I started to spend a bit more money and help things come together. PoE Switch I found a great deal and ended up buying a 10-port PoE switch. First, before we get all excited, only 8 of the 10 ports support PoE. Secondly, it is "only" a 10/100 switch, so no gigabit for me. I'm OK with that. The switch was under $60, and I can always upgrade later. Laying out the Backboard I started to mount items on my backboard, including the new switch. It took me a long time to figure out where to put the equipment: I wanted enough room to lay it all out neatly and comfortably, but I also want efficiency. I also want to be able to connect and disconnect items without a lot of effort. And of course I want to be able to see status LEDs without resorting to mirrors or uncomfortable behaviors. After much trial and error, I found out that the best starting approach is to place all terminating equipment based on the building cabling. One reality of my baseboard is that Coax and Ether
Useful and Useless Ideas from Lance J.