Wireless networking

[steviebee]

I have just read an article in the October 2013 Astonomy Now mag (page75) about controling your scope via a PC/laptop over a distance. It says about WiFi which becomes unreliable over about 50mtrs. It states a way around this is a wireless network device that utilises the main power supply in your home. It is a small box that plugs into your mains socket, one by the scope and one by your PC. It uses an ethernet cable, and only costs about £50. My problem is my Observatory will be about 60 mtrs from my house it will have mains etc installed. This system would be ideal for my purposes. Has anybody used this idea, or perhaps have furthe info on it? any suggestions?

 

Regards.

 

Steve

[Pan Euro]

Distance is not a problem. The mains power supply is used to transmit signals from the distant adapter. I have my garage connected to the main house in this way and it works fine.

[steviebee]

Thats great and thanks for the very quick reply. What equipment do you use? I dont mind spending a bit on it ( blimey we all know how much we spend on our scopes lol!)

 

Regards

 

Steve.

[Pan Euro]

I was going to reply by saying there all pretty much the same. However, thats not true. You may wish to read this http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/test-centre/network-wifi/20-best-powerline-adapters-2016-2017-uk-3490638/

if you do not wish to lose permanent access to the socket then you are better off using a device that Offers a pass through mode.

[steviebee]

Many thanks again. I will have a couple of sockets in the Obs anyway so dont mind it being permanent. I have not built ithe Obs yet just planning ahead. Although saying that I have to wait for permission to build it as it is in France. Plans already in wirh mayors office and if I have not heard back from them by this Thursday I can go ahead and build. so keping my fingers crosssed. Again many thanks foir your help/advicce. I will now read the article.

 

Regards.

 

Steve

[wxsatuser]

Wireless is pretty flaky in my obsy so I installed a BT wireless extender 600.
It basically copies the router and extends it further.
Mine is covered on an AC socket outside and gives a very strong signal down in the obsy 40foot away.

[LukeSkywatcher]

Not that it helps, but i dont believe that wi-fi signal gets any worse over 50m. I guess its down to your ISP service though. In my last house, my router was in the front of the house with many solid walls and doors between and i still got lightning speeds down the end of my garden (200ft away) on my laptop. Ive read nothing but good things about the plugs/adapters/extenders that simply slot into the house mains (one near router and one near computer). 

[cjdawson]

Wireless is flakey.    I've always been skeptical of power line netoworking as well.

From the sounds of it, you are going to be installing the power cable from your house to your observatory.    So, about about running a Cat6 cable alongside the power cable, and having full wired networking speeds available?    60 meters is not a problem, as an ethernet cable can run for 100 meters between piece of hardware.

 

What you'll need to make this convenient...

1. switch (router) at your house with a spare ethernet port.

2. (optional) install an ethernet socket - ideally 2 (just in case one breaks)

3. run the network cable out to your obs.

4. (optional) add another ethernet socket - ideally 2

5. connect the ethernet to a 4 port switch

6. plug your laptop/desktop etc into the switch.

 

In step 5, if you wanted rather than a switch, you could install a router and turn off it's DHCP feature.  This would mean that you could have a wireless access point in your observatory.

 

 

For running the cables out to your obs from your house, I'd recommend running it through a pipe rather than simply covering it with dirt.  This pipe could be used for both the mains cable and the data cable(s).  If you have the cash, it would not be wasted having two pipes though, one for power and one for data (with both data cables in it)

 

For an example.  a 100m roll of cat6 cable... £40

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Multi-Cables-External-CAT6-Outdoor-waterproof/dp/B00EOTHF4W

Could always get the 200m rool for £60, run three cables. Or run the two 60m lengths and keep the other 80m for something else.

 

The wall sockets would be something like this.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Socket-Plate-Network-Faceplate-Module/dp/B004GD9XDW/ref=sr_1_3?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1480425147&sr=1-3&keywords=rj45+wall+socket

Putting one in the house and the other in the obs, you'll keep things neat.

 

The switch, that I'm thinking of is one of these.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/NETGEAR-GS105UK-Gigabit-Unmanaged-Ethernet/dp/B0000E5SEQ/ref=sr_1_3?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1480425233&sr=1-3&keywords=4+port+switch

In case you don't know what a switch is, basically it lets network devices share the same cable.  so the 1Gbps connection between your house and obs would be shared by everything connected in the obs.

Of course, if you are only going to have one laptop/desktop, you could always plug directly into the socket.  With 2 cables, you could plug into both sockets before you need to start worrying about a switch.

[steviebee]

Many thanks for that. I have saved the items you mention. Yes all cables would have to be run through conduit. They get rather upset in France if you dont. good idea to run 2 as well.

 

Regards.

 

Steve.

[iapa]

I have a couple of pass through home network ( ethernet over mains) that I really must try to prove. Currently my WiFi network is perfectly adequate for my Astro kit tho'.

You can have excellent WiFi signal, and your desktop in the live warm lounge can connect to laptop at the 'scope perfectly well. And then need seconds to load a webpage or minutes to upload that image to Stargazer's Found. - that's down to the Internet connection provide .

I like the ads from a major telecom company who say their product comes with the strongest wifi signal available. That's great, you can have many devices communicating with each other at impressive rates. Then you can't even get your email because the ISP can't provide a reliable 10Mbps connections speed. Fortunately doesn't relate to the inter-device transfer rates as that doesn't 'leave" the house.