House → Workshop
Getting Internet From Your House to Your Workshop
Enough bandwidth for tool downloads, video reference, and a shop camera or two.
A detached workshop — woodworking, metalworking, or general tinkering — is like a detached shop but usually smaller and further from the house. Most workshops need enough internet to stream YouTube tutorials while actually working, pull CAD files from cloud storage, and run a camera or two.
Distance is usually the deciding factor. Under 150 ft with existing conduit, run ethernet. Existing coax, MoCA. Otherwise, a UniFi LiteBeam or NanoStation pair covers it for around $200.
Workshops often have dust. If you mount the Wi-Fi AP on the ceiling, mount it somewhere that won't get coated in sawdust within a year — near a door or in a clean corner.
What you'll typically use it for
- Streaming tutorials while working
- Pulling CAD files and project plans from cloud storage
- Shop camera for time-lapse or security
- Music and podcasts
- Lutron / Shelly-style lighting automation
What to think about
- Dust accumulates on ceiling-mounted APs — pick a clean corner
- Workshop equipment is often RF-noisy (VFDs, welders) — prefer wired for anything critical
- If your workshop is in the basement or a metal-sided building, Wi-Fi penetration from the house is usually poor
Best solutions for this scenario
Ranked by typical best-fit for this kind of building and distance.
- 1Point-to-Point Wireless BridgeA pair of directional radios, one on each building. The default answer for distances where running a cable is impractical.
- 2Direct-Burial EthernetRun outdoor-rated Cat6 in conduit. Simple, rock solid, limited to 328 ft (100 m) without a switch.
- 3MoCA Over Existing CoaxIf a coax cable already runs between the two buildings, a pair of MoCA adapters gives you gigabit+ ethernet over it.
Gear commonly recommended here
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)
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
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