RS-485 at lower data rates can go much farther.
Proper network topology and line terminations are key.


Let's not confuse ethernet ratings with slow RS-485

Use a chipset rated for the speed you are sending, the edge slew rates are set to minimize EMI. Going faster doesn't help.

Not confusing the two...Op hasn't stated how fast the planned transmission rate is.

 

Any reason you can't go to an RF-based wireless signal for the data part?

 

Any reason you can't go to an RF-based wireless signal for the data part?

I think a wire solution is much more reliable in a reasonable cost?

I didn't give a wireless solution much thought tho, any suggestions?

 

Not confusing the two...Op hasn't stated how fast the planned transmission rate is.

Anything faster than 1.2kbps is good enough for me. But I don't mind faster.

 

I think a wire solution is much more reliable in a reasonable cost?

I didn't give a wireless solution much thought tho, any suggestions?

It depends on what the actual data transmission is for.

For years I ran my internet off my brother's place through a WiFi connection that was over half a mile in distance with nothing more than two off the shelf WiFi routers set up in access point mode and a pair of directional antenna.

With that setup we had no trouble doing several tens of Mbs computer to computer linking.

In the WiFI world using directional antennas and off the shelf commercial units to get multi Mbs WiFi links at ranges of several miles is common procedure in remote locations.

As for other data applications, this is a great place to look for the best long distance RF based solutions to other applications.

http://www.bb-elec.com/

 

It depends on what the actual data transmission is for.

For years I ran my internet off my brother's place through a WiFi connection that was over half a mile in distance with nothing more than two off the shelf WiFi routers set up in access point mode and a pair of directional antenna.

With that setup we had no trouble doing several tens of Mbs computer to computer linking.

In the WiFI world using directional antennas and off the shelf commercial units to get multi Mbs WiFi links at ranges of several miles is common procedure in remote locations.

As for other data applications, this is a great place to look for the best long distance RF based solutions to other applications.

http://www.bb-elec.com/

I think I am after something different, there will be multiple nodes on my network, and they won't be in line-of-sigh.

 

Just a note:

POE is a real mess and it starts with active and passive POE. Gigabit makes it entirely worse. They raised the voltage to 54V from 48 in some cases. There's the spare pair and the data pair and the Cisco standard.

I only have one POE device at home and it's my DSL modem. It's just plain nuts.

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RS-485 is a mess to get working the first time even with commercial devices. You have full and half duplex and the necessity of terminators at the first and the last device. The HVAC thermostat at home uses RS485 with a 4 pair system and one is pair is 24 VAC. I think the maximum number of devices is 32.