Test the jack first without the router. Plug a laptop or something into it. Does it get an IP address? What’s the address? Can it go out to the Internet from there?

Test the Wi-Fi for your router. Can you ping the router’s IP address? Can you log into its management interface?

No? Try plugging into the router directly with an Ethernet cable, and repeat.

Come back after these troubleshooting steps and you might get some useful advice.

We can’t provide a single solution because we don’t know what is causing your dropouts. You will have to troubleshoot first.

If the problem is a corroded cable connector somewhere in your neighborhood, you have to call your cable company to find it and fix it.

If the problem is a new microwave oven that’s putting out interference, then run wired Ethernet.

If the problem is an overheating power supply for your router, replace the power supply and move it somewhere cooler.

If the problem is a roommate hogging bandwidth with uploads, tell him to use some of the money he gets from OnlyFans to pay for a better internet connection.

So, it depends.

Other people here have reported similar symptoms with Comcast and devices getting into their router via moca, not Wi-Fi. A proper filter at the modem coax connector stops it. What you’re describing doesn’t sound like a typical Wi-Fi hack.

I’ve had good luck with ASUS routers. The mesh is really easy to set up. Other people have had complaints, so your mileage may vary.

It’s tidier and easier to reconfigure. The patch cables can be any length, giving you flexibility on placing the switch and router. The cables in walls usually have solid wires in them, which is less flexible than the stranded wires in patch cables. Punching down a cable on a patch panel is easy, but terminating it on an RJ45 connector is a pain and is error-prone, and you can get more noise if it’s a sloppy job. Labels on a patch panel are easier to read and more durable than labels on a cable. Are those enough reasons?

Mostly, though, it’s the tidiness.

Consider hiring a pro to fish the cable through your walls.

That’s cool. The UPS is just to survive those 10 seconds without a shutdown. Since you have the generator, you don’t have to put things like monitors and dumb switches on a UPS. Unless you’re a gamer. A ten-second outage is an eternity if you’re a gamer.

My Xfinity service has always lasted longer than my UPS. That’s been a couple hours.

Note that your generator will not start up instantly in an outage. Your devices will lose power until you start it or it kicks in automatically. You need a battery backup UPS, too. The generator will last longer and can be refueled.