One more sleep to FTTC!

Pathetic I know, but my connection to date really is that desperate.

My router (HH2) is currently downstairs by the NTE 5 point, and my desktop is upstairs via a 7m ethernet lead. Will buy a new router when I have seen how the land lies. Probably netgear wnr3700 or equivalent. I plan to move the router upstairs using the 7m lead as the link from the new OpenReach modem. That should improve the wireless signals for the iPhones etc.
I have started running cat5 to all "habitable rooms" in the house.

My question, is there a reliable adaptor/switch to connect 2 or 3 devices to one RJ45 point?
I have a PS3, separate BD player with LAN compatibility and an AV unit.

As they are all in one place and I will only being using them individually at any one point in time, I don't really need to run multiple cables if one will suffice.

Thanks.

There are splitters which allow 2 ports on a single cable but they restrict the speed to 100Mbps rather than 1Gbps.

It is no harder to run two cat5e cables at the same time than a single.

It is if you only need half a box in total. Don't fancy cutting off 20m and dragging it around the loft if I don't really need it. Just end up in a right old mess. If I was gonna flood wire the place then maybe, but I don't really foresee the need for Gigabit speeds by the telly.

Not for a while anyway

Any suggestions for the splitter? May try Maplin's later.

Huh? Am I reading this wrong, or are you guys asking for a switch? You can get cheap Gigabit-Switches for about 20 Quid, I guess you could call them an "adaptor"...

No need for splitters or two Cat5E cables, just connect a switch to your RJ45...

And just as an example, these two would do nicely:
http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/prods/networking/...
http://www.broadbandbuyer.co.uk/Shop/ShopDetail.asp?...

I read it that he wants a switch and just one cat5 going to each location but wanting to put two devices at each location.

I don' t really need all the hardware to talk to each other at the moment.
I just wanted wired connectivity for all devices, laptop in bedroom, desktop in office, and playstation and blu ray player in lounge.

I naively thought I could just use my HH2 router as a simple starting point, linked via patch leads to cat5e connected RJ45 modules?

The blu ray player and ps3 will never be used together so I didn't want the hassle of powered switches etc. if I could use a simple adaptor/splitter?

Thanks

Don't use RJ45 modules - but buy a small patch panel to terminate the cables on.

Then as yopu suggest use patch leads from your HH2 to the patch panel

At the other ends use RJ45 modules and a patch lead from there to the device.


If you go the patch panel route you can be sneaky and split the cat5 to two ports - but it will limit you to 100Mbps. Pins 1, 2, 3 & 6 using the Green and Orange pair in accordance with the standard spec. Then in a non standard way use Blue and Brown for 1, 2, 3 & 6 on a second termination.

Splitter You need one at each end too - this one is expensive but even at half the price, they are not worth it. Either run more cables or use the method I suggest below which does the same.

Granted, having another "power wart" is an inconvenience I hadn't taken into account, but if you can get future-proof, Gigabit speed network connectivity for < 20 GBP, I personally wouldn't even bother looking into any kind of splitter technology, which is bound to be at least 5 Quid as well.

I believe I had seen some physical splitter for RJ45 back in the olden days, but that might involve having to physically flick a switch between the devices, or at the very least absolutely positively at all times having to make sure that not more than one device is powered on at a time. That is easily forgotten with standby modes, background firmware upgrades etc. especially with devices such as the PS3. Is not having a power wart and saving 15 quid at most really worth the potential downsides?

Not worth the hassle in my book. One cable coming from your Homehub, terminating in an RJ45 wall socket is fine, and then hook up your Gigabit-Switch to that, and each device into the switch. Done. No configuration necessary either.