The modem with an Ethernet jack can deliver internet throughout your home.
The modem with an Ethernet jack can deliver internet throughout your home.
All ethernet jacks converge at one point, so locate it and probably link a router and/or switch to every port before turning them on.
This spot is typically found on the primary level of the home, similar to the living room, rather than being situated outdoors for service delivery.
Typically the cables are gathered on the lower level or in the basement near the DSL/fiber entry point where your router or modem connects. The connections will merge at a patch panel or something comparable, such as this setup: Each port is marked with its room and jack, or you’ll need to plug one device in at one end and test each port individually with another device until the Ethernet port lights up to identify which one it is. There are tools that can assist with this, but after a bit of effort you might not require them.
You can connect a wireless access point or router to any jack in the house; it doesn’t need to be linked directly to the modem.
It can be connected to any jack. For ease I created a simple sketch in paint: this shows how a typical small network might appear. Key points to remember: Your router and modem could be the same unit, often combined to save costs and simplify setup. Many routers come with a built-in switch, though they usually have limited ports. If your router provides enough ports, you might not need an additional switch. Since routers typically act as switches too, you can link your computers and access points straight to the router. End users rarely connect directly to the modem! Switches are only necessary when you need more Ethernet ports than your router offers.
They should be nearby, but sometimes they can end up in a completely different spot. If that is the case you can also use one of the already existing cables to patch your DSL to your modem, as long as it is a DSL connection of course. If it's fiber it won't be possible without seperate fiber cables of course. This might get a little complicated, but I drew another diagram so it's hopefully easier to understand what I mean But basically what I want to say, with a patchpanel you can do all sorts of stuff Yup. If you can use the already existing cabling it makes it a whole lot easier and cleaner, as seen above. But first of course you'll have to figure out where each cable goes to, which is going to be the annoying and time consuming part. But it's not guaranteed that the all terminate at one central location. Who knows what the previous owner did. If you're lucky you might find some sort of ducumentation taped to an inside panel or something