My Projects

Cabling Fundamentals: From Termination to Installation

When setting up new network gear in my home, I noticed some minor dead spots affecting the internet connection in my room. To improve this, I decided to hardwire my devices via Ethernet with some help from a friend. I prepared two nearly 30ft Cat6E RJ45 cables, terminating the ends with Cat6 plugs and rubber boots. Using a crimper and wire stripper multiple times made the process tedious, but it was worth it—every end tested passed 100%.

We then cut out two holes in the base of my closet wall to install Ethernet and coax wall plates, redirecting the coax line from outside to where the router, modem, and switch are located. We crafted two 1ft Cat6E RJ45 cables with Cat6 jack punch downs to connect between the plates, along with two 6ft Cat6E cables to link the switch to the wall. Finally, I made two additional 6ft Cat6 cables and one 5ft Cat6E cable for my brother's devices, plus a 15ft Cat6 cable for testing.

On a side note, I was also tasked with wiring multiple speakers to a stereo receiver using speaker wires. I manually mapped out the placement of each speaker and prepared each wire to match the exact length needed from the receiver.

Build and Beyond: Crafting a Custom PC

Since a young age, I've always dreamed of building a custom PC that could handle the games I wanted to play. After years of research, I finally had the budget to create a system capable of 1440p gaming. I learned the important knowledge such as pairing the right GPU and CPU to avoid bottlenecks, selecting a reliable PSU, and choosing a monitor that balanced resolution and smoothness.

I purchased all my parts during COVID, when prices were high, and began assembling my PC around Christmas. However, I encountered some challenges, like my X570 Aorus Elite motherboard lacking enough fan headers and built-in Wi-Fi/Bluetooth. To resolve this, I added an Arctic Fan Hub and a separate network module for Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 capabilities.

My major mistake on this build was when I went to install an AIO cooler. I accidentally applied too much Arctic Silver 5 thermal paste, causing it to seep into the socket. Little did I know at the time it was conductive. This led to RMA'ing my CPU and motherboard, and I downgraded from a Ryzen 7 5800X to a Ryzen 5 5600X. Though performance dropped slightly, it was manageable. Later, I switched to a Samsung M.2 drive for better storage management.

Now, I’m preparing for future upgrades to support 4K gaming. I upgraded my PSU from 750W to 850W in anticipation of a GPU upgrade from an Aorus Elite 3060 Ti to a potential 7900 XTX. I also upgraded my CPU to the Ryzen 7 5800X3D.

Although the journey continues, I've learned that building a PC is much like working on a project car—there's often no clear end. Nevertheless, it's been a rewarding experience, and I look forward to future builds with the knowledge I've gained.

Networking 101: Production Lab Initiative

During my school years, I had the opportunity to create multiple production lab environments tailored to various protocols and concepts, ensuring that no lab was beyond my peers' capabilities. I worked with Cisco routers (2911s, 1921s, 1841s) and 2960 switches, customizing each rack for specific configurations like EIGRP, OSPF, DHCP, and Static Routing.

Recently, I was tasked at my current workplace to set up a production lab environment for my team to practice configurations before real-world implementation. For this, I utilized two Cisco 2960 switches, an 881 Cisco router, a 1921 Cisco router, and two 4G Cradlepoints to simulate WAN connections. I also used six standard Cat5 RJ45 cables, installing everything on the rack alongside an engineer.

Network Nest: Setting Up My Home Gear

As gamers, my brother and I frequently faced network connectivity issues with our standard Cox equipment, leading to frustrating drops during gaming sessions. Determined to resolve these problems, we first replaced Cox's gear with our own modem and router. We started with a Motorola Surfboard SB6141 modem (DOCSIS 3.0) and a Netgear R6400v2 router (up to 450+1300 Mbps). Although we gained more control, the issues persisted.

To further enhance our setup, we upgraded to Cox's Gigablast plan, which required a new DOCSIS 3.1 modem. We opted for the Arris Surfboard SB8200 and finally experienced improved service. However, about a year later, the Netgear R6400v2 lost signal strength. Despite trying various solutions, we eventually upgraded to the RAX20, which supports speeds of 2.4GHz (600 Mbps) and 5GHz (1200 Mbps) with Wi-Fi 6.

In the meantime, we identified a dead spot in the living room and added a TP-Link AC1750 Range Extender, which effectively resolved the Wi-Fi issues. To further enhance my setup, I installed a TP-Link Managed Gigabit Switch (TL-SG108E) in my room. This has significantly boosted speeds and allowed me to monitor cabling faults and implement Quality of Service (QoS) settings.

The Pi Project: Secure VPN and Ad Blocking

Raspberry Pis have become a hot topic in the IT world, capable of many impressive tasks such as creating magic mirrors, VPN connections, servers, and portable routers. My interest in them was sparked by discussions with coworkers, particularly the idea of using a Linux distribution to filter out unwanted ads and establish a secure VPN connection to my home network. I ultimately purchased a Raspberry Pi 5 kit after being sold on it by NetworkChuck.

After installing Raspberry Pi Lite OS on a MicroSD card, I followed the CrossTalk online guide for PiHole and PiVPN. While installing Pi-hole was relatively straightforward, it was time-consuming. One of the main parts I liked during the PiHole setup was selecting the AdLists so I could ensure the content of ads seen, but not too many that it can be hard for the home users to navigate to particular locations like YouTube. It was later that I found that an AdList was actually blocking YouTube's history on the network, so I had to even go in and whitelist it. For the VPN setup, I chose to use WireGuard on the Pi instead of OpenVPN through my router, thanks to reviews highlighting its speed and security. All of my users connecting through it have reported no issues while browsing whatsoever.

I look forward to future projects with Raspberry Pis!