Network bodge question

[Bob Minchin]

Years ago, when I built my workshop at the bottom of the garden 20m from the house, I put an unscreened 25 way multicore cable (16/0.2mm) for future expansion. Now I would like to extend the computer network down there and there is no way to get an ethernet cable down the same duct.

I have a number of space cores in the multiway but they are not twisted pairs. Do I have any chance of getting a few mb/s bandwidth down that cable? This would be for file transfer, emails and light browsing The other occupants of the cable carry either DC or phone line or are floating.

I'm currently using homeplug units but the performance varies from OK to unusable from day to day, hour to hour. Too far for standard wifi.

TIA

Bob

[Tim+]

We use a wifi extender called iBoost with our motorhome which seem to work very well. I'm sure anyone with half an inkling about these things could cobble together their own wifi extender for less money.

Tim

[Martin Brown]

It isn't likely to work very well on non twisted pairs.

It shouldn't be. You might even get away with just using one of these USB Dynamode dongles from Morgan at the far end suitably positioned.

It has a decent gain removable aerial which allows you the option of putting something much more directional onto it.

After that in the spirit of DIY look up cantenna. Or you could just buy one from the likes of Solwise or Amazon.

I can run my Wifi at ranges upto 100m and at decent speed with a commercial directional antenna.

[The Natural Philosopher]

should be possible 20m aint far.

Try a 100Mbps switch at each end

No it isn't.

Use special directional aerials will do a km if line of sight and decent antennae

[Brian-Gaff]

I think considering the time it would take to try wiring up some of the cores its worth a go. One never can tell. Brian

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Try it and see. Nothing to lose. Can be a problem identifying the pairs if it is a telephone cable with a gentle twist and you've not done this from the start. They sometimes have a group separately wrapped within the cable

- might be best to use those if not already in use.

My guess is you'll be ok over a relatively short distance.

[Andy Burns]

20m might be pushing it, obviously anything that's not twisted is out of spec, but those flat, unscreened ethernet cables work at a couple meters I'd give it a try, perhaps fix the speed/duplex to 10 or 100?

[Graham.]

Anything to do with bodging, I am the expert here.

I have had a lot of success with telephone cable carrying 100Mb/s Ethernet, up to that sort of distance, but it needs to be twisted pair to work, in my experience. Try it though, I will be happy to be proved wrong. You only need two pairs, not all four. 1+2 & 3+6.

You can get Ethernet extenders that use ADSL or VDSL type signaling over a single copper pair, and I imagine they would be fine on your non-twisted cable, but they cost a lot.

If I were you I would be tempted to modify those powerline adapters you have, to talk to each other over a pair of your wires instead of the mains. I doubt if any part of the circuit board is isolated from the mains, so I would power them from separate wall-warts.

I told you I was a bodger.

[dennis]

Those flat ethernet cables are full spec, I use some 20m long ones that were ~£1.99 from CPC. They are far higher spec than the OPs cable. However he may as well try a couple of pairs and see what happens.

[Graham.]

Those flat Ethernet cables are four twisted pairs layed side-by-side. They are not an eight-core ribbon as sometimes thought.

They are very useful for going under carpets etc.

[Bill Wright]

Very interesting idea. I wonder how it compares with using your smartphone as a wifi hotspot, putting it in a polythene bag and hoisting it aloft through a roof vent . . .

Bill

[Bill Wright]

I have a homeplug thing on the curtain rail of the living room and it works fine at the top of the garden, 45m away.

They work even better if you put them outdoors. The loss through double glazing appears to be rather high; about 9dB when I measured it.

Bill

[Andy Burns]

I've never dissected one, but just assumed they were like MMJ cable

[Bill Wright]

Judging from what I see using a little WiFi Analyser I reckon a lot of people run illegal power levels.

Bill

[Tim Watts]

Not much.

I would look at a wifi link, possibly beamed with directional aerials - though IME you will get a pretty good link over two external plain WIFI antennas without getting fancy. External (or through glass) will fare a good deal better than behind a brick wall.

[Graham.]

I think Bob was trying to use the Homeplugs for their primary purpose of a data-link through the mains wiring. Your homeplugs must have an additional feature of providing a wireless access point.

[charles]

mine do.

[Mike Humphrey]

Can you replace the existing cable? It's possible to get Cat 5 cables with lots of cores (e.g. 25 pair) which should carry Ethernet as well as the other signals.

Mike

[Bob Minchin]

Thanks for the responses. I'll give it a try when I get an idle moment and see what I can push down it. No the cable is not replaceable realistically. I quite like the idea of hacking the homeplug units but my do list is already too long!

Bob

[Martin Brown]

The power is the same but it is transmitted in a much narrower beam.

Default aerials are omni directional and some are very poorly matched.