Help me set up my new network (not just audio)

Posted by: Bruce Woodhouse on 03 June 2011

I'd like to pick some more 'connected' brains to help me set up my network now that our building work is finished.

 

The set up is is follows. We have a single incoming phone line to the main house where a Netgear Router is connected wired to my HDX and the Router creates a wireless network throughut the house which I access with things like the iPad, a Windows laptop and also occasionally the new internet-TV.

 

That Router is now connected via a Cat5 cable to an adjacent building which is only a few steps away but out of wireless range. It has a phone extension also wired across from the main house rather than its own line. In that building the network will need to have connections (wired) to a PC, the Qute and an NAS and I will also want a wireless network there for the portable devices too.

 

At times the wireless networks in both buildings may be in use, although that is not likely to be often.

 

Questions.

 

I assume that because I cannot have a modem in each building in action at the same time on the same line I have to put a switch on the cable in the new extension and connect the Qute and PC to this. Is this right? Any tips on choosing a switch?

 

How do I create a wireless network in the new building? Airport Express attached to one socket on the switch?

 

Can anyone else see any problems, or tips to get best performance from my planned system?

 

Bruce

Posted on: 03 June 2011 by DavidDever

Is there a sensible reason why you cannot run a Cat5 length to the second building? This would be the easiest, best performance, and least amount of headaches.

 

Please don't take this the wrong way, but wired infrastructure is the first thing I'd be thinking about in any new retrofit building project, along with AC mains, plumbing, HVAC and efficient lighting control.

Posted on: 03 June 2011 by Aleg
Hi Bruce I would add a Gigabit switch in the outbuilding connected by cat6 or at least cat5e to your router. I would look at a Netgear one to match your router, is not strictly necessary but if you are content with the Netgear I would just stick to it. To add a wireless network in the outbuilding you would need a wireless access point (AP). Again I would say look at Netgear, make sure it supports Gigabit for its wired connection to the switch and connect it with a cat6 ( or cat5e) cable. Make sure it supports wifi 802.11n (for the future) and 802.11g for your current devices. All in all you are adding quite a lot of devices which could be crowding your network bandwidth if all active for internet or across your router to switch link (eg HDX accessing your NAS in the outbuilding). So I would set it all up using Gigabit network devices and use a router that supports Quality-Of-Service (QOS) which can favour certain types of network traffic over others (eg media playing over web surfing). Regarding switches I would advise to use un-managed switches unless you are well versed in network management than you could consider managed switches. But if you're not stay well clear of them and go for the unmanaged switches. - aleg
Posted on: 03 June 2011 by Bruce Woodhouse
Originally Posted by DavidDever:

Is there a sensible reason why you cannot run a Cat5 length to the second building? This would be the easiest, best performance, and least amount of headaches.

 

Please don't take this the wrong way, but wired infrastructure is the first thing I'd be thinking about in any new retrofit building project, along with AC mains, plumbing, HVAC and efficient lighting control.

Sorry David, perhaps my post is not clear-we have run a Cat5e cable across.

Posted on: 03 June 2011 by Jack
You can use the same SSID and WPA2 key on both wireless networks but put each AP on a different (non-overlapping channel
e.g. 1 and 6). That way you will maximise throughput but also increase flexibility - you will be able to use wireless devices in either building without changing network.
Posted on: 03 June 2011 by Bruce Woodhouse

Aleg

 

Thanks for that. The network sounds crowded but very rarely will lots of devices be being used at once. In particular I'd expect most of the time only one device accessing the web at once and it would be most unlikely that the HDX would be doing its thing from the NAS at the same time as the Qute was accessing the HDX etc since it is generally me using them and I can only be in one place at a time!

 

The existing Router is not old, I'll see if it is Gigabit spec etc, might need a update. Looks like I might be buying a switch and an 'Access Point' too. I'll investigate the Netgear website. Buying from the same company seems to make sense. I'd not heard of 'QoS' so will look for that in the specs.

 

Bruce

Posted on: 03 June 2011 by Bruce Woodhouse
Originally Posted by Jack:
You can use the same SSID and WPA2 key on both wireless networks but put each AP on a different (non-overlapping channel
e.g. 1 and 6). That way you will maximise throughput but also increase flexibility - you will be able to use wireless devices in either building without changing network.

I guess I would see that stuff in the setup of the new Wireless Access Point?

Posted on: 03 June 2011 by Jack
Yep, just check which channel your exiting wireless router is using and configure an alternative in your new access point - the main non-overlapping channels are 1, 6, and 11. So any two from the three will work well.
Posted on: 03 June 2011 by Simon-in-Suffolk
Hi Bruce, building on what others have said, in  building 1 with  wireless router and  switch connect Ethernet cable to other building and connect to new switch switch. Any switch will do such as a Netgear. You can attach a new wireless access point into building2's switch.
Now you have choices with the wireless depending on how basic your equipment is. You can set both wireless access points to work in ESS (extended service set) mode if your access points support it. This means they share the same SSID and effectively extend the range of the wireless network. Easiest so you only need one set of authentication no matter where you are.
Alternatively you let the wireless access points work independently in BSS (basic service  set) but you they will use different SSIDs and channels and require separate authentication.
If you go for the former (recommended) ensure access point 2 has a good signal of access point 1. Check with a PC etc where point 2 is, switch point 2 off, and check you have a good signal on point 1.
Good luck
Simon
Posted on: 04 June 2011 by Bruce Woodhouse
Originally Posted by Simon-in-Suffolk:
Hi Bruce, building on what others have said, in  building 1 with  wireless router and  switch connect Ethernet cable to other building and connect to new switch switch. Any switch will do such as a Netgear. You can attach a new wireless access point into building2's switch.
Now you have choices with the wireless depending on how basic your equipment is. You can set both wireless access points to work in ESS (extended service set) mode if your access points support it. This means they share the same SSID and effectively extend the range of the wireless network. Easiest so you only need one set of authentication no matter where you are.
Alternatively you let the wireless access points work independently in BSS (basic service  set) but you they will use different SSIDs and channels and require separate authentication.
If you go for the former (recommended) ensure access point 2 has a good signal of access point 1. Check with a PC etc where point 2 is, switch point 2 off, and check you have a good signal on point 1.
Good luck
Simon


Simon

 

The first part is really helpful, thanks.

 

Can you just explain the last sentence or two? The outbuilding will not get any wireless signal from the main house at all due to the distance and the thick walls so I'm unsure what you mean by 'ensure access point 2 has a good signal of access point 1'. As I see it the wireless zones in outbuilding and house will have no 'overlapping' coverage.

 

Bruce

Posted on: 04 June 2011 by Simon-in-Suffolk
Bruce, ok understand, then if you want wireless in the outbuilding as well, set up the wireless access point there with it's own SSID (wireless network name) and let it be independent, ie probably default or standard config.
You should be sorted. There is other tweaking you can do, but unless you have problems best keep it simple.
Just some tips. With the above suggestion, you will have created a flat network or a single subnet. Therefore ensure that all devices are in the same subnet and don't conflict ip addresses. Best you ensure you have one DHCP server running, and I suggest that be the one that is most likely in your ADSL router, disable all others.
If you haven't worked it out, I would give yourself a big class c subnet, ie use a mask of 255.255.255.0 on subnet 192.168.1.0 and therefore  let your router take address 192.168.1.1, let you dhcp work between 192.168.1.10 to 192.168.1.100 and you then have some space for some static addresses between 1.2 and 1.9 and 1.101 and 1.254 such as for a  NAS, your second wireless access point, printer etc.
Simon
Posted on: 04 June 2011 by Bruce Woodhouse
I shall get the components and make a start in the next week or so and see how it goes.

Subnets are beyond me for now, maybe that lot will make more sense when I get into setting it all up.

Thanks all

PS why not an airport express in the outbuilding I borrowed one when setting up my first ever wireless network and it seemed very easy!
Posted on: 04 June 2011 by Simon-in-Suffolk
Bruce
Don't worry about the term subnet, just think of it as your network. It will make sense when you read the instructions on setting up your router and access point. A little forward planning with IP actress's  can save a lot of head aches later.
The apple airport express can work well as a basic wireless access point ( actually I think that is all it's good for ;-). ).
I used for exactly that before around my property. Just remember to disable NAT/PAT ( don't worry what it means just click the disable radio button on the setup screen ) and disable dhcp, giveit a static address, like 192.168.1.2 given the above example, let it have it's own SSID with access password and you are there. This is important if you connect to the rest of your LAN and router or it will cause conflicts and wont work at all or reliably. All this will become obvious on the airport express setup screen.
Simon