Internet to garage ?

[Blobber]

So without distracting from the OPs question whats the difference in idiot terms between a router and a switch?

 

[MoreWellie]

a router connects to the internet (telephone line, fibre, 4g, 5g or whatever) and then has network ports on the back

a switch just has the network ports and for this application has no configuration requirements

 

[jmp49]

My question would be how many devices in the garage need a network connection? if its just one, as others mentioned, just run a cable and plug it in, its just a really long cat5 cable that way without any complication...

My micro inverters are wireless radio only, but the manufacturer (hoymiles) sell a specialized box (a data terminal unit, aka DTU) to connect to them to wifi or ethernet as they cant connect over wifi, its a bespoke low powered radio between the box and the inverters rather than wifi. I suspect this is the dongle thingy mentioned with a rj45 socket on it... I have a arduino running opendtu with a low power radio modem to do the same job that sits on the end of a cat5 cable and reports stats back to something else rather than have the data leave my network but that's because I like to make things over complicated.

For the poster mentioning if the garage is close, normal cat5e should be good for 100 metres, and cat5e ftp (shielded, foil twisted pair) is good for 150. They'll still work over even longer distances, but wont negotiate and transmit at the rated speeds (which for inverter data isnt really critical). Probably close enough for most UK properties but maybe not somewhere really rural..

 

[Migmac]

Get a 4G router and take it with you to the garage. We binned Openreach just recently and got a 4G router, we’ve doubled our speed and halved our monthly bill

 

[addjunkie]

Would it not be easier longer term just to stick a wifi access point on the end of a cable close enough for the garden and garage to be covered.

I had to fit one so my car charger would talk to its people.

 

[qwakers]

For a Easy plug and play get a Amazon EEROS6 and plug it in install the app set it up job Done.

 

[Mikey D]

Right I'm back , just had a look at the inverter and there's a blanking plate where the dongle thing goes I reckon

 

[Mikey D]

I

Right I'm back , just had a look at the inverter and there's a blanking plate where the dongle thing goes I reckon View attachment 475868View attachment 475867

 

[MattF]

Get a 4G router and take it with you to the garage. We binned Openreach just recently and got a 4G router, we’ve doubled our speed and halved our monthly bill

I've been running on 4G initially, 5G now, since I moved into this flat. Saw no point in paying line rental etc. The setup suits me fine.

 

[Ian X]

If you want the internet for radio, browsing, YouTube, whatever rather than being just able to access your solar inverter you might think about an access point. I use three Ubiquiti UAP-AC to cover my entire plot of 4 hectare. TP-Link do a poorer but cheaper version and there are no-name generic Chinese ones which have mixed reviews. They work on power over LAN so are powered by the LAN cable from your router. If you have a big yard they are well handy in the summer if you use your garden or loaf outside. If your garage is not made of Mu-Metal or out of binocular range of your house then an access point mounted on an outside wall of your house facing the direction of your garage will do the job.

 

[Ian X]

I

Yeh, mine has a swivel round plate with the socket for the dongle.

 

[MattF]

If you want the internet for radio, browsing, YouTube, whatever rather than being just able to access your solar inverter you might think about an access point. I use three Ubiquiti UAP-AC to cover my entire plot of 4 hectare. TP-Link do a poorer but cheaper version and there are no-name generic Chinese ones which have mixed reviews. They work on power over LAN so are powered by the LAN cable from your router. If you have a big yard they are well handy in the summer if you use your garden or loaf outside. If your garage is not made of Mu-Metal or out of binocular range of your house then an access point mounted on an outside wall of your house facing the direction of your garage will do the job.

I use Tenda units. Not had a problem with those, & considering they have thick stone walls to contend with, I get reception outside a good distance from the flat.

 

[Ian X]

I use Tenda units. Not had a problem with those, & considering they have thick stone walls to contend with, I get reception outside a good distance from the flat.

For sure you know it's the easiest method to get internet to the OP's garage without faff. Plug the LAN cable in both ends, connect to and then give it a name and Wi-Fi password, done. I see tips to use 4G/5G routers, its like a different planet, there's no 1G coverage within 4km of me.
*edit for crud spelling

 

[Jack_K]

I think many of us including myself were assuming that the connection was being used for more than just the inverter. After my first post, I realised this may not be the case.

What is the model of the inverter? That will tell us if it has ethernet.

If it's just for the inverter, plugging the second router into the WAN port will likely be fine. For a bit of configuration and using the LAN port you could gain additional WIFI coverage though.

Following on from this, is there not a risk if either the earths are different between garage and house or there becomes an earthing problem at the garage?
TBH I'd try to get wifi running first (as has been suggested by a couple of others).

Ethernet data lines are transformer isolated at either end, so earth loops shouldn't be an issue. However, ethernet cable screens would provide a continuous connecton end to end, provided the Ethernet jacks are designed for screened cable. The Ethernet connections shown in the image of the back of the router (posting #4 above) are clearly insulated, so earth potential differences wouldn't be a problem.

The suggestion to use fibre optic is in regards to lightning/surge issues.

 

[Jack_K]

So without distracting from the OPs question whats the difference in idiot terms between a router and a switch?

A router is designed to route network traffic between two or more networks (subnets) such as the internet and your local network or multiple local networks. A Switch is basically a splitter to connect multiple devices to the same network.

It gets more complicated because routers almost always contain a firewall and in the case of consumer equipment, contains a switch. Enterprise equipment gets more complicated because most enterprise switches can do some or a lot of routing.

 

[Migmac]

I've been running on 4G initially, 5G now, since I moved into this flat. Saw no point in paying line rental etc. The setup suits me fine.

Yep, the same. we hardly used the landline. Only really had it for internet.

 

[jmp49]

Looking at the photo op posted, that solar inverter dongle is wifi only as I dont see a rj45 on it (which really sucks, if you live in a really old property with stone/mud walls that wifi is awkward for...). So as above you just need a wifi access point to put on the end of the cable for it to connect to.

I use a (well 4...) GL.iNet GL-MT300N-V2 for this, which is a tiny pocket travel router though this is probably for more hardcore geeks...
I do this because theyre extremely reliable (4 years constant use for the oldest now), they run off POE happily, they're running openwrt operating system out the box (opensource firmware for routers/wifi etc) which I trust and which is constantly updated wth fixes and install mpd (music player daemon) on them ( https://openwrt.org/packages/pkgdata/mpd-full ) , and I plug a cheap supported usb soundcard right into their usb ports (eg https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sabrent-External-Adapter-Windows-AU-MMSA/dp/B00IRVQ0F8 ) and run them AS the shed/garage/workshop music players with a 2.5mm jack lead off to line input on a cheap/old stereo or decent but shabby computer speakers. Then I install mpd on the openwrt side, and use my phone or cheap old amazon tablets running M.A.L.P ( https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.gateshipone.malp&hl=en-US ) as a mpc client so I can pick which music/playlist/streams to play out of whichever box. And they are also wifi access points for the phone/tablet to connect to of course. In the workshop proper there's a actual computer, and I run gmpc on that to control it the same. One of them I even run as a rj45 hub so I only needed one cat5 for it and a hardwired device in the area.
Do more with less, I think that's my life's motto... It is a bit of a faff installing mpd and learning how to configure it properly to change the volume via the clients from memory though.

 

[Mikey D]

Right , this morning I connected the router in the garage but couldn't get it too work , so plan B , I had a TP link outdoor access point that I bought 3 years ago , so after getting a short cat 5 cable ( I did want a screened one but Currys the only place nearby didn't have one ) plugged it all in , downloaded the app and set it up very easy even for me .
So solar guy is coming tomorrow to set up the inverter app .

I'm assuming I'll get a better range if the TP link aerial is in the line of sight ? I mean for range , it's got a good signal in the garage where the inverter is but thinking for in my field which is higher than were I've mounted it . So if i.put it up on a pole , might just tape it too a long piece of wood to see if the range alters much

Anyway thanks for all replies , wether they went over my head or not

 

[J1nx]

I recommend binning off the inverter manufacturer app, get a pi connected and run solar assistant if it’s compatible with your inverter.

Also, run two CAT5’s and a draw line whilst your doing the install