Banjo
join:2012-01-30
Eden, NC | [Connection Sharing] Extending local network to second house. Hello all, I need some advice here concerning a long cable run I'm planning to install soon. I need to have this up and running before summer.
Basically here is my situation; My brother lives next door, we both live on a farm. As such, "next door" means his house is on the other side of some very tall pine trees (a whole small forest) which are the thin ones that sway all over the place when the wind picks up. I have not measured the exact distance yet, but I already know its way outside of spec for CAT5/6. I'm far from an expert on this stuff though, and I've never done an out door run like this before.
So my first idea was maybe going wireless, but after researching that doesn't look doable in my situation without building some towers or cutting down a lot of trees. We want to keep the trees as they serve as a good wind break, and I'm not building any towers, so that options out.
So I did some more reading, and I'm thinking that maybe fiber is the way to go? I know it costs more than copper, but I want to do this right from the get-go and would like to see this still going strong at least 20 years from now (meaning, not having to rip up the ground).
But, I also know working with fiber can be a delicate process. I'm correct in understanding that I can't splice this stuff on my own if I mess something up, right? Also, I know using fiber requires extra hardware on both ends, what is the true cost of buying and maintaining that hardware?
Last but not least, and this one is the important bit. My brother can not get any form of broadband at his house but I can get cable at mine. My brother has tried getting the cable company to run him a line, but they want him to pay for it (and its a big number, an insane number). I've already checked with them and they said it is a-okay to share this connection with another home as long as I'm not re-selling it.
My concern with sharing the internet connection is this: In the summer we're going to be hosting LAN parties, sometimes in both houses at the same time. A lot of these matches will require an internet connection to a game server because they'll be playing tournaments with other teams all across the world. To add insult, a lot of these games will be on Xbox 360 and NOT PCs.
I'm worried about having say, 15 consoles, all trying to use Xbox live at once. I'm willing to buy a "business class" package to deal with all these users (already working on terms with the ISP) and my cable line is usually pretty decent when it comes to its ping times to the game servers. But how well do you think this is going to hold up to 10-20 consoles/PCs all trying to access the game server at the same time?
Sorry if some of these are obvious, I've done a lot of reading on this but as you can see I'm no expert. I'm just a guy trying to build a homebrew network for some local clans to play on. BTW I currently have a crappy WRT54G router but I do plan on replacing it when we lay this fiber in the ground. I guess what I am saying is, aside from the cable modem everything will be getting replaced. I plan on running CAT5 in the houses and only using fiber for the run between houses.
Anyone attempted this before? Also, I live on a farm as I said before so all land is owned by myself or my brother, so we don't have as much red tape as most. I'll measure the distance for the run as best I can when the sun comes and I get a little breakfast in my stomach  . |
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jimbopalmerTsar of all the Rushers
join:2008-06-02
Greenwood, MS
kudos:2 Reviews:
 ·Windjammer Cable
2 edits | Re: [Connection Sharing] Extending local network to second house »www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=fib···70.l1313
some are thick outdoor cable, some are thin indoor cable.
»www.ebay.com/itm/Fast-Ethernet-F···b976539c
100 meg is almost certainly faster than your ISP, if not gig is just pricier.
»www.ebay.com/itm/FutureFlex-FT24···f55d5b88
Now you just have labor and connecter problems. I would find the labor before buying any of these parts.
»www.yellowpages.com/eden-nc/data···services
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I tried to remain child-like, all I achieved was childish. |
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 mozerdLight Will Pierce The DarknessPremium,MVM
join:2004-04-23
Nepean, ON | said by jimbopalmer:Now you just have labor and connecter problems. I would find the labor before buying any of these parts. Great links and advise from jimbopalmer  ... one suggestion I have is to try and locate electricians who may have been trained in how to install fiber optical cable -- and if they have been trained they also have the proper equipment to splice etc. Why? They are usually much cheaper than cable guys and do excellent work based on my experience. 
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David Mozer
IT-Expert on Call
Information Technology for Home and Business |
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 davidgGood Bye My FriendPremium,MVM
join:2002-06-15
none | reply to Banjo
how long is the run? it would be a LOT cheaper to trench it yourself, lay conduit, and pull the fiber thru it.
another option would be a 900 mhz PTP wireless link. if the distance is not too far this will penetrate the trees better than 2.4 or 5 ghz. it will be a lower thruput, but it will still handle his needs.
if you do order premade fiber, triple check your distance AND order it at least 20 feet longer than you think you need.
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Lack of Preparation on YOUR Part does NOT Constitute an Emergency on Mine! |
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| reply to Banjo
first off, good job on doing the research, it seems that you are on the right path.
i am not certain of the specifics/technicalities of laws for cable internet sharing, but technically, if you extend your network with fiber to your brothers house, it can be considered an extension of your network. the cable company wouldn't really need to know anything.
your best bet is to trench and lay conduit and pull the fiber yourself or pull a pull string through the conduit so the people who do the fiber have a pull string already in the conduit for them (unless you have $$$$ and dont mind paying (i didnt see a budget, above). if you run fiber, tie another pull string to the fiber run so you when you finish the run, you have the fiber and a spare pull string for future use. you probably wont need it, but it wont hurt to have it there.
i didnt check the hardware posted above, but you will need converters to convert the fiber to copper.
i would def. not go with the wireless option that was recommended above. sometimes Non Line of Site wireless works w/o any issues, but once you said you will be doing online gaming with multiple PCs, i advise against anything wireless, but that is just my opinion.
also, i would triple check the measurements. i would add 20 ft on both ends for additional slack. |
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| reply to Banjo
If the distance is under 90M I would run Cat 6A copper.
If under 250M I would use OM3 multimode fibre. you will need a media converter at each end to change from fibre to Copper (ethernet).
If over 250M I would use OS2 singlemode fibre. you will need a media converter at each end to change from fibre to Copper (ethernet).
If you are on a budget you can get preterminated Fibre at any length you require. Just remember to get the same connection type on your Media Convertors. LC , SC and ST are quite common.
Don't run Cat 5 around you house. Use at least Cat 5e. I would recommend at least Cat 6 or Cat 6A if you want some future proofing.
You can also get routers/switches with media convertors built into them. Its all about how much you want to spend |
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 NightfallMy Goal Is To Deny YoursPremium,MVM
join:2001-08-03
Grand Rapids, MI
 ·Site5.com
·Comcast
 ·Callcentric
| reply to Banjo
A lot of this is going to depend on the distance. Fiber is an excellent option, but if they are close enough to run ethernet, thats an option as well. Fiber can be expensive to terminate though, which may price that option out.
Another option is directional wireless. I know he mentions trees that may be in the way, but that may also be a cost effective solution if there is clear line of sight.
I think its best to get a measurement first.
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My domain - Nightfall.net |
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| if it were me, i would run a big enough pip to use pre terminated fiber.
if i needed 300 ft, i'd add 20% to my fiber run and order the cable or get the closest size (with overhead) and be done with it. |
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Reviews:
·link2voip
 ·TekSavvy DSL
| reply to Banjo
If the run is more than 100m then the best (fastest and most reliable) option is fibre, the easiest option is wireless (assuming you can get through or around the trees), and the cheapest option is DSL (assuming you trench your own cat3. Actually, cost would come very close to wireless depending on the amount of cat3).
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| i still vote for fiber over DSL and wifi, mainly because of the gaming he said he would be doing.
with fiber, everyone at both locations are on the same LAN, with DSL, they would need to create a VPN to see e/o for LAN games.
the proper wifi gear can probably get him great speeds, but at that point, i would still pick fiber due to the trees he was talking about.
i would like to see an update from the OP. |
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NightfallMy Goal Is To Deny YoursPremium,MVM
join:2001-08-03
Grand Rapids, MI Reviews:
·Site5.com
·Comcast
·Callcentric
| said by tomdlgns:i still vote for fiber over DSL and wifi, mainly because of the gaming he said he would be doing.
with fiber, everyone at both locations are on the same LAN, with DSL, they would need to create a VPN to see e/o for LAN games.
the proper wifi gear can probably get him great speeds, but at that point, i would still pick fiber due to the trees he was talking about.
i would like to see an update from the OP.
I agree with you. At the same time, the cost of the fiber gear, time and money spent burying the conduit, running the fiber, and to terminate it may be a little more than he wants to spend. Just like the wifi gear may be too much or the trees may be blocking the signal. We just don't know, but they are both very viable alternatives. Gaming can be done both via WiFi and fiber with no latency at all and on the same LAN if the fiber and wifi are implemented properly.
Remember, there is more than one way to skin a cat.
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My domain - Nightfall.net |
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Reviews:
·link2voip
·TekSavvy DSL
| reply to tomdlgns
DSL can be done in bridge mode. We have a campus with VDSL2 bridges for old residences that couldn't be practically refitted with cat6, and it works great. By great, I mean that it's reliable over a few hundred meters of copper and speeds are in the range of 77/35 to 101/50 mbps. The latency is 6-8ms one direction.
So I definitely agree that fibre is the best choice, but for a couple of guys with $300 and a pair of shovels, it's hard to beat DSL. Wireless performance could be very close to VDSL2, with potentially better latency, but it sounds like the OP is saying the trees will prevent that from being practical.
I too would like to see what the OP thinks of all this discussion and what he ends up going with.
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