simple network hardware question

[Pete Zicato]

There are already access holes, no? Look around where the water, electric, etc. enter and see if you can piggyback there somehow.

If you do drill a hole, make sure to put a grommet in. Wind etc. will slice your cable on the metal eventually.

[Spexxvet]

Can you go wireless?

[GunMaster357]

Originally Posted by Pete Zicato

There are already access holes, no? Look around where the water, electric, etc. enter and see if you can piggyback there somehow.

Be careful about that because electricity can cause interference in your ethernet cable. I remember having a lot of trouble with a customer network some years ago until until I realised cables were running past a big three-phased wire. Moving ethernet cables away solved the problem.

Personally, I'd try to go wireless.

[BrianR]

Originally Posted by Pete Zicato

There are already access holes, no? Look around where the water, electric, etc. enter and see if you can piggyback there somehow.

Yes, there are electrical, water and cable TV connections but oddly, no RJ11 or RJ45. I can buy a recessed connection for RJ11 but not RJ45.

[gvidas]

I think this is what you want:

http://www.digikey.com/us/en/ph/Assm...Connector.html


Half-inch knockout or square flush mount, with a threaded section around the RJ45 to make it fully waterproof when connected.

[tw]

Originally Posted by BrianR

I can buy a recessed connection for RJ11 but not RJ45.

Internet is chock full of companies that sell data cables, connectors, peripheral equipment ... and weathertight RJ45 type boxes and connectors. Or go to Digikey, Allied Electronics, Jameco, Mouser, or Newark Electronics for this stuff. More companies that come to mind are Black Box, Showmecables.com and, well, some of this stuff can even be purchased direct from Singapore or China.

As I said, your connection is so short as to be trivial - no problem. Worry more about water, exterior grade cable, etc. Worry zero about data degradation if the cable is Cat-5 exterior grade. And if connectors at both end are weather tight.

Grommet means water gets into unpainted surfaces (rusting) created by drilling. Electrician's putty is one superior solution. Or view the so many weathertight connectors from the so many above retail sources. See Heyco.com or turck.com as example. Consider solutions that include strain relief and that include nylon to avoid sharp wire bending (if necessary). Sharp wire bends are destructive both electrically and 'dataly'.