So, my stab at this one:
Location 1 (primary):
- DSL/IPTV connection, 12Mbps/512Kbps (I'm too far away from the Telco office to get 16Mb/1Mb, and there are no other viable ISPs
), managed by one of the worst routers I've EVER encountered, the Alcatel 2700HGV-2 Gateway. Unfortunately, the bloody thing has to be the router, else the IPTV box will not be able to access the network.
This router has 4 10/100Mbps ports, one of which is connected to the IPTV box; the second port connects to dad's PC, and the third one connects to a D-Link 5-port unmanaged Gigabit switch one floor down from the router.
This switch is actually the heart of the network, since the WHS machine and my gaming rig (which doubles as an HTPC) both connect to it. The other two ports are used when building new machines or when I need to connect my laptop to a wired network.
Speaking of laptops, mine usually connects directly to the router, but since there is some sort of hardware/software limitation on the router side my ISP never bothered to correct, I'm stuck with a 9Mbps connection (don't ask).
Location 2 (parents' house):
If you thought the other setup was rather weird (it is, actually), then get ready for a convoluted discription.
The main router (THE worst router I've EVER came across hands down, something from Netgear I don't even want to try to remember the name) handles both the cable and VoIP over cable connection (so I can't get out of this one, neither, If I swapped the router, POTS would be a no go, and I actually still need POTS). It manages a 18Mbps/1Mbps cable connection so bad it crashes with over 50 simultaneous connections (so uTorrent and such are tricky at best, and the ISP only makes it worse with the severe traffic shapping going on).
Since I can't have long cable runs from the coax outlet to the router (because of noise issues, I've been told), I have to run around 15m of both Ethernet and phone cables (I should have run both through the same cable, but I didn't have the patience to do it at the time) all around the room, up and down archways, etc.. Sad sight, I tell you.
So, this router connects to... another router, which has for many years served as the main wireless AP to the house (I never actually used the router part, but when I bought it it was dirt cheap, and it came with a wireless card, which I actually needed
), as well as the main switch. It's an USR model, 8054, if memory serves me right.
The USR AP/switch connects to the mini server I have going on (case is 18x18x18cm in size... hehehe), as well as the main PC.
And then things get trickier. You see, the house has three floors, and there is actually one more computer in the basement. Since I can't run an Ethernet cable that long (my mother would kill me), Wireless was the solution: the main switch/AP has a wireless repeater one floor below it (also from USR, at that time, like 7 years ago, finding repeaters that worked together was A B***H), to serve both the PC on the basement, my mother's netbook and my brother's notebook when he's around. My notebook usually takes advantage of the dedicated, closer, wireless connection on the router, but sometimes I also connect it to the main switch.
So, in total, two wireless networks (different channels, of course), too many cables, and a headache every time I fire up uTorrent.
In the future, I hope I get to ditch IPTV on my main location (switch to standard cable, so I don't have to worry about only being able to watch TV on one location in the house), and get Fiber (yeah, right, like 10 years from now) for Internet duties, or simply stay with DSL (love it, the ISP is the same one, but IPTV SUCKS because of the bloody router limitations); on my parents' house, I hope I switch back to DSL for the Internet (cable is just fine, but they suck on the POTS implementation, and the Internet connection is atrocious).
Cheers.
Miguel
