[SOLVED] Access Point Losing Connectivity

Jan 31, 2021
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The access point in my friends detached garage is giving me some issues. It will be doing fine, and then all of a sudden the access point will lose connection to the main router.

Heres the setup. Main router in the house, with Cat5 buried out to the garage (in conduit), connected to an access point in the garage. This is the exact same setup I have ran to the shop at my house, and that I have ran to several other friends garages, all with ZERO issues. The only difference is his is the longest run from router to access point, right at 300ft. This was all installed about two months ago, and for the first 6 weeks or so it worked flawlessly, but now the AP will randomly loose internet connection. I assumed the router was bad so I swapped it with the one from my garage, and the same problem happened. Also it seems like it happens quicker if you are streaming TV or something, as opposed to just using your phone or scrolling facebook. A quick reset of the AP and you are back up and running for another hour or so until it happens again.

I realize Cat6 would have been better but I have a somewhat unlimited free supply of Cat5, and speed testing in his garage (when the internet is actually working) is giving me 100meg up and down.

Any suggestions?
 
Solution
The cable is actually cat5e and cat6 will provide no benefit at all. You can use cat6 for short lengths to run 10g but really if you can afford 10g equipment you can pay the small extra for cat6a that can go the 100 meters.

In some ways it is good that this cable is old. This was before you had to worry about them making cable that was not pure copper.

This cable should work fine. It almost has to be one of the ends that is bad. I would replace both ends with a keystone jack since it is easier to get terminated correctly. Then use short commercial patch cables to connect between the jack and the equipment.

kanewolf

Titan
Moderator
The access point in my friends detached garage is giving me some issues. It will be doing fine, and then all of a sudden the access point will lose connection to the main router.

Heres the setup. Main router in the house, with Cat5 buried out to the garage (in conduit), connected to an access point in the garage. This is the exact same setup I have ran to the shop at my house, and that I have ran to several other friends garages, all with ZERO issues. The only difference is his is the longest run from router to access point, right at 300ft. This was all installed about two months ago, and for the first 6 weeks or so it worked flawlessly, but now the AP will randomly loose internet connection. I assumed the router was bad so I swapped it with the one from my garage, and the same problem happened. Also it seems like it happens quicker if you are streaming TV or something, as opposed to just using your phone or scrolling facebook. A quick reset of the AP and you are back up and running for another hour or so until it happens again.

I realize Cat6 would have been better but I have a somewhat unlimited free supply of Cat5, and speed testing in his garage (when the internet is actually working) is giving me 100meg up and down.

Any suggestions?
Is the POE at the AP or is the POE from the switch end ?
 

Ralston18

Titan
Moderator
What specs on the buried cable and what conduit did you use? Where were they purchased?

Walk the path and look for signs of standing water, ground settling, etc.. Or other digging, work, new fence posts, etc..

Technically 300 feet should be okay. "Limit" is 328 feet.

However there is a lot of bad, substandard cable on the market. The current run may be degrading....
 
Jan 31, 2021
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Im not an expert but I believe (from a quick google search) that POE means "Power over Ethernet". If thats what your asking then I dont have POE, at least I dont think? Both the Roter and AP have their own power supply.
 
The cable is actually cat5e and cat6 will provide no benefit at all. You can use cat6 for short lengths to run 10g but really if you can afford 10g equipment you can pay the small extra for cat6a that can go the 100 meters.

In some ways it is good that this cable is old. This was before you had to worry about them making cable that was not pure copper.

This cable should work fine. It almost has to be one of the ends that is bad. I would replace both ends with a keystone jack since it is easier to get terminated correctly. Then use short commercial patch cables to connect between the jack and the equipment.
 
Solution
Jan 31, 2021
5
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Thanks for your reply bill001g. I’ll try replacing the cable ends and see if that has any impact. I felt like it was pretty good cable since it was from a local phone/dsl company. I’ll keep ya posted.
 

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