Ran a buriable cat5e thru three lengths of conduit that totaled 420', and it worked. We ran it to extend internet service from a main house to a guest house. I told the owner that it might not work and he might have to get an outdoor box with an electrical outlet installed so we can boost the service, but it worked.

We surfed the internet for about 10 minutes straight and it was consistent. He pays for 75(!) megs and we tested at 65.

Whoever put in the low voltage conduit ran only a 3/4" pvc, so when trying to pull through the longest stretch of conduit, 330', we got stuck. Had to dig a 10' long ditch to find the 90 degree! turn and take apart the elbow, then it pulled.

Doesn't surprise me at all.

Have a Fairgrounds here that has "Legal Off Track Betting" and they needed (wanted) high speed internet to transmit the data back & forth to Ontario.

The office at the Fair Grounds is 600+ feet line of site, so a couple years ago we installed a directional antenna and worked fine until this year, when the company setting up the rides, set up one hell of a high ride between the office & the race track which blocked the signal to the office.

We decided to move the router and install buried Cat 5e running along & through the Grandstands. The type I used was more stiff, shielded & with "icky-pick". that span was 455 feet. At no point was it actually buried, so I don't know if that would have made a difference. Tested with great results, though I forget them now.

There are a couple of poles between the grandstands and the office, so will run another 250 feet aerial between them supported by strand next spring before fair season.

I now strongly believe the shielded Cat 5e made all the difference.

Why not just run fiber?

I agree particularly underground BLDG to BLDG

Fiber$?

not that much more if you factor in the cost of good lighting protection on the copper both ends

Lighting?

We don't get much of that around here, it rained for the first time in months this week. So didn't factor that in, but yes fiber would be better if cost was no issue.

You can also run 12 Vdc or whatever your switch would require, when you talk about boosting the signal.

Assuming the switch uses a wall wart whose voltage you can determine (should be easy to do) the electricity to make it work can be supplied by a parallel run of one-pair 22 gauge.

I always heard not to run high voltage with low in the same conduit, but I guess it's the same as a rg59 siamese cable (rg59 coax/18 gauge for power). 12-24vdc doesn't count as high voltage?

In situations like that I have used what amounts to DSL from a cheap transmitter/reciever at each end. All I needed was a single pair on any available telco cable. Can go a couple of thousand feet.

-Hal

Huh?

I believe he was talking about putting a router/hub/switch midspan so that the link is actually 200' then CPE then another 200'.

I'm aware of a few situations where we have had 10/100 running on quad.

I agree. I was planning on doing the same thing with a switch.

again I have to ask why not Fiber ?

In my opinion anytime Ethernet leaves a bldg it should go to fiber . adding power and a switch mid run cant be cost effective

Just becouse it "works " doesn't mean its done right

Exactly, thank you.

Sorry to say but I would expect that from some IT "professional" or hack. Where on earth would you put an indoor switch and power receptacle in the middle of an outdoor run?? A pro would know when a UTP data run is inappropriate and look at alternatives such as fiber or DSL as has been suggested.

-Hal

In my case, the switch, if needed would have been under cover in the grandstand and a non-issue. The DSL connection modem & router will be in a booth under the grandstand as well.

I also had buried cable on hand and it is cheaper for the client.

If it been some other situation, I would have done differently. Again, none of my cable was underground.

I'll add this for those that have never dealt with fair grounds...

In this case, they are a group of farmers that got together 167 years ago, had a fair to show off their farm animals, etc., then eventually bought the land, built the buildings and try to make ends meet each year. There's not a lot of money to be made, so I try every year to help them cut expenses & if they're lucky, they make a slight profit to be in turn re-invested into the fair grounds in one way or another such as new buildings, refurbishing old ones, upgrades to the infrastructure, etc.

Basically, every penny counts. Anyone with any farming background in their families (most of us do somewhere) should help support the fairs. Small farming families aren't rich and for some this is their yearly "outing".

Anyone who has spent much time with a farmer, knows how hard they work, EVERY day. There are usually NO vacation time, as there is little money to spend, and someone has to still do the chores, even if they do take a little time off, they'll have to pay someone.

Even at fair time, they ones that aren't taking their animals, can't attend until their chores are done at home, then they must return for the 5 PM chores.

The ones that DO take their animals, usually don't take ALL their animals, so they have to travel home again for the 5 PM chores.

So, if I can save them even $100, I'll do it, even if it's "As long as it works".

Rant over.

What? You mean you can't tell the animals to take a vacation!!! LOL.

Living in the heart of farmland (Black Swamp style) the farmers here do "no till" you know, just throw a hamdful of seeds on the ground and come back a few months later and harvest them.

Sure.

Carl

We used to do our county fair until they went out and got a fancy phone system from someone not even in our county.

Pity.

Well, I guess if you are going to GIVE the cable to them it would be hard to beat that.

-Hal

Carl, in no way am I afraid of that. I know a lot of these people for years...I even have cousins on the fair board. Many on the board are also business clients that I have & some of those with several years of MA's with me.

Hal, I didn't say that I was giving them the cable....just reduced rates and a less expensive way to give them what they want...DSL at the office AND at the track betting booths 600 feet away. They're happy and I can live without bleeding "the client" to death. The only "loser" would be my supplier and even then he still got the profit with selling me the Cat 5e originally. It's not all about money. I'll sleep well tonight.

Three cheers for Dave for thinking about his customer over the bottom line.

Yeah, Ok. You're a good man Dave! Those folks did need your help.

-Hal

So, back to the OP...if you pulled this line and it DIDN'T work, would you have billed the client?