Hub between ODN and Router?

[DaveRM]

My router is connected directly to the ODN via Ethernet. ODN is in garage. I need ethernet in the garage (new internet-enabled irrigation control). Can I put a hub in garage, and plug the ODN into the hub, and then from the hub to the router?

[Anti-Phish1]

No.  You can't mix WAN and LAN on the same cat5 cable.

BTW, it's ONT (Optical Network Terminal), not ODN

[DaveRM]

Thanks for the correction and the information. So any idea on how I can get ethernet into my garage, which is 100 feet away from the router? I really can't move the router into the garage - is there no option?

Really appreciate your help.

Dave

[Anti-Phish1]

You have several possible options:

1)  Since the ONT is in the garage, you could install a MOCA LAN adapter in the garage.  This would provide a bridge from your coax which carries MOCA LAN to a RJ45 LAN connection. 

Can I get an ethernet connection in a room with only coax

2)  You could move the router to the garage.  This would probably leave you with poor wireless reception in the rest of the house so a Wireless Access Point (WAP) would probably be necessary for wireless coverage.  You say moving the router to the garage is not an option, but you don't make clear why.

3)  You could split the pairs in the existing ethernet cable using two of these:

http://www.amazon.com/C2G-Cables-37133-Splitter-Combiner/dp/B000Q5UMEI/ref=pd_sim_e_13

Not suitable if you have 150 or 300 Mbps internet.  Will only support 100Mbps.

[DaveRM]

You're terrific - thank you very much for answering.

1. MOCA LAN Adapter: I thought I couldn't have Ethernet and MOCA active at the same time? If I can, this would be a very simple solution.

2. Moving the Router: The house is partially wired with CAT 5, and the "hub" is located in my office at the front of the house. The Router / WAP is located there as well. I need to be able to access the multiple ethernet ports in the office, which is why moving the router isn't a possibility. Also, I'd have to add another WAP (garage is detached), which just makes management more difficult.

3. Splitter / Combiner: Currently I only have 75/35 service, so this may be the easiest solution there is. It just means I won't be able to upgrade my service.

Do you have any experience with Ethernet over Powerline? I'm currently using HomePlug for my media stack, but not sure I'd get the throughput out to the garage.

Thanks again for all your help.

Dave

[gs0b]

You can use MoCA for a LAN connection from the router even though your not using it for the WAN connection.   You are correct that you can't use both MoCA and Ethernet from the ONT at the same time.

If you have coax already running from the garage to the house, you could use it for a MoCA LAN.  You'll need to purchase a MoCA to Ethernet bridge for use in the garage.  Some people buy old FiOS routers from eBay and use them as a MoCA bridge, Ethernet switch, and WiFi Access Point.

The Ethernet splitter is probably your best solution.  In case it wasn't obvious, you'll need two, one at each end of the link.  The reason this works is that  a standard cat5 cable has eight pairs of wires.  100Mbps Ethernet uses four pairs.  Thus, you can run two 100Mbps Ethernet links over one cat5 cable.  1Gbps uses all eight pairs, so this only works up to 100Mbps.

Good Luck.

[Anti-Phish1]

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@gs0b wrote:

 The reason this works is that  a standard cat5 cable has eight pairs of wires.  100Mbps Ethernet uses four pairs.  Thus, you can run two 100Mbps Ethernet links over one cat5 cable.  1Gbps uses all eight pairs, so this only works up to 100Mbps. 

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A pair is two wires. 

A cat5 cable has 8 wires, or 4 pair.  100Mbps uses only two pair (4 wires).  1Gbps uses 4 pair (all 8 wires).

[gs0b]

Wow, don't know how I made that slip.  I've been working with telephone/data pairs for more years than I care to admit.  Must have gotten distracted by one of my kids... yea, that's my excuse.

Thanks for correcting me.