Router Recommendations

[jachin99]

I have wanting to get my hands on one of the PepLink SOHO routers for quite a while because they have good reviews, and regularly release software updates but I wanted to gather some feedback first. I would like to eventually wire my house so that each room has its own switch, and these switches lead back to ports on the router, and possibly some wireless access points. I'm just looking for any recommendations anyone out there might have but at a bare minimum I would like something that doesn't have a bunch of known exploits, and receives regular updates. Thanks.

[Scallica]

I never heard of PepLink. If you are looking for a more granular, fully featured router, look at Zywall's products. If you want content filtering and virus protection, look at Sonicwall.

Why do you need a switch in every room if you plan on re-wiring? You are just adding more points of failure. If you have that many devices that require an Ethernet connection, run new lines to a central location somewhere and put a large switch there OR get a router/switch that has lots of ports.

https://www.amazon.com/Cisco-Systems-Gi ... uter+ports

[jachin99]

I was thinking I would put a switch in each room so that I would not have to run a new wire each time I add a device. In my TV room alone I have at least three game consoles, a web powered TV, AVR, and so forth and so on. Right now I have a few small 5 port switches in a few rooms, and in my living room, and TV room they are both filled up already.

[jachin99]

Do you know if cisco makes you pay a subscription fee to receive regular updates?

[Bryan]

I love my Ubiquiti equipment.

Cisco - depends on the product line.

[jachin99]

Right, I'm a little scare of cisco but I don't really consider myself an expert. Price matters also, and I'll be learning how to run wires. This is going to scare my wife to death, which is why I have hesitated to run anything just yet. Is there a wire out there somewhere that is relatively thin, where I can run one wire and have many ethernet connections? My router, and my TV room are on two separate stores, and they are caddy corner to one another. I'm thinking run one wire straight up into the attic, and then over to above the TV room.

[cwinfield]

Ubiquiti Edge router is what I use, no complaints, frequent updates and hotfixes.

[cwinfield]

Right, I'm a little scare of cisco but I don't really consider myself an expert. Price matters also, and I'll be learning how to run wires. This is going to scare my wife to death, which is why I have hesitated to run anything just yet. Is there a wire out there somewhere that is relatively thin, where I can run one wire and have many ethernet connections? My router, and my TV room are on two separate stores, and they are caddy corner to one another. I'm thinking run one wire straight up into the attic, and then over to above the TV room.

I would suggest using your phone wires if you don't use home phone, then you can use your external box on side of house or basement using punch down splice boxes http://www.cnaweb.com/cat5e-connection- ... BBEALw_wcB . They do make higher wire count twisted pair cat cables https://www.discount-low-voltage.com/Ca ... 5E025-RGY4 but it adds much more to the price.

[cwinfield]

I was thinking I would put a switch in each room so that I would not have to run a new wire each time I add a device. In my TV room alone I have at least three game consoles, a web powered TV, AVR, and so forth and so on. Right now I have a few small 5 port switches in a few rooms, and in my living room, and TV room they are both filled up already.

you could use access points, wireless bridges or switches. It depends on cost and connection speed requirements, also the speed of your Wi-Fi and signal coverage.

[jachin99]

Right, I'm a little scare of cisco but I don't really consider myself an expert. Price matters also, and I'll be learning how to run wires. This is going to scare my wife to death, which is why I have hesitated to run anything just yet. Is there a wire out there somewhere that is relatively thin, where I can run one wire and have many ethernet connections? My router, and my TV room are on two separate stores, and they are caddy corner to one another. I'm thinking run one wire straight up into the attic, and then over to above the TV room.

I would suggest using your phone wires if you don't use home phone, then you can use your external box on side of house or basement using punch down splice boxes http://www.cnaweb.com/cat5e-connection- ... BBEALw_wcB . They do make higher wire count twisted pair cat cables https://www.discount-low-voltage.com/Ca ... 5E025-RGY4 but it adds much more to the price.

When you say use my phone wires, do you mean I could run the new wires along the same path or actually use my phone wires? i believe my existing phone wires only have 4 wires, and won't work for what I need it for. I'm having a hard time picturing how to set this up.

[cwinfield]

It depends on how old your house is, in my case and most cases nowadays they install home phone using cat 5e only using 2 pairs and the other pairs can be used for a second line. The only way to know for certain is look. http://www.mavromatic.com/2005/06/how-t ... t5e-cable/ . Sorry this DIY isn't the best example and I'm having a hard time finding a good one. The way I did it was running 2 cat 5 cables to my outside service telephone junction box from my router, splice the cables to the phone jack wires, putting Ethernet faceplates on my home LAN, now I have Ethernet going to my kitchen where my WIFI AP is, and master bedroom connection used for an echo.

[jachin99]

I attached a pic of the house's phone wires. It was built in 87. Does it look like these will do the trick?

[cwinfield]

looks like 2 cat 3 cables, it might work but you would need to identify which cable is which and test it, also is likely just daisy chained and not all 8 wires going to the same location. Might want to leave on the backburner and wire up using your original plan and then test it and see what you get.

[jachin99]

Thats what i thought. After thinking this over a little, I might just into the crawl space from the office, and then under the house, back outside, and up the side of the house, then into the TV room. The TV room is above the garage anyway so it will be right there. For some of the rooms i'll still have to either break down and use wifi or figure out a way to get wires into them. How hard would it be to run wires behind existing walls? I'm not sure if there are any tricks for that or not.

[Bryan]

Interior walls isn't hard at all. Exterior (where there's insulation) is harder, but with two people and a fish tape can be done. Running the cables is easy, termination takes some practice but isn't bad.

[cwinfield]

Interior walls isn't hard at all. Exterior (where there's insulation) is harder, but with two people and a fish tape can be done. Running the cables is easy, termination takes some practice but isn't bad.

It all depends on the run and if you need to drill thru joists. I did a smurf tube for my TV mounted over a gas vented fire place with a recessed enclosure. The most difficult part is drilling with flex bits if you don't want to pumpkin cut the drywall. My suggestion is to plan it out carefully and running outside can be far less destructive.