This is what I would do, it breaks some of your rules but nevertheless.
- Unplug the other 3 cables
- Get a set of Homeplugs - connect the 4th port on your router in your cupboard into one Homeplug, stick it in a plug socket now your whole house is wired up at every other plug socket.
- The second Homeplug goes behind the TV cabinet.
- The cable comes out of that Homeplug and into a wireless router (you can get a 802.11n version for ~£6, comparable speeds to standard ethernet)
- You can now permanently cable up the TV/Blueray
- You can have another cable coming out of this router behind the sofa etc. in order to connect the Laptop
- The connection in the rest of the house is either supplied by the Wifi from the first/second router or you just get an extra Homeplug which you can take from room to room.
EXTRA (As you now have 2 wireless routers you can mirror the SSIDs on different channels, this will boost the signal and coverage)
You sound very against having more stuff plugged in, is this because of power consumption? Routers and switches run at about 6W these days...that's about 25p per week if it's on 24/7.
Anything must be better than manually unplugging cables in a cupboard when you need to switch.
- Unplug the other 3 cables
- Get a set of Homeplugs - connect the 4th port on your router in your cupboard into one Homeplug, stick it in a plug socket now your whole house is wired up at every other plug socket.
- The second Homeplug goes behind the TV cabinet.
- The cable comes out of that Homeplug and into a wireless router (you can get a 802.11n version for ~£6, comparable speeds to standard ethernet)
- You can now permanently cable up the TV/Blueray
- You can have another cable coming out of this router behind the sofa etc. in order to connect the Laptop
- The connection in the rest of the house is either supplied by the Wifi from the first/second router or you just get an extra Homeplug which you can take from room to room.
EXTRA (As you now have 2 wireless routers you can mirror the SSIDs on different channels, this will boost the signal and coverage)
You sound very against having more stuff plugged in, is this because of power consumption? Routers and switches run at about 6W these days...that's about 25p per week if it's on 24/7.
Anything must be better than manually unplugging cables in a cupboard when you need to switch.
Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines...