House → Tiny House
Getting Internet From Your House to a Tiny House
Tiny footprint, real internet. Often the simplest install on this list.
Tiny houses are usually close to the main structure (under 100 ft), draw power from it, and — because the owner is typically detail-oriented about build quality — already have conduit run for power that can carry ethernet too.
If you have conduit, pull a cat6 cable through it. That's the whole project. One outdoor-rated cable, one AP inside, done. If you don't have conduit, a short point-to-point link delivers gigabit in an afternoon.
The only tiny-house gotcha is: these builds often have metal skin or foil insulation that kills Wi-Fi from outside. Don't assume an AP in the main house will cover the tiny house — it almost never does.
What you'll typically use it for
- Full-time tiny living
- Backyard work-from-home tiny house
- Guest tiny house or short-term rental
What to think about
- Metal skin and foil insulation block external Wi-Fi — always install an AP inside
- Tiny houses on wheels may move — plan the install to be removable
- Ethernet pulled through electrical conduit is the fastest reliable install
Best solutions for this scenario
Ranked by typical best-fit for this kind of building and distance.
- 1Direct-Burial EthernetRun outdoor-rated Cat6 in conduit. Simple, rock solid, limited to 328 ft (100 m) without a switch.
- 2Point-to-Point Wireless BridgeA pair of directional radios, one on each building. The default answer for distances where running a cable is impractical.
- 3Mesh Wi-Fi ExtensionExtend an existing Wi-Fi network into a nearby building. Works if it's close enough. Often it isn't.
Gear commonly recommended here
trueCABLE Cat6 Direct-Burial Bulk Ethernet, Gel-Filled, 500 ft
UV-resistant, gel-filled ethernet for outdoor runs and underground conduit.
Use outdoor-rated cable for anything that leaves the house — even if it's only running up the wall to a radio on the eaves. Gel-filled / direct-burial rating is required for unprotected underground runs. 500 ft spool is the right size for most home installs.
Best for: Any cable run exposed to sun, weather, or underground conduit.
- UV + moisture resistant
- Gel-filled for direct burial
- 23 AWG solid copper
- PoE++ rated
- Stiffer than indoor cable
- Terminations take practice
- Rating
- Cat6 Direct Burial
- Length
- 500 ft
- AWG
- 23 solid bare copper
Ubiquiti UniFi 6 Lite Access Point (U6-Lite)
Default UniFi AP for inside the barn.
Standard 802.3af PoE Wi-Fi 6 access point. Once your bridge brings ethernet into the barn, plug this into a PoE switch or injector and you have fast Wi-Fi over the whole building. Manage via any UniFi controller (Cloud Gateway, UDR, Self-Hosted).
Best for: Indoor Wi-Fi coverage in the destination building.
- Wi-Fi 6
- Standard 802.3af PoE
- UniFi controller (free) for config
- Not outdoor-rated
- PoE injector sold separately
- Wi-Fi
- Wi-Fi 6 (AX)
- PoE
- 802.3af
- Ports
- 1x GbE
Ubiquiti LiteBeam 5AC Gen2 (LBE-5AC-Gen2), 2-Pack w/ Surge Protectors
Cheapest legitimate UniFi PtP pair. Dish form factor, 23 dBi gain.
Entry-level airMAX dish radio. 23 dBi gain at a price below the NanoStation. Not as fast or as well-specced as the NanoBeam, but plenty for a home internet connection. This listing bundles 2 units and 2 Ubiquiti Ethernet Surge Protectors — the most cost-effective way to buy a complete UniFi PtP kit.
Best for: Budget UniFi install up to ~5 km with good line of sight.
- Cheapest UniFi-ecosystem PtP
- Surge protectors included
- Good gain for the price
- Older chipset than NanoBeam
- Single-chain radio
- Band
- 5 GHz
- Gain
- 23 dBi
- Range
- Up to 5 km
- PoE
- 24V passive (included)