How hard is it to set up a basic network for about 10k square

>>60065309
Oh, and all the cables terminate in a room like this, it's just the racks are all empty and the cables have all been cut at the ends.

Is this pic your setup?

What network devices do you have (switch, routers, etc)

>>60066012
Not exactly, but basicly. Room, couple racks bolted to the floor and a shitton of cables with all the ends off off.
>>60066041
Nothing.

Can you take a pic of the room, preferably with the rack and the cables in the same picture?

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>>60066324
Not today. But I could repost the topic in a few days with one.

But basicly, it's an empty room except for a couple empy racks. Almost exactly the same as in OP. And overhead there's a large amount of mesh like this with a bunch of cable.

The cable drops off the end, and is in a pile on the ground, with all the ends off off. So no jacks, no labels as to what any specific cable goes.
There's plenty of excess to put on new RJ45s and route nicely around into new switches I'd put in the racks.

First crimp everything, obv with the same scheme. That'll serve you later. Then see how many cables you have in total and buy a switch for the size you need. If you have more than 32 cables and don't need a bigger switch they should be divided in zones. Connect everything (in zones if you have a lot of ports) to the switch and with the help of someone (even your mum) go around with your laptop, connect to every cable and see which one lights up on the switch, proceed to organize them.
Here, you just need a router and you're done, buy rackmounted peripherals like switches and cases for the nas and shit .

>>60065309
>setting up a network with plug and play home network equipment knowledge

Hire someone

>>60065309
>unlabeled
>running around to test which is which
just use wireless ac.

>>60066451
Alright, if you don't want to bother adding RJ45 connectors you might want to use a patch panel, it's somewhere around $50 on amazon for 48 ports, and it's easier to patch locally than have to organize a shit ton of loose cables.

Also, of course, you're gonna need a lot of small ethernet cables, Around 5 to 8 feet might be more than enough to go from the bottom to the top of the switch, but you're never too sure, and you can cut them later.

Refer to the OP's pic if you want an example of this. The 2U panels with "CAT 6" written on them are patch panels, the white strip on top could be used to sort the cables.

Reposted because fuck 4chanX

>>60065309
>unlabeled cables
>cut at the ends

Well, you're in for a lot of manual work. Just re-crimping all the cables is going to be a pain.

To find out what cable goes where, you can get an old switch with as many ports as you can, stick a portion of the cables into it, then go around plugging the other ends into a laptop and ask someone to look at the lights on the switch (if the switch is managed, you can also attach a wi-fi AP to it and check port state by yourself). If there is a lot of cables you'll have to go around all of the rooms several times, but it's better than checking them one by one at each end.

>>60066557
Shit fuck that. Good learning experience for OP and if he gets to a point where he can't continue then call someone.

>>60066451
Now, >>60066586 might be an interesting solution, but sometimes you just need good'ol daddy ethernet.

Having someone to test which cable it is, while you run around plugs is a good idea, but if you can't, connect the tester to wherever the plug is in the user's room, then go to the rack and test each and every single one of them.
When you found which is connected, label it, rinse and repeat.

>>60066451
Now, you said you want a phone solution, is it VoIP or just a PTSN line?

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>>60066534
There's at least 100 of them, the place used to be an proper office with every desk having network access. I'd only want a small fraction of that, a point or two at most in each room and a couple of wifi acess points. It's not gonna be an office anymore.

>>60066557
How unfriendly are non-consumer grade switches?

>>60066586
Having wifi, but also want to keep some hard access points.

>>60066593
I have no issues putting connectors on. I've got 6 months from the 1st to get everything up and running.

>>60066602
I know it would be time consuming, I can handle that. You'd recommend testing with a laptop instead of just a normal cable tester? I'd only need to find out perhaps 20 of those 100 lines, figured I'd just test first and then only put ends on shit I want.

>>60066743
The thing is, you HAVE to find out which cable goes where, you aren't going to get anywhere without that, even if you only want a few.

Non-Consumer grade switches are often running with serial consoles, but if you're comfy with the linux terminal you probably won't mind learning a few commands.

One thing you MIGHT be able to do, is to run something like 5v down the cables, then use a LED to quickly find which cable is connected, but that's patchwork at best.

>>60066743
>100 of them
So trace them and see if you can at least which room they come from, then proceed with a 32 ports switch.

>>60066804
y no patch panels tho

>>60066815
Isn't it the same as just crimping them in a more comfy way? To properly use all of them you'll still use a switch

>>60066883
Yeah, but them being static and clearly labelled (instead of hanging loose with a hard-to-reach tag) is probably the comfiest of comfys

>>60066902
Yeah, but let's put the comfiness aside, OP just needs to figure his shit, the patch panel here is a good advice but optional

>>60066928
Also depends on OP's budget

That might be nice to know if OP wants advice on devices

>>60066902
You are right, best ease of use is a patch panel, for $50 the improved aesthetic alone is worth.
>>60066928
It's more than just comfiness, it also allows for clear organization as well as being proper procedure (important if OP wants to practice for a business or plans on going into IT). This also is a one-time deal assuming the cables work, so if there's a problem with a patch cable from panel to switch you can just rip and replace.

OP I work in a district of a few thousand students + faculty, would recommend using patch panel for the small increase in budget, it'll save you some headaches and looks nice

>>60066963
OK OP, buy a patch panel

>>60066963
Anything I do is going to be cheaper then hiring someone else. Budget is as cheap as I can get while still having it work.

>>60066978
Never used a patch panel. Do I not need to put connectors on the calbes if I use one?
Or is it just for accessibility, plug all the long cables into that, then run shot cables from the patch panel to the switch for ease of accessibility later.

>>60067041
Patch panels are essentially a lot of female RJ45 connectors, that you then run to other network devices using ethernet cables

Trust me, when you have everything labelled correctly, it's the ultimate comfy experience, you know instantly where to look, because you don't need to pull each cable to look at the tag.

>>60065320
adding RJ45 connectors to cables isn't a big deal. finding out which cable is which should be doable with a friend.
I went from zero knowledge to custom length cables, pulling cables through holes in walls and hooking everything up to create a working home network within a day. just do your homework.

Fuck everyone whos telling op to just crimp the cables.

Get a wirefinder attach it to a wall outlet and find the cable on the other end,

Attach it to a patch panel and label the wall outlet according to the port on the patch panel. (dont forget to label your patch panels a-z)

consider ripping it all away and just doing everything from the scratch. but obviously if cables are for example in the plaster or in non raised floor and you don't plan to renovate it there's no point.

get yourself a rack to serve as idf (wider than standard 60cm one, with vertical cable holders preferably), few patchpanels (i'd say get one with f-f rj45 connectors instead of ones where you terminate cables with krone knife, as it'll save you a lot of work), horizontal cable holders. terminate all of the cables. test and label them, organize them with patchpanels in your idf. depends on size of your network you might need just one rack for everything or you might want to organize it in few ones, then make patchpanels (fibers or ethernet w/e you need) between them.
switches generally work nicely in idf.

>>60067090
he'll have to test it all again to check if cables are even working.

Thank you all for the help.

However I just got off the phone and it's been decided to pull all the Cat5 in place and replace with cat6 because "future proofing". Also more extensive renovations then originally envisioned make keeping the existing cable runs more difficult.

And since I volunteered for this I have now also been volunteered to install a 5 camera security setup and in the ceiling PA system they want.

I love family.

>>60067624
if they want to be faggots, get cat 6a at least

>>60068398
The farthest run is 30 meters. Is tehre any point to 6a?

>>60068445
"future proofing"

Do note that the ~50m range for 10Gbps over regular cat6 is 50m of unbroken cable - patch panels, wall sockets etc. reduce it.

>>60068762
I never told them about cat6a. I heard it's even more difficult to work with then cat6.
Besides, everyone is gonna use wifi in the place anyway. I could use cat5 non e and it wouldn't make a fucking difference.

>>60066586
>jus wireless it.
That doesn't work in a professional environment with 30+ desktops and 50+ phones gangbanging the thing.

Having to do nightly backups alone makes this a nonstarter.

>>60067624
>>60068398
>upgrading to the same copper to futureproof
>not running fiber

>>60065309
You need to hire a professional

>>60068890
I've run Uni-Fi setups that handle 500 active users no problem

>>60068834
Better buy a bunch of really expensive APs then. If you cheap out on APs then you won't get the results you think you will.

Nothing beats the speed and reliability of ethernet in an office for the price. Even with a handful of good Access Points covering every inch, you're going to want cat6 drops available for when the WiFi can't be relied upon. Especially since you can't control your neighbors interference. WiFi is a whole other game and it sounds like you're overestimating wireless as a crutch. Don't make that mistake.

>>60069092
You can't plug an ethernet cable into an ipad. Apart from receptionthat's pretty much all that's gonna be used.

>>60069278
>Besides, everyone is gonna use wifi in the place anyway.

>an ipad. Apart from receptionthat's pretty much all that's gonna be used.

Having Wifi in the office for people to connect their tablets and smartphones for simple web browsing and Facetime is very different than "everyone is gonna use wifi".

10k square feet is big, and I'm assuming you're going to have more than 20 workstations in this place. Putting them all on Wifi without a really robust wireless network would be dumb. I would hire a consultant at the very least. Someone who can give you an idea as to what and how many APs you need. At least.

>>60065309
>But there's nothing labeled so I'd have to test each one individually to find out what's what
Use the right testing devices and you can test a set of x at a time and whether they're wired correctly.

> But is this something conceivable to do myself or should I just hire someone to deal with it all.
> All I really want is to keep the phone and data in each room, and perhaps set up a small NAS or something.
So you just need one cable to work...? I think you could do that yourself.

>>60069467
No. Everyones gonna use wifi. There's gonna be 2 desktops at most. And one might just be a laptop.
There are no workstations. It's not an office. The building just used to be one.

>>60065309
>>60067337
Shit dude, it might be better to just pay a contractor to do all the wiring and cable drops and pull the lot back to the rack all nice and tidy with patch panels.

Meanwhile sort out your Internet connection whether or not they'll manage the router, get yourself enough 48 port PoE switches to connect to the patch panels (Ubiquiti or HP are good), get a PDU to hook up all the power and connect a UPS to it for backup power.

Switches aren't that difficult as the basics can be controlled via web interface. Your servers and stuff however is a different question, but make sure you have more networking than you need.

>>60066534
>First crimp everything,
Dont do this. Tone out the wiring first, then terminate them in an organised fashion in patch panels.

>>60070726
This, a good tone out is essential for any network tech, don't get a shitty one.

Sounds like OP inherited an old office building where the previous resident recently pulled out.

The network solution they probably had was upwards of 12k. You're gonna need some patch plates, patch cables, switches and a router. Depending on how you operate and what your doing, some rack mountable UPSs

If you have no knowledge of corporate IT solutions it's best you get someone to do it for you properly.

>>60071114
I've got no knowledge of corporate systems, but we don't need much. Like a dozen in wall hookups and wifi.
Why I'm wondering if I can just do it myself.

>>60070419
it's not really difficult, just time consuming and rather boring. if op got time, then no point in getting a contractor.
bonus - he'll know how his network is done. i seen diffirent results with contractors- company we use long term atm is pretty good (as long as one of the few actually competent guys from it are supervising work - if you leave ukrainians alone they tend to get kinda lost. well, matter of experience too...)

also, OP - buy yourself patchcords. diffirent lengths (for example 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 5m), in few diffirent colors. decide on a color codes early on (for example red for connections between switches, yellow for APs, etc)

label printer is really useful, even cheapest dymo. but vinyl labels tend to fall off of cables or even racks in higher temperatures, paper stays.

keep good documentation from day one. you'll forget shit otherwise.

>>60071284
Well the description you spoke of sounded much more grandiose.

If that's the case, assuming your internet solution is coming into the building in the same room that all the networking leads to I suppose a shitty home setup could work for you, especially if it's only a dozen hookups. Just get a 24 port switch, hook up to the router, light it up with modem, crimp the ends plug em in and your good.

I am curious as to what you're doing, is this for your job?

>>60072086
>>60072086
There was a big setup there. From the prior tenant. I just don't need it.

And not really. It's more helping out family. And since I'm the one who's always fixing shit they break they figured why couldn't I do this too.

>>60072604
>>60071284
>>60070084

So wtf is going to happen in this 10k square foot building? You're only going to have 3 computers in there, and a receptionist on an iPad?

How about ignore everything listed in the thread and just run 3 100ft Cat5e cables from the back of the Comcast supplied router/wireless access point just left in the middle of the floor of this massive and empty office you and your family are apparently squatting in?

What DO you need? How many people will need to connect at any given time? And where? And for what? What business are you and your family in, if anything at all? Given how bad you are at describing the space/requirements/problems you're only going to have headaches with a contractor. Just do it the way you would your house if it's this low budget, janky, and awkward.

>>60065309
How much is your time worth? Buy a Fluke tool kit.

>>60072953
No, the recetionist will use a desktop, there might be a laptop or two in use. And about 50 ipads at any time.

Why does it matter what we are doing?

>>60073221
We are teaching immigrants to speak english using the ipads. I still don't think it matters.

>>60073221
>Why does it matter what we are doing?

Oh you're right, it doesn't matter. Internet is internet and so long as the internet flows out of the end of a cable or out of a box with antennas then it's all the same, right?

You have 50 people on iPads wandering around a 10k square foot space. Sounds like a warehouse type situation. But I'd only have to guess cause according to you it shouldn't matter what happens in this massive, iPad filled room. You really think the question as to what is going to be happening on those iPads wouldn't come up when trying to determine the amount and quality of access points you will need?

>>60073328
Ok, are each of those 50 iPads streaming something at the same time, at any given time? Or are they just reading a .pdf already downloaded to the iPad? Do you not see the wild differences in speed / coverage requirements here?

>>60073363
each class downloads .pdfs at the start of each class. no video really

>>60073384
also they aren't really ipads. just chinese ripoffs of ipads basiclly.

>>60073384
No video now, OK. But no video ever in the future? Do you want to restrict the organizations ability to have the students all watch videos at the same time with headphones, for example? These are the questions that help, this is why it helps to know the environment, content, etc.

Even still, 50 iPads in a room, or even 25 iPads in a room, would require a pretty good AP. You also have to understand that with each iPad also comes a person who has a smartphone in their pocket, which increases interference in the room, further necessitating the need for better wireless coverage than you think. Got a kitchen next to this room, by chance? Well the microwave turning on could knock 4-5 of those iPads offline. Is that acceptable?

Hire a consultant.

>>60066557
a monkey could clear this shit up

networking is literally the bottom rung

>>60073420
like 50 ipdas total. 15-20 per room at a time. no video, just dictionarys and books to walk though with the teacher up front.

no kitchen in building and only staff and a few of them have smartphones

>>60072953
>What DO you need? How many people will need to connect at any given time? And where? And for what?

this

be specific OP

>>60073448
>like 50 ipdas total. 15-20 per room at a time. no video, just dictionarys and books to walk though with the teacher up front.

are they your ipads or the student's because if they are the student's or they are not locked down you can bet they will be dicking around and watching videos on them

>>60073328
>We are teaching immigrants to speak english using the ipads. I still don't think it matters.

Quit now, Trump is going to deport all your clients before you get your first pay check

get out now OP

>>60065309
god damn, why can't we have more threads like this

akin to the /g/ I browsed in high school