TheFrogel

Okay, me and my dad are trying to make our computers more effective house, and we want to move one upstairs. However, we still want to have it networked with our other computers in the basement. We don't want to do wireless, and we don't want to try to run a cable up (or down, whatever) two floors, drilling through walls and crap.

So we realize that we have a (completely unused) coaxial cable running from the basement to the room we want to put the computer in. So basically what I want to know is how to convert an ethernet cable signal so that it can be run through a coaxial cable line, and then back to ethernet, and then into a computer. Is that clear? If not, read on for complete details.

Goal of our project: Get a computer on the 2nd story networked with the rest of my computers, when the router is in the basement (that's not gonna change)

Current idea: If the house were just being build or had open walls or something, I would simply run a Cat-5 cable from basement to the room on the 2nd story, and it would be done. However, do to wall placement, insulation, and other factors, we really can't run a cable between those points. There is, however, and existing coaxial cable (for TV) running between the two points (or at least close enough to be useful). My thinking goes like this: I get my internet from a coaxial cable (we have cable internet, comes in a package deal with cable TV). The signal goes into the cable modem through a coaxial cable and comes out through an ethernet cable. Therefore, there must be a way of transferring the signal from ethernet to coaxial and back. I have no idea what is required, but I know I can't just solder the wires together because there are 8 (well, 4 signal-carrying) wires in an ethernet cable and 2 (1 of which is signal-carrying) in a coaxial cable.

Anyone know anything about this? Heard of anyone who's done something like this? Know it can't be done? I'd love any info...all my internet searches and talks with friends have given me little to work with. Thanks!

cyrnel

You could use one of a couple home net technologies across the coax but the speed is unimpressive and you're buying dead-end hardware.

It would be cheaper to just buy a spool of Cat6 cable, attach it to one end of the coax, and pull it through. Use it for 100Mb networking now, then when you buy gigabit Ethernet motherboards or cards you'll already have the right cable in place.

Really, coax is not the way to go but in this case it does sound like a convenient way to pull through better cable.

TheFrogel

Well, speed really isn't that much of an issue. As long as it can transfer at 10-30 kBps it's fine by us. We don't do heavy-duty file transfers; this is just a home network, we might share a few pictures or something across the network, but it won't be anything huge.

Using the coax to pull the Cat-5 or -6 wouldn't work. There are too many bends in the cable and it's stapled in areas that we can't get to (in between the floor and the ceiling) so there's no way we can pull it through; that would've been nice though =D

Where can we find "one of a couple hone net technologies" that you mentioned?

Psycho Dad

IMHO, for no more than wireless network adapters and routers are going for these days it would be well worth avoiding the hassles of trying to do it over coax.

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Halx

Correct me if I'm wrong, cyrnel, but if you can get a fair amount of bandwidth through a cable modem, which is a coax-to-cat5 converter, among other things, then couldn't you get a feasible network speed through an coax cable? I mean, I am capable of getting over 1MB/s through my cable modem AND I can make VoIP phone calls AND watch HDTV on it at the same time. That tells me that a fair amount of data is able to run through coax.

As far as the equipment you'll need to accomplish this, it would be far easier and cheaper to try your hardest to run cat5/6.

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TheFrogel

possible, but i'm gonna need to do some weird stuff just to get up there. My mom designed this house, so the walls don't exactly....line up for us. In order to open up a hole between the 1st and second floor, we'd need to take out some drywall, or find a lucky hole. However, that then has to go down 10 feet into the ceiling of the basement, which luckily is unfinished so it's just plywood. There's no interior wall in the room we want to put the computer in that lines up with any interior wall on the 1st floor, so we'd need to do some weird fanagaling in order to drop a line, and if things didn't go perfectly, we'd have a hole in our floor or ceiling or whatever. So I guess what I'm saying is it can be done, but at a great time investment. So in the end, my question remains though...does anyone have specific info on a Cat-5 to coaxial cable adapter or on how to make one? Because while yes, you may be right that might be easier and cheaper to run the line, I would kinda like to make that call for myself. Thanks for the information so far though!

Also, regarding wireless: We already have everything set up for wired, and it's doing fine for us for two years now. We just want to add this ONE computer, so while that may be an option, I wanna just review everything first.

Maybe I should just run the line OUTSIDE my house and in a basement window....

Rawb

Ethernet has a way to run over coaxial cable.

It's called 10-Base2, and you can typically find a few PCI cards around now that still have it handy. Perhaps an old 10-Base ethernet _hub_ will have a port that it works with.

You will need to get special cables made to go into the F-Type connectors on the wall jacks used for typical cable tv installations, because 10-Base2 uses locking J-Type connectors (IIRC, which I probably don't because it has been a while, but the 10-Base2 connectors definitely lock). Then get a run that goes into a "T" connector and a terminator for both your computer, and the hub that is plugged into the router.

There may be a problem with the cable itself, because 10-Base2 and Cable TV cable run at different impedences, so you may very well get no signal at all.

http://www.windowsnetworking.com/art...ials/thin.html

There is the best guide I could find.

Here is an ethernet card (You should be able to find one at any used computer store for less than $5, but this is what I found online):
http://www.starmicrotech.com/productpage.cfm?prodid=58

And here is a hub (Sadly, it is cheaper than the card I found online):
http://store.yahoo.com/tcoutlet/10b9porhubpl.html

cyrnel

Halx, you're right, it can work. Rawb gave some good sources for info. I guess I've spent too many years in this stuff and have lost some patience. I'd install it for a friend or family and they'd be calling about throughput at which point upgrading would mean starting over. Whah. You said it with: Not that i don't understand working within constraints of a nice perforation-free house.

Frogel,
I'd go with PsychoDad's wireless suggestion. It's dirt cheap these days and now with WPA it's secure too. The last couple weeks I've picked up:

-Netgear 4-port 100Mb switch/54G access point and bonus PCMCIA 54G card for $19.
-2x NetGear 54G USB dongles for $19 each.
PCI cards were going for $19 also.
Discounters usually have one or another brand at these prices.

(I get the NetGear stuff for friends since it includes a Win2K WPA supplicant.)

Just pick a clear channel and avoid the microwave oven. Twenty minutes for everything to get 10-50Mbit, depending on conditions.

TheFrogel

Hrm, yeah...I'm increasingly thinking that we might just go wireless on this one. Thanks for the info Rawb, depending on how creative we're feeling we might still try that, but I have a feeling my dad will just want to do the wireless and be done with it. Thanks for the help guys!

shadowalker

I ran into the same problem at my home, But instead of going wireless and trying to find out how to use the existing cable lines, I just ran the cat6 inside the HVAC ducts in the house. Ya it took some time to fish it around the corners, but it was a hell of a lot easier than comming up with new ways to connect the systems. (just my two cents)

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catback

Depending on the requirements where you live and your care for your own safety and health, I hope you used plenum cable.

10Base2 should be in a museum or in an old installation, never to be installed in place of a good 100BaseTX, 802.11x, Gigabit, or other system.

pinoychink790

sounds like fun

biznatch

We tried to install a Netsys wireless router in my house (I didnt like the idea) and didnt succeed.
I'm not that good at computers but I have the knowledge of the average guy who spends some time on it....basic stuff.
But we just wanted to use it so my father could connect wireless when he came over...
never got it to work
but I think the prob came from my dads comp, his company probably put some weird settings for the company network...
so we just put the router in a closet, got too annoyed after hours of phone with costumer service..

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cyrnel

If he uses the existing cable connection for a VPN or other secure connection to work then you'll need to take that into consideration when you put his system behind the router. Maybe you could provide more information, specifically more about the work connection that was causing the problem. (keep any real addresses, logins & such private of course). I'm sure one of us here can help.

TheFrogel

Just an update: We decided to just drop it down an A/C duct (good suggestion!). We tied a heavy screw onto the end of a string and chucked it down the shaft, then drilled through the side of the duct to make an access hole, and drew the Ethernet cable back up through it. We patched the hole in the duct with....DUCT TAPE! First time I've ever used duct tape on ducts. So yeah, it's all working now! Good call on everyone who told me to not use the coaxial -- that would've definately been more difficult.

biznatch

nice one. I though of that when moving my TV around the house and all (with the cabling that ran thru the basement)...But New York get cold around the winter and i got worried about insulation problems, and it didnt look too good...so we snaked it up thru a new hole from the basement, and all...looks good.
but if the A/C duct works for you thats cool, and simple.

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