Purchased a home but found it in terrible shape. Need assistance.
Purchased a home but found it in terrible shape. Need assistance.
I recently purchased a house with a lot of cable clutter, and we've managed to get it working. It has no internet issues, but it's stored in my master closet. I'm trying to organize it myself because I want to save money. My main concern is finding the right place to clean it up without disturbing my wife who works from home. Any advice or help would be really appreciated. Thanks for your time!
I made the changes so large I created another post. Read my second reply first. To be honest, aside from zero cable management, that configuration is fine. You don’t need a Netgear 5-port switch since you can connect those directly to the AT&T gateway. Taking out the switch will make it look better and reduce the number of power requirements. If you want to retain the power strip, mount it yourself, but without the switch you might not even need it, or you could opt for something smaller. For future upgrades, consider purchasing small shelves from a hardware store. If you plan to keep only the ISP gateway, keep it wall-mounted and tidy the cables. Assuming the messy cables are for your home telephone ports, leave them as is. Once you organize those extra wires, you can reinstall the cover (or get a new one) and the cables will disappear from view. The same applies to those f-type cables (cable TV ones) hanging down—you may not use them now, just hide them in the box.
Significant disagreement after re-examining the setup. The wiring I thought was just telephone lines is actually your network infrastructure! Wow, that’s concerning—even for older Cat5 cables. Someone used standards that are rough but functional for phone lines. Networking demands more precision, so this isn’t acceptable. Take a deep breath...lol You really have three choices now. You can leave things as they are and hope for the best, but be aware you might not achieve full gigabit speeds over those cables, and you’d definitely fall short of 2.5 or higher.
Option 2: Upgrade to a compact wall-mounted patch panel with a punch-down tool. Terminate the blue and white cables into it, remove the block, and discard all yellow cables. Then connect the Gateway or Switch using standard patch cables.
Option 3: If you prefer not to handle a patch panel, purchase RJ45 end connectors and attach them directly to the blue and white cables. Follow a YouTube tutorial on terminating RJ45 cables. Practice with spare cables first—there’s little room for error here. Once comfortable, you can plug the blue/white cables straight into your gateway or switch. This method is simpler and most practical for home use. It’s not technically ideal per network standards, but it works well in practice. For larger setups, a patch panel helps maintain organized cabling, though it’s only necessary once you have a rack.
I’d personally choose option 3 if I were you. It’s straightforward and avoids direct wall connections, which reduces the risk of damage. The switch will handle the majority of connections, and you’ll save yourself a lot of hassle.
I’m pointing out an alternative choice since I’ve worked with structured media panels before. Here’s the link: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Leviton-Stru.../203409457 After sorting through the details, you’ll notice three wire groups: CATV/COAX, which are isolated. Telco, the component housed within most of these units, is what makes up the majority of this setup—those blue and grey wires correspond to it. These may not currently support Ethernet, though they appear to be prepared for it. If you’re unsure about your needs, take a moment to clarify your objectives. If everything seems fine, you can temporarily cover the area without concern. For real issues, we can assess the best solution.
The bundled COAX cables on the right aren't important to me. I don't plan to use them. The telecom company installing the existing punchdown is providing internet, and several rooms are connected through that connection and the switch. The grey and blue wires connect to various Ethernet ports throughout the house (I think). The yellow wire seems to lead nowhere except to the hole I can see. The white wires, which aren't COAX, serve a similar purpose but avoid that hole. My aim is to make most Ethernet ports work in my home and figure out where each wire goes, clearing up the messy wiring. My house is about 3,300 square feet, and while I use Wi-Fi extenders, I favor wired connections. I've lived here for roughly two years now. I don't have much money left, but I don’t want to waste it. Thanks to both of you for your time and guidance. It means a lot as I begin handling this situation.
This situation makes more sense now. I’m always concerned that someone new to a house—especially a first-time homeowner—is trying to sort through a chaotic mess like this. By now you’re clear on how risky that would be! You’re looking to tackle it yourself instead of spending a fortune, then grab a few patch panels from the link above that fit right into your current setup. Also, consider getting a new cover for your structured media center—it looks awkward without one. You might also need to swap out some jacks at the other end; they’re cheap but don’t skimp on quality.
For the next two items you’ll likely need or want: a line tracer and tester (like this one) and an 110 punchdown tool (such as this).
In the past, I’ve handled similar messes by working through each cable one at a time—punching them down, mapping them, and testing. Once everything that isn’t carrying Ethernet is sorted, you’ll have a much smaller bundle of data-carrying cables to tackle. You can manage just one or two per day after work, and in a week or two you’ll be done without too much hassle.
This approach also helps avoid the “I broke the whole house” scenario, which is important if you want your guests to still enjoy your space at the end!
After setting up the patch panel, I connect a budget patch cable to a switch—something like a Netgear GS108 works well for this size home, or the GS110TPP if you need PoE. Of course, some details will affect the plan, but overall the total cost should be around $200 to $250. Plus, you’ll receive a few useful tools as part of the package.
Sorry, but I strongly dislike patch panels in compact spaces. This isn’t from back in the day. They just increase complexity and potential failure points, mainly benefiting low-voltage technicians. Just mark the cables by their destination and secure them with zip ties. Keep cables you won’t use together in one bundle and store them separately. "Cables could fail if they’re not properly punched down." Probably better to use solid core plenum since that’s what was available on the truck. Adding a small shelf for equipment would be a nice improvement. Also, include a shelf for the Wi-Fi 6 access point so you don’t have to rely solely on Ethernet runs you spent time punching down.