We’re having a garden room being built. A CAT5 cable is being installed to connect into the house. .

[HolteEndHero]

We’re having a garden room being built. A CAT5 cable is being installed to connect into the house.  How do we arrange an additional router so we can get broadband in the room? There's no information on the MySky app and I've not been able to speak to anyone from customer service. 

[Chodley]

You don't need a router, just a cheap switch. 

Use cat7 at least.

[Chrisee · Accepted solution]

@HolteEndHero a cheap ethernet switch will ensble you to connect multiple devices if they have ethernet ports. If you want wifi then you will have to buy a Wifi Access point which again need not be expensive. If you want Sky TV in that area and you have Sky Q in the main house then installing a Sky Q mini box there will deliver both services. 

[TimmyBGood]

@HolteEndHero 

A second router deeper in a domestic network is almost never appropriate: you'd typically only do that to segment a very large business or educational environment.  In addition an ISP router on default settings will hand out an inappropriate network configuration to every device 'behind' it.

[Chodley]

Yeah I'm assuming the OP just wants multiple ethernet or wifi devices out there and to the non-techie, that's what most people assume a router does (which is trie but obviously it does the whole routing thing too which isn't needed here and is bad mkay)

[TimmyBGood]

@Chodley 

Usually it's the second active DHCP server which really messes things up, plus (if it's the same model as the gateway router) the unfortunate coincidence of both having the same default IP address....

[Chodley]

Yeah good point

(I can neither confirm nor deny the rumour that I once plugged in a laptop on our corporate network that was running a dhcp server I'd forgotten about and sat there wondering why everyone who came in after me was having network issues)

[StuXxxxx]

@Chodley“Use Cat 7 at least”

The cable doesn’t determine the speed, that’s set by the network cards either end and cat 7 is like buying a Ferrari just to do the weekly shop.  Over the top and you won’t see the benefit.  Exterior grade, shielded, cat 6 is more appropriate, although 5e will do at a pinch.

[Chodley]

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@StuXxxxx wrote:

@Chodley“Use Cat 7 at least”

The cable doesn’t determine the speed, that’s set by the network cards either end and cat 7 is like buying a Ferrari just to do the weekly shop.  Over the top and you won’t see the benefit.  Exterior grade, shielded, cat 6 is more appropriate, although 5e will do at a pinch.

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I am of course aware of that

If you're going to put a cable in the ground today, make it a bit future proof for very little extra cost.

Why do you say cat6 is more appropriate in this application? Big hike in cost for cat7 shielded?

[Philcherrie]

You will not need a Cat 7 cable at all. Cat 5e is more than sufficient for the speeds and distances covered. 

[TimmyBGood]

@Philcherrie @Chodley 

Unless @HolteEndHero intends to host a data centre in the shed, Cat5e should be fine: personally I'd use outdoor grade PVC sheathed cable.  Even on possible future domestic internet speeds over the current 1Gbs standard, it's not the ethernet which is the bottleneck.

[StuXxxxx]

@Chodley 

To be fair, it is a matter of opinion up to a point.  You did say “at least” cat 7, which is what caught my eye.  So, what are you proposing beyond cat 7?  Last time I checked cat 8 was only rated to 30m and only intended as a high-speed copper alternative to fibre in data centres.  Also, as far as I know, no one has come up with a cat 9 yet and probably never will do as it has be supplanted by fibre optic.

Cat 6 will handle up to 10Gb/s at up to 55m.  I suppose if it was 2.5Gb/s interfaces and 50m+ then there might be some point in cat 7, but you’re not going to find cheap switches with 2.5Gb/s interfaces.

[Chodley]

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@Philcherrie wrote:

You will not need a Cat 7 cable at all. Cat 5e is more than sufficient for the speeds and distances covered. 

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Today but who knows what we'll be doing in ten years?

[Chodley]

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@StuXxxxx wrote:

@Chodley 

To be fair, it is a matter of opinion up to a point.  You did say “at least” cat 7, which is what caught my eye.  So, what are you proposing beyond cat 7?  Last time I checked cat 8 was only rated to 30m and only intended as a high-speed copper alternative to fibre in data centres.  Also, as far as I know, no one has come up with a cat 9 yet and probably never will do as it has be supplanted by fibre optic.

Cat 6 will handle up to 10Gb/s at up to 55m.  I suppose if it was 2.5Gb/s interfaces and 50m+ then there might be some point in cat 7, but you’re not going to find cheap switches with 2.5Gb/s interfaces.

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Yeah that was lazy terminology by me.

[TimmyBGood]

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@Chodley wrote:

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Today but who knows what we'll be doing in ten years?

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Probably not using 10Gbs domestic internet connections, unless our AI overlords require that  ; )