Check my thinking please, networking to the garage.

Werewolf

Werewolf

Werewolf

Commissario
Joined
17 Oct 2002
Posts
33,449
Location
Panting like a fiend
Hi

I'm running into problems with my connection to the garage, currently it's via homeplugs* over an armoured cable, the problem is that they're more temperamental than a diva who has run out of Orange M&M's.
They've decided to go from 20-30mb/s to under 10, and stop working at all if I plug in the POE adaptor for my new camera near them.

Having done a little walk around with my tablet checking the signal strength and speed from the access point at the back of the house (nearest the garage) I've come to the conclusion that a wireless repeater or similar is pretty much out, the signal/speed is too low.

So what I'm thinking is, run an external grade cat5 cable out to the garage via conduit (I can run it through the shed for about half the distance**), along the side of a wall, and for part of it sunk into the ground.

The question is, would external grade cat5 be ok done like that?

If so It's a pain in the bum of a job (another one), but should sort out the network to the garage if it works. It would also probably mean I had the fastest garage in the town ;p


*I regret buying the homeplugs if I'm honest, I've got 3 sets and they've all been rubbish for any form of reliable service, they simply don't seem to work in most situations I've tried them in (the armoured cable was the only time they've been half usable, they're utterly useless in the house unless in the same room).

*The shed already has conduit going to it, with a an extension cable so part of the job is done.
 
I ran external cat5 tacked to my wall - been like that for 3 years now - no issues at all. No conduit or anything. Just neatly tacked along the wall.
 
I have two runs to my garage with direct burial stuff. Easy peasy and I was glad to ditch the power lines
 
Yep that'll be fine, additionally the conduit will ensure there is no UV degradation too - what is currently running in the conduit?
 
Cheers, I hadn't thought about running two cables (doh!), for about 3 foot there would be a power cable (between the house and the shed), then it would be new empty conduit for the rest of the run (I have about 15x 3 metre lengths left from when we wired up the garage in about 00).

I thought it should be ok, but wanted to check before I started anything :)

I was saying to my father earlier when I mentioned it that I wished we'd done some empty conduit before the path and hardstand for the car were redone a few years back, it would have saved a lot of hassle (we remembered to bury the armoured power cable bot forgot empty conduit and the planned water pipe).
 
It'll be fine near the power cable, in general you shouldn't run network next to power but you can get away with a short run.

My 3 run alongside my power cable for about 15meters.
 
It's not ideal however agreed for your short distance you'll be okay running with power. You're unlikely to gain much by running two cables unless you're going to use LACP - but unless you take a different route you're barely giving yourself any resilience. Don't not do it if you have the materials though.
 
Cheers :)

Having spent some time looking at the routing again, and thinking how hard it's going to be to run the conduit across the back path due to the need to cut a channel, I realised that we had some long SDS bits.
It turns out that they're not long enough at just 550mm, but Amazon had some at 1000mm long, for less than it would have cost us in angle grinder bits.

I now have some very long bits to play with :D
 
Aye, I've got one of those in the shed, although it cost a lot more.

I bought it after doing the network cabling in our house (a little late it would have saved so much trouble), but it's been massively helpful in other jobs since then:)
At the price of the set in your link, it's the sort of thing anyone doing any form of wiring that isn't straight up surface mounting should probably have in their tool kit.

I almost bought the 1.5m bits, but the 1m ones should just about be long enough, I'm going to start the hole with a 250-300mm bit, then swap to the 550, then the long one to reduce how much is sticking out at any one time, then shove some conduit in, and the cable through the conduit.
 
Managed to get out to with the drill, and it was almost disappointing.

It took me longer to get the drill and extension cable out than to get the hole made, it turns out that most of what I had to go through was a mix of sandstone and soil.
I've left a bit of old conduit in place for now and will try and run the proper conduit when I have the time and the weather is ok.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom