In reply to a post by 4M2:

prizx,

Appreciate the clarification

Right! Another, post free, rj45 socket is being ordered as I speak...it would certainly be easier to fit, with a healthy connection, than a rj45 plug.

Just wonder what any future property owners/surveyors might think about the two rj45 sockets, although the cable will be visible through most of it's length.

Good ! Believe me, that is the easiest and best way for you to do it.

What will someone think? Probably that you are reasonably careful and have thought out what you wanted to do rather than implement a bodged cowboy job.!

I have RJ45 sockets in Lounge, Studies/Offices, some Bedrooms (wall and floor), Dressing Room, Comms Room, Cloakroom, Kitchen, Store/Utility, Hall

prizx,

I've just called in at my local friendly computer shop and they have agreed to crimp a couple of rj45 plugs on the 20 metre cat5e cable that I've ordered from another discount supplier - if it's suitable. We will be able to test the connections in the shop and then when I get back on site I'll chop off one the rj45 plugs and thread the cable through the ceiling to the rj45 socket. If not I'll go with plan A and use two rj45 sockets.

In either case I will connect the wires according to the standard of my patch leads and allow for plenty of spare cable at both ends. A rj11 male to rj45 female adaptor would be all that's needed (?) if I used a rj45 plug on the downstairs router end of the extension and wanted to convert to an analogue extension from the filtered master adsl socket to the rj45 socket upstairs, and hence the router repositioned upstairs should that ever be needed.

Somehow I just like the idea of a rj45 plug at the downstairs router end of the extension for this setup...

MHC,

Looks like I may be making progress with this project - 17Mbps and faster 1920x1080 video is not good over the current 'G' WLAN - 8Mbps VBR 1920x1080 just about makes it though without buffering.

Thanks for your continued support and advice.

4M2.

Edited by 4M2 (Wed 05-Oct-11 17:21:46)

prizx and MHC,

Initial tests are very good with the ethernet setup: 1920x1080 80Mbps AVI (CineForm v6 codec) video files play smoothly over the LAN (XP 32bit, TG585 v7 - 7.4.4.7 and Win7 32bit) without buffering, anything with a higher bit rate struggles though.

Just got to finish off and fix the cat5e properly in place.

Thanks for the help and advice, much appreciated

PS. File transfer speed from Win7 to XP is between 11.5MB/s and 12MB/s over the network.

4M2.

Edited by 4M2 (Thu 06-Oct-11 16:52:19)

Hi 4M2,

Sounds like you have things performing much as expected for 100M ethernet.

Just wondered, where you mention local transfers between 2 computers, do both have gigabit ports (a small gigabit switch could significantly speed LAN things up if that is to be a regular thing).

prizx,

Yes its seems to working really well...

I keep the Win7 machine clean for video editing (Sony Vegas NLE ) and the XP machine for general use which does include work on HD video files with all manner of apps such as VirtualDub, AviSynth, Avidemux etc. etc. and use a whole variety of codecs. Some of those HD files have a bit rate in excess of 150Mbps and it would be good, though not essential, to play them over then LAN - transferring those files over the LAN between rooms and computers, which will be fairly regular, is now pretty darn quick!

Sorry, I don't know much about gigabit ports and "a small gigabit switch" - I'll check them out, but please in the meantime point me in the right direction...

Edit: doesn't look like it's possible - XP machine has a Intel(R) 82562V-2 10/100 Network Connection and I don't really have a spare PCI or PCIe slot (low profile case) for a gigabit card.

Edit 2: found a spare PCI slot on the XP machine - removed the sound card that I don't use much and went back to onboard audio. Win7 machine is good for gigabit, XP PCI gigabit card has been ordered, so now to check out the gigabit switch...

Edited by 4M2 (Fri 07-Oct-11 03:10:48)

prizx,

Ethernet set up is great, but just to return to a few issues about an analogue extension set up should it ever be needed and what is best, assuming a distance of 30 to 60 feet from master to router:

1) A single cat5e carrying filtered voice on one twisted pair connected to the back of a filtered face plate, on the BT master, and another carrying adsl from the AB connections on the back of the same filtered faceplate, both terminating at an adsl and voice socket (a second phone could be plugged into the front of the filtered faceplate on the BT master socket.)

or

2) The cat5e carrying adsl and unfiltered voice from the back of an unfiltered faceplate on the BT master along one twisted pair terminating at another master socket with filtered faceplate and hence adsl and filtered voice front sockets (a second phone would presumably require a dongle filter connected to the front of the unfiltered faceplate on the BT master.)

In other words would adsl on one pair and filtered voice on another pair be less susceptible to noise than adsl and unfiltered voice on a single pair if using cat5e?

I'm not clued up on the use of the filtered faceplates so I hope others will jump in, but my hunch is to filter as soon as possible at the master socket, if effect of this is to prevent any voice extensions from adding interference / noise to the line.

This sounds like (1) unless I have misread it.

On the gigabit switch, typically you can find a range of sizes - 5/8/10/16 ports - (and more for the rack-mounted kind).

The rule of thumb would be to think of all the things you have with ethernet and still have a few ports to spare.

However the thing to try first (once the gigabit NIC is fitted) would be to link the two computers together directly - not via the router - and check they link up at the expected speed, and try a few transfers.

Edit: Without the router to give out IPs it is acceptable to let them auto assign 169.254.x.y addresses as you can still network locally without having to manually set IPs. Don't worry about XPs "Limited or no connectivity" warning, it's a bit misleading as it just means no gateway found (router to the internet in this case).

If that works you can think about adding a switch, placed such that the router, computer and the downstairs end of the CAT5 run each connect to it, then the other computer at the other socket. The computers will still show a 1G link for LAN transfers while the connection to the router will be 100M without slowing down the 1G LAN.

Edit: This is assuming you were able to test all 8 pins were connected and in the right pairs (if the link falls back to 100M between floors it suggests a problem on any/all of pins 4/5/7/8)

In your setup there will be nothing connected to the 100M NIC in the XP computer, though having two NICs gives it the future option of going into "retirement" as a dedicated firewall.

I'll have a look around tomorrow on switches but for at 5 or 8-port for starters it does not need to be expensive.

Edited by prlzx (Sat 08-Oct-11 01:05:21)

Cheers prizx,

Thanks for that really precise and detailed description of how to setup the network with a gigabit switch - it will probably be a few days before the gigabit PCI card, for the XP machine, arrives and even then I hope a low profile bracket will be included because it's not generally mentioned in the product's description by different retailers.

I think the XP machine and myself are both heading gracefully into retirement...

In reply to a post by prlzx:

I'm not clued up on the use of the filtered faceplates so I hope others will jump in, but my hunch is to filter as soon as possible at the master socket, if effect of this is to prevent any voice extensions from adding interference / noise to the line.

This sounds like (1) unless I have misread it.

No, you have not misread it. Option (1) is the only sensible way to proceed, if that form of set-up is desired. As for the filtered faceplate at the NTE5/A I would recommend the passive device, manufactured by Pressac for OR and available, without the OR logo, from the usual suppliers [1][2][3].

[1] http://www.clarity.it/xcart/product.php?productid=16134
[2] http://www.run-it-direct.co.uk/BTNTE5ADSLfaceplate6w...
[3] https://www.solwise-secure.co.uk/trolley.php?NewStoc...