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Cat5or6 cable to shop 100ft away from router- Can I add a second Orbi router or a satellite or ??
Hello,
I have a shop approximately 100 feet from where my home where my internet Modem is connected. I'm digging a trench to run Cat5 or Cat6 inside pvc pipe for protection from elements and animals. My internet installer/contractor said I could run a second router off my first router in my home using my Cat5/6 cable. My question(s) is... Can you connect one Orbi router to another Orbi router for two networks? If not, could I just connect an orbi satellite to said cable in the shop or does it still need to be within a certain distance of the Orbi router? I wanted to use an Orbi or Nighthawk mesh router as the first router connected to the modem so that my home would have solid internet throughout the house. The house is only a single level of 2000 sq ft. Maybe just two compatbile/connectable Nighthawk routers that cover a each building adquaetly is best.? Thanks for your help.
Sound like a good plan. Some thoughts:
- I would look for "Direct Burial" ethernet cable to go in the conduit. Even when conduit is glued carefully, it can still leak over time.
- Would not purchase different cable for the two runs, unless you do not plan to terminate the cables yourself onto wall jacks.
- My guess is that there does not need to be another Orbi satellite inside the shop. An inexpensive gigabit switch connected with an ethernet cable will do the job.
- Or... there is no need to connect that second satellite in the shop with ethernet. The WiFi connection will work just fine for security camera traffic.
11 Replies
Kavorka wrote:Can you connect one Orbi router to another Orbi router for two networks? If not, could I just connect an orbi satellite to said cable in the shop or does it still need to be within a certain distance of the Orbi router?
Yes, if properly installed and terminiated, ethernet cable will support connecting two devices up to a distance of about 300'. Your distance is well within specifications. The cost difference between Cat5e and Cat6 is not much compared to the cost of trenching/conduit/labor. I would go with Cat6.
It is not clear from the post whether there is already an Orbi router in the house. If there is, then placing an Orbi satellite in the shop will allow devices to roam seamlessly between the two locations. Otherwise, the question boils down to:
- Cost. Two routers, with the remote unit placed in Access Point (AP) mode are likely to cost less than an Orbi package of router & satellite. At a distance of 100ft. devices which roam between the house and shop are likely to disconnect from one unit before reconnecting to the other, although this could be a problem if some devices persist in holding a poor connection to one end when you would rather they switch.
- Seamless roaming and expansion. Installing an Orbi router and satellite creates a seamless mesh where devices will roam between buildings and it is possible to expand the total coverage area by adding more satellites.
Placing this cable is "the way to go."
Thank you very much. :smileyhappy: Grateful!!
Few things if you don't mind... we have a bit of a gopher problem; as well as rabbits and other creatures. I think you're implying I could just lay Cat6 above ground if I didn't mind the wire? Cat6 is that durable? We do get very cold hear and very hot. I was going to dig just a 3 to 6 inch trench using a rented manchine to protect the wire a bit from elements, and the pvc/pipe was for rodents.
I don't have an Orbi yet. So, even though the satellite is too far away from the router, the satellite will act like "an interent broadcaster/extender" for the vicinity of the satellite, correct? Can a device, such as a single security camera that needs to upload to the cloud, be connected to the satellite via ethernet? I understand what you're saying about two seperate routers possible bumping a phone to and fro. My bluetooth headphones sometimes keep connecting and disconnecting from my computer as I walk around the property. Aggravating.
Access Point... I'll look that up. I was seeing with two routers I might have to figure/configure out DHCP(?) or something.
Thanks again.
Kavorka wrote:Few things if you don't mind... we have a bit of a gopher problem; as well as rabbits and other creatures. I think you're implying I could just lay Cat6 above ground if I didn't mind the wire? Cat6 is that durable?
Definitely not loose wire lying on the ground. Even "outdoor rated" ethernet cable is not that durable. In conduit for certain. And, ask the installer what kind of "sweeps" he plans to use to facilitate pulling the cable. The longer the bend, the better:
Kavorka wrote:Can a device, such as a single security camera that needs to upload to the cloud, be connected to the satellite via ethernet? .
Absolutely. I do it myself, although to be totally clear, my IP security cameras are Power over Ethernet (PoE), so I have a PoE switch connected to an ethernet port on the satellite and the cameras are connected to the switch. With a single camera, I would have used a single PoE injector. (Cameras are like rabbits. They multiply. Wish now I had bought a switch with 8 PoE ports.)
The original Orbi platform is now nearly six years old. Great performance as long as the need is only 802.11b/g/n/ac (2.4G and 5G WiFi). You may be in the same situation as I am, having zero devices that can take advantage of WiFi 6 or WiFi 6E. Since there is nothing wrong with my Orbi, I plan to keep it at least another 2-3 years. There are so many good WiFi routers on the market right now that you can buy almost any brand. I would look for a seller with an excellent return policy in case what you purchase falls short somehow.
The router in the house should provide DHCP for the entire network, with the unit in the shop simply being an extension.