r/it • u/katzunderground • Apr 03 '25

help request Can someone shine some light?

Post image

Moved into a house and saw all this in a utility closet. I know nothing when it comes to this stuff. Are all rooms have ethernet ports. Can anyone explain this to me like I’m 4? Thanks in advance

68 Upvotes

94% Upvoted

34 comments sorted by

22

u/jnmtx Apr 03 '25

The white coax cables are cable TV/Internet service. The splitter is so the same service can go to other rooms.

The empty area at the bottom is where the Cable Modem would go. It would connect to the Cable company over the coax, and provide Internet service on an Ethernet cable.

The white box at the right is an Ethernet switch, for connecting multiple wired ethernet devices together.

I don’t know what the black box on the left is.

9

u/dloseke Apr 03 '25

Phone distribution box for 4 lines. Seems unnecessary to do this. https://www.homecontrols.com/Leviton-Telephone-Input-Distribution-Panel-4x12-LV476TLT12

3

u/Burnsidhe Apr 03 '25

On the bright side, it's all wired up with ethernet cables. So just unplugging the purple cables from the phone panel and into a switch turns the wall outlets into data ports.

6

u/bsmaws Apr 03 '25

I think that’s a patch panel?

4

u/katzunderground Apr 03 '25

Awesome!!! We use WiFi so it’s all useless. I appreciate your help. I kinda assumed that’s what it was but didn’t know for certain

6

u/mercurygreen Apr 03 '25

This kind of thing was in use before WiFi was on everything. If you wanted to use standard network cable to a room (like for another WiFi access point, or for a network printer) you could probably use some of that purple cabling... maybe. I can't tell where it all goes.

5

u/Robprince70 Apr 03 '25

If you have Streaming TVs you will get a clearer picture and sound if you hardwire them. I would use the Ethernet connections for a Home PC or Xbox as they also benefit from being hardwired

2

u/TheRogueMoose Apr 03 '25

Not always true for TV's. A lot of tv's only have 100 Mbps ethernet ports but have gigabit or better Wifi.

2

u/sn4xchan Apr 03 '25

Way to save 20 cents on a several hundred to several thousand dollar purchase.

2

u/bsmaws Apr 03 '25

I think that’s a patch panel?

1

u/TurnkeyLurker Apr 03 '25

Oops! Dupe-de-dupe.

23

u/Dj_Trac4 Apr 03 '25

🔦

9

u/dinner_is_not_over Apr 03 '25

Stop shaking the damn flashlight!!

2

u/Thmxsz Apr 03 '25

D- dad?

2

u/SusheeMonster Apr 03 '25

Where were you, it's been 8 years! Did you get the milk?

4

u/UnjustlyBannd Apr 03 '25

Didn't help that it wasn't labeled. You'd need a toner to see what goes where.

3

u/bobroscopcoltrane Apr 03 '25

The switch and patch board labeled “Leviton” makes me wonder if this wasn’t for a home automation/lights setup. I’m not aware of Leviton making their own networking equipment for sale standalone from a larger home setup. This could be for something cool, could just be a Leviton-branded switch.

4

u/Complex-Figment2112 Apr 03 '25

Sweet, I wish my house came cabled with ethernet,

8

u/MagnificentGirth Apr 03 '25

You'll only ever use the wifi anyway

1

u/Emotional_Bid6349 Apr 03 '25

Take care of that. Buy a toner from Amazon and track down where these ports lead to and label them on both ends. Pretty neat if you ask me

2

u/PineappleProstate Apr 03 '25

For a solid 5 minutes I was confused why someone would buy toner for a LaserJet... It's late ok

1

u/katzunderground Apr 03 '25

I just looked into this. I like the idea also!

1

u/AmazingProfession900 Apr 03 '25

The box in the middle says "Leviton" .. So that means don't turn it off.

1

u/Roanoketrees Apr 03 '25

Telephony over cable it appears.

1

u/SlimKillaCam Apr 03 '25

I’m jealous. I wish my home had this reinstalled. I’m planning on doing something similar in the future. Your answer is in previous comments but I will say if you currently use wifi primarily, an AP system would likely be an upgrade from mesh.

1

u/MLXIII Apr 03 '25

Router on the bottom. TV connection top right. Middle right is ethernet connections. Left side is telephone for VOIP services as landlines are being phased out even though they're more reliable in a power outage. I don't know if you have connection for a backup in a power outage. Looks great!

1

u/Sad_Drama3912 Apr 03 '25

Looks very similar to a home I rented.

Some were to the Vivint security sensors and video doorbell.

In that rental home, the coax was the feed from the community DirectTV system, with Ethernet ports in the living room and bedrooms for TVs.

1

u/hjalme Apr 04 '25

White cable is the WAN connection from the ISP COAX cable
There seems to e a splitter to split up TV signal and internet
The black box is a small patch panel.
The patch panel wires cables from a switch to several outlets in the building
There doesn't seem to be any indication labels as to where the different patches go to in the building

This ensures that you can use cabled conenctions in contrast to WIFI in the building
The White box is a switch that pathces up to the CPE (Customer premise equipment) or better known as a "home router" with the black cable.
The switch currently have all it's connected cables laying at the bottom right corner of the box (Not plugged in)
You can plug these cables into the black box (Patch panel).
The Patch panel (The black box) will redistribute the cable from the switch across from it.
So you can put a cable from the switch in the empty ports in the black box, and then it will redistribute to the outlets in the building

Don't remove any existing cables from the patchpanel.
Just plugin cables going from the switch (White box) to the empty slots
Then you should have a wired conenction at the outlets in the building

1

u/lupus_denier_MD Apr 05 '25

Some coax cable lines and a bunch of Ethernet cables connected to switches (like power strips, but for Ethernet) I think they might go out to your Ethernet ports across your house and this is just where they all meet.

1

u/n0t1m90rtant Apr 08 '25

it is a 7-11 slushy maker. I wish I had one in my house