Man-cave holiday project #5: Getting your man-cave online

• Project: Running internet access to your man-cave
• Why you'd attempt it: You can’t live without internet access
• Difficulty factor: Simple to Medium
• Links: netgear.com.au, belkin.com/au, dlink.com.au, netcomm.com.au

There are four key ways to run internet access to a man-cave. In order of preference, they’re Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Powerline and 3G.

Ethernet is the fastest and most reliable, but it’s not always practical depending on the location of your man-cave and the construction of your home. You don’t need to run separate Ethernet cables from your broadband modem to every device in your man-cave. You can just run one cable and connect it to a cheap 4- or 8-port Ethernet switch, although be aware that certain cabling should be installed by a certified cabler.

It’s possible that your home Wi-Fi network/s could offer decent coverage in your man-cave, but you might encounter interference. Thick walls can hamper a Wi-Fi signal, as can intermittent interference from devices such as cordless phones and microwave ovens. Such problems might not bother you when you’re surfing the web, but become more apparent when streaming audio and video. If you’re struggling with interference you’ll generally get better performance from 802.11n equipment running at 5GHz, assuming your gadgets are compatible. The trade-off is that the signal doesn’t penetrate through walls as well as 2.4GHz networks.

Ethernet and Wi-Fi can compliment each other. For example, you could run an Ethernet cable to your man-cave and hang a Wi-Fi hotspot off the end to boost your Wi-Fi coverage. Alternatively you could use a Wi-Fi adaptor such as an Apple TV to add an Ethernet port in your man-cave, running off your Wi-Fi network.

Powerline adaptors offer another workaround, letting you run an Ethernet connection through your electrical wiring. Performance varies depending on the distance between your equipment, the condition of your wiring and interference from other electrical gear. Some powerline adaptors feature built-in switches and Wi-Fi hotspots.

If all else fails, you could use your smartphone as a Wi-Fi hotspot for connecting your gadgets to the mobile broadband network. Alternatively some routers support 3G USB dongles, or you might consider a dedicated 3G-enabled Wi-Fi hotspot such as a Netcomm MyZone or Huawei E5832.

Also read:

How to keep your home Wi-Fi running fast