Replacing RV016 router with an SRP series router and 16 port switch

One of our customers had a defective multi-WAN router. For some reason whenever something was connected into the WAN2 port of the router the speed would dramatically reduce, even if all of the traffic was being sent thru on the WAN1 port.

The network as it existed before I began work.

Since this customer has 2 internet connections leaving WAN2 disconnected would not work, also since we no longer use RV routers a switch would have to be added.

Since the network was a bit messy I took this opportunity to install a vertical 4 space mount on the wall.

Halfway thru.
SRP router mouted on the wall,
vertical 4 space mount installed
DSL connected to SRP router.

I removed the patch panel mount and installed it into the vertical 4 space mount, and installed my SRP router below.

Everything mounted and patched in.
In the background (black boxes and wires) is the cable modems
which I did not touch or modify the existing wiring configuration in any way.

I am really starting to like these vertical mounts and will probably be using them more frequently instead of taking up a ton of wall space mounting hardware all over the wall.

I really only *needed* a 2 space mount, but a 3 space mount would have been ideal. The reason I opted for the 4 space mount instead of a 3 space is that there was only a $5 price difference, so this provides an additional space for future expansion. I used one of the spaces to let the wires pass behind the patch panel since the wires are coming in from above.

The view from above. 16 port TP link switch patched in,
DSL modem and surge protector resting on lip of bracket. 

The job is not as neat as it would have been had I started everything from scratch, or had I been permitted to take down the entire network for a few hours. However it is much neater and more manageable then it was when I first arrived to replace the router and add the switch. 

All in all it took aprox. 3 hours because some settings had to be migrated from the old router in order for the PCs to be able to communicate with the local server. 

If I would have just changed the router and switch I probably could have gotten out of there within an hour, but I wanted to clean up some of the mess in the closet so that it will be easier to work on this network in the future. 

New 16 jack network + FiOS router replacement

While we were installing the network with the enclosed rack from THIS post we also built a new network for the adjacent office. As these 2 offices were within the same main office space, I used different colors to differentiate the two networks. The main network from the other post had blue and white network jacks. This network uses red and green network jacks.

Patch panel installed - and Verizon installed their FiOS equipment. 

The reason for using different colored jacks for this network compared to the other was that they are in a shared office space. If at any point in the future they move out of this office space the future technician or tenants should easily identify that these are separate networks  where the patch panel is located in 2 different locations within the office.

Red and Green network jacks. 

There was 2 jacks in this office originally that went to the main patch panel for the entire office. I moved those 2 jacks over to where the new patch panel is located so that there are 2 CAT5 runs that run between the patch panels. This will be useful in the event that the internet for one company goes down, they can temporarily share an internet connection - or for any other reason that something needs to be shared between the networks.

Another angle of the panel and Verizon installed equipment.
Back up battery on bottom
Desktop ONT top left
Crap actiontec router top right.

We generally never use the provided router that Verizon provides with the FiOS services. We usually replace them. In this case this was an existing customer who had a Linksys/Cisco RV016. In order to replace the Verizon provided router you need to have the DHCP lease released from the Verizon router. This was done this time by disconnecting the Verizon router upon arrival. By the time we were ready to install our router the DHCP lease had expired and we were able to replace it with the customer provided router. Occasionally you may need to call Verizon to release the DHCP on the circuit in order to replace the router.

Crap Actiontec router that verizon provides removed,
customers Linksys/Cisco RV016 router installed directly to ONT
and all patched in. 

Another angle of completed panel patched in. 

small 8 jack network

What's the first thing that we do when we go to a business location that has FiOS installed? That's right, get rid of that crappy router that they install and replace it with a real router!

This customer just moved into a new location and I had to install network jacks for 4 desks. 1 jack for computers, and 1 for the IP phones that I had to install. 

Instead of a patch panel due to the small amount of jacks
and attempts to maximize useable space in the closet
I used 1 gang surface mount boxes.

While I was doing the wiring I decided to unplug the power to the crappy router that Verizon provides hoping that the IP address would release in the time it took me to finish the wiring and get to installing the new router. Happily this method worked, so I did not need to spend any time waiting on hold with Verizon to get them to release the IP address so I could replace the router!

Everything mounted inside a closet directly next to the FiOS ONT.
Installed
16 port TPlink switch
E2500 router
Surge protector 

Once the wiring was installed, tested and labeled I mounted a 16 port TPlink switch, a Cisco E2500 and a surge protector (power came in on the oppisite side of the closet wall so I had to drill a hole to get the plug connected on the other side of the wall.)

I Wish whoever designed the E series of routers for Cisco would have had some common sense or real world experience installing networks as there is no good way to wall mount this router. I used long screws and fender washers to mount it. 

Start to finish was aprox. 3 hours: Running 2 CAT5 wires to 4 different locations, punching down testing and labeling, installing the router and switch, installing the phones AND activating the FiOS since the customer had not yet done so.

Doorphone + 1 wire run + switch

Recently I went down to a customer to install a few IP phones and a doorbell. Most of the time for customers that we do not do the wiring for the door bell is already wired up, sometimes with a door strike, sometimes without. 

Viking E-20B installed

This customer recently moved into the office and had someone else install all new network wiring, however this person did not prewire for the doorphone, so I had to run a wire to the basement from the door, however drilling straight down from the door frame to the basement was not possible due to the fact that the door was beyond the basement wall, over the poured concrete foundation walls. 

I brought my wire down into the door frame from my relay in the basement
so the locksmith can connect once he cuts out the door frame
and installs the latch. 

The walls the doorphone was installed was also solid, so I was unable to snake it up into the drop ceiling, so I installed a wiremold in the corner, that is barely visible as it blends into the white woodwork so well. 

The wiremolding in the corner is barely visible
as it blends in with the white woodwork.

The wires were then snaked across the drop ceiling into a closet where the wiring for the DVR ran down to the basement to the patch panel. 

This is why you should install a rack!
Whoever installed the switches should have at least mounted them on the wall.

Why a rack was not installed by the guy who ran the CAT5 cabling I don't know. The permanent CAT5 wiring was done neatly and professionally, however in front of the patch panel was a folding table where a server was installed, as well as the switches and routers.

The equipment I installed (except the existing 66 block)
SPA2102 for doorphone phone line
8 port TP link switch
Viking RC2A relay
Wire is tagged for locksmith to connect power supply for door latch.

Despite the mess that the guy who patched the switches and routers for the computer network, I still made sure to mount my ATA, relay and switch as neatly as possible onto the plywood wall. 

Installing 6 IP phones, running 1 CAT5 from 1st floor down to the basement, mounting and installing all of the other hardware took about 3 hours for me to complete, including time to show the customer how to use their new phones.

The only thing left to do now is have the locksmith cut out the frame and install the door latch as well as a power supply in the basement on the wire that I labeled for him. 

New network with enclosed rack

Currently we are working on installing a network for a customer who wanted a fully enclosed rack, because it is going to be in the main office space area. The CAT 5 wiring was already in place, but the panel had been removed, and the wires were just rolled up in the drop ceiling.

Aside from installing the enclosed rack and 48 port patch panel he wanted us to replace all of the existing jacks and faceplates. We color coded each jack White on top and Blue on bottom. Within this office, there is also a large room that will be used by a different tenant that is sharing office space with them. That network and its CAT5 wiring was not in place yet. When I installed that network I installed Red and Green jacks on that network to distinguish it from this network, but I still left 2 jacks from this network next to the panel for the shared office space network for the future. (If the office ends up belonging to a single tenant, or if one of the tenants internet connections goes down they can "borrow" the neighbor's internet connection, share a printer, or analog phone line.)

Enclosed rack mounted completely closed.

Front door open in the rack.
(wiring has been punched down but not completed yet)

The front door of the rack is easily removable!

The entire rack can swing open for easy access to the back of the rack,
for power managment, or any other access requirements to the rear equipment

Door removed and entire rack swung open.

Another patch panel will be installed, probably in the back portion of the rack for the IP cameras and door phone. 

All patch cords will be color coordinated with the color of the jacks. 

In the 48 port panel the top row = the top jacks (white) and the bottom row = the bottom jacks (blue)  

more to come....

And here it is - the final patched in product.

The customer wanted the patch cords to match the jack colors, so blue and white patch cords were used. 

A co-worker of mine completed the patching in of the panel and switches. 

Due to space restraints with the door of the panel closed, we could not make the patching any neater than it appears in the images.

A 24 port switch and a 16 (a ports PoE) switch was installed and mounted.

The top panel is for the (white) voice (VoIP) and (blue) data jacks.

The bottom panel is for the IP cameras.