Networking help!

[StuTheGrouch]

I am at the end of my patience with my TP link adapters. Can anyone help?

I have an office at the end of my garden (around 100 ft from the house). To deliver wifi in the office, I have a TP link adapter in there (4220, if that helps). I have several non-wifi adapters in the house too for things like Hive and our house alarm.

The adapter in my office was always sufficient until recently. The connection speed was lower than the speeds within the house, which is understandable given that the armoured cable serving the office is rather long. I recently upgraded our broadband (same provider), which now means I have a fibre connection directly to my router (in the house). This has improved our internet connection in the house (slightly faster download, more stable and much faster upload). However, the TP link in my office doesn't provide an internet connection.

I have reset the adapter. When the adapter is plugged into a socket in the house it works fine. When it's plugged into a socket in my office, the LEDs show it's all working, but there is no internet.

Does anyone have any ideas? I think the timing around fibre installation is coincidental, as the adapter works in the house.

[blueacid]

Are these TP Link adaptors the powerline sort? A pair of them, making a network across the mains wiring?

If so, things like surge protected sockets etc can wreak havoc on the connection. If you're able, try and put the 'partner' one in the house as nearby as possible to where the power supply to your garden office joins your house wiring. So perhaps put the partner one in (say) the cupboard under the stairs next to the meters rather than in some random upstairs bedroom (where the signal has a load of extra distance to travel along the copper).

Also if possible, try not to have the powerline signal cross several RCDs, these don't help the signal either.

Alternatives if none of this work include running some cat5 or optical fibre down the garden instead; no speed drop-off, and a far more reliable connection. Or, alternatively, install an external wifi access point just under the eaves of your house; the signal might well reach!

[NDA]

In my last house I struggled to get wifi into a home office/studio about 100 feet from the house... because of a separate fuse box, home plug extenders didn't work.

I bought a 'Yagi' wifi aerial - it was designed for internal use and was on its own little tripod. The aerial picked up the wifi from the router in the house... 100% connection and the same download speeds as the router. It was an incredibly good device.

You'd need to shop around as the prices are all over the place (I've just looked) and try to get one with a USB fitting. It seems they work with Windows (I was using Windows then) or you plug into an access point.

Definitely recommend the Yagi - it was completely stable/reliable for a decade.

[Mr Pointy]

You might need to clarify how your setup is connected as you mention both a TP Link Powerline adapter & having a network cable running down to the office. It's not very clear what's actually connected - is the cable to the office connected to your new router & if so what is at the office end?

[StuTheGrouch]

Mr Pointy said:

You might need to clarify how your setup is connected as you mention both a TP Link Powerline adapter & having a network cable running down to the office. It's not very clear what's actually connected - is the cable to the office connected to your new router & if so what is at the office end?

Sorry for the confusion.

I have fibre to the house (direct to my router). Basic powerline adapters (non-wifi) in the house. There is an armoured electrical cable to the office, into a consumer unit. In the office I have the TP link 4220.

Until recently the office TP link has worked fine. Today I checked that unit in the house and was able to connect to it seamlessly. So, it's not the fibre installation and the router is the same. The TP link adapter works (in the house). It's driving me nuts!

Thanks all for the suggestions. Really appreciate it.

I might just order a reel of shielded cat6 cable and be done with it.

[Mr Pointy]

StuTheGrouch said:

Mr Pointy said:

You might need to clarify how your setup is connected as you mention both a TP Link Powerline adapter & having a network cable running down to the office. It's not very clear what's actually connected - is the cable to the office connected to your new router & if so what is at the office end?

Sorry for the confusion.

I have fibre to the house (direct to my router). Basic powerline adapters (non-wifi) in the house. There is an armoured electrical cable to the office, into a consumer unit. In the office I have the TP link 4220.

Until recently the office TP link has worked fine. Today I checked that unit in the house and was able to connect to it seamlessly. So, it's not the fibre installation and the router is the same. The TP link adapter works (in the house). It's driving me nuts!

Thanks all for the suggestions. Really appreciate it.

I might just order a reel of shielded cat6 cable and be done with it.

Ah right, I read armoured cable & thought network not power, sorry. You'll definately get much better performance if you run a network cable down to your office from the router & put a wireless access point on the end of it. Someone in another thread linked to this kit with all the bits for a 50m run:

https://www.bcedirect.co.uk/products/cat6-extensio...

[StuTheGrouch]

I've jumped the gun a bit..... I've bought 100 metres of shielded cat6 cable- https://www.kenable.co.uk/en/networking/network-ca...

I opted for shielded as the cable will need to run near the armoured electrical cable, so I wanted to ensure that I wouldn't end up with any interference issues.

This socket for the office- https://www.screwfix.com/p/philex-cat-6-1-port-rj4...

And this router- https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-TL-WR841N-300Mbps...

Any flaws in this plan? (Apart from the fact I've paid a lot more than that kit)

[anonymous-user]

StuTheGrouch said:

I've jumped the gun a bit..... I've bought 100 metres of shielded cat6 cable- https://www.kenable.co.uk/en/networking/network-ca...

I opted for shielded as the cable will need to run near the armoured electrical cable, so I wanted to ensure that I wouldn't end up with any interference issues.

This socket for the office- https://www.screwfix.com/p/philex-cat-6-1-port-rj4...

And this router- https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-TL-WR841N-300Mbps...

Any flaws in this plan? (Apart from the fact I've paid a lot more than that kit)

I would have persevered first. As above, setting up power lines is an art. For example, make sure they are all running at full power, by default they are set up for VDSL, not full fibre. Also, make sure you don’t put it on the same part of the circuit as power strips etc.

[StuTheGrouch]

wormus said:

I would have persevered first. As above, setting up power lines is an art. For example, make sure they are all running at full power, by default they are set up for VDSL, not full fibre. Also, make sure you don’t put it on the same part of the circuit as power strips etc.

I had them all working a few months ago, hence losing patience. Even when it was working it was on the limit for live streaming of sports in the office (it's actually a large den with a cinema setup, I just happen to work from home in there too), so running the cable should leave me with a faster and more reliable connection.

[Mr Pointy]

StuTheGrouch said:

I've jumped the gun a bit..... I've bought 100 metres of shielded cat6 cable- https://www.kenable.co.uk/en/networking/network-ca...

I opted for shielded as the cable will need to run near the armoured electrical cable, so I wanted to ensure that I wouldn't end up with any interference issues.

This socket for the office- https://www.screwfix.com/p/philex-cat-6-1-port-rj4...

And this router- https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-TL-WR841N-300Mbps...

Any flaws in this plan? (Apart from the fact I've paid a lot more than that kit)

Well, you've overshot a bit as you probably only need 50m & the shielding isn't really necessary (you'd need to take the shield to ground at one end for it to work & the armouring on the power cable is going to sheild that to some extent) but it will work. You need a second Screwfix box to install at the router end because you don't/can't crimp an RJ45 plug on to that cable so fit a second patress socket & use a patch cable to connect from that to the router.

[rossmc88]

I had this exact problem. TPlink adapters worked fine for a year then stopped working. Got a new set, worked for 3 months then stopped working. Bought 50m of external cat 5 cable from Amazon for £20 and burried it 5cm in the ground. I now have a perfect connection, the speed is much better and 100% reliable forever now

[mikef]

Mr Pointy said:

You need a second Screwfix box to install at the router end because you don't/can't crimp an RJ45 plug on to that cable

I use these: Ubiquiti ToughCable RJ45 8-Pin CAT5e Shielded Connector

I also don't bother with a wall box at the remote end - in a wooden outdoor office just plastic grommets through the wooden cladding with some caulking and plug straight into a router and/or wifi access point

[StuTheGrouch]

Mr Pointy said:

Well, you've overshot a bit as you probably only need 50m & the shielding isn't really necessary (you'd need to take the shield to ground at one end for it to work & the armouring on the power cable is going to sheild that to some extent) but it will work. You need a second Screwfix box to install at the router end because you don't/can't crimp an RJ45 plug on to that cable so fit a second patress socket & use a patch cable to connect from that to the router.

I've measured the route and it's about 48 metres without taking into account the ups and downs (over an outbuilding). Buying 50 metres would have been a gamble.

Thanks for the advice about the screwfix box, noted.

[Mr Pointy]

mikef said:

Mr Pointy said:

You need a second Screwfix box to install at the router end because you don't/can't crimp an RJ45 plug on to that cable

I use these: Ubiquiti ToughCable RJ45 8-Pin CAT5e Shielded Connector

I also don't bother with a wall box at the remote end - in a wooden outdoor office just plastic grommets through the wooden cladding with some caulking and plug straight into a router and/or wifi access point

That's a stupid way to install a network cable run. Are you an electrician?

[mikef]

No, are you?

[maccas99]

Network cable run politics aside, just spotted that you've specified a router, any reason for that over just getting a standard access point?

https://www.tp-link.com/uk/home-networking/access-...

Note. I use UniFi but I see you have TP-Link kit already

[StuTheGrouch]

Cost. £17 for the router seemed like a good price and I knew it would work as an access point.

[StuTheGrouch]

To add an update to this, I installed the cable yesterday. A socket at either end and the aforementioned router, job done. The router settings were changed to 'access point', which was a simple process. So far, I'm getting almost identical speeds in my garden office as I do in the house (using powerlinks the garden office would be around 25% of the house speed).

Thanks everyone for your help.

[maccas99]

StuTheGrouch said:

To add an update to this, I installed the cable yesterday. A socket at either end and the aforementioned router, job done. The router settings were changed to 'access point', which was a simple process. So far, I'm getting almost identical speeds in my garden office as I do in the house (using powerlinks the garden office would be around 25% of the house speed).

Thanks everyone for your help.

Great news - mission complete.