Need Recommendations: Best way to extend signal to garage?

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guito13

Supreme [H]ardness
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I'll be moving my office out to the garage/barn this spring. The garage is about 10 feet off the east side of my home. Thing is, I have Starlink and the location of the modem/router is on the very west side of the home. The home is an old (140 years) farmhouse that has double brick walls. The signal from the Starlink barely makes it to the other side of the home and sometimes I cant even get a signal. The garage does not have grid electric (Currently on a small solar setup) but will at some point. Thing is, the electric may be on a separate meter and, if so, PoE wont be an option. I am so far away from any networking knowledge anymore so I am looking for any recommendations on reliable and affordable solutions to make sure I have a strong signal out to the barn. Right now I have a little TPLink extender thing but its flaky at best. Your recommendations are greatly appreciated!

I also apologize if you need more details just let me know!
 
For situations like this, I like powerline adapters. You can use one adapter at the starlink and get it as close as you can to the garage. Then have a second pair in the garage, one as close to the other one in the house as possible. Connect an ethernet between the ones close to the garage and you should have a reliable wired connection to the garage.

Another solution if the garage has any old telephone wire is to use a vdsl ethernet extender, but those are more expensive than powerlines and take longer to set up.

Hope this helps!
 
I share internet between 2 houses about 100 feet apart.

The first thing I tried was a router in bridge mode with one directional antenna on each side, it worked ok but speeds weren't great. I had them inside the nearest walls pointing at each other.

Next I tried TP Link long range outdoor CPEs and they worked a little better. Put them on the outside of each house with an ethernet cable running to the inside (it uses POE)

Both of these solutions will work better with line of sight instead of trying to go through a bunch of walls So if you have an angle outside you could mount those on the outside walls and point them at each other.

In the end I ended up just direct burying an ethernet cable, you can get them made/rated for that and put surge protectors on both ends.


You could also probably just use a high end mesh system, like an Asus ZenWifi and it would probably reach since it's only 10 feet away.
 
Yep wired>wireless, hence why I like things like moca, powerline, vdsl before going with a wisp or other wireless solution. Sometimes it almost makes more sense to just get a cell hotspot and put it in the separate location and tie it back to the main network with an ipsec vpn tunnel.
 
SamirD said:
Yep wired>wireless, hence why I like things like moca, powerline, vdsl before going with a wisp or other wireless solution. Sometimes it almost makes more sense to just get a cell hotspot and put it in the separate location and tie it back to the main network with an ipsec vpn tunnel.
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POE isn't an option for him though, the garage doesn't share electric with the house.
 
sharknice said:
POE isn't an option for him though, the garage doesn't share electric with the house.
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That's not POE but EOP (powerline), and you can make two different powerline networks and join them with an ethernet cable easy enough. I used to link 4 buildings using powerlines, vdsl ethernet extenders and wireless. It's amazing what these technologies will do over older wiring.
 
SamirD said:
Another solution if the garage has any old telephone wire is to use a vdsl ethernet extender, but those are more expensive than powerlines and take longer to set up.
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Also, if there is telephone wire, it's worth seeing if it'll carry ethernet directly. Two pairs of 10 feet of almost anything will do 10m for sure, and probably 100M, with four pair, you can try 1000M. If you don't have managed equipment that you can set speeds with, you can get older ethernet switches. 100M is good enough for most things, 10M switched might be ok, but 10M hubbed is damn near unusable; my current house came with some ancient 10M hubs, ouch.
 
toast0 said:
Also, if there is telephone wire, it's worth seeing if it'll carry ethernet directly. Two pairs of 10 feet of almost anything will do 10m for sure, and probably 100M, with four pair, you can try 1000M. If you don't have managed equipment that you can set speeds with, you can get older ethernet switches. 100M is good enough for most things, 10M switched might be ok, but 10M hubbed is damn near unusable; my current house came with some ancient 10M hubs, ouch.
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Ah yes, good point on the wiring--especially when a lot of phone wire these days is actually cat-something which would be good for 100M for sure. The vdsl extenders typically use this type of wire and can hit 100M on pots and gigabit on a pair of cat-rated wiring.
 
The "Garage" Is a new construction pole barn. There is nothing in there as far as wiring. I CAN if needed run an ethernet cable to it. Here are a couple pictures (Don't mind the mess, still moving things around after the construction). I am already diging a gas line from just in front of the storm doors across. Also looking for specific devices that you would recommend.

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I dug a trench and put a like 1 inch black plastic pipe in the ground with an Ethernet cable through it.. works for my garage so far been like 5yr with poe ran to the garage access point.
 
uberjon said:
I dug a trench and put a like 1 inch black plastic pipe in the ground with an Ethernet cable through it.. works for my garage so far been like 5yr with poe ran to the garage access point.
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That is a possibility. What specific devices did you go with? The Ethernet cable on the house side would go into my basement and could plug in there.
 
uberjon said:
I dug a trench and put a like 1 inch black plastic pipe in the ground with an Ethernet cable through it.. works for my garage so far been like 5yr with poe ran to the garage access point.
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Yeah I have about a 70 yard run from my switch to my office through a PVC pipe underground. Still important to use underground-rated string, though.
 
guito13 said:
The "Garage" Is a new construction pole barn. There is nothing in there as far as wiring. I CAN if needed run an ethernet cable to it. Here are a couple pictures (Don't mind the mess, still moving things around after the construction). I am already diging a gas line from just in front of the storm doors across. Also looking for specific devices that you would recommend.

View attachment 639473


View attachment 639474
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That's super if you can run like a 2-3" pvc between the basement and the new building. Then you can run whatever you want wire wise--ethernet, fibre, you name it.

Now, one thing to consider if you're going to have power in that building is that because more than likely the ground will be different than the main house, you'll have a differential voltage across it that would be a problem with an ethernet cable, but not fibre. Something to consider. And fibre media converters are cheap if you need them. Plus, fibre would future proof it completely.
 
SamirD said:
That's super if you can run like a 2-3" pvc between the basement and the new building. Then you can run whatever you want wire wise--ethernet, fibre, you name it.

Now, one thing to consider if you're going to have power in that building is that because more than likely the ground will be different than the main house, you'll have a differential voltage across it that would be a problem with an ethernet cable, but not fibre. Something to consider. And fibre media converters are cheap if you need them. Plus, fibre would future proof it completely.
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Talk to me like I am 2.

I am looking for maybe a POE device I can plug into the basement that can take ethernet cable that I can then run into the barn/garage and that connects to a wireless AP/Router.
 
Wired > wireless, every single time. We're so used to the convenience of wireless, we forget...... Pull some CAT5A, do it right....and you only have to do it once. Mind the requirements for burying cable, do it right. Great, dependable connectivity from then on.

One man's opinion........
 
Dig a trench from your house to the garage about a foot deep.

Bury a 2-3-inch PCV pipe in the trench. At both ends attach half-U shaped curved pipes to go up 90 degrees. Mate them to half-U shaped pipes going the other direction into your house and garage. The most important detail is to use external fittings. The internal diameter of the tubes must be identical and the joints as close to seamless as possible.

As you assemble this tube be sure to run a heavy nylon cord or rope all the way through it, with one end of the rope inside your house and the other end hanging into your garage.

Use the string to pull your ethernet cable from your house to your garage. At the house end, plug it into your POE switch or POE adapter. At the garage end plug it into your office switch. Plug your POE access point into the switch.
 
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I would use a wider pipe if I had to do it again.
 
Axman said:
Dig a trench from your house to the garage about a foot deep.

Bury a 2-3-inch PCV pipe in the trench. At both ends attach half-U shaped curved pipes to go up 90 degrees. Mate them to half-U shaped pipes going the other direction into your house and garage. The most important detail is to use external fittings. The internal diameter of the tubes must be identical and the joints as close to seamless as possible.

As you assemble this tube be sure to run a heavy nylon cord or rope all the way through it, with one end of the rope inside your house and the other end hanging into your garage.

Use the string to pull your ethernet cable from your house to your garage. At the house end, plug it into your POE switch or POE adapter. At the garage end plug it into your office switch. Plug your POE access point into the switch.
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Aye, I am ok with running / layin pipe (hehe) but I am more curious about what actual hardware one would recommend.
 
guito13 said:
Aye, I am ok with running / layin pipe (hehe) but I am more curious about what actual hardware one would recommend.
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I use Ubiquiti and even though the Cloud Key died (like two fucking years ago) it all just works, knock on wood.
 
guito13 said:
Talk to me like I am 2.

I am looking for maybe a POE device I can plug into the basement that can take ethernet cable that I can then run into the barn/garage and that connects to a wireless AP/Router.
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Roger. :)

If your goal is to have an access point in the new building, I have a few clarifying questions:
  • Will the new building have its own power?
  • Will the new building power be connected in any way to the existing building?
  • Is wireless the only requirement in the new building or would wired also be good to have/necessary?

Once you give me the answers, I should be able to give you an exact solution. :)
 
SamirD said:
Roger. :)

If your goal is to have an access point in the new building, I have a few clarifying questions:
  • Will the new building have its own power? Yes
  • Will the new building power be connected in any way to the existing building? Uncertain, lets say No for now
  • Is wireless the only requirement in the new building or would wired also be good to have/necessary? Wired would be good and I am not against digging

Once you give me the answers, I should be able to give you an exact solution. :)
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I can even run a wire from the Starlink Router through the basement to the other side of the home if needed. At that point i need assume i need some hardware since tha run would be about 60'.

If you are not famaliar, starlink only has one ethernet port available to it. I would have to run that to something to split out the signal (switch/AP/Router)? then run a cable from there to the barn and one upstairs to the other side of the home to another wireless AP
 
guito13 said:
I can even run a wire from the Starlink Router through the basement to the other side of the home if needed. At that point i need assume i need some hardware since tha run would be about 60'.

If you are not famaliar, starlink only has one ethernet port available to it. I would have to run that to something to split out the signal (switch/AP/Router)? then run a cable from there to the barn and one upstairs to the other side of the home to another wireless AP
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Are you currently using the RE500X just wirelessly? Or is it wired directly to the starlink?
 
guito13 said:
  • Will the new building have its own power? Yes
  • Will the new building power be connected in any way to the existing building? Uncertain, lets say No for now
  • Is wireless the only requirement in the new building or would wired also be good to have/necessary? Wired would be good and I am not against digging
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Based on these answers you'd want to use fibre to avoid any electrical issues. You would want to run an ethernet cable from the starlink to the other side of the house next to the new building. There you can terminate it into a wall jack using a keystone. Be sure the cable you are using isn't fake, so get it locally from grainger, home depot, or lowes. You can get cat5e or cat6, but I would avoid 6a as it will be more work for no extra gain in your use case. You can get the keystone, wall box, and plate cover also from the same place.

The next piece will be a conduit to the other building. I would use no less than 2" pvc and make sure the bends are smooth as that will be key, ie not sharp 90 degree bends. You can run this in the same trench as the gas line (depending on your local building code, but it should be fine since it won't be energized).

Once you have a nice smooth conduit between the two buildings, you will want to purchase a 'wire fishing pole' from the same place where you got the cable and keystones, etc. You will need to attach a strong string or a piece of wire to this and run it through the conduit from one end to the other. As you do this, get an idea of how long that string is when you are done--this is how long the pre-terminated fibre cable you have to order will be.

On both ends of this fibre optic cable, you will need a 'media converter'. I'm going to PM you the ones I would get since the price is solid. I don't know exactly which SC single mode cable will work with these (maybe someone here will? Tplink MC210CS), but you're basically going to order a custom length cable that matches the length of the string plus some extra feet just to make sure.

So putting it all together. Once you have the ethernet run from the starlink to the box on the other side of the house, and you have installed the conduit and ran the fibre cable in it, you will plug in a MC210CS to each end, connect it to the fibre cables and then plug in an ethernet patch cable from your box inside the house to the MC210CS that is there. On the other side in the new building, you will have an ethernet jack that will be just like connecting to the ethernet jack on the starlink. On this end, you can plug in whatever you need--swtich, access point, computer, etc and it will be connected to the starlink.

Feel free to ask questions!
 
Axman said:
Yeah I have about a 70 yard run from my switch to my office through a PVC pipe underground. Still important to use underground-rated string, though.
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I went with a ubiquity' outdoor+ model. It's discontinued but so somehow works with my new dream router just fine. Been procrastinating about upgrading it.. but alas what works doesn't need replacement lol.

Fwiw I used rolled black plastic pipe from Lowe's. Was either 3/4 5/8th or an inch?
 
guito13 said:
Wirelessly
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If you're getting good enough speeds this way, then you don't have to run a wire from the starlink to this unit and can use the unit's ethernet port to plug into the MC210CS.
 
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