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Getting Internet in my New Barn

salguod

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Joined
May 8, 2020
Messages
45
Location
Columbus, OH
Hello all.

I've got a new 30x40 building going up in the coming weeks and I'm wondering about getting internet out to it. I run a TP Link Deco mesh router in the house, but I think the new building will be too far to connect another. I have the option of having them bury a cable when they run the electric, but what do I have them drop in the trench and what do I connect it to at each end?

The main breaker box for the house is inside the garage. Do I just need another router there configured as an access point and then another of the same in the barn? I should have no problem setting it up, once I know what I need.
 
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wyliesdiesels

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Aug 14, 2012
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Modesto, CA
run a couple of 1 1/2" conduits in the trench. then pull a CAT6 underground rated cable in one of the conduits. connect the house end to your main router (the one connected to your modem or ISP handoff device) and the other end (the barn end) to either another router with DHCP turned off or a switch and access point.
 
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salguod

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Joined
May 8, 2020
Messages
45
Location
Columbus, OH
Running cable to the main router will be difficult. It's in a cabinet in the living room so it would have to run through the garage, through a crawl space, through the basement, through another crawl space and up into the cabinet. Not impossible, of course, but not easy. Can it be run off an access point in the garage? Is the conduit necessary or does it simply make pulling cables easier?
 

1Garageman

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May 12, 2009
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4,417
Location
Columbus, Ohio
How far away from your house is the barn? You could use a WiFi repeater or extender to make it reach further. For best network you would want to run Network Cable to your router and then all the way out to your barn. Or put another router/switch in your garage, but either way for the BEST network you have to connect to your main router.
 

u2slow

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Nov 20, 2011
Messages
3,597
Location
BC
Do you have metal siding? It acts like a Wi-Fi barrier.

Run the cable... mine is not buried yet, but at least I have internet in the shop!
 
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salguod

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May 8, 2020
Messages
45
Location
Columbus, OH
From the house to the nearest corner of the barn will be maybe 75'. Can I get a repeater to go that far?
 

Walkers

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May 17, 2021
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Location
Cave Creek Az
No matter what you run out there, throw an extra conduit and a water pipe in the trench. You don’t have to use them now, but 10 years from now you will think it was a good idea.
 

1Garageman

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jeepxj

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Mar 2, 2008
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From the house to the nearest corner of the barn will be maybe 75'. Can I get a repeater to go that far?
sure. it can go miles upon miles.

i'm partial to the ubiquiti line of products. you willing to toss everything out and get one clean solution for ALL things wifi, internet and beaming it to the shop?
 

kberjian

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Joined
Jun 1, 2016
Messages
258
Location
Calgary
I went with a basic point to point setup and it has worked well. The devices were about 100$ and it was as simple as plugging one unit into the router in the house, aiming it generally towards the shop, and then mounting the other one on the outside wall of the shop with it plugged into a router there. Has worked through the wind and recent rain with no issues.
 

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salguod

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May 8, 2020
Messages
45
Location
Columbus, OH
I ended up buying 250' of direct bury shielded Cat6 cable and laying it in the trench with the electric. Builder laid the electric first, put a few inches of dirt on top and I laid the Cat6 on that.

No conduit. Did some research on that and found that the using direct bury cable, no conduit is needed. The conduit may help, but they can also fill with water which would negate the benefit of having the conduit. That being the case, I decided to go the simpler route.
 
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jblnut

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Jan 17, 2015
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Location
In the Middle of MN
That same cable could/should be ran in conduit because like you said, it could fill with water. Most prefer conduit because you can add or replace whatever is inside it down the road when something fails. Or upgrade to the newest tech in the coming years.

A direct bury wire is still worlds ahead of any wireless link. Less stuff to fail.
 

pattenp

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Jun 4, 2008
Messages
10,175
Location
Virginia - USA
Conduit is not merely for keeping the wire dry. Underground conduit gets moisture in it just from condensation. It's mainly for physical damage protection and ease of installing new wire if needed.
 

jblnut

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Sure looks like Ubiquiti hardware. I'd look a little harder.
Mostly Ubiquiti stuff. They also use some Mikrotik hardware in some applications. Mikrotik is good stuff but not for the average home-gamer to setup and deploy. Tons of features that most people will never ever use.
 

infinkc

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Jan 19, 2012
Messages
862
conduit may be an added cost, but will allow you to run another line, fiber, cat12.. At a minimum you want 2 lines ran if you buried. I use one for internet and one for a direct line for my cameras, also i have cat 6 being used for HDMI to share the tv connection and camera feed.
 

rebelranger

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Joined
Sep 18, 2012
Messages
188
I used TPlink EAP110, TPlink N300, and outdoor wifi antenna BAS 2301.

This setup covers over 200' from house wifi to metal shop. Works great inside the shop getting same throughput as house wifi. Now my wifi covers my entire yard as a side benefit. Lastly no issues with cat5/5e/6 for duration or cuts.

Seriously very easy and cheap setup.
 

penright

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Dec 27, 2016
Messages
618
Location
SW of Mustang, OK
Every chance I get, I suggest that while you are trenching for electrical add conduit for low voltage.
You might try some of the ethernets over powerline adapters. I have not used any in a while (years) but I heard the technology is getting better. It May not work, but might be worth a try.
 
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