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[Technology] Ethernet over electrical circuit



pasty

A different kind of pasty
Jul 5, 2003
30,296
West, West, West Sussex
Techy type question for the magnificent NSC knowledge base.

I have a home office at the bottom of the garden and recently my WiFi signal keeps dropping quite a lot and I lose connection of office vpn.

If I replace an electric socket in the house to one with an Ethernet port and same in office would that work?

Anyone tried similar?

Something like this

1707222613435.jpeg
 




B-right-on

Living the dream
Apr 23, 2015
6,187
Shoreham Beaaaach
Would it have to be on the same circuit to work? Because your garden office should be on it's own circuit.

I'd run some Cat 6 cable to it in some trunking, that's what I did and works perfectly as it's all cabled and not over WiFi
 


Arthur

Well-known member
Jul 8, 2003
8,577
Buxted Harbour
Techy type question for the magnificent NSC knowledge base.

I have a home office at the bottom of the garden and recently my WiFi signal keeps dropping quite a lot and I lose connection of office vpn.

If I replace an electric socket in the house to one with an Ethernet port and same in office would that work?

Anyone tried similar?

Something like this

View attachment 174990
As long as it's on the same electrical circuit then it should do.

I've wired my office using Netgear TP Link and it works well.
 


Billy the Fish

Technocrat
Oct 18, 2005
17,503
Haywards Heath
Would it have to be on the same circuit to work? Because your garden office should be on it's own circuit.

I'd run some Cat 6 cable to it in some trunking, that's what I did and works perfectly as it's all cabled and not over WiFi
Another vote for proper CAT6.

The other option is to get a decent WiFi solution. I've just installed TP-Link Omada in my house and I'm rally happy with it, proper mesh network and handover between APs and the coverage shits all over the basic router and wifi extenders. Also a piece of piss to setup and manage. You could stick an outdoor AP and get full coverage in the garden.
 


clapham_gull

Legacy Fan
Aug 20, 2003
25,341
They newer ones do work well, I run a television that way in the kitchen that is in a wifi dead spot.

I would avoid the socket type and just get a powerline extender.

Not recommending this, but like this:


One end plugs directly into the router via the supplied ethernet cable. Check the different types, some produce a wifi signal the other end or (my pref) would be to connect into the remote end with an ethernet cable.
 




clapham_gull

Legacy Fan
Aug 20, 2003
25,341
That said if it was ME, I run network cable into the office from the house.

So much option these days with the plugs already on.
 


halbpro

Well-known member
Jan 25, 2012
2,865
Brighton
Have to agree with everyone else. Cat 6 would be the best option, but WiFi with a decent outdoor antenna will also do you.

If your office is on the same circuit as the house then you can use a powerline adaptor, but honestly it's very variable as to quality with those
 


clapham_gull

Legacy Fan
Aug 20, 2003
25,341
Another vote for proper CAT6.

The other option is to get a decent WiFi solution. I've just installed TP-Link Omada in my house and I'm rally happy with it, proper mesh network and handover between APs and the coverage shits all over the basic router and wifi extenders. Also a piece of piss to setup and manage. You could stick an outdoor AP and get full coverage in the garden.

Outdoor AP was on the shopping list, until I stuck a cheap one in a bedroom and found instant garden coverage.

Maybe that's all that is needed. Something inside at the back of the house.
 




KZNSeagull

Well-known member
Nov 26, 2007
19,835
Wolsingham, County Durham
I use BT mini connectors as the wifi signal isn't great in this house. Plug one into a socket next to the router and run an ethernet cable into it from the router, plug the other one where you want the internet. Has to be on the same circuit though. They work well.
 








B-right-on

Living the dream
Apr 23, 2015
6,187
Shoreham Beaaaach
As long as it's on the same electrical circuit then it should do.

If it's been built according to Wiring Regs it should be on a separate circuit.
 


pasty

A different kind of pasty
Jul 5, 2003
30,296
West, West, West Sussex
Thanks all. Garden office is on separate circuit so that option won’t work. Think I’ll have a look at cat6 cabling it
 






Kinky Gerbil

Im The Scatman
NSC Patron
Jul 16, 2003
57,937
hassocks
Techy type question for the magnificent NSC knowledge base.

I have a home office at the bottom of the garden and recently my WiFi signal keeps dropping quite a lot and I lose connection of office vpn.

If I replace an electric socket in the house to one with an Ethernet port and same in office would that work?

Anyone tried similar?

Something like this

View attachment 174990

Yeah, I've got the 2 plug version which turns the wires into a internet connection.

Works perfectly, got Sky/Work systems down there and it runs perfectly.
 


WATFORD zero

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 10, 2003
25,880
I retired from technology 15 years ago, but put in a Mesh at home 5years ago and now have no problems with connectivity including down to the bottom of an 80ft garden.
 


Jul 2, 2011
58
If you want a reliable, effective and pretty much maintenance free connection then cable (cat5e or cat6 external grade) is the only way to go.

Secondly, to address some posts and for the reasons of clarity, I am not aware of any regulation in BS7671 that states that you must have a garden office / shed on its own circuit.
Spurring of an existing circuit may be perfectly fine for some installations.
Obviously, I would agree its better to be on it own circuit but not a regulation.
 


Westdene Seagull

aka Cap'n Carl Firecrotch
NSC Patron
Oct 27, 2003
21,034
The arse end of Hangleton
Thanks all. Garden office is on separate circuit so that option won’t work. Think I’ll have a look at cat6 cabling it
Another vote for Cat6 just as long as the run is 300 foot or less.
 




DFL JCL

Well-known member
Jan 8, 2016
792
I'm not sure those plugs you are showing in the op are home plugs to be honest. I suspect they just have cat 5e or 6 terminated to the back of the ethernet ports. We have cat 6 ethernet down to our garage and it works perfectly.
 


ElectricNaz

Well-known member
Jan 23, 2013
840
Hampshire
I think it depends massively.

So I had these, Internet at the hub was 400mbps but up one floor it dropped to about 25mbps

But that could have been from the installation, so my fault and not a problem of the idea. In hindsight the actual WiFi is better with a booster (Vodafone) getting 400-odd upstairs now
 


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