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Another decision is whether to use an unshielded or shielded ethernet cable, with most being unshielded. The difference with a shielded cable is an aluminium foil that is inside the cable and wrapped around the twisted-pair wiring. Shield cable is used to prevent interference that can slow down or cause errors in the internet connection. Guide: Extending wi-fi to an outbuilding How to get wired internet (ethernet) in a garden building FAQ If you’re running shielded Ethernet cable outside between two buildings (buried or not), it is very important to avoid what is known as a ground loop. This situation arises when the building electrical mains have different ground potentials. This can result in voltage injection through the cable if the cable is running to ground at both ends through the different AC grounds. Mitigation strategies can be found in How to Fix a Ground Loop . The short Ethernet cable running from the second adaptor can then be plugged directly into a laptop, TV or other appliance – depending on what you’re doing in the garden that requires the internet. Alternatively, this second Ethernet cable can be plugged into a second router placed in closer proximity to where you’re sitting in the garden to create a “new” Wi-Fi network from which to connect wirelessly. If you have an underground rodent problem in your area (moles) your buried Ethernet cable is at risk. It is advisable to use conduit in this circumstance, and preferably metal conduit. The costs are higher, but the benefit is the conduit need not be buried as deeply.
To make digging a trench more efficient, a trencher machine can be rented from the local equipment rental store. Sure, a shovel can be used but it will result in far more mess, take longer and result in a less consistent trench. In the event operating the trencher is beyond your comfort zone, then hire a local handy person with experience. Eye and ear protection are important. Dealing with Above-Ground Scenarios Wired internet connections are widely used in commercial environments, but less common at home. There are many benefits of using an ethernet cable including a reliable performance at a range of up to 100m and eliminating buffering on connected devices.
The standards and protocols used for internet cabling are continuously evolving. The most common decision is whether to use Cat5e or Cat6 ethernet cables, with Cat6 providing the best performance. We installed a wired outdoor ethernet cable as soon as the summerhouse was installed. We used the kenable outdoor Cat6 cable with gel inside and the connection has been working great for the last several years. The speed is the same as being positioned next to the router inside our house, with little degradation in performance. One last thing to keep an eye out for: most Ethernet cabling is of the “patch cable” type, which is used for standard connections such as plugging a NAS drive into a router or a games console into a powerline adapter. However, you may also come across “crossover cables”, which can be used to connect computers directly together. Don’t buy one of these by mistake!
If you have a large garden, large house or just worry that Wi-Fi extenders won’t be quite enough for what you have in mind, invest in a mesh network. They aren't too dissimilar to Wi-Fi extenders, but they’re typically more powerful, reliable and effective when it comes to creating a network of multiple sources of Wi-Fi around your home and into your garden. Ethernet cables come in many different varieties, all with different specs and designs suited for different use cases. Some are better for having around your home, some better for outdoors, some better for gaming, and some that offer lightning-fast speeds. We recommend to use faceplates with full copper cables as oppose to crimping them for our plates see the QS numbers below:
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Full copper 23AWG twisted pairs provide a high-quality connection for fast and stable performance. The exterior features a UV-resistant PE sheath and an inner film protects against compensation build-up. This cable can be buried underground or attached directly to the exterior of buildings. How to find the best outdoor ethernet cables for a garden building These cables can be incredibly cheap, starting at around a tenner depending on how long you want them to be, but there are a couple of things to look out for. The cost differences between both have shrunk in recent years and are small. We recommend choosing Cat6 cables to maximise the potential performance and reduce any degradation of the internet connection. Installing a wired internet connection into a garden building can be daunting if you are not familiar with networking. Thankfully, the installation is fairly simple and can be completed within a few hours.
All ethernet cables will list their American Wire Gauge rating, which is a common measurement for the diameter of the cable. This can be used to compare the quality differences between similar products. This does require, however, for there to be a second mains plug in or near your garden and for that plug to be wired to the same distribution box as the first. Our kenable Cat 6 outdoor networking cable has FULL COPPER 23AWG twisted pairs and can be used indoor as well as outdoor. Its ideal for long or short runs and is UV resistant thanks to its PE sheath ensuring it wont erode over time like standard networking cables when left outside. Our Cat 6 cables are also waterproof and can even be buried underground!
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Shielded Ethernet cables contain aluminium foil inside of the cable to protect against interference and crosstalk. If the cable is run alongside the electricity for the garden building for a long run then a shielded cable is recommended. This cat6 version from Kenable is available in both 50m & 100m lengths. Our main garden building is an insulated summerhouse that’s used as a garden office throughout the year. For calling and productivity applications, a fast and reliable internet connection is essential. As our outbuilding is positioned far away from the house, we were not in range of the wi-fi connection from our home router. A question that often comes up is “should I use only shielded cable outside”? The short answer is no. The longer answer is “it depends on the environment”. The purpose of cable shielding is to ward off EMI/RFI or ESD. The shielding, usually in the form of foil referred to as FTP (Foil Twisted Pair), will be accompanied by a ESD ground/drain wire as well. Generally, I recommend using unshielded cabling unless there is a valid need for shielded, such as when burying the cable within 8” of electrical wire on parallel runs. The other primary reason to use shielded is for ESD (Electrostatic Discharge) drain off such as when running outdoor Ethernet cable above ground in structure-to-structure scenarios. ESD build up occurs with dry air movement across cabling, and could ruin your network equipment if not allowed to discharge to ground. On a more serious note, some regions are significantly more affected by frequent lightning strikes than others. Using the Internet, find out if your area is in a high risk zone. If so, then any outdoor Ethernet cable is at risk whether above ground or buried. Generally, Ethernet cable that is not buried and does not span structures is at lower risk for lightning strikes, so this is less of an issue. A great example of this type of installation is Ethernet cable used for IP surveillance cameras that are all attached to the same structure. That said, it does not hurt to use ESD protection regardless. Better safe than sorry. The installation of an ethernet cable is the same for most outbuildings, although their use may be slightly different. Summerhouses and log cabins can be used for streaming music or movies when converting the building into a space for entertainment. Garden rooms are often turned into a garden office and fast internet connectivity is essential for video calls. Even a shed being used as a workshop can benefit from ethernet to keep mobile devices connected.
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