What's new

Powerline works fine in house, but not in detached shop

  • SNBForums Code of Conduct

    SNBForums is a community for everyone, no matter what their level of experience.

    Please be tolerant and patient of others, especially newcomers. We are all here to share and learn!

    The rules are simple: Be patient, be nice, be helpful or be gone!

memilanuk

Occasional Visitor
So, a number of years ago when we moved into this house I looked at the options for getting network connectivity where I wanted it. Settled on a combination of wifi and powerline networking to get to some spots that were on the wrong side of an HVAC duct, or that just needed a more stable connection.

More recently, I thought I'd like to extend that to the detached shop. It's not very far away - maybe 30 feet from the house, or about 20-30 from where the wifi AP is inside. Problem is, between the metal roof on the shop and the good-sized RV (also metal clad) parked between the house and the shop, my wifi signal in the shop is crap - less than one bar, on a good day.

I figured I'd use a spare powerline-Ethernet connector, and an old Buffalo Airstation to get wireless out to the shop. No go. For some reason, the powerline plug could never connect to the other plugs inside the house. So for right now, if I want any kind of internet access in the shop, whether it be Pandora radio or to stream YouTube on my Chromebook for some quick help with a project... I have to do it via my cell phone as a hot spot. Not a big deal with Pandora, but YouTube and such eats up my data plan pretty quickly.

The electrical topography of this place is a little non-standard; originally one house, then split into separate dwellings upstairs and downstairs (basement), complete with two separate panels and meters, then combined back into one house with two panels going into one 400A (!!!) meter base, various additions and renovations, and several sub-panels, including the one going to out to the shop. Technically there is probably room in the conduit going out to the shop... but my understanding is that (around here at least) it isn't strictly legit to run data cable in with power-carrying conductors, with the voltage differential and all that. The conduit runs underneath concrete slab pretty much the entire way out to the shop, so just digging in another dedicate conduit is a no-go as well.

What are my options for getting decent network connectivity out to the shop? I'd like to stick with powerline Ethernet if I can, but am considering the possibility of a wireless repeater from the top of the house to the top of the shop (over the RV) and down in, but again, that seems like overkill given the distances involved.

Thanks,

Monte
 
By code you can't run a low voltage data cables in a power conduits. Perhaps you could get by running a non conductive fiber optic cable, but it might be a tough sell to an inspector.

A simpler and certainly less expensive solution might be to see if you can add an outlet in the house that is on the same breaker on the same panel as feeds the shop. If the circuit feeding the shop is 240 V just run a single leg to the outlet in the house then find an outlet in the shop that is wired on the same leg as the one used in the house.

If that doesn't work you could pull additional electrical wires through the conduit and add a circuit with an outlet in both the house and the shop. If you do this pay attention to the grounding requirements for feeding a remote building from the main building's service.
 
Yep, the panel is *in* the shop itself. I'm probably more likely to go the wifi repeater route, even if it is over kill, than I am to go adding additional outlets or circuits.

Thanks,
Monte
 
Yep, the panel is *in* the shop itself. I'm probably more likely to go the wifi repeater route, even if it is over kill, than I am to go adding additional outlets or circuits.

Thanks,
Monte
If you have to put a mast up for the repeater to get it high enough, make sure you follow the NEC code for lightning mitigation.
 
Fortunately, there probably wouldn't be much of a problem there... I'm thinking under the roof line at the peak on the two-story house, to the same point on the shop, which would easily go over the top of the RV.

But I'd rather keep it simple with the powerline networking. I've read that there can be considerable signal attenuation when transitioning from one circuit to another through the circuit breaker(s), which I'm guessing may be the issue here? Not sure if just upgrading my powerline stuff to newer devices (these are probably 7+ yrs old) would do the trick?

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
 
Jumping the panel in the shop is what might be breaking the HPNA/HomePlugs... even if both panels (house and shop) are on the same side of the meter - depends on the breakers - some are pretty adverse to HomePlug.
 
Fortunately, there probably wouldn't be much of a problem there... I'm thinking under the roof line at the peak on the two-story house, to the same point on the shop, which would easily go over the top of the RV.

But I'd rather keep it simple with the powerline networking. I've read that there can be considerable signal attenuation when transitioning from one circuit to another through the circuit breaker(s), which I'm guessing may be the issue here? Not sure if just upgrading my powerline stuff to newer devices (these are probably 7+ yrs old) would do the trick?

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
If you have any arc fault breakers, i have heard it will not work. Even with the latest generation. If not, then the newest versions have better ability to go cross phase. Oxidised connections, motors, relays, and early type dimmers can play havoc as well. Point to point narrow beam wireless is clean. At 30 ft you may not need too much power either. Except if it is raining, perhaps.
 
Do you have any phone wire or cable going out to the shop? You can run ethernet over either of those.
 

Similar threads

Sign Up For SNBForums Daily Digest

Get an update of what's new every day delivered to your mailbox. Sign up here!
Top