Topic: Ethernet Run between 2 buildings?

[Shadow_7]

Well I live out in the country, and slicing the yard, which we've done didn't turn out well.  Phones lines (the grounded ones) ran through the middle of the yard.  Cable and other things if you have those do that to.  If you dig, you run the risk of cutting those completely and maybe not even noticing that you did until those "why isn't this working" moments.  And since this plot of land was someone elses land before developed, their phone lines went through the yard too.  And that was just bringing a water line from the water main which was only 10' away from where it needed to go.  Traversing 60' and who knows what you'll dig up in the process.  Do it if you must, but as someone who's had that done, there's a ton of gotcha's in that choice.

IMO it sounds like one of your wireless devices is showing it's age.  Replacement is what $40 these days.  Versus cable plus digging plus gotcha's plus .....  It's a much sure-er bet (long term) to dig after all is said and done.  But man, the road to get there is not as simple as is sounds.  Having lived in high construction areas where nobody, even the city knew what was buried where.  With cable outages, water main breaks, and other issues that would never have been, had a hole not been dug.

[ArchivalAudio]

I plan on calling "call before you dig" to locate any underground things - all other infrastructure is aerial from the utility alley behind the house where the garage is.
the water and sewer main run at the front of the house.

The older router is my wife's combo Modem/Wifi (charter provided) _ do also plan on getting a new cable modem at some point
my Airport Extreme is a current model  purchase last fall.

I think having a solid Ethernet cable to the garage will give the cleanest signal with the least interference.
I obviously could be very wrong.

--ian

[Shadow_7]

Under 3' of dirt (code for most regions I've been in).  It should be fairly clean.  WiFi has it's quirks with interference.  But most times it's signal strength over distance.  With it failing when the signal is too weak (windows / wireless zero).  I converted my mom to linux because of that ONE issue.  Unfortunately since she doesn't have issues anymore, I no longer get a new computer every year now (her old one).

AFAIK, the call before you dig sign is for the utility companies benefit, not yours.  They might know what is buried there, but probably don't know where.  And if your property was developed 20+ years ago, they might not know anything more than what's 6' from the road.  But if there is a sign there, it's probably something nasty like power or gas pipeline.  All the more reason not to dig.

[ArchivalAudio]

We are an all Mac household thought my daughter (when visiting) runs ubuntu
the call before you dig locators have located stuff in the back yard before when we need to put more sprinkler water lines in
- they located gas and water
I'm not digging down 3'  likely about 1foot or so or enough to make it under the sidewalks, and I will likely parellel them as much as I can- so I have a future point of reference.

I would like to run a 5ghz network in the garage  having my airport out here I will be able to attain much better speeds, and will soon to follow get the other new network set up in the house, then a new docsis 2.0 or 3.0 cable modem
any recommendations for a Mac's?

--Ian

[DigiGal]

Ian,

You might want to check your local equipment/tool rental house for a trench digger or ditch witch etc, which could make the job easier for you.

http://www.easydigging.com/trenching_guide.html


Here is a tool called "Sidewalk Sleever" for going under sidewalks...

http://www.sidewalksleever.com/

[ArchivalAudio]

Sweet! DigiGal!
both are useful links

A buddy of mine said That I could likely use a pressure washer (we have 2)  or also PVC pipe with a hose thread attached on one end and blast water through it while pushing and pulling the pipe so it "tunnels" under the sidewalk.

I may need to get a trenching shovel.

--Ian

[ArchivalAudio]

still awaiting my CAT6 cable and the 2 APC surge protectors.
I did get the trench  dug for the most part = under 3 sidewalks, and 1 curb. The trench still needs some work an dfine tuning.
but heck the  cat6 and surge protectors won't be here until Tuesday.
I'll try it all out before I get some 3/4" electrical PVC conduit and bury it all next week end.
having a solution- the original idea close at hand is wonderful.
it only too about 4 hours thus far to trench most of the way and under 3 sidewalks and one curb. not bad! Just needs some deepening ! 

--Ian

[Shadow_7]

The phone lines that got cut in my yard were probably 18" down.  The main thing is the lightning hazard of running any cable outside.  The deeper the safer from strikes.  But too deep and you have flooding and corrosion concerns.  Digging isn't too bad if you've got a rototiller and the soil isn't rock.  Or beach sand that continually fills in the holes.  Just make sure that it's deep enough that you're not going to nick it when you put in a sprinkler system or rototill a garden.  Or other issues with heavy vehicles not using the concrete path.

Wireless might be slower and less reliable, but it's far less construction to get it doing what it does.  Plus that whole country thing for my location where who knows what lives under the dwelling.  Creating critter habitat and access points should generally be avoided.  It just takes a small hole and you've got field mice running across the curtain rods.  Followed by the snake in the bathroom who's looking for the mice.

[it-goes-to-eleven]

I once hired a guy to trench for a cable in winter.  The job was 18"+ deep and over 45' long.  The soil was heavy clay, all the way down!  And the ground was frozen, with about 6" of snow.  He worked at an equipment rental place and quoted me the $55/hour, the rental rate for the backhoe.  He drove it over via surface streets early on a saturday - it was a couple miles away.

Now as much as we all might want to play with a backhoe, he did the digging.  He was a surgeon with that thing!  It had tungsten tipped frost teeth, and the arm telecoped out.   He was in and out in under 30 miuntes and he only charged me the half hour.  I tried to pay him the full hour and he wouldn't take it.  I think it only cost me $35.  Best $35 I ever spent.....

Can you imagine how much work is in a 45' x 18" trench in clay, in even the best weather?

[ArchivalAudio]

we had some pictures of when 2 other sprinkler irrigation lines were put in a few years back, all in relation to the sidewalks and concrete slabs.
I did also fine the 2 grey PVC electrical conduit pipes that run the power out to the garage, which must have been put in just before the sidwalks and garden "curbing" since they kind of just run in a mostly straight and right angle path going under it all. All the electric and irrigation pipes are only a few inches- like 6" or so from the surface though one is about 1 foot down.

I used a pressure washer to tunnel under the sidewalks and to help avoid tree root damage, for the most part I did not hit any large roots to speak of.



--Ian

[ArchivalAudio]

so I ran CAT 6 direct to the garage
 with 2 APC (Ethernet) Surge Protectors
and I got this speed test result!

on the 5ghz network
way better now I have the net work in the garage
now to run the CAT 6 trough 2/4" grey PVC electrical conduit!

[DigiGal]

Have fun with the big dig, post some pics of the project...

[Colin Liston]

I know I am late to this post, but a chain saw makes a great trencher.  It dulls the hell out of the chain, but chains are easy to replace or sharpen.

[it-goes-to-eleven]

I know I am late to this post, but a chain saw makes a great trencher.  It dulls the hell out of the chain, but chains are easy to replace or sharpen.

[rastasean]

So Ian, have you dug the trench?