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Connecting a switch to XB6 to create multiple direct ethernet connections

Ian_Ch
I've been here awhile

hello Community - looks like good advice and expertise on this community so I have a few questions in advance of some home networking I want to do.  I'm a new Ignite customer with an XB6 Gateway running wireless in my 4 story townhouse. Wireless works well so I am not interested in adding pods, rather I want to add direct connections.

Current setup:

XB6 Gateway on 1st floor, coax connected to fibre transceiver in garage (ground floor) wireless working well to all floors.

ETH1 goes to my Rogers Ignite TV box beside the XB6

ETH2 goes to my Denon receiver for updates & Internet radio

The builder has run Cat5E cabling to all rooms (no jacks or wall plates) so I'd like to install RJ45 jacks for Ethernet direct connections.  All Cat5E runs to the garage on ground floor so I was considering an 8 port unmanaged gigabit switch and install in garage where all Cat5e terminates.   As a side note, the builder also ran coax in a pair with each Cat5E.

My Rogers installer already installed a coax splitter in the garage when he installed the coax going up to my XB6; therefore the coax runs to each room are already "lit".

Proposed setup:

ETH1 remains direct connected to my Rogers Ignite TV box.

ETH2 out via Cat5e to the 8-port switch in the garage.

Multiple Cat5E runs from switch to RJ45 jacks, including to 4th floor.

Questions:

  1. Any reason this will not work as I leave theXB6 in Gateway mode ?
  2. I've read there are 2 pin-out standards for RJ45 but T568A should be used for residential over T568B.
  3. I would prefer to keep my Denon receiver direct connected via Ethernet but I would need ETH2 port to go out to the switch.   Is there a simple way to keep the Denon connected here? (there is only 1 Cat5e run from 1st floor to garage)
  4. Are the TEL1 and TEL2 ports on XB6 only for Rogers home phone? any use here?
  5. Any issue with distance of the cat5e run to 4th floor (40+ feet)?
  6. What options do I have for the lit coaxial connections in each room?  I have 2 left over Rogers PVRs (NextBox3 & Nextbox2) so would they recognize the Ignite signal and provide TV in an upstairs room?   Would direct connecting a Smart TV to the coax provide basic cable channels?   

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Re: Connecting a switch to XB6 to create multiple direct ethernet connections

Datalink
Resident Expert
Resident Expert

@Ian_Ch, yes, this will work as suggested.

 

1. This will work, but, you will probably need an extra switch located at the modem to run the Denon Receiver


2. You can use either 568A of 568B, but, you have to use the same standard at both ends of the cable.


3. As above, you would need to install a small gigabit unmanaged switch at the modem to run the Denon receiver and the cable run down to the garage.  You shouldn't run into issues with multiple cascaded switches.


4. The telephone ports are supposed to be able to be configured with separate, or the same number, so in theory you could have a home phone number and a fax number for example, or, you could have both ports configured with the same number. I don't know if the techs know how to do that.


5. The distance to the upstairs room shouldn't be an issue.


6. The nextboxes are probably a write off, but, don't quote me on that one. @Gdkitty is the expert on this one. I believe that if the nextboxes are still powered up and have never been shut down, you will be able to access the recorded material. Once the boxes are shut down or unplugged from the wall socket, they won't have the correct Rogers startup commands to allow the user to access the recorded material. As far as basic channels via the nextboxes, the answer to that should be no. Rogers is trying to retire the nextboxes and bring (force, cajole, etc) its customers onto the Comcast IPTV system. That includes shutting down access to the nextbox cable channels when the Ignite TV system is installed.

 

Edit:  The lit coax runs can be disconnected as they won't serve any purpose unless you wanted to run a MoCA (ethernet over Coax) system.  But, since you have ethernet installed, there's no purpose to keep the coax connected to the cable system.  Basically you can disconnect the splitter altogether and connect the incoming cable to the cable that runs to the modem, using an F-81 connector.  They look like this:

 

https://www.homedepot.ca/product/ideal-3ghz-f-splice-adapter-10-pack-/1000751479

 

You'll need to buy keystones, wallplates with keystone mounting ports, a patch panel rack for the garage and a 110 punch down tool to punch the wires into the keystones.  I'd also advise buying an ethernet tester, to ensure that all 4 wire pairs are punched down correctly at both ends of all of the cable runs.  Something like this:

 

https://www.homedepot.ca/product/sperry-instruments-cable-test-plus-coax-utp-stp-tstr-tests-for-open...

 

https://www.amazon.ca/Sperry-Instruments-TT64202-Tester-Master/dp/B004Y75B5Y

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Re: Connecting a switch to XB6 to create multiple direct ethernet connections

Datalink
Resident Expert
Resident Expert

@Ian_Ch, yes, this will work as suggested.

 

1. This will work, but, you will probably need an extra switch located at the modem to run the Denon Receiver


2. You can use either 568A of 568B, but, you have to use the same standard at both ends of the cable.


3. As above, you would need to install a small gigabit unmanaged switch at the modem to run the Denon receiver and the cable run down to the garage.  You shouldn't run into issues with multiple cascaded switches.


4. The telephone ports are supposed to be able to be configured with separate, or the same number, so in theory you could have a home phone number and a fax number for example, or, you could have both ports configured with the same number. I don't know if the techs know how to do that.


5. The distance to the upstairs room shouldn't be an issue.


6. The nextboxes are probably a write off, but, don't quote me on that one. @Gdkitty is the expert on this one. I believe that if the nextboxes are still powered up and have never been shut down, you will be able to access the recorded material. Once the boxes are shut down or unplugged from the wall socket, they won't have the correct Rogers startup commands to allow the user to access the recorded material. As far as basic channels via the nextboxes, the answer to that should be no. Rogers is trying to retire the nextboxes and bring (force, cajole, etc) its customers onto the Comcast IPTV system. That includes shutting down access to the nextbox cable channels when the Ignite TV system is installed.

 

Edit:  The lit coax runs can be disconnected as they won't serve any purpose unless you wanted to run a MoCA (ethernet over Coax) system.  But, since you have ethernet installed, there's no purpose to keep the coax connected to the cable system.  Basically you can disconnect the splitter altogether and connect the incoming cable to the cable that runs to the modem, using an F-81 connector.  They look like this:

 

https://www.homedepot.ca/product/ideal-3ghz-f-splice-adapter-10-pack-/1000751479

 

You'll need to buy keystones, wallplates with keystone mounting ports, a patch panel rack for the garage and a 110 punch down tool to punch the wires into the keystones.  I'd also advise buying an ethernet tester, to ensure that all 4 wire pairs are punched down correctly at both ends of all of the cable runs.  Something like this:

 

https://www.homedepot.ca/product/sperry-instruments-cable-test-plus-coax-utp-stp-tstr-tests-for-open...

 

https://www.amazon.ca/Sperry-Instruments-TT64202-Tester-Master/dp/B004Y75B5Y

Re: Connecting a switch to XB6 to create multiple direct ethernet connections

-G-
Resident Expert
Resident Expert

@Ian_Ch wrote:

4.  Are the TEL1 and TEL2 ports on XB6 only for Rogers home phone? any use here?


Those telephone ports are for use with Ignite Home Phone and they can only be provisioned by Rogers.  The hardware can allow two separate phone numbers to be activated.  However, the standard Rogers configuration only activates the phone service on TEL1.  In my case, TEL2 is unused and non-functional.

 

6.  What options do I have for the lit coaxial connections in each room?  I have 2 left over Rogers PVRs (NextBox3 & Nextbox2) so would they recognize the Ignite signal and provide TV in an upstairs room?   Would direct connecting a Smart TV to the coax provide basic cable channels?


In my opinion, those extra coax connections should be disconnected.  The incoming coax feed should run directly to your modem without any splitters.  I don't think that this would be the case but if the tech (for some bizarre reason) used a splitter as a makeshift attenuator, the empty ports should be capped with terminators.  I would either remove the splitter and replace it with an F81 "barrel" connector or, if possible, I would preferably connect the coax cable (running to your XB6 gateway) directly to the RFoG ONU.

 

Unfortunately, your old Rogers PVRs cannot be used with Ignite TV,  The technologies are incompatible with each other.

 

Re: a coax connection to a TV, I don't know if Rogers carries any channels that can be picked up by an NTSC or ATSC tuner.  Even if they do, I don't think that this is a configuration that Rogers supports in an Ignite TV installation.

Re: Connecting a switch to XB6 to create multiple direct ethernet connections

Datalink
Resident Expert
Resident Expert

Ok, this is bringing back memories from other posts.  The Optical Network Unit cable output is too high, so, Rogers techs install a 5 or 7 (?) port splitter to drop the downstream signal levels to an acceptable level.  As @-G- indicated, those cables should be disconnected from the splitter and the splitter ports should be capped with 75 ohm terminators, which looks like this:

 

https://www.amazon.ca/s?k=75+ohm+terminator&i=electronics&crid=3VEW9HFEQA06E&sprefix=75+ohm%2Celectr...

 

The other way to do this is to remove the splitter and install one or more forward path attenuators to drop the downstream signal level to where it should be.  These are specialized attenuators that only drop the downstream signal levels while leaving the upstream signal levels where they are.  They are available in a couple of drop values, perhaps more but I haven't looked very closely.  So, it should be possible to connect a couple of these together to arrive at the correct downstream signal drop value, or something very close to it.

 

https://www.amazon.ca/line-Signal-Forward-Attenuator-FPA6-54/dp/B07882H96R

 

With the current Antronix splitter installed, the downstream signal levels drop, but there is also a drop in the upstream levels as well, so, the Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS) will command the modem to run at higher upstream output levels to make up for the signal drop thru the splitter.  Normally that shouldn't be an issue, and with a fibre to the home installation, I wouldn't expect the higher upstream levels to be any problem.  

 

Just to point out, when the cables are disconnected from the splitter, that gives you the ability to use them for FM or Over the Air broadcast purposes.   If there is an unused cable port near a tv for example, you can connect that particular cable to another cable that runs upstairs somewhere, and at the upstairs cable port, connect a tv antenna that can be used in the event of a cable outage.  The two cables would be connected where the splitter is located and would be connected with an F-81 connector which I pointed out previously.  If you happen to be in South Toronto I believe, or near the shore, you could receive OTH broadcasts from US stations with the right antenna installed.  TVs these days have built in ATSC tuners, so, its just a matter of connecting an antenna to the antenna port at the back of the TV, selecting the antenna as the signal source or selection and running the auto tuning function to find and store the various received channels.  This is getting off topic, but, just trying to point out, those cables can be put to use for other purposes.  You can do the same with a receiver and an FM antenna.  The whole point of the exercise is to use the cable system to the maximum extent, and to park the antenna upstairs, out of sight.  Ideally the antenna would be mounted outside, but, depending on where you are, parking them upstairs, out of sight might be quite sufficient.  Fwiw ......

Re: Connecting a switch to XB6 to create multiple direct ethernet connections

-G-
Resident Expert
Resident Expert

@Datalink wrote:

Ok, this is bringing back memories from other posts.  The Optical Network Unit cable output is too high, so, Rogers techs install a 5 or 7 (?) port splitter to drop the downstream signal levels to an acceptable level.  As @-G- indicated, those cables should be disconnected from the splitter and the splitter ports should be capped with 75 ohm terminators


Yeah, it's really hard to say what the right thing to do is in this case without looking at the modem signal levels.  You would think that the downstream signal from an RFoG ONU would be just right; there is no reason to make it too hot.  There have been posts showing installations where an XB6 gateway is directly connected to the ONU... and there are various situations where a tech will use splitter as a 3.5 dB attenuator.

 

For an Ignite TV installation, the tech should have disconnected the coax cables going to unused wall outlets.  If the splitter installation was intentional, the tech should also have installed terminating caps.  (FYI, apparently these are available at Rogers stores for free, so no need to buy them if you should need them.)

 

If you happen to be in South Toronto I believe, or near the shore, you could receive OTH broadcasts from US stations with the right antenna installed.  TVs these days have built in ATSC tuners, so, its just a matter of connecting an antenna to the antenna port at the back of the TV, selecting the antenna as the signal source or selection and running the auto tuning function to find and store the various received channels.  This is getting off topic, but, just trying to point out, those cables can be put to use for other purposes.


+1 for using those unused coax connections to receive HD channels over the air.  Even in the north end of the GTA, I can easily pull in 10+ channels using a simple loop antenna with the right geometry.  More if you buy (or build!) something fancier.  Or just have some fun and see what you can receive with a simple paperclip antenna.  Either way, you'll experience an uncompressed HD TV picture the way that it was meant to be seen.

Re: Connecting a switch to XB6 to create multiple direct ethernet connections

Ian_Ch
I've been here awhile
thank you G for your replies. Very helpful.
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