What are the network challenges?
What are the network challenges?
Hey everyone,
I purchased a house a few years back and the previous owner had a pretty advanced cat5 configuration. He was using a whole-house entertainment system that relied on cat5 connections to link various devices via IR signals (that’s what he said).
As someone who works with software, Oracle, ERP, and data warehousing, I didn’t really explore the network setup because I lacked the necessary knowledge. The house had cat5 ports in nearly every room, a mechanical room, and the basement featured several 12-port Leviton Gigamax 5E switches. Since nothing was labeled, I’ve been trying to understand it through trial and error.
Over time, I added more switches to boost connections at each wall location for different devices.
Overall, it functions reasonably well. I’ve included a diagram of the setup. The main issue we face is that because there are so many 'tplink' switches, resetting the modem can trigger a chain reaction of downstream resets, which disrupts connectivity and IPconfig settings across all my devices.
Here are my questions:
1) The red arrow in my diagram might create a loop—does this need to be there?
2) I’m not very familiar with how the Leviton patch panels operate. I know they connect to the router, and my living room has internet, but I’m curious about what’s really happening here. Any advice would be appreciated?
3) Wifi isn’t an option and would fix all my problems, but I’m wondering if there’s a way to simplify this configuration further?
Cheers,
K2
Patch panel serves as a simple wiring hub for connecting short cables to switches or routers, essentially just that.
1. It’s unnecessary; it might trigger a broadcast storm since there’s already a connection between the router and the switch, correct?
2. The second port seems connected from the patch panel to the family room wall jack.
3. I’m unsure about the purpose of the wall jack in the middle of the picture—does it have any use? If not, you can detach the switch except for the router and link #2, #4, #11, and #12 to the router.
Cat5 works fine for 100mbps, which is sufficient for video streaming. To upgrade to higher speeds like 1/2.5/5 or 10 Gbps, you should replace the cable with at least cat5e and consider using cat6 or cat6a for better performance. Also, update your switches from 100Mbps to a higher standard.
Swap the modem for an SB8200. Change the TLR600VPN to a UniFi Cloud Gateway Fiber. Replace each TLSF1005D with an 8-port POE switch from UniFi. Once done, you can install the U7-Pro XGS access points freely in any location.
It’s very unlikely your wiring uses cat5 cables. The patch panel supports cat5e, indicating the cable was probably standard when installed. The expense for producing both cat5 and cat5e has remained consistent over many years.
I suspect this unusual setup exists because the switch you have only has five ports. I would consider replacing it with an 8-port gigabit switch and connecting it to a modem, then linking the tplink router to the new switch, and finally using the patch panel for other areas.
8-port gigabit switches are now around $20 each. Bigger models like 24-port ones cost about $70, while cheaper alternatives can be found for under $10. Prices have dropped significantly.
All your current switches operate at 100mbps, so upgrading to higher-speed models might be worthwhile. 5-port gigabit switches are typically under $15 from brands like tplink, and even cheaper options are available. These devices use the same internal chips that haven’t changed much over time.
Although managing multiple connections can be confusing, it shouldn’t be a major concern if you direct some jacks to the router and others to the switch. With consumer-grade gear, be mindful of loops—only aim for a single connection between switches. It seems you don’t currently have a loop, which makes it less likely you’re experiencing problems like this.