# Forum Home Renovation Television, Computers & Phones  Long Distance Networking

## schembri92

Hi, I am trying to get some ideas on how I can network 2 buildings on a farm. There is currently a telephone cable running between them (24 pair?) only one pair is currently used. It is too far to run ethernet (aprox 180 meters) and I didn't want to go down the fiber path. Wireless could be an option. What would you guys recommend? I would ideally like to share the internet connection and be able to use remote desktop. I have looked into ethernet over power, but I am unsure if it would work as they are both on different sub-boards. I believe that the best option (if possible) would be to have something that can get data down a phone line. Thanks.

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## Bros

Fiber is he way to go for speed but as you don't want to go down that path look at the ubiquity wireless dishes or a cheaper alternative would be a couple of routers with home built antenna. There is plenty of information on antenna at the Google university. 
Enter this into your browser and you will get heaps of information "building wireless router antenna"

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## schembri92

Thanks for that Bros. I was under the impression that those home made antennas were Illegal in Aus (not sure where I got that from). I'll have a look at building a couple of them. 
Thanks

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## David.Elliott

and the bonus is... if you like 'em... you have to empty the can first...  DIWi-Fi - YouTube

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## Uncle Bob

> Hi, I am trying to get some ideas on how I can network 2 buildings on a farm. There is currently a telephone cable running between them (24 pair?) only one pair is currently used. It is too far to run ethernet (aprox 180 meters) and I didn't want to go down the fiber path. Wireless could be an option. What would you guys recommend? I would ideally like to share the internet connection and be able to use remote desktop. I have looked into ethernet over power, but I am unsure if it would work as they are both on different sub-boards. I believe that the best option (if possible) would be to have something that can get data down a phone line. Thanks.

  Could you cut into the cable midway? Is the cable twisted pairs?
If yes to the above you *might* be able to run Ethernet over two of the pairs.

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## Armers

Wireless will be the cheapest.. point to point... You can go fiber as mentioned that would be the best.. its not that expensive these days  :Biggrin:  
I second the ubiquiti equipment it's great gear.

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## schembri92

> and the bonus is... if you like 'em... you have to empty the can first...

  Really handy video. Thanks.   

> Could you cut into the cable midway? Is the cable twisted pairs?
> If yes to the above you *might* be able to run Ethernet over two of the pairs.

  There's a chance I could get to the cable mid-way but it would involve pulling it up out of the ground and it would be in the middle of a paddock. There's also no power available for a repeater. It is twisted pairs too.   

> Wireless will be the cheapest.. point to point... You can go fiber as mentioned that would be the best.. its not that expensive these days

  I wouldn't mind going fiber, but the only issue is cutting having to cross driveways and a cattle yard along the way. Not to mention the drains and fences  :2thumbsup:  
Anyone had any experience with the Ethernet over power-line options? 
Thanks.

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## snowyskiesau

Depending on your budget, you might find something suitable here.

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## Armers

I don't know how well EoP will work in this situation being distance and two separate buildings... I think point to point WiFi will be your answer... As mentioned above check out the ubiquiti equipment rock solid and great gear.    
Sent from my GT-I9300T using Tapatalk

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## Uncle Bob

> There's a chance I could get to the cable mid-way but it would involve pulling it up out of the ground and it would be in the middle of a paddock. There's also no power available for a repeater. It is twisted pairs too.

  It appears you see where I was going with this  :Wink:  You could power the Ethernet switch using another pair, though you would need to allow for the voltage drop, which is pretty easy. 
Of course this would mean digging a hole around the halfway point and cutting into the cable and installing a weatherproof cabinet of some description. 
It's probably going to be easier to use a directional wireless setup as mentioned by other posts. 
Just a shame it appears there's no domestic VDSL gear available, that would work great over that distance (BTW, this will be the gimped NBN system that most of us are going to end up with :/, but that's a nightmare story for another bedtime  :Wink:  )

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## ChocDog

We've had really good success with Ubiquiti point-to-point gear at work for enabling a remote site around 140m from our main site. Works a treat. I think cost was around $400 though.

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## nev25

> Thanks for that Bros. I was under the impression that those home made antennas were Illegal in Aus (not sure where I got that from). I'll have a look at building a couple of them. 
> Thanks

  Sorry I find this amusing
You are concerned about possible illegal antennas 
but willing to play with telephone fixed wiring that is very much illegal

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## r3nov8or

If you can install EoP gear on the same circuit for the two buildings this would probably be worth a try for the price. Quotes a range of 200m.  NP504 - 500Mbps Powerline Adapters with AC Pass-through : NetComm Wireless

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## schembri92

> Sorry I find this amusing
> You are concerned about possible illegal antennas 
> but willing to play with telephone fixed wiring that is very much illegal

  You shouldn't assume that it's illegal for me to wire a phone line.

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## schembri92

> If you can install EoP gear on the same circuit for the two buildings this would probably be worth a try for the price. Quotes a range of 200m.  NP504 - 500Mbps Powerline Adapters with AC Pass-through : NetComm Wireless

  Does it have to be on the same circuit? I'm unsure as to what wires it actually uses to work.

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## Uncle Bob

> Does it have to be on the same circuit? I'm unsure as to what wires it actually uses to work.

  Yes, EOP has to be on the same phase with no meters or transformers blocking the signal. These things just plug into power points and ethernet cables.

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## schembri92

> Yes, EOP has to be on the same phase with no meters or transformers blocking the signal. These things just plug into power points and ethernet cables.

  I suppose that's a no-go then. Although both buildings are behind the same meter, the power circuits are on different phases and both buildings run off different backup generators. 
FWIW - I had another play with a yagi antenna I bought off ebay last time I tried to do this, and had absolutely no luck getting a signal at all. Still looking at getting a couple of cantennas with 2 routers - that seems like the best solution at the moment.

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## tricky4000

Hi schembri92 
Have you completed this job yet?
FYI CAT6 gives you 200m of data connectivity.  Can you run an extra cable with no joins?   
If you use 4 twisted pairs you might be able to manage a connection.  
Nothing beats a hardwired connection but I am an IT professional and not an installer so I have a biased view.   :Smilie:  
Tricks

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## Armers

> FYI CAT6 gives you 200m of data connectivity.  Can you run an extra cable with no joins?

  The standard for Cat6 is still 100m dude, this is inclusive of fly leads at both ends... I am pretty sure its actually 90mtr structured cable, which allows 5mtr fly leads at both ends.  
If you want to get really technical Cat6 is actually 50mtrs, when used for 10Gbase or 35mtr if its in a busy cable tray! 
Hey i am sure you can go longer then that but there is no grantee... aka don't bother wasting your time.  
Cheers

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## schembri92

> Hi schembri92 
> Have you completed this job yet?
> FYI CAT6 gives you 200m of data connectivity.  Can you run an extra cable with no joins?   
> If you use 4 twisted pairs you might be able to manage a connection.  
> Nothing beats a hardwired connection but I am an IT professional and not an installer so I have a biased view.   
> Tricks

  Hi, no I haven't done it yet. I'm currently playing around with a couple of old wifi routers and will probably go wireless.  
I don't think you'd get 200m out of cat6 - I remember the ccna textbooks saying 95m plus 5m of patching. If you are correct, running a cable  would be a PITA because of the location and what it would have to go around / under.  
Thanks though  
Sent from my GT-I9295 using Tapatalk 2

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## Rustynuts67

This is a very late reply and you probably have it done and dusted but it is possible to run SHDSL up to 4km. Its basically a private ADSL link. Two of these would work and you don't suffer the reliabilty and security issues with wireless  Request 531R Broadband G SHDSL Router NEW G1 01 | eBay

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