New to setting up a network

[Kasturi]

Hello all,

I am new to this settign up a network thing and had a few questions.

What I am wanting to do is hook up two computers in my house that are in two different rooms without going wireless.

My main computer is downstairs in the basement & the one I want to add to a network is going to be up on the 3rd floor.

I understand about hooking them up thru a router and all (well a little anyways), but everything I seem to have read was when the computers are in the same room.

I am using DSL from SBC.

My house is brand new and there are phone/dsl ports in both rooms. There are also CAT5 ports in every room of the house.

Now I guess my questions is this.

Now I know I can hook up the computer downstairs thru the router & then the router to the modem and the modem to the outlet(or somehting like that). How do I get the upstairs computer added to the network? Can I just plug it into the dsl outlet that is there or would I use the CAT5 outlet & run a wire from the CAT 5 downstairs to the router?

If that doesnt make much sense let me know & I will try to reword it.

I guess basically what I am trying to say is, how do I add a computer that is in another room without going wireless?

Thanks,
Kas

[rjfvillarosa]

Originally Posted by Kasturi There are also CAT5 ports in every room of the house.

Do you know where all these CAT5 ports come together?
Is there a patch panel or switch in a cupboard or near your electricity breaker box?

[Kasturi]

I think they all come together in the box in the garage. At least thats where all of the phone,cable lines connect.


if they connect there they you woudl think they would be labeled right?

[flanzig1]

You will need to put the DSL modem or a router by the patch panel in the garage. If a router: patch cable to a wall connection from the modem/from the patch panel a patch cable for the modem connection to the router(uplink port)/find the room connections you need in the patch panel and connect to the router/patch cables from the computers to the wall sockets.

[Kasturi]

I am sorry but I did not really understand what was just said.

If a router: "patch cable to a wall connection from the modem/from the patch panel a patch cable for the modem connection to the router(uplink port)/find the room connections you need in the patch panel and connect to the router/patch cables from the computers to the wall sockets."

Is there anyway of saying this using different terms??
Or if someone could draw a diagram, that could be helpful.

Thanks again

[rjfvillarosa]

Can you establish where the CAT5 cables are coming together?
Is there any sign of them coiled up near the phone cables?
Is there a spare phone socket and electrical outlet near where the phone cables come in?

[Kasturi]

I cannot remember if there is a spare phone socket there, I will have to check when I get home from work. I do remember there being extra cables coiled up near the phone & cable lines though. I have two sets coiled there. will have to double check to see which one is the CAT5 ones & which ones are the alarm system ones.

For arguements sake lets assume that there is an extra phone socket & outlet there. What will I need to do?

Lets also assume that there is not an extra socke/outlet there. In this case would it better to go wireless? Or is there another way to install the network?

[rjfvillarosa]

Whatever you do you will need a router and you will definately need power where the cables come together.
How many lan ports does your modem have?

[Kasturi]

One that I know of.

[rjfvillarosa]

In your situation I would go out of my way to get a phone socket (easy for me being an ex telecom engineer) at the point that the cables come together and I would buy a router and put it all together in one place, even if I had to run an electrical extension lead to them.

[Kasturi]

Ok so lets say that I get the phone socket installed there.
Would this be the proper way to install everything.

1. Hook modem up to newly installed phone jack.
2. Hook up router to modem
3. I am kinda lost after this step. If my router is out in the garage (central location) how do I go about hooking up the computers to it.
Would I need to plug the CAT5 cables to the back of it & just plug my computers into the CAT5 sockets. Or do I have to hook up the phone lines to it that go to each room??

If you could give me a list similar to the one I tried to start, that would help out tremdously (sp)

[rjfvillarosa]

Best scenario.
On a shelf right next to the CAT5 cables you would place your modem and router, connect both modem and router to the electrical supply, (not switched on) plug the modem into the phone socket then with a small ready made patch/cat5 cable you connect the lan port on the back of the modem to the internet in port on the back of the router, now by process of elimination you will need to plug one of the cat5 cables at a time into the router to see which in house socket they activate, if you had a twenty four port switch you would be able to connect them all but they run at about $100 so we are assuming you are using a standard 4 or 6 port router.
Switch on the electrical supply after you have connected the modem to the phone socket and the modem to the router.
If you are already using the modem you should not have to make any changes when you plug it into the router and like wise with the router it should automatically start supplying signal to each lan port, the cat5 cables to the wall sockets can be plugged and unplugged with eveything running.
Using a laptop you can walk around the house plugging the cat5 cable from the laptop into a wall socket and if the icon in the bottom right (telling you that a lan cable is unplugged) goes off you know that socket is live.
After all is said and done try and turn the shelf with the modem and router on into a cupboard to stop the ingress of moisture and dust.

[Kasturi]

Thanks alot rjfvillarosa you have been a lot of help. I will let you know if I screwed anything up or not.