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Connecting Internet and Phone to a Shed

ianwilding1
Newbie
Posts: 7
Registered: ‎28-12-2015

Connecting Internet and Phone to a Shed

Good morning, I'm new to the forum and would like some advice please. I have had a look around and can't see a specific answer to my question - so here goes....
I am trying to connect my shed up with a phone line and an internet connection, my existing router and BT mains box are located at the front of the house and the shed is detached at the rear by about 30m. I can't receive a wireless signal from my existing TG582n technicolor router, nor get a decent signal from my DECT phone. I have an old but BNIB Netgear DG834G 54MBPS ADSL2+ router which I'd like use if possible to also get a wireless signal for other IOS devices.
The shed has a new electric supply from my meter box, which is at the rear of the house, via a 10mm armoured cable in a rigid plastic duct to a new consumer unit in the shed. I have had another duct installed (in the same trench but separate duct) which already has a CAT5 cable fitted, this runs from the existing router location to the shed around the house at high level, then in the duct.
On to the question:-
a)   Can I simply connect the CAT5 cable to the back of the BT incoming box and terminate in the shed with another BT box, which could then supply the required phone line and connection to the spare router. This would be my preferred option, but I'm not convinced it would work
Or if not...
b)  Is it possible to use the SINGLE CAT5 cable to do both in some other way.
Or if not...
c)   I'll have to install another CAT5 cable (I do have spare) to take the BT line
Finally, from reading other threads, I assume I will need to disable DCHP on the DG834G router - can I get some advice on how to do that please. I am moderately adept at doing wiring and stuff, but the technical aspect is way over my head, so please keep it simple  Wink
Thanks for reading and look forward to hearing from you
Ian
16 REPLIES 16
jelv
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Re: Connecting Internet and Phone to a Shed

You can't connect a second router directly to a single BT line. What you can do is daisy chain a second router or a switch to the first router using an Ethernet cable.
Buying a switch is cheap (< £10) and easy (no configuration - just plug it in and it will work) but will not give you wireless in the shed.
Using a second router needs configuration to make it work like a switch (disabling the DHCP etc.) and will give you wireless.
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ian007jen
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Re: Connecting Internet and Phone to a Shed

Your option c) is the best method, or really you don't need cat 5 just bt phone cable (cw1308)
Then connect the phone cable as a normal telephone extension  and use the cat5 in one of the LAN ports of the tg582 out to the shed
http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/basics/wireless-basics/30338-how-to-convert-a-wireless-router-into-an...
The above document shows how to convert a router to a wireless access point.
You should really terminate the cat5 cable in proper modules https://www.amazon.co.uk/DOUBLE-TWIN-Faceplate-Module-Kits/dp/B002IEVRSK/ref=sr_1_5?s=electronics&ie...
and connect with patch cables.
Another option/bodge if you are willing to do is to use one pair of the cat5 as the telephone extension and only use 2 pairs for the data (ethernet) connection, this limits the LAN connection to 100 Mbps.
http://pinouts.ru/NetworkCables/ethernet_10_100_1000_pinout.shtml use only pins 1,2,3 and 6.

I always tend to lay cat5 cables in pairs, it covers all eventualities and for little extra cost/work.
Ian
aesmith
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Registered: ‎26-09-2015

Re: Connecting Internet and Phone to a Shed

Is your garage using the house Earth, or does it have a separate earth rod (aka "TT")?    It's not normally recommended to use UTP for a data connection between buildings with separate earthing, and I know that some electricians are not happy extending (exporting as they say) the house earth out to a garage.
ianwilding1
Newbie
Posts: 7
Registered: ‎28-12-2015

Re: Connecting Internet and Phone to a Shed

Thanks for the replies chaps, most helpful
Quote from: ian007jen
Another option/bodge if you are willing to do is to use one pair of the cat5 as the telephone extension and only use 2 pairs for the data (ethernet) connection, this limits the LAN connection to 100 Mbps.

Ian - I'm not usually a bodger , however, the secondary router/WAP is a 54MBPS Wireless ADSL+ Modem Router with 4 port 10/100 switch - will this not limit me anyway, or would it be advisable to buy a new 100Mbps router ?
I am out in the sticks and "enjoy" a lowly <6MB connection speed
Also - are there BT / RJ45 faceplates available or will I need to use an adapter for BT to RJ45 socket on the faceplate you kindly linked? EDIT - have found some with combined sockets Wink
Thanks again
Quote from: aesmith
Is your garage using the house Earth, or does it have a separate earth rod (aka "TT")? 

It uses a separate earth rod, why?
ianwilding1
Newbie
Posts: 7
Registered: ‎28-12-2015

Re: Connecting Internet and Phone to a Shed

^^^^ @ian007jen can you (or anyone) advise on the connection speeds please
ian007jen
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Re: Connecting Internet and Phone to a Shed

If you only want internet in the shed your setup will be fine but not future proof and not suitable for high speed LAN (PC to PC for example)
Quote
It's not normally recommended to use UTP for a data connection between buildings with separate earthing, and I know that some electricians are not happy extending (exporting as they say) the house earth out to a garage.

You should use a pair of lightning protectors http://www.solwise.co.uk/wireless-sundries-lightning-protection.htmon both ends on the CAT5 cable with an earth kit as well.

Ian
aesmith
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Re: Connecting Internet and Phone to a Shed

The potential (no pun intended) issue is that the earth references for house and shed could be different.  Especially if the house is PME (aka TNC-S) which I suspect is the case if the electrician chose to create a separate earth for the shed.  In these cases anything metal which goes between the two buildings should be earthed at one end only.
ianwilding1
Newbie
Posts: 7
Registered: ‎28-12-2015

Re: Connecting Internet and Phone to a Shed

Thanks again guys, appreciated
Lol - I started researching what this all means and it's too deep for me - I'll leave it to the electrician I think.
Just FYI the meter box at the house has an earth rod also - not sure if that's a cause for alarm or not  Undecided
mav:quote
pint
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Re: Connecting Internet and Phone to a Shed

Wouldnt homeplugs be up to the job? you can get some with wifi built in, so Router in house ethernet cable to home plug 1, Home plug 2 in shed. home pl,ug 2 has the wifi and ethernet therefore giving ethernet and wifi in the shed with no faffing around with cat5 and so on.
and to get  a phone working why not use a DECT cordless phone?
ianwilding1
Newbie
Posts: 7
Registered: ‎28-12-2015

Re: Connecting Internet and Phone to a Shed

As in my first post - cat 5 cable is already installed, I can't get DECT signal from my house - 30m away
There is also no mains connection from house to shed
mav:quote
Townman
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Re: Connecting Internet and Phone to a Shed

Quote
The shed has a new electric supply from my meter box,

If the house and the shed are connected to the same meter, Ethernet over power should work fine.

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

HPsauce
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Re: Connecting Internet and Phone to a Shed

Quote from: ianwilding1
Thanks for the replies chaps, most helpful
Quote from: ian007jen
Another option/bodge if you are willing to do is to use one pair of the cat5 as the telephone extension and only use 2 pairs for the data (ethernet) connection, this limits the LAN connection to 100 Mbps.

Just going back to that I use CW1308 cable around my house (easier to run and hide than 8-core Cat5e) for most LAN connections.
As noted, that limits it to 100mbps (it's 4-core CW1308) and it works extremely well. 100mbps is fine for everything I use it for.
I know it's rather the converse of the above suggestion but demonstrates it's equally valid. For most purposes CW1308 and Cat5 are interchangeable, except at the limits (which this isn't).
So I would do as suggested and split the RJ45 cable into 100mbps LAN and phone.  Cool
ianwilding1
Newbie
Posts: 7
Registered: ‎28-12-2015

Re: Connecting Internet and Phone to a Shed

Thanks @HPsauce
Quote from: Townman
If the house and the shed are connected to the same meter, Ethernet over power should work fine.

So - does this work even though they aren't on the same circuit ? I thought they had to be ?
Townman
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Re: Connecting Internet and Phone to a Shed

There are two schools of thought...
1. They have to be on the same distribution board
2. They have to be on the same meter
That said there are stories of them working inter-premises which is why you should change the default security code.  Whatever, they do need to be on the same phase.  Whilst this might deliver your internet to the shed, it will not fix the phone requirement.

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.