First Ever Network attempt

Kikazz74 · October 16, 2018

Hello all, new to this place but been watching the videos for a long time.

over this winter winter i would like to get our network built up to hopefully minimize the problems we are having with it dropping out, poor signal, and just overall disappointment with the performance of it,

the current isp is Mediacom Communications, we have the i believe 100m down and 10m up plan. using the isp supplied modem and a netgear r6220 range is ok i suppose but far from what it used to be with a lesser router and slower connection years ago. but that is im sure due to the number of overlapping networks these days. the biggest problem tho is that it almost nver fails that sometime during the night usually after midngiht thru early morning the service is down. i dont know that this is the isp or just the poor equipment we have but either way i want to redo the network to make it more functional, upgrade it, and sslightly future proof it.

the goals of this are to relocate all data com equipment and distribution under the stairs in our closet. new quad rg6 is being ran from the intake on the house to a 2 way splitter to go to the modem and then a large 8 way spl,itter on the other line to go to the rooms in the house. to follow these lines i wanted to run cat6 to the places that needed it. the house is 3 levels including basement so the closet would be under the stairs in the basement, modem, switch, and router one located there. an access point located on each level and one in the gargae would be ideal, all ran on a poe port to keep it simple. but this is where i need alot of help on setup. do i need a main router base in the basement or how do i do that? what are some good whole house systems with either a base and 3 nodes or 3 nodes and just use a current router i already have down there since its a low traffic area?

the current network has to support 1 hardwired tower for ghaming and streaming, 1 tower thats hooked up over powerline as i had no better option at the time, 1 console over wifi, 1 laptop over wifi, and anywehere between 4-8 phones and tablets at almost any given time with more being added im sure, there is also a printer hooked to the router for network printing over usb, and i would like to add a NAS setup soon.

here is what i planned on running at the moment. please give me pros and cons of each if you have or suggest a better alternative. this is a budget minded project so please keep that in mind.

thank you for the help anyone can give, and im excited to get to learn this stuff.

ps, what tools does everyone like to use as well as connectors? i prefer to use greenlee or ideal brand tools when i can

Donut417 · October 16, 2018

46 minutes ago, Kikazz74 said:

biggest problem tho is that it almost nver fails that sometime during the night usually after midngiht thru early morning the service is down

ISP do maintenance around this time. Because most people are not using the connection. Though a way to check if its a service issue is check to see what your signal levels look like in your modem. However, Im going to go with its a maintenance thing, as if it was a signal issue the problem would persist most if not all the time.

Keep in mind you need a router before the switch. The device the ISP gave you is a gateway (Modem + router). That modem you linked is just a standard no bull shit cable modem.

Kikazz74 · October 16, 2018

so there probably isnt much i can do for the drop in service is there? it happens most then buit also happens alot uring the day or like 6-9pm it goes down quite frequently. i dont feel like paying for something thats down when i go to use it is right.

ps the modem i have is a thomson dhg574

so if theres something else you can suggest for a modem and router that would be great. or i can just use one i have down there if it is up to par. just dont know how the whole m,esh wifi works if you need a base station or not.

Kikazz74 · October 18, 2018

Bump.

Also. Would I be better off just getting a 2 in 1 from the ISP if I can that supports docsis 3.1 since I don't see any that do on Newegg?

Sorry. Total noob here and have no clue what to look for

Donut417 · October 18, 2018

3 hours ago, Kikazz74 said:

rom the ISP if I can that supports docsis 3.1 since I don't see any that do on Newegg?

Docsis 3.1 modems are available for purchase. You just have to go to a store that sells them. Amazon has them, because Ive seen them before. Hell you can probably walk in to your local Best buy, Frys, or Microcenter and get one. They cost close to $200 and thats just a modem not the router.

You might want to get a tech out to look at your signals or look at them yourselves if the ISP gives you access. That will tell you why your dropping service. Keep in mind to that if the node is congested at "Prime Time" that could also be why your having issue. Not sure about your ISP, but Comcast has about 128 people on a node and feeds each node with like a 10 Gbps fiber. However I would at least contact your ISP and ask What the fuck is going on. They should be able to provide you an answer.