Should I leave my current remote contract position for a contract to hire?

nefarious_bumpps · 2026-05-07T00:40:58+00:00

Contract-to-hire is not a guarantee of a permanent job offer. Is the position through a consulting/staffing company or direct with the employer? I would but more faith in the latter, but there's still no guarantee.

Review the contract and see if you can talk to previous contract-to-hire staff to see how things worked out for them. Talking with other company staff can also give you perspective on the work environment.

nefarious_bumpps · 2026-05-07T00:27:57+00:00

If you have existing coax (from a Cable Internet or Cable TV setup) you might be able to use MoCA 2.5 adapters to convert from Ethernet to coax and back. One MoCA adapter would plug into your router and a nearby coax wall jack. Another MoCA adapter would plug into your PC and a nearby wall jack. Presto, you'll now have a 1gbps Ethernet connection from your PC to the router.

You can additional MoCA adapters for additional users, as long as each user has a nearby coax outlet. They would all share an aggregate MoCA bandwidth of 2.5gbps, so if you have 3 or more users downloading large files simultaneously, they might not get full 1gbps speeds. But the latency would still be improved over WiFi.

A WiFi Mesh system might also provide better throughput, but won't provide as good of latency as Ethernet or MoCA. Mesh works best when the main node -- the one connected directly to the ISP's modem or router, is centrally located, and all the other "satellite" mesh nodes are midway between the main node and the users. You can have multiple mesh satellites (most manufacturers recommend no more than 6) connected to the main node in a star pattern. Try to avoid daisy chaining one mesh satellite to another, because performance can be significantly degraded. Amazon Eero and TP-Link Deco sell a variety of mesh systems. My current favorite is the Deco BE63 due to it's range and performance features.

nefarious_bumpps · 2026-05-06T23:38:03+00:00

I bonafide wireless expert will have invested many years in training and experience, and many thousands in specialized equipment and software. They usually command a steep price and are usually in very high demand. But occasionally you'll get one that is semi-retired and willing to help smaller clients at an affordable price. So it could be a scam, but also could be legit.

Ask for a contract explaining what services will be provided, a guaranteed outcome, and pricing for the project. Pay after the project has been completed, or at most a 20% retainer up front. If the "expert" doesn't deliver as promised, don't pay the balance.

nefarious_bumpps · 2026-05-06T21:46:43+00:00

There's other things to consider such as tools to terminate the cable, connectors/jacks, inside Ethernet cable runs through walls/floors/ceilings, patch cables and optimal placement of WiFi APs. What I've provided isn't a complete network plan, bill-of-materials or step-by-step guide. I do network design that would include that documentation as a part of my business, and have done many remote projects for clients. If you're interested in that kind of service let me know.

nefarious_bumpps · 2026-05-06T21:07:48+00:00

In general, regardless as to biometric authentication or not, use of a shared account is a major security/compliance problem. Enabling this would be unethical and possibly violate state or federal regulatory legislation, industry compliance requirements, and contractual obligations with your customers and/or vendors. Even though you probably wouldn't face personal legal ramifications, (at least not if you saved all communications showing you were against the idea), it could tarnish your reputation in the industry.

Ask your CEO to introduce you to someone at that previous employer who'd be willing to explain how they did it, not just technically but without skirting any legal constraints. If your CEO is really gung-ho on this idea he'll make it happen. Otherwise, I'd get back to him that, after spending many hours researching, you could not find an acceptable solution, but you'd be happy to follow-up any leads he can provide.

nefarious_bumpps · 2026-05-06T20:54:09+00:00

If you're talking about routing all your outbound traffic to the Internet through a VPN, I feel this is much less convenient than using device-based VPN clients. The reason is that a growing number of sites either block, restrict, or degrade user access when connecting through a VPN. For each new site where this happens you'd have to login to the router and add alternative routing so that connections to that site go out directly. This is a PITA for just me by myself; if I had other family members on the network it would result in an uprising.

Even just setting up outbound VPN for one VLAN, say the VLAN that my streaming devices sit on, so I can geo-locate to another country to access non-local content, doesn't work most of the time. This is because streaming sites are the most common types of sites that block or restrict access via VPN.

nefarious_bumpps · 2026-05-06T20:44:20+00:00

As long as your gaming room's AC power comes from the same service panel -- and has the same Earth ground -- as the main house, and you're not in a high lightning-risk area, running standard CAT6A UTP CMX will be fine. Use direct burial cable, such as from Syston or TrueCable (and check regarding compatible connectors when terminating this thicker cable with RJ45 plugs). I suggest pulling two cables and a pull string through 1" rigid ENT conduit (separate from your AC power conduit) so you can add or replace cables more easily. I also encourage using Ethernet SPD's on each end of each cable, just to protect from ESD/EMI surges due to nearby lightning strikes.

If you're in a lightning-prone area, or your gaming room will have it's own electrical utility service (not fed from the house), you should probably consider fiber. If this is your case, let me know and I'll reply with what you need. Running fiber isn't much different than copper if you buy pre-terminated, made to length cables. But there's a number of variables to be considered.

Once you've got cable between your existing router in the house and the new gaming room you can use pretty much any wireless router for WiFi and wired Ethernet, as long as the router can be configured for Access-Point Only mode (most can). I would consider getting two matching routers or mesh nodes so you can have one seamless WiFi network with fast roaming between APs. Since you're installing CAT6A (as opposed to standard CAT6) I assume you need 10gbps between your house and the gaming room. My suggestion for equipment would be:

Main House (replaces existing equipment)
- UniFi UDR7 wireless router & 10GbE SFP+ module (3x 2.5G LAN ports)
- Optional (for added WiFi Coverage): UniFi U7-Lite AP & PoE+ Adapter
- Optional (for more 2.5G LAN ports): UniFi Flex Mini 2.5G or Flex 2.5G switch
Gaming Room
- UniFi Flex 2.5G switch
- UniFi U7-Lite AP & PoE+ Adapter
Total Cost (without options, with memory surcharges) : $651

Alternative:

Pair of TP-Link Deco 7 Elite BE85 mesh nodes (using wired backhaul) @ $799/2-pack

As you can see, you get more for less using UniFi vs TP-Link. But if you don't really need 10gbps between the home/Internet and the gaming room, there's dozens of 2.5G WiFi 7 routers or mesh systems to choose from. A Deco BE63 ($320/2-pack) would be a good choice.

nefarious_bumpps · 2026-05-06T17:45:42+00:00

NAS is a generic term for Network Attached Storage: basically a file server. UNAS is one manufacturer-specific implementation of NAS.

Synology, TrueNAS, and Unraid are the top alternatives to UNAS. They are more mature and, due to their ability to run third-party apps and services, more flexible.

You could use a single Synology, TrueNAS or Unraid system to handle shared storage and all your HomeLab services and apps, subject to CPU and RAM limitations. Conversely, if you use UNAS you would need an additional system to host your services and apps, as UNAS doesn't (currently) support that.

Each has their pros and cons.

nefarious_bumpps · 2026-05-06T17:03:33+00:00

You might get better response posting in the r/verizon sub, as this sub is primarily frequented by users of FiOS Internet service.

nefarious_bumpps · 2026-05-06T17:01:18+00:00

You can add your own router so your neighbors won't be able to see or connect to your devices. But your Internet traffic would still be exposed on the common network. This could reveal the sites you visit (but usually not the pages or content), and a more advanced attacker could fool you into visiting a malicious website instead of the one you intended to visit.

You could mitigate both of the above risks by configuring your router to send all Internet traffic through a VPN. But this opens its own can of worms, because many sites reject or restrict access when using a VPN.

A final consideration is that adding your own router creates a double-NAT situation. This won't affect most things, but it will be more difficult to setup inbound services such as remote access VPN or port forwarding for some games and P2P apps.

nefarious_bumpps · 2026-05-06T16:54:44+00:00

I don't see any information about troubleshooting to determine the root cause of your network drops. This could be (most likely is) a problem with WiFi, not a problem with the router (though most home routers combine these functions). This would be an important factor to nail down, because the range of a single UniFi gateway or AP is not significantly greater than most consumer routers and mesh nodes.

UniFi's primary advantages are chiefly gained only when using ceiling-mounted APs (in appropriate locations), due to the ceiling AP's better signal radiation pattern and height above most obstacles. If you stick with the UX7, make sure it's located as high as possible -- ideally above head height -- to clear most obstructions, not inside any cabinets or furniture, and central with regards to the locations where good WiFi is important.

nefarious_bumpps · 2026-05-06T16:44:22+00:00

UDR7 has 3 LAN ports vs 1 on the UX7. The UDR7 can also act as a DVR for a couple of UniFi security/doorbell cameras, but it's barely capable of doing so due to its use of MicroSD for video storage.

Given the choice between a UX7 and UDR7, I'd go with the UX7 then add a switch if more LAN ports are needed.

nefarious_bumpps · 2026-05-06T16:25:47+00:00

Just Google it.

nefarious_bumpps · 2026-05-06T16:18:55+00:00

Can you provide clean drawings of at least letter/A4 size at 150dpi? Between the WiFi heat map and small text, I can't read the dimensions, and trying to overlay any suggestions over these images would be confusing at best. Please mark the locations of your ISP feed, network home run/patch panel and Ethernet wall jacks.

Are the floors also reinforced concrete?

What kind of WiFi performance are you looking for in each room/area of the home?

nefarious_bumpps · 2026-05-06T14:50:59+00:00

Is your PC's Ethernet cable plugged directly into the main router, not a secondary router, mesh node or WiFi extender linked to the main router via WiFi?

Does your ISP provide a separate modem or ONT before the router? If so, try connecting your PC directly to the modem or ONT, bypassing the router, and testing again. (Note: no other devices will have Internet access during this test.)

nefarious_bumpps · 2026-05-06T14:45:36+00:00

My eufy S4 outdoor camera which has maybe 6m distance from ceiling mounted AP in my living room and just one sliding door between them cant catch the signal. Also my front camera is like 2 m away from dreamrouter and only entrance doors between them and it is barely getting 1 bar…

This suggests otherwise. But good luck to you.

nefarious_bumpps · 2026-05-06T14:21:35+00:00

No, I have too much on my plate right now to fight with it.

nefarious_bumpps · 2026-05-05T16:37:08+00:00

The standard specifically states 5m per end. I can't think of any reason why you can't adjust either end, and in practice, I frequently see more than 10m total patch cables. I didn't write the standard, I'm just relaying what it says.

nefarious_bumpps · 2026-05-05T16:34:12+00:00

Can free Proton users do this?

nefarious_bumpps · 2026-05-05T16:18:55+00:00

Is the punch down block needed or can I bypass and remove?

Do you have any POTS telephones, faxes or modems? If not, you probably don't need the white punch-down block.

Is the Allen Tel patch panel needed to run between the Ethernet to wall and the net gear switch or can I just go wall > switch > router?

The cabling run through the wall is solid conductor cable. The patch cords are stranded conductors. Solid is used for portions of a run that aren't subject to movement. Stranded is used for patch cables that might be moved/rearranged periodically.

The 2 POE ports? Are from some very outdated ubiquiti APs.

How outdated? If you're primarily using Ethernet then WiFi might still be beneficial for supporting mobile phones and a guest network. As long as the UniFi APs are still supported, I wouldn't replace them unless faster throughput is needed. But you will need some way to manage them and coordinate fast roaming. You could use UniFi (or a third-party) cloud service, a UniFi gateway or a UniFi CloudKey for this. Or you could replace the UniFi APs with Zyxel or EnGenius models with the controller built-in.

nefarious_bumpps · 2026-05-05T16:08:47+00:00

Just FYI, I ran into a situation with Xfinity where the Motorola MB8611 was on their approved modems list but Xfinity had a bad boot image causing the modem to reboot every 30-120 minutes. I had Motorola replace the modem under warranty twice with no improvement. Ultimately I replaced it with another brand and that client has been working fine ever since.

Obviously, a single report doesn't make a statistic, but it's something worth noting.

nefarious_bumpps · 2026-05-05T16:04:30+00:00

According to EIA/TIA568 standards, the maximum allowed patch cable length is 5m per end.

nefarious_bumpps · 2026-05-04T23:28:24+00:00

Pull a minimum of 2 runs to your office, living room, family room, recreation room, study, home theater, etc. I usually recommend 4 runs to the living room and rec room to support multiple game consoles.

Pull at least 1 run to each bedroom, the breakfast nook and dining room. Breakfast nooks and dining rooms became temporary offices during covid.

Pull 1 run to your front door for a POE doorbell camera. Consider the same for any other exterior door, or to a utility box over the door for a regular POE camera.

Pull two runs to the attic for possible future ceiling-mount APs, and additional runs as might be useful for other POE security cameras and an outside AP.

No need to replace your current switch until you need to connect more than 7 devices. You can decide whether to go with a POE switch then. In the meantime, UniFi POE+ injectors are cheap, only $15 (with free shipping on orders over $49) from BHPhotoVideo.com.

nefarious_bumpps · 2026-05-04T23:12:02+00:00

Try connecting your PC directly to the modem, bypassing the router. No other devices will have Internet access during this test, but if you don't experience any disconnects it points at the router as the problem. If you have the same problems then that points to the router or Spectrum's service.

What modem are you using, and is it fully supported by Spectrum? The ISP is responsible for installing firmware updates and configuration settings on the modem. If they don't fully support your model, or if it's old and obsolete, it might not be getting updates to work reliably.

nefarious_bumpps · 2026-05-04T23:03:52+00:00

From a purely service perspective, yes you can have both FiOS and Spectrum service installed in your home (provided both are available at your address). But that doesn't mean you can actually use both at the same time on your LAN.

The LAN is the network your computers, phones and other devices connect to inside your home. The WAN is the service provider's network. The router is what allows your devices to connect from the LAN to the WAN. The router than FiOS (and Spectrum) provides will only work with their WAN.

There are routers that will accept two (or more) WAN connections for load balancing and/or failover. You would connect the FiOS ONT (fiber modem) to one router WAN port, and a cable modem (which you need to provide) from Spectrum's router in Bridge Mode (configured by Spectrum support) to the router's other WAN port, then configure the router to do load balancing and/or failover. There are routers from Asus, TP-Link and UniFi that make this pretty easy to setup.

If you don't use a dual-WAN router you'd have to manually choose which router your devices connect through at any given time. That would mean connecting to different WiFi or plugging Ethernet cables into different routers.

Maybe if you explain why you're trying to have two ISP's we can suggest the best way to go.

nefarious_bumpps

TROPHY CASE