Patch panel or?

[Akv117]

I am trying to fix this wiring problem in a client home. I think it's a patch panel. Can someone give me some insite into what this is..how would I go about connecting it to fios! Also this is an extra thing I am doing beyond what also has to be done at there home. How much extra should I charge? I be fix this panel and adding three mesh router tp link system with backhaul ethernet connection!

[Windows7ge]

This predates my introduction to networking but it looks kind of like a punch-down block for telephone. Each phone only needs two wires and it became common to use Ethernet cable as a conductor instead of Cat3.

 

I'm thinking that yellow Ethernet cable may only be providing service to one port somewhere.

 

Really this aught to be overhauled. Rip it all out. Install a switch. Identify which lines are for Internet and not Telephone then wire them up and connect the switch to the new Router. Buy IP phones or adapters.

[scottyseng]

The green board appears to be a telephone punch down module with a RJ31X port for security alarm system interrupt.

 

It's hard to tell what is going to where, but I would also agree with @Windows7ge . You need to overhaul this with a switch and router and see if which wires are for telephone and which are for ethernet. Also label the wires as you figure it out.

[Akv117]

Should I just install connectors to the one end and take out the blue cables and attach them to an 8 port switch or should I install a patch panel? This definitely isn't a patch panel?

[FitnessOgre]

So not being a Fiber customer, however I can guess on a couple of things;

 

1) The verizon box feeds the Internet, TV, and Telephone for the house. 

2) The cables going out the top of the panel box go to the various rooms in the house? How are they terminated? Are they going to Keystone blocks or to RJ45 ends?

3) The green thing with all the lines going into it looks to be like a hub or something or a punch down plate of some sort. I have honestly never seen one like that but I just seems so unnecessary. In all the years of doing networking and more recently cabling and infrastructure installations this looks like some proprietary shit. 

I am making some educated assumptions here, verizon customers can correct me if I am wrong. 

The box has a network cable coming out of it, Assuming that it has a router built in, you could then plug that cable directly into a switch. 

I would then either terminate the blue cables with keystone blocks and install a patch panel that accepts the blocks. Then plug in network cables from the patch panel to the switch. Or you could terminate the ends of the blue cables as RJ45 and plug in to the switch. That would be the simple way to do it. 

Seriously though if an installer came into my house and created that rats nest I would be pissed. 

[Akv117]

How much should I seriously charge guy to this and add a mesh router with backhaul ethernet?

 

 

 

 

Should I just install connectors to the one end and take out the blue cables and attach them to an 8 port switch or should I install a patch panel? This definitely isn't a patch panel?

[FitnessOgre]

Oooh didn't think of a security system. Mine just comes off the alarm panel to my network switch... I think that you are right though. 

 

[Akv117]

Why would a bunch of ethernet port be connected to a security board?

 

 

 

 

How much should I seriously charge guy to this and add a mesh router with backhaul ethernet?

 

 

 

 

Should I just install connectors to the one end and take out the blue cables and attach them to an 8 port switch or should I install a patch panel? This definitely isn't a patch panel?

[Windows7ge]

2 minutes ago, Akv117 said:

Should I just install connectors to the one end and take out the blue cables and attach them to an 8 port switch or should I install a patch panel? This definitely isn't a patch panel?

Verify those blue cables are wired to Ethernet ports in the home first. If they terminate to RJ-11 ports then this is basically a 66 block for analog telephone.

 

It's a patch panel of sorts but I think not for switched Ethernet. I would not install another one. Just terminate the ends and wire them into a switch.

[FitnessOgre]

You need to follow where the blue cables go. If they go to network connections in the house then you can re-patch them and plug them into a switch. What should you charge? Depends on time and effort. $30 - $40 an hour would seem about right, probably a few hours of work here tracing, reterminating and testing.

 

[Akv117]

He said that he has ethernet ports in his home around the house. So I am thinking the blue is ethernet cable. Some of the blue cables say 5e and 350 mhz. So there definitely cat 5e cables. I counted 5 of them!

[scottyseng]

12 minutes ago, Akv117 said:

Should I just install connectors to the one end and take out the blue cables and attach them to an 8 port switch or should I install a patch panel? This definitely isn't a patch panel?

No this isn't a regular patch panel. There are no jacks for ethernet ports. It's made for telephone. I've seen them used instead of 66 blocks.

 

You can either install a ethernet panel panel (if there are any ethernet jacks there) or terminate them into a switch directly.

 

The mesh system you would have to go to the router of the mesh system first, then to the new switch (if needed). It's really hard to tell without knowing what each wire does.

 

Also, you can't rely on ethernet cable being used as ethernet. It's pretty popular to just use cat5e and split it for phones into RJ11 jacks. You'd have to research what cables are actually using all 8 wires for ports.

[Akv117]

I was going to charge him 150 to set up three mesh router and take those wires out and add them to the switch and set up the back haul ethernet. Which I need a second switch that connects to three different ethernet ports within the house that all will connect via ethernet!

[Akv117]

Wait so an rj 45 can be used as a phone line?

[FitnessOgre]

My security alarm uses cat 5 cable as well...

 

Don't assume without testing the lines. Based on the pictures you've provided it kind of looks like that but I would break out the tester and start checking which lines go where and label them and go from there.

Take lots of picture so that if you mess something up you can fix it.

 

[scottyseng]

6 minutes ago, Akv117 said:

Wait so an rj 45 can be used as a phone line?

My bad, I meant RJ11 jacks.

 

It's been a while since I've seen telephone stuff since a lot of people are moving over to VOIP systems.

[FitnessOgre]

Cat5 can be used for phone lines. Done all the time. Its not pretty but it works. Just don't use all the pairs. 

 

[Akv117]

This is a freaking mess. I don't know what is what and if he had security system or not. I am trying to only go once and fix all of this. Especially because of covid. I am going to ask him if he has security system and to take picture of all his ethernet ports thru the house. And what not. I repost those pics I have until next Monday to figure out how to do all of this. I can definitely use a small switch that only connects the three mesh routes to that switch to lead to back haul ethernet connection. I feel like his is more than 150 dollar job especially after what all of you posted.. I ask him also how many phone lines he has as well.!

[Akv117]

On the panel all pairs are connected! So wouldn't that be ethernet connection!

[scottyseng]

2 minutes ago, Akv117 said:

On the panel all pairs are connected! So wouldn't that be ethernet connection!

No, think of it as a 66 block. You don't have all 8 wires for ethernet, you have two four wire telephone ports.

 

That  being said, with how jank some jobs are, it wouldn't surprise me if someone misused this as a ethernet patch panel (it should not be used as one).

 

Also unfortunately you can only do so much with pictures...you're going to have to around with a toner/tester to trace these wires back to where they go. Also, there could've been a security alarm previously, but maybe it's been disconnected?

[Akv117]

So I asked him this...

Also does each room have an ethernet port? The white box is all those cables that are wired to each room?

 

 

This was the client response....

Yes almost every room has a port. 

 

 

Or does this dude not know what he is talking about.

 

He told me Verizon connected one ethernet to the office 

..No, none of them are connected except the ones I mentioned. The rest are terminating at the box.  They removed the connections from the den, put a connector on it so that they could set up their router in the middle of the house, ie.,the office. The rest are waiting to be connected because the tech didn't have the time to ring out all the wires and reconnect them properly. 

 

He said this about the last owner of the house...

 

Good morning. Which one? The one from at the top of the terminal I believe is suppose to be the main from your source. It's not connected to anything. It appears as though the last owners couldn't figure it out and disconnected the office/den and the kitchen, wired then to a female connector, and then plugged to those two for their modem/router and phone service. The Verizon tech that set us up apparently just followed suit. 

 

 

I am having trouble figuring out what is going on. Just trying to visit once because of covid 19.

[FitnessOgre]

I am trying to figure out where the yellow cable goes... 

Good luck, this looks like such a hack job. I am sure that there are a number of different ways to fix this. Just make sure you know where each line goes before you cut it.Nothing worse than trying to fix something that broke because you cut the wrong line.

[Akv117]

Should I charge this dude more than 150?

[scottyseng]

5 minutes ago, FitnessOgre said:

I am trying to figure out where the yellow cable goes...

Yellow cable should go to a security alarm system. At least if one exists here.

[scottyseng]

7 minutes ago, Akv117 said:

-snip-

As far as I can tell, indeed the whoever tried to use the telephone patch panel thought of it as an ethernet one. That port is for a security system only. This patch panel is not for ethernet.

 

If those ports on the patch panel are just true ethernet ports, you should be able to terminate them and just plug them all into a switch there.