First-hand

Owner-run gear tests

The networking gear on this site can be tested anywhere, so the owner tests it at home. Every result is labeled “owner-run test at home, not on a farm”.

Updated Oct 5, 2026Works with any internet provider at the house.

Point-to-point bridge across the yard

Question: How much throughput does a short-range bridge pair keep as distance grows, and what do leaves do to it?

Setup: One bridge pair (model and price recorded at purchase), radios on poles across the owner's yard or street, at two or three measured distances.

We’ll measure:

Distance between radios (measured, in ft)
Signal strength reported by the radios
Throughput both ways (iperf3, three runs each)
The same link through foliage, if a tree is available

Limits: A yard is shorter than most farm links. Results show the radios' behavior, not a farm.

Status: Planned, not run.

300 ft direct-burial Cat6 on the bench

Question: Does a full 300 ft of direct-burial Cat6 hold gigabit, and how much PoE voltage reaches the far end?

Setup: A 300 ft (or longer) spool of gel-filled direct-burial Cat6, terminated on the bench, with a PoE+ injector and a camera or access point at the far end.

We’ll measure:

Link speed negotiated
Throughput (iperf3)
Voltage at the far end under load
Same tests at 100 and 200 ft if the cable is cut

Limits: On a spool, not in the ground: no heat, wet or rodents.

Status: Planned, not run.

Cameras behind the owner's own Starlink CGNAT

Question: Does remote viewing work out of the box behind Starlink Residential CGNAT, and which fix is needed if not?

Setup: Two or three cameras of different types (cloud app, local NVR) on the owner's Starlink Residential connection at home.

We’ll measure:

Remote view from a phone on cellular, with Wi-Fi off
Whether the maker's app needed any port or DDNS setting
Upload used while streaming
Whether Tailscale made a local-only camera reachable

Limits: One connection, one location, at the time of the test.

Status: Planned, not run.

Fiber media converters

Question: Do a pair of gigabit converters and pre-terminated fiber just plug in and work, and at what speed?

Setup: A converter pair and a length of pre-terminated fiber on the bench.

We’ll measure:

Link up without configuration?
Throughput (iperf3)
Power draw at the wall

Limits: Bench length, not a buried run.

Status: Planned, not run.

Rules for every test

Only gear the owner bought with their own money or borrowed and returned, stated on the result.
Dated photos and raw numbers, not just a verdict.
No farm claims. A yard isn’t a hayfield; trees and distances are described as they were.
Results that make gear look bad get published the same as good ones.

Have a farm setup you’d share, with your name and your photos? Get in touch. Nothing is published without your OK and credit.