Ethernet Extended Range

[warrenrk]

Have a farm with 3 separate buildings, furthest building is 600 meters away. Would like to extend an ethernet network to all buildings. Buildings connected via 100 pair twisted-pair buried & conduited cable. Main building has T1 providing both internet and telco. Telephone is a Lucent Partner system that distributes extentions to the separate buildings without repeaters or problems.

Other buildings each have internet access though small unmanaged premise networks via the cable company. We would like to save money by eliminating the 2 cable company accounts and allow those buildings to access the T1 though the network.

Attempted to connect via hubs and the distance was too great to sync with ethernet. What is the best way to accomplish this linking of networks? Also, we are considering going to VOIP at a future date and would like the solution to accomodate this option.

Any suggestions?

 

[franklin97355]

If you plan to use voip I think your only reasonable option is running fiber. For the network data you might look into wireless with antennas.

The answer is "42"

 

[mforrence]

I would use Ethernet Extenders such as those mfrd by Patton (

http://www.patton.com).

I have used them many times and they work like a champ. Provide 16 meg pipe over regular twisted cable, more than ample for basic network traffic. I agree with franklin97355, that if your application requires more robust connection, fiber will be the way to go. You can get them for many suppliers including CDW.
Mike

 

[robertjo24]

I concur with MFORRENCE above. We also use the Patton ethernet extenders, and they work great.
If you have managed switches on both ends, and don't want to run fiber, try running two separate pairs of ethernet extenders and set up etherchannel between the switches. This would effectively double the bandwidth, and they would also act as redundant channels for each other in case one fails.
My guess is, 16MBit would be plenty of bandwidth for what you are doing. If you are going to run VOIP, you will most certainly want some sort of managed switch on each end of the link.

 

[warrenrk]

Thanks to all for the good advice.

The 600 meter building does have dark-fiber to it with the copper. The other building (200 meter distance) has only copper to it.

If I were to light-up the fiber, recommendations for termination and translation hardware?

 

[skip555]

all you need for the foiber are media converters , fairly inexpensive and simple . hook one end to the fiber the other end to a switch port .

something like this :

http://www.boxfire.com/medconv.html

 

[robertjo24]

When you say the one building has dark fiber, do you mean the fiber is terminated and ready for use?
If the fiber is terminated, I would agree that it would be the best way to get network to the other office. Fiber to Ethernet converters are fairly inexpensive, and are very reliable.

As far as the third building is concerned, you will still need the Ethernet extenders.

Regardless of what you do, you should consider installing some small managed switches in each building. This will aid in connectivity, and allow VLANs for future VOIP deployment. Dell actually makes a fairly inexpensive managed switch, available in 8,16, and 24 port varieties. Other manufacturers make them as well.