Blog
Farm networking, one question at a time
Each post takes one problem people hit getting internet past the house, and answers it in full: the method, the numbers from our dated parts data, the mistakes, and when the answer is “don’t do this”. Research-based: the site owner doesn’t run a farm, and says so.
Research-based, not tested on a farmParts prices checked .RSS feed
Reaching outbuildings
Checking line of sight from the house to the barn without special toolsBefore you buy a bridge pair, check that the house and barn can really see each other: eyes, a flashlight at dusk, a phone map and the Fresnel math.
Common mistakes people make getting internet to a barnTwelve mistakes that cost farm owners a weekend or a second trench, from measuring wrong to splicing the dish cable, with how to avoid each and how to fix it.
How to get internet to a barn: pick the method in five questionsCable, wireless bridge, fiber or an LTE camera? Five yard questions pick the method for your barn, with dated parts costs and when each choice is wrong.
My phone has no Wi-Fi inside the metal barnWhy Wi-Fi drops when you walk into a steel barn or shop, why a stronger router won't fix it, and how to bring a cable in and place an access point.
Outdoor-rated vs direct-burial Cat6: which one your run needsOutdoor Cat6 is built for sun. Direct-burial Cat6 is built for wet dirt. How to tell them apart, where each can go, and what to do if you bought the wrong one.
Single-mode or multimode fiber for a run between buildingsFor a barn or shop run, single-mode (OS2) fiber with LX modules is usually the simple pick. What differs, how far each goes, and what must match at both ends.
Test the cable before you backfill the trenchHow to test a buried Ethernet run to the barn before the dirt goes back: four checks, what a tester's lights mean, and the live link test that catches the rest.
Wireless bridge or a long cable to the outbuilding?Bridge or buried Ethernet to a barn or shop? Compare distance, digging, line of sight, weather, lightning and dated parts costs, then pick in 3 questions.
Cameras on the farm
A PoE camera at the end of a long cable runHow far a PoE camera can be from the switch, why 328 ft is the limit, how much power survives the run, and four ways to reach a camera farther out.
Cloud cameras vs local-only cameras, in plain wordsCloud, P2P app or local-only: how each camera type connects, which ones work on Starlink's CGNAT, where the video is kept, and which fits a farm.
How many cameras can the farm's upload handle?Add up each camera's upload from the maker's numbers, measure your real upload at a busy hour, and compare. Worked examples and fixes when cameras outrun it.
Bypass mode with your own router: does it fix camera access?Bypass mode hands routing to your own router, but you're still behind CGNAT. What it changes for farm cameras, what it doesn't, and when it's worth it.
Why port forwarding a camera doesn't work on StarlinkStarlink uses CGNAT, so port forwarding to a camera or NVR can't work by default. How to confirm it, and the fixes that do work, easiest first.
Testing land before buying
What to check about internet before you make an offer on landBefore you offer on rural land: check the FCC map, ask the seller and neighbors, run a sky check, test phone signal, measure to outbuildings.
The seller is leaving the dish and router: what to checkStarlink gear left by a seller can save money, but the account doesn't come with the house. Transfer rules, what to check on the visit, what to ask for.
Using the Starlink app's obstruction check on land for saleRun the free Starlink app obstruction check on land before you buy: where to stand, how many spots, how leaves and height change it, what results mean.
Power at the far end
Passive 24 V PoE vs standard PoE: match it before you plug inMany bridge radios use passive 24 V PoE; cameras and switches use 802.3af/at. What differs, why mixing them fails or damages gear, and how to check any device.
Adding up PoE watts when cameras turn on night visionCameras draw the most at night with IR on. How to add up max watts, check each port and the switch's total PoE budget, and fix a barn switch that runs short.
The bridge keeps rebooting: a weak injector or a bad cable?Most bridge radios that reboot in a loop have a power problem: wrong injector, a cable or crimp that drops voltage, water in a connector or a weak outlet.
Weather, lightning and grounding
Checking your farm network after a lightning strikeAfter a nearby strike: safety first, then the house router, barn link, switch ports and outdoor gear. How to find, replace and protect what failed.
Ethernet surge protectors: one at each end, and where they goA copper run between buildings needs an outdoor Ethernet surge protector at each end, grounded to that building. Where they mount and what to buy.
Two buildings, two grounds: why copper between them is riskyCopper network cable between house and barn ties two grounds together, so a nearby strike can surge through it. Why, and how fiber or protectors fix it.
Helping a parent’s rural setup
A one-page "internet is down" sheet for a parent's fridgeMake a big-print, one-page sheet that helps a parent restart the internet on their own: what goes on it, what stays off, a sample layout, how to test it.
If the internet is down, how does your parent call for help?Internet phones and Wi-Fi calling can fail in an internet or power outage. Find which ways your parent can still call 911, and build a backup plan together.