Ok, so i am not a networking guru... I am working on wiring the whole house with a t100 base system. There is unterminated cat5e run from each room in the house to a utility box we'll call room (Z). My internet connection (DSL) is in my office (X). I wired the jack in room (X) in wire configuration 568A. I terminated the same wire in (Z) as a RJ45 in wire configuration 568A. I ran a patch cable from my DSL router in (X) to the jack. I plug the cable in (Z) into my laptop and access the internet as a test. 5 mbs throughput. YEA! or so I thought. I purchase a Linksys 8 port switch and plug it in (Z) and power it on. I plug a known good patch cable into the switch and run it to my laptop. I cannot get connectivity. I tested the switch by taking everything to room (X) like this-- DSL router---Patch cable---Linksys switch---Patch Cable---Laptop. Internet runs great. Why can I not get internet from (Z) using the switch? The only thing I noticed was that my patch cables are all in 568B configuration, but that should not matter in a switch right? Thanks for any light to shed

Why can I not get internet from (Z) using the switch? It could easily be you need to use a crossover cable going from the router to the switch. Most modern switches are auto-MDIX capable which means, they'll autodetect the type of cable (crossover as vs a 'straight through' patch cable) and make allowances. But your switch may not be auto-MDIX. Even if it is and that's not the problem, it's standard procedure to always use a crossover when connecting like devices. Essentially, your SOHO router is a switch with either 1 or 4 LAN ports, 1 WAN port, and some services added to it (ie: NAT, DHCP, a firewall) and that's why I say to use a crossover cable between them. The only thing I noticed was that my patch cables are all in 568B configuration, but that should not matter in a switch right? Correct, all that matters is that both ends of a patch cable are wired the same way. If your patch cable is A and the cable in the wall is B, it is still 'straight through' from end to end and will work. To make a crossover cable, you wire one end A and the other end B. Anyhow, try a crossover cable between your router and switch and see if that doesn't fix the issue. Remember, it has to plug into a LAN port on the SOHO router.

thanks for you help, I am wiring from that switch to each room terminating in a wall jack. Do I need to wire those as crossover cables as well?