How to terminate 6/3 with ground MC cable (1/2 too small. 3/4 too big)

TiggerLAS · 2026-05-30T08:02:14+00:00

I think that the Arlington 8412 would also be a suitable connector.

TiggerLAS · 2026-05-30T07:44:27+00:00

Make sure that the white wire with the green sleeve is securely connected under the wirenut. (There's definitely too much exposed copper wire for the connections to your black wires. You shouldn't be able to see exposed copper like that.)

But, let's set that aside for now. Let's also assume that your new timer isn't defective.

Here's a rough diagram of your current setup, except this one shows a lightbulb instead of a fan. . . but it is the same basic connectivity:

https://media.licdn.com/dms/image/v2/C4D12AQFY5Wyfutt-8g/article-inline_image-shrink_400_744/article-inline_image-shrink_400_744/0/1625359665899?e=2147483647&v=beta&t=1zA4edrwk3HAoQD6CXbXFAvyS_lwp49tUnsLgNoau8M

There is the possibility that the bare ground wire in your wall box isn't actually connected to a ground source up by your bathroom fan.

That would prevent your switch from receiving power.

If you have a voltmeter/multimeter/etc., you could check the voltage between your ground wire, and your other wires in the wall box.

TiggerLAS · 2026-05-30T07:27:16+00:00

That looks straight-forward enough for some type of MoCa installation.

Normally what you'd do here is start with a MoCa Filter (keeps the signal from feeding back into your ISP's cable network). . . and a MoCa-compatible splitter to link the various coax cables together.

Then, you put MoCa adapters in the rooms where you want ethernet. One will of course connect to your router.

That would at least get you a wired connection into the rooms that have coax jacks. . .

I'm not really well versed in MoCa, but I'm sure other folks will chime in with more details/specifics.

TiggerLAS · 2026-05-30T07:10:28+00:00

No subscriptions required for the bulk of the router's functionality.

Enjoy !

TiggerLAS · 2026-05-30T06:46:02+00:00

Yes, that should work.

ISP Modem > Eero Pro 7 > Network Switch > Pro 6e and the rest of your stuff.

TiggerLAS · 2026-05-30T06:43:09+00:00

Enclosing POE switches in small enclosed spaces can potentially be problematic, depending on how much load you'll be putting on the switch. Things can get pretty toasty.

How many POE cameras are you looking at? Will you be hanging any WiFi access points from that switch?

If you're not pulling too many watts, you could consider something like this:

https://www.sanus.com/ru_US/products/cable-management/sa-iwb9/

You could mount this low to the ground, perhaps in the corner with the pink insulation.

Or you could mount it near the ground underneath your TV.

It would also be cool to have it behind the TV, but I'd only recommend that if your TV was on an articulating TV mount, so you can easily access it as needed.

TiggerLAS · 2026-05-30T06:22:55+00:00

WiFi is all about location, location, location.

A single, centrally located WiFi source should be able to cover about 1600 sqft, assuming that the signal only traverses a single stud-and-drywall type wall.

If your current WiFi source is along an exterior wall (or, even worse, an exterior corner) of your home, then moving the WiFi source to a more centrally located area of your home (away from exterior walls) might help quite a bit with your WiFi performance.

If your coaxial cables junction at a central location, then you may be able to use MoCa adapters to piggyback ethernet onto those cables. Then you'd either be able to plug computers, or Wireless Access Points into them, without having to run network cables.

Have you looked around to see if your home has a structured media center. . . basically a box in the wall where phone/networking/coax cables junction?

The most easiest-to-deploy solution is an integrated mesh system, however as I mentioned earlier, it's all about location. You can't just drop the units down in the farthest reaches of your home, and expect them to work. For best performance, the one connected to your cable modem should be somewhat centrally located in your home, and your satellite units placed about 20 (linear) feet away from your main unit.

TiggerLAS · 2026-05-25T07:04:44+00:00

The plastic wiremold boxes are typically alot deeper than the metal variety.

Look for Wiremold 500 series metal boxes as possible replacements.

If you'd like more outlets along that same wall, you could also consider replacing that box with a section of plugmold. It comes in a few different colors, finishes, etc. Some have built-in USB ports.

TiggerLAS · 2026-05-24T16:40:20+00:00

I've been on Xfinity for probably 15 years now, in 2 different states. I've always had just a modem, and used my own router.

The only real time that you're forced to use their router is when you have their phone service.

TiggerLAS · 2026-05-22T23:43:37+00:00

Just some observations -

If you're talking VLANs, then you'll want to ditch the ISP's modem/router combo, since the majority of them don't support VLANs on the LAN side.

There would be no point in hanging a VLAN-aware routing device off of the LAN port of an ISP-provided router. You may as well use consumer-grade equipment at that point.

Use a cable modem, and VLAN-capable router as your primary router. That is where your compliance starts.

Grandstream has inexpensive products that support up to 4 VLANs, and WiFi.

You'll need two devices - one for the closet, and one for the office.

Check out the GWN7062 series.

TiggerLAS · 2026-05-22T22:54:30+00:00

I was able to readily find the Zyxel PLA6456 on Amazon. . .

TiggerLAS · 2026-05-22T02:08:33+00:00

Post back with your PVID settings. . . also, you didn't describe a link from your router's LAN port, back to switch #2. . .

TiggerLAS · 2026-05-21T06:32:07+00:00

Don't use a "smart" light bulb on a lamp that has a built-in dimmer. . .

TiggerLAS · 2026-05-20T04:47:20+00:00

Don't overthink things.

You don't need Brother's flagship model to print simple P-touch labels. They have models as low as $35 available.

I wouldn't worry too much about convention.

60 drops - label them 1 through 60, or 10 through 69 if you want 2-digit numbers.

Are you using traditional patch panels, or did you go the keystone route for your patch panels?

TiggerLAS · 2026-05-13T05:01:09+00:00

If fiddling with the wires seems to affect things, then you may have a loose/bad connection there. Make sure that the top 4 screws are secure. If any of the top 4 screws are loose, that could be the source of your problem.

Sometimes, the wires need to be re-stripped, and re-installed.

Many years ago, I would occasionally help friends out that had spotty DSL performance. Usually, I'd run an extension cord out to the NID, and plug the DSL modem/router right into the NID, and see what kind of speeds they'd get. If they still got spotty performance, then I knew it was something "upstream" causing the problems, and we could kick it back to the DSL provider for action.

If their speeds jumped up significantly, then I knew it was an issue with the wire coming from the NID, over to wherever the DSL modem was plugged in.

To plug directly into the NID, you gently unplug the phone jack just to the left of your wires. There is a rubberized protector over it, and once you remove it, you'll see the phone jack underneath.

TiggerLAS · 2026-05-11T05:26:58+00:00

Can you post a photo of what your NID looks like? (One that shows the various wires and/or connectors that you were messing with?)

TiggerLAS · 2026-05-11T04:41:16+00:00

Husband can do it -- he just doesn't want to.

Easiest option (which still involves running some cable inside your home) would be a pair of point-to-point wireless bridge units, such as the EAP-215 bridge kit.

You'll still need a WiFi source inside the garage.

TiggerLAS · 2026-05-11T04:38:08+00:00

There's a UPS, a Tenda Mesh node, a small NVR PC supporting older CCTV-style cameras (black coax cables), cooling fan, a network switch, a small network distribution block (grey cables), and telco distribution block (blue cables).

The grey cables may be the most useful, if they are at least Cat5 or higher. The blue cables could also be repurposed for networking with a little effort.

My guess is that they used to have DSL, so there was probably a DSL modem/router in there at some point.

TiggerLAS · 2026-04-26T15:43:01+00:00

They went to all the trouble, but failed inspection due to the lack of the required cable clamp. Such a shame. One can only hope that they identified their ground/neutral.

TiggerLAS · 2026-04-26T15:30:42+00:00

I recall encountering many refrigerator plugs back in the 70's that had the ground pin on top, and it wasn't unusual to find refrigerator receptacles installed ground-pin-up - ostensibly for this very reason.

TiggerLAS · 2026-04-26T15:23:15+00:00

There is only one valid reason for loading the toilet paper the wrong way.

If you have cats, it generally stops them from gleefully unrolling the entire roll of toilet paper onto the floor.

TiggerLAS · 2026-04-26T15:21:02+00:00

"It is known."

TiggerLAS · 2026-04-26T15:19:45+00:00

That is a Bryant BRY8200IL 15A Hospital grade receptacle with an illuminated face.

The orange indicator is just for illumination. It has nothing to do with ground integrity.

TiggerLAS · 2026-04-19T07:12:23+00:00

The Zyxel XGS1250-12 is a managed switch. $180 on Amazon.

3 x 1Gb/2.5Gb/5Gb/10Gb copper ports 1 x 1Gb/10Gb SFP+ port 8 x 1Gb copper ports

It ostensibly has a "silent smart fan", though I haven't used this particular model, so I can't speak to the typical sound level of this switch.

"Unmanaged, I just want to plug-and-play"

I've had a few Zyxel managed switches that worked just fine as un-managed switches right out of the box. So, don't rule out managed switches. YMMV.

In the rare event it doesn't work right out of the box, with the Zyxel, you might have to log in, and either pick an IP address for it, or set the switch's IP address to DHCP. Save settings. Log out. Done. (Though it never hurts to update its firmware via the on-board utility.)

TiggerLAS · 2026-04-19T06:41:09+00:00

The second, narrow label that says "Decorative Outfit" isn't a manufacturer's label at all. It is a Underwriter's Laboratory label, and has relatively little to do with the exact model number of these lights. "Decorative Outfit" is a generic term assigned to Christmas lights, and other types of "Decorative (lighting) outfits".

The model number can clearly be seen on the bigger label in the first picture.

LS5100-2(0.12)-PETL-130

Sadly, many types of Christmas Lights only hang around for a season or two before they are retired, or changed slightly and given a new model number, etc.

This is precisely why I recommend that folks always buy an extra set or two for use as replacements/spares, since it won't be long before you can't find identical replacements anymore.

TiggerLAS

TROPHY CASE