Ethernet Setup Tips / Tutorial

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1. Develop a plan, on paper, listing the locations you want to have network access.

2. Pick the location of your "wiring closet." This will be the termination point of all the network wires runs (homeruns). For a home network, the two most common places used are the basement or a closet. Make sure you have good access to this area (try not to pick the attic), so if something goes wrong you can easily troubleshoot the problem.

3. At each location indicated on your plan, install an electrical box in the wall.

4. Run Ethernet cables from each electrical box to the wiring closet. Each cable should be a homerun, going directly from each box to the wiring closet. Make sure you leave enough slack at each end to be able to terminate the wires. 6" to 8" of excess at the electrical box is acceptable. The excess in the wiring closet really doesn't matter,as long as it's enough to reach the patch panel with the modular keystone jacks. At either end, remember that a little more is better than not enough.

5. Terminate the wall jacks. To do this you need a punchdown or pushdown tool. Punch down each wire in the Ethernet cable to the correct slot in the RJ-45 jack. Often times, the jacks will have a sticker to indicate which wire goes where. After you are done, snap the jack into the rectangular cutout in the wall plate and screw the wall plate to the electrical box. The wall jack is now complete .

6. At your wiring closet, mount your patch panel. Make sure there is room for the Ethernet hub nearby.

7. Terminate the cables at the patch panel in the same manner as listed in step 5.

8. Mount the Ethernet hub near the patch panel.

9. Use patch cables to connect each jack on the patch panel to a jack on the hub. Generally, a 3' cable is more than long enough.

10. You are almost finished. Go back to each wall jack and make sure that the connection works. This requires signal testing tools. Optionally, you can press your luck and just try the connection without testing. Just remember that it's much better to be safe than sorry. One hour of testing beforehand can save days of frustration later.

11. Configure your operating system appropriately. Windows 95/98/NT/2000/XP all support peer-to-peer networking. Software configuration is a topic in itself, but to summarize, your Network Control Panel needs at least four (4) items listed:
    1. Network Interface Card - May need driver disk from manufacturer
    2. Client for Microsoft Networks
    3. TCP/IP protocol
    4. File and Printer Sharing
12. Enjoy!

 

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