Home Networking

Overview of the Upgrade

This is a project that I’ve been wanting to tackle for a while now, and have finally pulled the trigger on doing it. I’m going to break this into a couple different posts and update as things change (and I unpack all my networking equipment!).

So what's the point of this project? Well, when my wife and I bought our new home, one of the previous owners ran lots of coax and CAT5 cable, but didn't put it in a consolidated spot. There’s also an issue with how the lines coming in for the ISP/phone are run, so I’d like to fix that as well.

Luckily the house isn’t too large, so doing an upgrade like this shouldn’t take too long. The end result is going to include a gigabit switch for all of the everyday devices (access points, Raspberry Pis, TVs, etc), 10GbE switch and cabling for all of the desktops and server(s), and hopefully a system for security cameras.

Unfortunately I will need to break this into several parts. The first will be setting up the server rack/network cabinet with patch panels. Second is running wire throughout the house. Third will be all of the networking gear for the primary install. Fourth is integrating the current networking equipment into the cabinet. Finally, fifth is going to be moving to 10GbE and upgrading the desktops to handle it. There are plans for future upgrades, but this should get things rolling!