling product too and it combines a lot of the Unifi juice into a single device and you also might want to think about the WiFi 6 stuff which is just starting to really hit the market now but again it might be more than you really need too and your computers need to have it built-in as well as the Network to really take advantage of the speeds and user activity that are its real reason for being in then first place.

    I have several homes with 50 users on the wireless all the time and countless IOT crap too and even on the USG and a couple of In Wall APs they have no problems at all on a single 200mps Cable Connection to give you an idea.

    So what are you using right now?
    And what is your current Broadband connection?

    I also have a few homes on a shitty ViaSat connection and even with a parent and 3 kids working and going to school from home they are making do with the Sat connection usually.
     
  7. May 26, 2021 at 10:10 AM
    #7
    bobbilly

    bobbilly [OP] New Member

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    Not a bad thought. I'll have to look at prices vs. complexity of setup. I've messed with some cisco equipment prior and it was not fun.

    Wireless will be re-evaluated shortly after the fiber is installed. We do have an abundance of IOT devices.
     
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  8. May 26, 2021 at 10:27 AM
    #8
    bobbilly

    bobbilly [OP] New Member

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    Firstly, thank you for the in depth response! I'm still a little green when it comes to network infrastructure and hope my responses didn't come across crass. I'm open to all suggestions and appreciate all aspects.

    Secondly(long winded response)
    Yes, while browsing (slowly) last light most items are extremely cheaper than I anticipated.

    I don't think I need the complexity of enterprise but if it's simple and reliable I'm all for it.

    We actually switched from cisco to Unifi at work recently which is why I was considering it for my home network, do I need the pro versions? Probably not, but again, I want the reliability so if a few hundred more will get it I'm all for it.

    I'll have to dig into the dual input ports. I wasn't aware that they where an option for that aspect of it. The fortinet is going to be given to me at no charge but if the Unifi will handle it why bother. As I was typing this out, the internet went down.

    I don't need all the ports live but it would be nice to know IF i need them they are there. 24 ports is definitely double what I need but I do plan on adding a NAS along with a few other devices. Now that I count even with the extra devices 16 should be more than plenty.

    I won't be anywhere near 50 users, but I probably have close to the same amount of devices as 50 :rofl:. Countless game consoles, more tv's than I care to admit, way to many ipads/iphones. The list goes on. The wife also does a lot of screen sharing for work and team meetings so I need it reliable.

    Currently rocking, don't be shocked at these speeds in our current state of technology, 15MBS. DSL baby! Looked into viasat, hughesnet and all the rest with no luck. Viasat can't even find my address that populates in the locator.
     
  9. May 26, 2021 at 10:36 AM
    #9
    Danimal86

    Danimal86 Looks clean even when its dirty!

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    I'm only assuming that you are out in the sticks and cell signal is shit?
     
  10. May 26, 2021 at 10:38 AM
    #10
    bobbilly

    bobbilly [OP] New Member

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    Accurate! I lose signal walking around the house constantly. I've looked into weboost but if the wifi is up to par I think we will be ok for a bit. Once the internet is up to snuff that's the next project.
     
  11. May 26, 2021 at 10:59 AM
    #11
    Pine Tree State

    Pine Tree State New Member

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    We've got a few fire stations here I just deployed Ubiquiti dream machines to because they didnt need a full cisco stack like we have in the main offices.

    Just to give you an idea. We have these controlling cameras and internet/wifi. Pretty nifty packages, a lot of bang for your buck. In each station we have a rackmount with a UDM Pro w/ 4tb hdd for recording, 8 port Unifi POE managed switch, and a patch panel. Cloud access is super easy to use and the user interface is very slick.

    I would overspend and get the POE but underspend and dont buy such a large switch. A lot of stuff is wifi now so you will probably overestimate how many things you need plugged in hard-wire.

    So you could pickup

    Dream Machine Pro - $379
    16 Port POE Unifi Switch - $299
    2 x Lite Access Points should be good for residential use - $200
    1 x 4tb HDD WD Purple - $100

    Subtotal: $978

    Add whatever patch panels, server rack you desire. That leaves you room to add a few cameras whenever you want and already have the recording capacity there. Just my $.02, Im sure I forgot something.
     
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  12. May 26, 2021 at 12:54 PM
    #12
    Danimal86

    Danimal86 Looks clean even when its dirty!

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    Starlink is super cool tech, but isn't it like $100/mo? I would get a cell signal booster and grab a cellular based hotspot. You can still do failover with a mobile hotspot connected to your router.
     
  13. May 26, 2021 at 7:18 PM
    #13
    bobbilly

    bobbilly [OP] New Member

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    Super cool tech and super expensive. Not only $100/month but the startup fee is $500 also. It is nice in the fact that there is 0 data cap, which I hope to use to my advantage.
     
  14. May 26, 2021 at 8:00 PM
    #14
    Bakershack

    Bakershack Critical of Noncritical Thinkers

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    I really like the FortiGate 60f we use in our office, but I tried to work out a deal for a 40f for home use. With the support (including the antivirus and all the other protections), it was going to cost me about $225 PER YEAR if I paid for 5 years up front. Yes, you could technically use just the hardware, which is very good quality, but without all the other services you are really not getting much. You can't even get firmware updates without a support contract.
     
  15. May 27, 2021 at 6:47 AM
    #15
    bobbilly

    bobbilly [OP] New Member

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    Interesting. I never thought of the subscription that would come with it.
     
  16. May 27, 2021 at 6:59 AM
    #16
    PermaFrostTRD

    PermaFrostTRD Tumescent Member

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    Eero mesh wifi network? Thats what we have. 3 "units" spaced throughout our house, one of them connected via cat5 to the cable modem. Never lose a signal or experience lag in speed while walking room to room.
     
  17. May 27, 2021 at 7:36 AM
    #17
    Cruzer

    Cruzer Wheeling Full Size

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    Just my opinion:

    For the cat5e panel in the garage:
    - chop off the RJ11 and connect RJ45 (obviously the other ends in the room as well)
    - get a cheap 1G switch (if you need POE then get a cheap POE switch - make sure it supports the POE versions your devices need)
    - connect all the RJ45s into the switch
    - connect a single cat5e cable to the switch and run it down to the basement

    In the basement:
    - get another cheap switch to terminate the garage cat5e cable (you no longer need a patch panel)
    - connect your other components to the switch

    Server rack:
    - there are small ceiling attached racks anywhere from 4U to 12U that you can mount - keep things off of the floor

    Firewall:
    Most home ISPs require DHCP and authentication, if you're firewall can do that onto 2 separate ports then configuring redundancy shouldn't be a problem. A lot of the smaller home/office firewalls typically have 1 port that can do that.
     
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  18. May 27, 2021 at 8:02 AM
    #18
    BlueCrushSC16

    BlueCrushSC16 New Member

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    My thoughts exactly. Less hassle. I upgraded my network to an AmpliFi HD (High Density) Home Wi-Fi Systems, Gamer’s Edition mesh setup.
    Easily covers a 3200 sqft house. Simple setup through an integrated LED screen. They recently released the AmpliFi Alien, which had it been available when I was in the market, would have been my choice.

    https://amplifi.com/
     
  19. May 27, 2021 at 8:16 AM
    #19
    bobbilly

    bobbilly [OP] New Member

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    Wirless is on the agenda but I'm a little sour on mesh systems. Purchased the first google wifi and didn't have much luck in a 2200sq ft house. We've since upped the size of the house and added a floor, so I'm more cautious to rely soley on wireless this go round. With my wife's constant screen sharing/teams meetings I'd like to have it as a backup.

    Definitely going to look hard at a newer wifi6 mesh system so any and all suggestions will make the excel sheet.
     
  20. May 27, 2021 at 8:46 AM
    #20
    Rodtheviking

    Rodtheviking New Member

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    We went through 4 different ones in our new house, Netgear, Google, Linksys and now TP Link DECO M9. The TP has been flawless so far with our 2700sqft home, I can get it out mowing the back yard too.
     
  21. May 27, 2021 at 8:51 AM
    #21
    Danimal86

    Danimal86 Looks clean even when its dirty!

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    I had the same experience with google wifi. My parents have a big ass house and thought it would be a perfect solution. You can maintain full wifi signal through out the house, but speed from puck to puck drops like crazy. The base puck will be really fast, but you go to the next one in the middle of the house and its about 20% of the base one. It still ends up working well for my parents since its mostly streaming and surfing, but it would be a deal breaker for me. I'm a fan of one powerfull router (i have the rt-ac5300 from asus)
     
  22. May 27, 2021 at 10:24 AM
    #22
    AT x AT

    AT x AT Trooper Transport

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    Mods, what mods?
    These are all great recommendations, but before you can do anything, have you set yourself a budget already? It's inferred that you have. With that said, it's a slippery slope once you get in to the details on how you want your network to be built out.

    I went from consumer TP-Link and Cisco gear to prosumer Ubiquity gear. My use case is suburbs, mainly wifi. Support for segregated networks, mostly WiFi devices and providing PoE for my security cameras.

    Here is my network stack:


    You can source these items on eBay for a significant discount over new.
     
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  23. May 27, 2021 at 2:04 PM
    #23
    G10dra

    G10dra Not a New Member

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    Also, it'll be a good idea to add 1 or two UPS battery backup for those equipment and NAS - Since you said it's going to the basement. keep everything off the floor -
     
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