Howto network over long distances

[corneg]

Hiya,

I'd like to connect two houses that's across the street from each other through a network but they're more than 100m apart. What would be the best solution seeing that CAT5 / 10baseT's maximum length is 100m?

Corne

[bekdik]

Cable is out as you can't pull it over the street. Look at a wireless solution.

[corneg]

Nope, I've put a pipe under the road when they did the electrical connection :)

[savage]

If you insist on cable, pull fiber... The cheapest would be just to pull multi-mode fiber, and use 2 Ethernet-Fiber media converters at each end...

[Daniedj]

I've been able to in the past pull a cable longer than 100M to 155 and it still worked.

[bekdik]

follow Savags advice - It will stop all the interference of passing traffic.

[Jonny Two Shoes]

I have found basic wireless setups to be just about useless on distances even less than 100m, and even basic wireless is costly. So the fiber option seems the best with value for money, nice thinking though when you put that pipe under the road :D.

[corneg]

Who sell this multi mode fibre with the converters? What's the maximum distance over which it can be used?

[savage]

Multimode, up to 40KM, but it really depends on the cable... Either way, max length you're talking kilometers, not meters...

Media Converters, everyone sells them... Planet's are about R500 or so (you need two - one for each side). R850 odd for Gigabit Ethernet to Fiber converters

Last time I baught fiber (years ago), 4-Core was about R8.50 per meter (I would expect that the prices came down since)... Any good reputable company that sells computer cabling will be able to get for you (I got mine from Falcon Electronics back then), but make SURE it is OUTDOOR fiber, NOT indoor fiber. Outdoor also has ALLOT more protection to protect the fibers against breaks, but it is more expensive (could easily be double the price)...

Moisture from the air will get into indoor fiber if used outside, and it will deteriorate the signal. Get to a good supplier and chat to them, they'll help you out on everything you need. It sounds complicated and expensive, but it's really very easy once you get your head arround it.

I did a 2 x 4KM 8-Core Fiber runs about 6 years ago, for under R10K, cable labour, trunking, etc etc etc

You didn't mention where you stay, so I can't really make any recommendations to suppliers in your area.

PS: It's not really worth it buying 2-Core fiber, the price difference between 2 and 4 Cores are insignificant. 4 Core also means that you have 2 Cores (or 1 pair) spare, incase you DO one day have a break... Then you simply switch the broken core to a spare core, instead of having to replace the entire cable...

[Roman4604]

If your number plate end in GP dont even think of using copper in the ground. You probably wont make it through one summer of lightning storms.

[skydog]

ask Captainwifi he knows everything about putting fibre under/over roads

he can even help you with the drilling to run the cable.....oh sorry you already run the pipe... good thinking.

if you can afford fibre then go for it else UTP with certain cards and hibs can run up to 150m not recommended or do wireless but speeds are certainly not as good as fibre.