Shadowing Practice: Building my DREAM home network FROM SCRATCH | UniFi Network & Rack Setup - Learn English Speaking with Video

So today I'm taking you guys along as I upgrade my old internet setup.

We're gonna be rerouting all the wires for the new system, setting up a wall -mounted rack, installing a pretty robust security system with motion tracking cameras.

We've got floodlights, sensors, sirens, and everything else involved in building a professional home network from scratch.

So way back when, when I started planning out this setup, I decided to order everything ahead of time so that

when I moved into the new house I could get started and didn't have to wait on it.

Well, one of those items was the snap phone 12U networking cabinet with the glass front panel

and the white finish and everything you want, right?

Well, once I started putting gear in there I quickly realized that it wasn't deep enough for the switch.

So after a couple days of looking at Facebook Marketplace, I found this Tecmojo 18U wall mounted rack which was 23" deep for $200.

Now this rack was plenty big for everything we needed plus plenty of room for expansion.

The only problem is I wanted a white cabinet to fit the setup.

So after getting this cabinet back to the house I quickly got to taking it apart

so we can get it a fresh coat of paint.

Now to paint this the process is going to be simple.

We're going to take each panel, scuff it up with 220 sandpaper.

high performance enamel.

This is the best.

So now, we are going to take everything

and just wipe it off with some rubbing alcohol to get all of the dust off.

We're just gonna have a nice clean surface.

We'll be ready. for paint.

We got all these things wiped down.

We do a little bit of paper here so we don't get paint everywhere.

Go ahead and set that up.

And then I had this Wagner paint tent for a couple years now.

It's just nice to keep the overspray from going everywhere.

But we're going to go ahead and go in here with one nice light dust

and then we'll come back after everything's painted with a nice solid second coat.

All right, we've got the first coat.

I think we ran through a single can of paint.

We still have Three cans left, and I think we should have enough, to be honest.

After two coats of paint on the inside, we went ahead, let it dry overnight, Then flipped everything over since we want both inside and outside white.

Got two coats of paint on that, and then we're finally back to where we started.

Now we've got all of the pieces nice and painted.

We're going to go ahead and assemble this get it together

and then we will mount it to make sure we are good to go.

So I'm lucky glad that that first case didn't work out because with this one, I have a lot more space and more room to grow.

So if I want to add more equipment, I can do so later on instead of just being limited.

to the 12 user space.

the previous one.

Alright moving on we've got the frame of our rack nice and built.

Now we're gonna mount it.

So right now this is where all of the connections are coming in at.

We're going to have to take this, pull it up through here.

We're going to go in the attic.

Oof, bumped my head.

And bring them up over here.

Going offline.

All right, we've got that bundle good.

So we won't need that.

Made the hole a little bigger and we are slowly pulling cables out one by one.

So after all these cables were pulled out of the original box, to make 10 10 -foot extension cables so

that we can run the ethernet cables up and out of the way and into the new network cabinet.

Last night I ended up spending two and a half hours or so making ethernet cables.

Now I could have easily went out and bought 10 pre -made ethernet cables, which, you know, would have saved me some time.

But because I have this thousand feet of CAT6 cable, I just purchased the connectors, the cable, and the two tools to make it happen.

Basically, pull out some wire, right?

I'll make it pretty short just for demonstration purposes.

Now I've got a cut piece of wire, so I'll go ahead, boom, give it a twist.

Now it exposes the little wires inside.

Now these wires, you're gonna have four pairs of wires.

You're gonna have a brown pair, orange pair, green pair, and a blue pair.

And there's gonna be a little plastic divider piece in there.

You can take that, cut it away.

Or the little string in there, you can cut that as well.

There we go.

Now you can wire these two ways, T568A or T568B.

You can choose either way.

As long as they're wired the same on both ends, you're good to go.

Basically, what you're going to do is I've got these four sets of wires, unbundle them and order them in the correct order.

Here we've got brown, white brown, orange, white blue, blue, white orange, green, white.

Get these in line.

We'll give them a nice snip.

All right.

and they'll all get seated at the front.

To splice the connection, Boom.

We've got our small ethernet cable.

Now to test this, all we have to do is take our tester, plug this into the bottom, and then as soon as you hit test, we got a double green.

So this one is wired correctly.

Now if you miswired something or if there was a missing connection, it'd tell you

that as soon as you click test one of these three errors will light up with a little red next to it.

So now that our wiring tutorial is all done it is on to managing these cables all up in the attic.

So all these cables were too short to run into the networking cabinet so I had to make the additional Ethernet lines.

I used those couplings there and so

that once I get all this wire here nice and tidied and it looks not like a mess up in the attic,

I can go ahead, use the coupling to attach onto the existing Ethernet lines

and then run them nicely up and out of the way here.

So they reach into the networking rack and we have plenty of slack. to do so.

After some unforeseen technical difficulties, we are finally ready to put our rack together.

So the first thing going to the rack is the network video quarter.

Now, to quick look at the hardware.

On the back, we've got our input for our power, three fans to help dissipate heat, internet connection and redundant power.

On the front side, we have four drives total, and each of them can take two and a half or three and a half drives, depending on what you want to use.

We've got our hardware, our rack ears, and our power cable to get it situated.

Now, this is going towards the top of the rack because it creates a lot of Moving on.

we have the Dream Machine Pro Max.

Now this also has two drives and you can run Unify Protect on it

if you choose but you will be limited to the two.

Now you have the 1 .3 inch screen, you got your power cord, rack ears, and hardware to get installed.

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So you throw in the rack gears.

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We're going to put that right below the NVR.

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Moving on, we've got the patch panel.

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Now this is going to nicely route all the networking cables coming into the rack

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so that they can be routed into the switch in a very aesthetic manner.

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Now we're putting these supports in because the switch is pretty hefty

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and it's The first switch we chose and went with is the Pro HD 24 -P.

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Eve.

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Now this is a heavy duty switch.

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It's got POE power to all of these ports.

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It's got 24 ports.

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You got your 1 .3 inch screen.

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and engage connections to Daisy Chain the Internet.

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here.

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Now this is gonna slide in and be supported, but we'll put them in anyways.

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So next up we have the UNAS Pro.

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Now this is a seven day network attached storage system

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that Ubiquiti offers and it just fits so well in the ecosystem

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Now they have came out with a couple of newer options.

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a low key, They don't have the little 1 .3 machine.

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And I know I don't use it much, but I still like it.

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Now next, we've got Power Distribution Pro.

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This is gonna go in towards the bottom of the rack and just handle supplying power to all of our devices.

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Moving on to our last item is our redundant power, which is just a nice backup.

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Now I did leave some space in between the hardware, so to cover those up I've got these blank panels off of Amazon.

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spray painted to match the ubiquity gear and a brush panel.

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above the power distribution pro tables.

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Now added a show up at the bottom there.

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And then I had to wait on these little couplings for the patch panel.

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They finally got delivered.

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So we installed those and we hit it finally have our full setup exactly how we wanted.

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and we have an idea of what needs to go where.

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So now I can take it out, and hang it because with all that gear in there it's way too heavy.

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So, I hung the networking rack, we got all the cables nicely organize and then we could re -put in all of our equipment.

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Now this is the exhaust fans.

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It comes with a little in -wall controller so

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I cut that out here at the bottom

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and then we just notched a hole in the back of the marking rack to run the cables behind the wall.

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and have a nice little in -wall controller so we can adjust the exhaust fans depending on the temperatures.

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Now after that I just started getting everything re -situated in the networking rack

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and spent the rest of the night getting that organized Now moving on to the next day, I started with the security install.

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Now, because I didn't have the Ethernet cables ran, I had to run those around the EVE so that I could have all the cameras connected.

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and powered via PoE going back into the memory.

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10. Now my camera did die when I was installing this so We'll just skip to the final reveal.

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So the last thing I need to do was hook up the access points.

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Now this is the U7 Pro XG.

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This is the new industrial design updated look access points that Ubiqui came out with recently.

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It is a lot better looking than the plastic bubbly looking access points.

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So these are very clean and aesthetic.

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and we have two of them covering the whole house.

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So now that the setup is complete and I've had some time to get familiar with it, Let's dive into a bit of an overview on everything we've got going on,

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starting with the networking rack.

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So starting off at the top we have the network video recorder.

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Now having a dedicated NVR offloads Unify Protect from running on the Dream Machine.

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Now the benefit of this is we get additional bays for

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video storage expandability instead of being limited to the two drives on the Dream Machine.

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Now you can see here that the Unify Protect app is pretty robust with features.

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It categorizes all motion events so you're able to filter through based on a specific person, vehicle, or animal.

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And that's just the start, but their real bonus is that you get all of this with no monthly subscription.

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So moving on next, we've got the Dream Machine Pro Max.

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Now the Dream Machine handles our incoming five gig fiber connection and keeps those speeds while having the security features on, unlike the other models.

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And lastly, it does have the 1 .3 inch touchscreen for real time stats.

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Moving right on down the line, we've got the Switch Pro HD 24 PoE,

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which is probably overkill, but it has 22 2 .5 gig ports into 10 gig ports.

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Now, all these ports provide PoE++ power, which makes connecting things like the PTZ cameras very simple.

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Now, lastly, it does have the ether lighting feature that makes the setup look very clean.

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And it also adds functionality when you're trying to troubleshoot or locate a specific port which your device is connected to.

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So next up we've got the UNASP Pro, which is a personal high -speed cloud for files and backups.

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It has 7 bays for high density storage with up to 24 terabytes each.

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That gives you 168 total terabytes of max storage.

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It has dropbox style file syncing across multiple devices and workstations without any monthly subscription.

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It also has a SFP + connection so your file transfers are extremely fast

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and you can even video edit off the cloud if you wanted to.

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So next up we've got the Power Distribution Pro.

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Now the main feature here is we have remote port control.

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So each outlet can be remotely monitored and restarted through the app, allowing us to power cycle specific hardware without being physically present.

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With that we have automated recovery

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so it can be configured to automatically reboot our gateway

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if it detects a loss of internet to help restore service without manual intervention.

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Next up we have the redundant power.

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Now this is not necessary.

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This is solely just a backup.

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Now if the power supply and a particular piece of hardware in the rack were to fail, this would instantly begin supplying power so there's no downtime with your network.

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Now, lastly on the bottom, I have a smart home hub as well as the Superlink gateway.

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Now this is necessary if you plan on using any of the sensors that Uniplay offers.

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They have entry sensors, motion glass break and environmental sensors that paired with the siren just adds another level to your security.

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set up. And besides

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that, I have additional space at the bottom of the rack to be able to add in some power amps

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that UniFi offers.

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that will be able to power and play music to the ceiling speakers of the home later on in the future

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now let's briefly talk about the security setup now

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when it comes to security cameras unify has a lot of options

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that can fit your specific need now for me i ended up going with the g6 ptz

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because they recently came out and they have 4k dual lens cameras with 10x hybrid zoom now it features an

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and ultra -low latency pan -tilt -zoom control for motion tracking.

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Now, next up we've got the AI PTZ Industrial.

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Now this is similar to the last camera but beefs everything up.

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It has enhanced AI capabilities, 22x optical zoom, and long -range adaptive IR LED night vision.

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It's got 360 endless panning and also features a license plate reader.

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So besides that, we have motion activated floodlights, and indoor cameras like the G6 Instant that are able to record via Wi -Fi and you don't need an Ethernet connection.

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So overall I think the Unify ecosystem is very professional and extremely polished.

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It feeds my want to continue to expand the system and build on what I have going so far.

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Now with the addition of all my data being stored locally and no subscription fees whatsoever, it's hard to convince me that anything else tops.

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I will leave a link to all the gear in the description.

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If you have any questions, leave them in the comments and I will try to help you out.

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With that, I will see you guys in the next one.

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Speaking Goals for This Clip

This video is perfect for practicing descriptive fluency—how to explain a process step-by-step, share problem-solving moments, and talk about projects with enthusiasm. Whether you’re prepping for IELTS speaking practice or just want to sound more natural when describing tasks, the dialogue’s mix of casual and technical language helps you build confidence in shadow speak (repeating real-world speech patterns). You’ll learn to connect ideas smoothly, like how to transition from "planning" to "problem" to "solution"—a key skill for clear communication.

Phrase Bank

"taking you guys along as I upgrade" – great for inviting listeners into a process
"quickly realized that it wasn't deep enough" – natural way to share a problem
"plenty of room for expansion" – useful for talking about future plans
"the process is going to be simple" – sets up a step-by-step explanation
"lucky that first case didn't work out" – shows positive reframing of setbacks

These phrases work in everyday conversations, from talking about home projects to discussing work tasks. Try using them with a shadowing app to mimic the speaker’s rhythm and tone!

Fix Your Weak Spots

The video’s casual yet detailed tone helps with linking words and intonation. Notice how the speaker uses phrases like "so," "well," and "alright" to connect ideas—these small words make speech flow naturally. Many learners struggle with reduced speech (e.g., "gonna," "gotta"), but here you’ll hear how native speakers use them in context. Practice shadowing the lines to get comfortable with this rhythm. For extra practice, use a shadowing app to repeat sections like "we're gonna take each panel, scuff it up"—focus on matching the stress and pace. This is a fun way to learn English with YouTube while building practical speaking skills!

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

Structure	In the video
Conditional sentences if + clause, will/would + verb — a condition and its result	if there was a missing connection, it'd tell · if you choose but you will be
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	were pulled · is wired · can be routed
Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing	rack which was · power, which is · power, which makes
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	I've had · have automated · has enhanced

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →

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