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Issue with Garden Room and Ethernet cable

wyattjnr — Thu, 19 Sep 2024 08:56:05 GMT

Hello everyone. So we have just had a garden room built at the end of the garden and as part of the spec we had an ethernet cable run the length of the garden to the garden room to provide our internet. This sits in a sheath along side the power cable.

The issue we have is that despite the electrician testing the ethernet port in the garden room, when we plug it into the extender or even directly into a laptop it just does not recognise it. and we have no internet. The router has been tested in the main house and the port works with a laptop and as I say the port in the garden room has been tested and works with a machine so is live. Run out of ideas.

Are there any settings we need to change to allow for this to work? Any help would be appreciated. I didn't think this would be such a headache.

Re: Issue with Garden Room and Ethernet cable

ChrisB — Thu, 19 Sep 2024 09:13:27 GMT

Assuming the cable length is not more than 100m and it worked initially it sounds like there is a break in the cable. I also assume that it's plugged directly into your router at the house end and directly into a PC laptop at the garden room end. In other words ROUTER - ETHERNET CABLE (with plugs on both ends) - PC.

You may need to get the installer back.

Re: Issue with Garden Room and Ethernet cable

wyattjnr — Thu, 19 Sep 2024 09:15:28 GMT

Thanks for the response. My thought was faulty cable to garden room but the electrician has tested it and I have seen that there is no issue with the port feeding the garden room. It just doesn't work when I put my laptop into it.

Re: Issue with Garden Room and Ethernet cable

WSH — Thu, 19 Sep 2024 09:21:13 GMT

When you say tested it, do you know how he tested it?

Re: Issue with Garden Room and Ethernet cable

wyattjnr — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 09:54:02 GMT

With one of these:

[Cable tester from Screwfix]

Re: Issue with Garden Room and Ethernet cable

countrypaul — Thu, 19 Sep 2024 09:29:54 GMT

Running an ethernet cable alongside a power cable can cause signalling errors on the ethernet. It might be worth turning the circuit to the garden room off at the house CU and checking whether the laptop can then work in the garden room over the ethernet.

A lot electricians don't understand the requirements of data cabling (I have no idea about yours) but, for example, simply putting a meter on each pair of wires and having a circuit is not proper testing of ethernet cabling. You can buy cheap Ethernet testers from the likes of Amazon, Screwfix, Ebay etc. for around £10 that can help in simple cases and allow spotting missed connections, crossed wires etc. but cannot give much help on RFI interference caused by power cables etc.

EDIT: Whilst posting I see you highlight exactly the sort of simple tester I refer to. Try the test with the power off.

Re: Issue with Garden Room and Ethernet cable

ChrisB — Thu, 19 Sep 2024 09:28:52 GMT

From what you've now said the electrician has put in ethernet sockets at both ends. You will need to make sure that your two patch cables (router to ethernet socket and ethernet socket to PC laptop) are working correctly. They can be tested by wiring them directly between the router and your PC laptop.

Re: Issue with Garden Room and Ethernet cable

wyattjnr — Thu, 19 Sep 2024 09:35:16 GMT

Yes the ethernet cable from router to laptop works so it should work from port in garden room to laptop but unfortunately it doesn't.

Re: Issue with Garden Room and Ethernet cable

WSH — Thu, 19 Sep 2024 09:42:10 GMT

Well, it's not a certification tester but it should be enought to confirm it's wired correctly. That type of tester is only about a fiver. If you have one it should be 1 to 1, 2 to 2 etc. for all 8 wires.

I'd be surprised if interference stopped it working all together but I must admit running it next to the power cable doesn't fill me with a lot of faith. It should be exterior grade shielded cable, so it should be OK. If memory serves, at 230V they should be at least 2" separation even for shielded cable.

Edit: written at the same time as Countrypaul. I'd agree with his observations. Mains electricity works or not. IT cabling works well, works or not.

Re: Issue with Garden Room and Ethernet cable

wyattjnr — Thu, 19 Sep 2024 09:45:08 GMT

Just turned power off to the garden room and internet still doesn't work. This is so frustrating, just can't work out what it can be that's causing the issue.

There are definitely no settings that need to be changed are there?

Re: Issue with Garden Room and Ethernet cable

WSH — Thu, 19 Sep 2024 09:46:11 GMT

Exactly how long is the cable run? While the spec. says 100m it has to be a perfect install with good quality cable to reach that. Most working techies don't push much beyond 80m

Re: Issue with Garden Room and Ethernet cable

WSH — Thu, 19 Sep 2024 09:49:11 GMT

Is it just the internet it can't reach or can it not talk to the rest of the network at all?

Re: Issue with Garden Room and Ethernet cable

wyattjnr — Thu, 19 Sep 2024 09:52:46 GMT

Its about 25-30m, so nothing crazy

Re: Issue with Garden Room and Ethernet cable

wyattjnr — Thu, 19 Sep 2024 09:53:16 GMT

How do you mean?

Re: Issue with Garden Room and Ethernet cable

countrypaul — Thu, 19 Sep 2024 09:53:36 GMT

If you can plug the cable from your router to the ethernet socket into your laptop and it works then you certainly should not need to change any setting by using a longer cable.

Re: Issue with Garden Room and Ethernet cable

wyattjnr — Thu, 19 Sep 2024 10:02:01 GMT

How do you mean?

Re: Issue with Garden Room and Ethernet cable

WSH — Thu, 19 Sep 2024 10:09:20 GMT

Take the laptop into the house and plug it into the router directly. If that works, it eliminates any settings changes needed on the laptop and puts the cable in the frame.

Re: Issue with Garden Room and Ethernet cable

countrypaul — Thu, 19 Sep 2024 10:14:16 GMT

There is normally a small light on the hub/router for each ethernet port, when you plug in you laptop directly to the hub/router this light should illuminate, when you plug our laptop in the ethernet port in the garden room with the router connected to the ethernet port in the house does the little light illuminate?

@wyattjnr What are you referring to when you ask "How do you mean?" - as these threads can get a little confusing as posts appear between what you were referring to and your actual query?

Re: Issue with Garden Room and Ethernet cable

wyattjnr — Thu, 19 Sep 2024 10:33:46 GMT

yes the laptop works with the cable in the house. So it must be an issue with the cable at the garden room side.

Re: Issue with Garden Room and Ethernet cable

WSH — Thu, 19 Sep 2024 10:45:19 GMT

Did you test both of the cables conecting from the socket to the laptop/router? It's possible one of those is at fault.

If so then it looks like you need to get the sparky back. (I'd suggest punching down the connections in the sockets again but you need the right tool to do that).