Router/Cable Networking Dilemna! I'm dumb and suck at naming threads! Waaaugh!

Pip Boy · 12-01-2008, 09:41 PM

My family moved into the boondocks recently, where the only availible internet connection is a wireless connection from my Uncle's house next door. The problem is that because of the distance from the router, the connection is unreliable and can only be picked up by a single computer. The solution was to run a 300 foot ethernet cable through the wall of my home, into a PVC pipe that ran to my Uncle's house, and into his attic from there. From the attic, it ran across the house and down into a bedroom that contained a router. From there it was put into an ethernet port. A second ethernet cable connects from this port into my Uncle's router.

Problem is, it isn't working. Somewhere along the lines, something doesn't work. I've checked and double checked the 300 foot ethernet cable itself. It isn't broken anywhere, meaning that wherever the problem is, I probably did something wrong in networking somethign somewhere. No matter what I do, no device I try to connect with can detect the router at the other end. Everything seems to be working except for the whole thing completely.

I am really at my wit's end with this. After days of getting parts, digging a 300 foot trench, running through the ethernet cable etc, I am going to go insane if I can't get this working.

Anyone have any idea how I could get this working? Anything? Or if you don't know how to fix this, does anyone know a cheap sattelite internet service that won't require a contract for X number of months? Please?

Seil · 12-01-2008, 09:50 PM

At Wit's End is a fabulous wine. As my brother says, the best wines have funny names - Cat's Pee On A Gooseberry Bush, Dirty Laundry...

Okay, something on-topic: Call Shaw. Or whomever handles that internet connection. We're having the same problem, but with a router that's set up on the family computer and a laptop less than twenty feet away. It just craps out randomly, or slows down to unbearable levels - so we called Shaw and were like "What's up?"

Pip Boy · 12-01-2008, 09:55 PM

Who/what is shaw? Also, I don't think calling the provider is a good idea as they will be less than motivated to tell me how to steal internet from one of their customers. Even if I do have his permission, they will have a conflict of interest in telling me how I can get internet without paying them for it. So either I can explain to them what the actual scenario is and risk that they won't care to help, or I can tell them I am just adding another router to the network and risk getting an answer that applies to a problem different than the one I am actually dealing with.

Eltargrim · 12-01-2008, 10:49 PM

Your signal probably isn't getting through. Maximum length of cat 5 (Generally referred to as ethernet) cable is approx 100m, or 330 ft.. What this means is that there's probably signal deterioration going on. You might need a repeater somewhere along the line.

synkr0nized · 12-02-2008, 01:38 AM

What's preventing you from legitimately getting access through an ISP?

Fifthfiend · 12-02-2008, 02:19 AM

MMFTW, titling your thread something that actually decribes the problem substantially increases the chance that someone who can solve your problem will notice your thread and stop by to help. (And substantially decreases the chance that jackass mods will take the opportunity to act like dicks at your expense.)

Anyway as far as help goes it would be useful to get a complete list of what you've tried.

- using an alternate (shorter) cable to make sure the devices are connected correctly?
- Swapping out your routers to see whether those are working correctly?

Knowing what alternatives you've already tried will help narrow down the particular source of your difficulty.

Also It sounds like you're running that line through an awful lot of twists and turns. IIRC ethernet cables have fairly stringent requirements about the radius you can bend them at before you start getting signal degradation; if you haven't accounted for that in your cabling layout then (along with Eltargrim's note about your relatively long segment length) that could be the source of your problem.

Pip Boy · 12-02-2008, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eltargrim

Your signal probably isn't getting through. Maximum length of cat 5 (Generally referred to as ethernet) cable is approx 100m, or 330 ft.. What this means is that there's probably signal deterioration going on. You might need a repeater somewhere along the line.

I think this could possibly be the problem. I've got an Ohm meter that I can use to check if there is a break in the cable itself. Aside from this, I've just been informed that the connections were wired backwards on one end of the ethernet cable. Instead of fixing the problem, we have apparently wired them backwards on the other side too, to compensate. This means its probably one of these. Either I need to fix the connections on both ends or I need to double check the length that I used.

On the other hand, I haven't worked with ethernet lengths over about 300 feet before, and so I have no idea what a repeater is. However, since it works with ethernet stuff, I am going to assume it is some kind of electic device. Problem with electric devices is that they are hard to place in pipes with a 1 inch radius under the ground in the middle of the yard where there will be dogs and rain etc.

EDIT: To elaborate on what I've already tried, swapping the router on my end or his has done nothing to help, and plugging the cord on my end directly into computers or an Xbox hasn't worked either. The cord doesn't go through many tight turns except where it goes form the attic of one house into the room below.
I'll try rewiring later today, and if that fail's I'll double check the length of my cable.

synkr0nized · 12-02-2008, 06:39 PM

How do you wire cat5 "backwards"? Are you using cross-over cables or for some reason putting LAN connections in the WAN ports?

Also, I still remain curious as to why and how your own connection cannot be procured while tons of silly A-Team/MacGuyver methods are okie-dokie.

Nikose Tyris · 12-02-2008, 07:21 PM

I demand a diagram so I can attempt a MacGuyver.

Pip Boy · 12-02-2008, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by synkr0nized

How do you wire cat5 "backwards"? Are you using cross-over cables or for some reason putting LAN connections in the WAN ports?

Also, I still remain curious as to why and how your own connection cannot be procured while tons of silly A-Team/MacGuyver methods are okie-dokie.

When wiring the ethernet cable itself into the female end of an ethernet port, you have to take some of the wires inside the cable and connect them to specific other cables that are part of the end of the port as shown on a diagram. Thing is, we had the diagram upside down when we hooked up the first one, so we figured that as long as we did the same thing on the other end the signal would still get through correctly. In hindsight this makes absolutely no sense whatsoever and I plan on correcting it before the day is over.

EDIT: To be more specific, the label on the box calls the end of the port an 8-pin surface-mount Modular Jack.

12-01-2008, 09:41 PM	#1
Pip Boy Sent to the cornfield Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: A right and proper Nerd Cave Posts: 2,460	Router/Cable Networking Dilemna! I'm dumb and suck at naming threads! Waaaugh! My family moved into the boondocks recently, where the only availible internet connection is a wireless connection from my Uncle's house next door. The problem is that because of the distance from the router, the connection is unreliable and can only be picked up by a single computer. The solution was to run a 300 foot ethernet cable through the wall of my home, into a PVC pipe that ran to my Uncle's house, and into his attic from there. From the attic, it ran across the house and down into a bedroom that contained a router. From there it was put into an ethernet port. A second ethernet cable connects from this port into my Uncle's router. Problem is, it isn't working. Somewhere along the lines, something doesn't work. I've checked and double checked the 300 foot ethernet cable itself. It isn't broken anywhere, meaning that wherever the problem is, I probably did something wrong in networking somethign somewhere. No matter what I do, no device I try to connect with can detect the router at the other end. Everything seems to be working except for the whole thing completely. I am really at my wit's end with this. After days of getting parts, digging a 300 foot trench, running through the ethernet cable etc, I am going to go insane if I can't get this working. Anyone have any idea how I could get this working? Anything? Or if you don't know how to fix this, does anyone know a cheap sattelite internet service that won't require a contract for X number of months? Please?

12-01-2008, 10:49 PM	#4
Eltargrim Fifty-Talents Haversham Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: FABULOUS Posts: 1,904	Your signal probably isn't getting through. Maximum length of cat 5 (Generally referred to as ethernet) cable is approx 100m, or 330 ft.. What this means is that there's probably signal deterioration going on. You might need a repeater somewhere along the line. __________________ <Insert witticism here; get credit; ???; profit!>

12-02-2008, 01:38 AM	#5
synkr0nized synk-ism Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: throughout the Wired Posts: 6,857	as that would work What's preventing you from legitimately getting access through an ISP? __________________ Find love.

12-02-2008, 02:19 AM	#6
Fifthfiend for all seasons Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 19,409	MMFTW, titling your thread something that actually decribes the problem substantially increases the chance that someone who can solve your problem will notice your thread and stop by to help. (And substantially decreases the chance that jackass mods will take the opportunity to act like dicks at your expense.) Anyway as far as help goes it would be useful to get a complete list of what you've tried. - using an alternate (shorter) cable to make sure the devices are connected correctly? - Swapping out your routers to see whether those are working correctly? Knowing what alternatives you've already tried will help narrow down the particular source of your difficulty. Also It sounds like you're running that line through an awful lot of twists and turns. IIRC ethernet cables have fairly stringent requirements about the radius you can bend them at before you start getting signal degradation; if you haven't accounted for that in your cabling layout then (along with Eltargrim's note about your relatively long segment length) that could be the source of your problem. __________________ check out my buttspresso

12-02-2008, 06:39 PM	#8
synkr0nized synk-ism Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: throughout the Wired Posts: 6,857	I don't see it. How do you wire cat5 "backwards"? Are you using cross-over cables or for some reason putting LAN connections in the WAN ports? Also, I still remain curious as to why and how your own connection cannot be procured while tons of silly A-Team/MacGuyver methods are okie-dokie. __________________ Find love.

12-01-2008, 09:50 PM	#2
Seil Super stressed! Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: British Columbia Posts: 8,081	At Wit's End is a fabulous wine. As my brother says, the best wines have funny names - Cat's Pee On A Gooseberry Bush, Dirty Laundry... Okay, something on-topic: Call Shaw. Or whomever handles that internet connection. We're having the same problem, but with a router that's set up on the family computer and a laptop less than twenty feet away. It just craps out randomly, or slows down to unbearable levels - so we called Shaw and were like "What's up?"

12-01-2008, 09:55 PM	#3
Pip Boy Sent to the cornfield Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: A right and proper Nerd Cave Posts: 2,460	Who/what is shaw? Also, I don't think calling the provider is a good idea as they will be less than motivated to tell me how to steal internet from one of their customers. Even if I do have his permission, they will have a conflict of interest in telling me how I can get internet without paying them for it. So either I can explain to them what the actual scenario is and risk that they won't care to help, or I can tell them I am just adding another router to the network and risk getting an answer that applies to a problem different than the one I am actually dealing with.