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Q. Infinity modem and hub connectivity

SkyRider17
Member

I intend to upgrade to Infinity soon, and am trying to get my head around equipment locations based on the standard info given on the BT product site. My master socket is at the other end of the house to my study where I would ideally like the router & modem to sit

 

Q1) I've read about an extenstion "kit" to locate the devices close to a mains outlet.  Can my existing phone socket, currently with filter plus phone+Netgear modem/router attached,  take the place of the extension kit?  I'd end up with the devices where I want them without routing another cable across the house (difficult/impossible to do this neatly and without drilling holes!).

 

Q2) Can the Infinity hub be located away from the modem?  What type of cable connects the two, a regular Cat5e or equivalent?  Is there a maximum permitted distance?  (Having the modem near the master socket is convenient, and having the wireless hub elsewhere would be advantageous.  I could more easily link another hub to it).

 

Thanks.

4 REPLIES 4

MHC
Guru

 

 

Q1 - yes it is possible but you would need to sacrifice the master socket for telephony purposes.    The more internal cabling you have the more likely it is to pick up electronic noise from within the house and cause you a loss of speed.

 

Q2 - yes they can be up to 100m apart!   And it is Cat5e with RJ45 connections.

 

 

In your situation - have the modem adjacent to the master socket.   Then use the data extension kit to run a new cable to where you want the Hub/Router.    One end has an RJ45 which will plug into the modem,  get a standard backbox with an RJ45 face plate and terminate the other end into that.    Use a short patch lead to connect from socket to Hub/Router.

 

Yes, you will need to run the cable, but there is always a sacrifice to be made if you want faster speeds.

 

 

SkyRider17
Member

Thanks MHC,

 

Following on...

Re Q1.   I'd want to keep a phone plugged into the existing study socket, so I guess that plan won't work.

 

Is there a good reason to use the data extension kit with RJ45 backbox as you suggest?  Is it not possible to use an  Ethernet Cat5e with RJ45 at each end to plug directly into each device?  (Just curious about this, I read elsewhere about getting "flat" Ethernet cable for running under carpet etc.)

 

Also, is the cable distance from modem to hub an issue?  Is shorter better or is this only relevant for the master to modem connection?

 

I appreciate your help.

MHC
Guru

 

 

The data extension cable is normally 2 pair Cat5e capable of 100Mbps and being of smaller diameter easier to route and will be a neater solution.   A normal Cat5e cable with RJ45 at both ends is fine but getting them longer than 10m is not easy.   

 

Be careful with "Flat" cable - you need to be sure that t is twisted pair - and getting it with RJ45s at both end may not be easy.    Infrastructure cable is solid core and ideal for the punch down connections used on sockets.    Patch cable is stranded and suited to the connectors used in RJ45s and is more flexible.

 

As for running under carpets - there is normally enough space to get a cable in teh edge between carpet and skirting board.

 

Modem to hub - using Cat5e you hould be able to achieve 100m which is the Ethernet standard.   In practice I have achieved much greater.

JohnE
Guru

Our recommendation would always be, extend from the router to your computers (Networking), never from the phone socket to the router.

 

There are solutions.  Fitted Ethernet extensions (much like a fitted phone extension), Wireless repeaters or even Powerline networking:

How Power-line Networking Works