Ethernet cable strength booster

[Wildefalcon]

My workshop is 80 yards from the house. When I ran the power cable to it I also put down a cat 5e cable. Which works on the network cable tester, and also works for the wi-fi box, for a bit.

The trouble is the wi-fi box loses the connection after a while and can't ever again find it until I reset it.

I know the perform is the wi-fi box, but it's a mesh box that works with the house, so the devices don't need to log in.

So in Muppet terms, is there a signal booster for cat 5 cable? Something I can plug the cable into at each end that puts more fizz into it?

 

[gaz1]

if your losing the signal down the cat5 wire change the box

You need a repeater when the total length of a single span of network cable exceeds 100 meters (328 feet).

 

[m_c]

Does the mesh box actually make use of the Cat cable?

A decent quality hub at both ends would probably help, but without knowing your exact setup, it's hard to say.

 

[Dave-sparks]

When you say network tester do you mean one of those cheapies with the 8 LEDs on it? If it is then all that does is check basic continuity.
Or do you mean a proper network tester which checks the performance of the cable?

As already mentioned the maximum length for cat5e is 100m, so you shoukd be fine. But also it doesn't just suddenly stop working at 101m.

Have you tried any connecting any other ethernet devices to this cable link to check it's operation?

What exactly is the 'WiFi box'? And what is at the other end of the cable?

Is the cable run outside/underground and what type of cable have you used? Is it external/duct grade cable or internal cable?

 

[sako243]

So in Muppet terms, is there a signal booster for cat 5 cable? Something I can plug the cable into at each end that puts more fizz into it?

Broadly speaking no.

Unless you've mucked up the cable ends you shouldn't suffer over 80 yards of cabling - certainly not to the point of losing connectivity.

What is the WiFi mesh device you're using because we can then look at the specs to see if it uses the Ethernet cable as a backhaul mechanism. It may just be trying to extend the existing WiFi which is what most do.

If you have two laptops or computers with Ethernet ports I suggest plugging one into either end of the network cable directly and then using iperf to run an evaluation of how much bandwidth you actually get. That'll test the robustness and reliability of the cable you have run between the house and workshop.

Tutorial here:

PowerEdge: How to test network bandwidth using 'iperf' | Dell UK

 

[Barlidge]

A couple of thoughts - first, are you running PoE or does the AP have its own power supply? PoE can have a much more limited span than ethernet.

Secondly, you say its a mesh, the terms Mesh, Controller driven, Centralised etc etc are often incorrectly used interchangeably but if it is set to wirelessly uplink you don't want it cabled as well - can cause a loopback so its one or the other and its not always immediately apparent.

As for the length limit the actual length is 90m (permanent link) and 100m (full channel inc patch leads). That may sound like I'm being petty but when you are doing warranty installs its an important factor as is the method of testing. If you were closer I would bring the Fluke over and test them for you. Realistically on a properly installed and terminated cable you will only see it start failing at around140-160m, 80 yards is 73m so should have no issues there. One other issue it could be is if you have run the power and network closely in parallel over the entire length - the types of cable used will have a bearing on this.

 

[Wildefalcon]

Wow! Thanks for all the interest, I wasn't expecting anyone to respond... Thanks!

Right, here goes, detail:

It's a TP link Deco E4R, using the Ethernet as back haul. Confirmed by the app. Too far for wi-fi I think.

I've got it back working again by moving the box to the master Deco in the house and connecting by way of a short Ethernet cable, then bringing back out to the workshop, but I've no expectation that it will stay working.

The cable tester was a cheapo, so I've connectivity, but no indication of quality.

The cable run, end to end, is marginal, was installed when I was broke, so was recycled from somewhere else. There are a couple of sockets and patch cables in the run, all of which don't help.

The house has wi-fi via the rest of the Deco boxes, with the ISP box acting as a switch only.

It worked fine when I had a BT hub as an AP in the workshop, but the Deco box is fussier, and I can't get the Deco boxes to talk to each other with the BT hub in-between.

I've been thinking about this overnight and I might be able to take a couple of sections out of the run by relocating the master Deco to beside the ISP box, but I'd rather not, as the rest of the system is working very very well, even with three of us WFH at the same time.

Thanks.

 

[skotl]

We might be over-complicating things here. Any basic Ethernet switch, including the four ports on the back of an old ADSL router, will effectively act as a repeater. So you could just fish one out of a cupboard and use that to extend the cable (assuming you have power where the connection is to be made).

That said, I've seen ethernet cables run hundreds of meters with no problem so as above I would suspect physical damage somewhere.

 

[knighty]

is the cat5 running along side power cables? and does it have any kinks/sharp bends in it?

if it's next to power cable it can pick up interference, and any sharp bends/kinks (as silly as it sounds) mess up the shielding of the pairs (the twisted pairs, one wire carries data the other is earthed to shield it, a bit like old co-axial tv cable)

if you're just using it for wifi, get a little 100mbit switch (something like this https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/114482408052) in the house plug the workshop cable into that then a short cable from that to your router

that'll run the workshop wire at a slower speed (but still faster than wifi) - it's digital so data is sent a bit like morse code, turning power on and off.... if you run 10x slower then each on or off is ten times longer... so less effected by interference etc. ;-)


(lots of over simplification)

 

[sako243]

if it's next to power cable it can pick up interference, and any sharp bends/kinks (as silly as it sounds) mess up the shielding of the pairs (the twisted pairs, one wire carries data the other is earthed to shield it, a bit like old co-axial tv cable)

By and large running the ethernet next to the mains shouldn't matter - that's the whole point of the twisted pairs, any interference picked up is common mode and therefore irrelevant because of the differential nature of the signalling.

(again some simplification but in general shouldn't need to worry about it)

 

[gaz1]

The cable run, end to end, is marginal, was installed when I was broke, so was recycled from somewhere else. There are a couple of sockets and patch cables in the run, all of which don't help.

The house has wi-fi via the rest of the Deco boxes, with the ISP box acting as a switch only.

It worked fine when I had a BT hub as an AP in the workshop, but the Deco box is fussier, and I can't get the Deco boxes to talk to each other with the BT hub in-between.

I've been thinking about this overnight and I might be able to take a couple of sections out of the run by relocating the master Deco to beside the ISP box, but I'd rather not, as the rest of the system is working very very well, even with three of us WFH at the same time.

Thanks.

your answer is within your own post too many connections and not direct port to port or better known as point to point connections

reduce these and you will get a better overall connection

bt hub wasnt much good years ago even i changed mine for a much better modem and router system

virgin can also be the same with there modems

even ive had to port through them to another router for a much better connection

 

[Wildefalcon]

I know the answer is to do it again properly, but that's not a viable option at this time. I'll take some links out of the cable run, and relocate the master mesh box, if and when it fails again. For now, I've replaced done of the patch cables with shorter versions made from better cable, and I'll see how that goes.

Thanks all, for confirming there isn't a cheap easy to drop a booster into the cable run.

 

[sako243]

Thanks all, for confirming there isn't a cheap easy to drop a booster into the cable run.

Can you just drop a switch in there at the various connections? That'll effectively boost it - but you will need power nearby.

 

[Wildefalcon]

Possibly. Easily and tidily? No. Not yet.

If the Deco box stays working I'll ignore the problem, if not I'll move some sockets around and drop a switch in

At some stage I'll be breaking the run half way, so that will solve the problem permanently, but that's a few years away.

 

[sako243]

asily and tidily? No. Not yet.

When has that bothered you?

 

[Wildefalcon]

It bothers me all the time, and I certainly don't want to add to the mess.

Until I've the workshop tidy!

 

[skotl]

Can you just drop a switch in there at the various connections? That'll effectively boost it - but you will need power nearby.

Yep

 

[northwest]

That said, I've seen ethernet cables run hundreds of meters with no problem so as above I would suspect physical damage somewhere.

I am one of those people, I have ran Cat5e over 200 meters and over 400 with a couple repeaters.
The solution to your problem here I feel is a wireless exterior access point, there are several out there, I bought the TP-Link version, and I am amazed at the coverage. YMMV

TP-Link N300 Wireless Outdoor Access Point, Waterproof, Ideal for Garden Wi-Fi, Support Passive PoE, Flexible Installation, Simply Managed by Free EAP Controller Software (EAP110-Outdoor) : Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories

Buy

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[sako243]

Yep

Oh I know you can. The question was aimed at @Wildefalcon to see whether the wiring arrangements allowed it.

 

[sako243]

@Wildefalcon - unless it's PoE I don't really see the benefit of this over a small switch but basically a pass through booster.

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