Installing VoiP at my house...

[_Charles_]

I'm planning on getting VoiP in teh coming weeks, but first, I want to re-wire my house. I'm already installing Verizon FIOS (fiber), and running Cat5e to every room, and was gonna add a 2nd drop for phone, but what would be the most effective way (ie cheapest) to set it up for VoiP? I'm not familiar with the network design required for VoiP in residential applications.

Charles

[Nikon]

Will you be going though Verizon for VoIP, or another service such as Vonage?

[_Charles_]

Will you be going though Verizon for VoIP, or another service such as Vonage?

Probably Verizon. Was thinking Sunrocket, but not available here yet, and I'd like to consolidate things.

Charles

[Clint]

well, I've heard good things about vonage, and you can get a special router to go from the regular phone line to the broadband.. I know linksys makes one... that way you can use whatever phone you want..

[Nikon]

My suggestion is if you are wanting to do gigabit ethernet in the house, you'll already be pushing the limitations of category 5e wiring. Category 6 wiring should allow you to upgrade to faster speeds in the future without needing to rewire.

Second, wire everything in category6, whether the port will be phone or data. In the demarcation for the house (that's some braging rights), put all wiring into standard ethernet patch panels and mount it in a relay rack of some sort. Wire two additional lower density patch panels and wire one for line 1 and line 2. Both patch panels can be wired to have standard RJ-11 phone jackon the end to plug it into Verizon's equipment or the phone port on the Vonage Linksys router. Add a simple 12 port switch and then you'd be good to go.

Now when it comes to patching the ports in the house, you can use a simple patch cable from the house wiring patch panel and plug it into the switch if being used for data or plug it into one of the two other path panels for phone line 1 or line 2.

This way, the wiring in the house remains dynamic as far as use and is easy to manage.

My $0.02

[Clint]

^^ I was going to say that too but got tired of typing :lol:

[_Charles_]

My suggestion is if you are wanting to do gigabit ethernet in the house, you'll already be pushing the limitations of category 5e wiring. Category 6 wiring should allow you to upgrade to faster speeds in the future without needing to rewire.

Second, wire everything in category6, whether the port will be phone or data. In the demarcation for the house (that's some braging rights), put all wiring into standard ethernet patch panels and mount it in a relay rack of some sort. Wire two additional lower density patch panels and wire one for line 1 and line 2. Both patch panels can be wired to have standard RJ-11 phone jackon the end to plug it into Verizon's equipment or the phone port on the Vonage Linksys router. Add a simple 12 port switch and then you'd be good to go.

Now when it comes to patching the ports in the house, you can use a simple patch cable from the house wiring patch panel and plug it into the switch if being used for data or plug it into one of the two other path panels for phone line 1 or line 2.

This way, the wiring in the house remains dynamic as far as use and is easy to manage.

My $0.02

That was pretty much my thought, I've done cabling in the past (Cat5/5e, and Coax), but I am unfamilar with these new 'VoiP' router/convertor thingamabob's. Guess I'm gonna have to dive in head first and just do it. Also running RG-6 too.

My question is less on the 'standards' (cabling) and more on the layout.

[Nikon]

That was pretty much my thought, I've done cabling in the past (Cat5/5e, and Coax), but I am unfamilar with these new 'VoiP' router/convertor thingamabob's. Guess I'm gonna have to dive in head first and just do it. Also running RG-6 too.

My question is less on the 'standards' (cabling) and more on the layout.
The Vonage Linksys router you get has your normal ethernet jack for network and two phone ports. You'd plug the line 1 and 2 patch panels, and ethernet switch into it and it does everything else. Pretty simple actually.

Verizon has a similar setup for FiOS, but I don't know what equipment they use.

[...mikey]

omg I want FIOS so bad.

OMG.
It makes me tingle.

[_Charles_]

The Vonage Linksys router you get has your normal ethernet jack for network and two phone ports. You'd plug the line 1 and 2 patch panels, and ethernet switch into it and it does everything else. Pretty simple actually.

Verizon has a similar setup for FiOS, but I don't know what equipment they use.

Starting to make a little bit of sense....I think I've got a plan figured out, but here is what I was working with:

http://www.tampaforums.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=24&stc=1

[_Charles_]

I think this looks like it will work...

http://www.tampaforums.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=26&stc=1

Charles

[Brian]

Thats what it should look like, i was thinking about the voice all being on separate ports of the patch panel and not seeing any connection between them in the first layout. But i wanted to wait and see what Nikon had to say about it before i posted, as i have not had much experience with voice systems.



Are you using Network Note pad?

[_Charles_]

Thats what it should look like, i was thinking about the voice all being on separate ports of the patch panel and not seeing any connection between them in the first layout. But i wanted to wait and see what Nikon had to say about it before i posted, as i have not had much experience with voice systems.



Are you using Network Note pad?

Using Visio to do the drawing.

The green line across the patch panel represents a 'bridge', connecting the 4 phone lines to 1 port. BAsically, I'm converting my house from an old 'pre-cat3' parrallel cabling scheme to a CAT5e star topology.

Had this been 'commercial', I would not of had an issue. Cisco VoiP uses 1 port per line, and it's all digital, no biggie. Residential VoiP providers apparently convert the digital signal to an analog signal and provide only 1 or 2 cat3 connections (and I wanted 3-4). Most Vonage users tap into there existing cabling, and I understand how, but the existing cabling in my house sucks, and I wanted to upgrade anyways. I think I'm gonna go with this scenario. Already ordered the 12 port wall mount patch panel.

BTW: Not going Cat6, due to cost. Currently on a $0 budget, so I am already 'overbudget'.

Charles

[Nikon]

The diagram looks good, although I know it's hard to show how the wiring is done on the patch panel portion.

For recap purposes...

Assuming you run a total of 6 wires and you're getting a 12 port patch panel, the back of the first six ports will be punched with the other ends of the wires from the rooms. Ports 7-9 will be wired on the back of the patch panel in parallel and can be spliced into a 3ft phone cord so you get a RJ-11 jack at the end of it. Repeat the same for ports 10-12.

Now if port 1 is your bedroom, you won't be needing it to be data. Run a patch cable from port 1 to port 7 on the patch panel so the jack in the bedroom is activated for phone line 1. But if for any reason you need it to be data, run port 1 to a port on your switch with a patch cable instead.

When it comes to true VoIP and using Cisco 7900 series phones, I have no clue. VoIP was just a theory when I was in the Cisco Networking Academy.

Hope I've been helpful.

[_Charles_]

When it comes to true VoIP and using Cisco 7900 series phones, I have no clue. VoIP was just a theory when I was in the Cisco Networking Academy.



Funny, I have my CCNA, and I've installed traditional VoiP, and I even have a 7900 series phone on my desk, but residential VoiP is a total opposite, becuase it's analog on the one end (which is where I suck), but I have a plan...and I will let you know how it goes this weekend.

Charles

[Brian]

Where are you pricing the Cat6 out at? If your going to do it might as well do it right. When i ran the cable for the family business i ordered 1000+ feet spools of Cat 6 and it wasnt to bad, little over $100, but that was running 30 or so drops with varying length in the drops.

But i guess if you have a $0 budget then it woouldnt matter anyways heh.


Good Luck on it!

[Nikon]

Funny, I have my CCNA, and I've installed traditional VoiP, and I even have a 7900 series phone on my desk, but residential VoiP is a total opposite, becuase it's analog on the one end (which is where I suck), but I have a plan...and I will let you know how it goes this weekend.

Charles
I got screwed over on my CCNA class though.

My high school didn't offer the class, but they had an agreement with another nearby high school that did have it and allowed me to take the class there. They taught us on the 2.0 curriculum and then when we went to test, it was on the 3.0, so I failed off the bat since the 2.0 material didn't have fiber optics or VoIP.

That school sucked so much ass. It was SOOO bad, the school didn't even know 75% of the seniors weren't going to graduate until the month before the ceremony when the district pointed out the students never took classes required for graduation. Universities found out, scholarships were pulled, lawsuits went flying. No joke. Look it up if you don't believe me.

Bellevue School District - Newport High School.

/offtopic

Let me know how it goes.

[Chris]

^^ I was going to say that too but got tired of typing :lol:

You are hereby nominated as networking administrator for casa de 1320

lol

Figure out costs for me when you get time

[Clint]

i was joking :lol:

[Chris]

i was joking :lol:

Get back to work bish! :p

[Chris]

Bellevue School District - Newport High School.


Schools in that area sucked ass to me anyway - I mean seriously, I took an aeronautics class in Jr high... you know what we did - made fucking PAPER AIRPLANES the WHOLE time!!!!!