Hi John
Not sure it helps much, my layout is in deep Normandy with only a weak mobile coverage.
So I run my layout using a CS3 (equivalent to an ECOS more or less) and a laptop with Rocrail.
When I need to make an update, either I connect my smartphone to get internet access or I bring my CS3 to my other home with a powerful Internet box.
Here, our phone contract includes unlimited data access and unlimited international access. Isn't it the same for you?
Here is a glimpse of my layout with "intermittent" internet access


Another solution is to bury between your garage and your house a long Ethernet cable in a protective flexible duct.
Cheers
Jean

One option might also be to get a Powerline Extender, E.G. https://www.netgear.com/au/home/wired/powerline/

note that the real life speed is a bit slower than advertised, but it should be more than enough for your ECoS. (I’m getting 75 Mbps through a PLP2000, on different circuits phases.)

Edited by user 28 July 2021 11:35:08(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Hi
In short, the power line adapter will send your network signal over the house power wires. As long as the garage receives power from the same meter as your house and the distance is not too long, it should work.
if you don’t already have an extra access point for your garage the WIFI model might be a good choice as it provides a WIFI aces point and cabled network. Of course, other brands might also be usable, Netgear is just one example.

The power line adapters include a kit of two adapters, one goes in your house near the internet router and requires a cable to your router. And the other goes in your garage and provide internet there.

The first time setting it up might be a little fiddly, so I recommend setting it up inside and get it working there, before you moving one out to your garage. But read the manual about how to sync them.
I have one PC and my Cs3 getting internet through a power line adapters and it works quite nicely (3 adapters in use).

there are several YouTube videos about it:

My experience with those adapters in Australia is that they only work on the same circuit.. If your house power is, for example, wired to one circuit breaker (or fuse) upstairs and a different one for downstairs then you can't use one unit upstairs and one downstairs. However, you can use both upstairs or downstairs.

WiFi can be a risky solution if you live in an area with other wifi units close by and they choose 2.4Ghz as there are only three non-overlapping channels on that Frequency in Australia. 5Ghz has more channels, but a much shorter range - inside a 25m room will be okay, but 25m from inside the house, through metal walls of your shed is asking a lot - the weaker the signal the slower the speed. So, $600 for the cable option is smarter.. If you also place a 4 or 8 port network switch in the shed, the you can connect the eCOS and a wireless access point for the MSII and have another PC connect to the Internet..

Hi John
Why not use a local router (in your garage) with WiFi and connected to your Ecos but not to Internet. This works with a CS2 / CS3 and Mobile / Main station Apps (iPhone) so why not with your Ecos? Here the cost of a WiFi router is approx 50€ Too expensive?
Jean

Power-line adapters solved my problem of weak WiFi coverage on the upper plant of the house.
I use a TP-Link AV1200 kit, which even gives 5G coverage.
I run a cable to the basement, where the Train-room and home-cinema room is located. I got the phone-company to install the cable, claiming that our only TV was in the basement, and they were contractually obligated to install 1 connection to the fibre-converter (which is located in the main living room on the main floor.

The fastest, most secure and most stable connection is always with a cable. So if you can do it, you should run a cable from you fibre-connection point to your train-room. If you can crimp your own cat5 or cat6 cable, you can run the cable a 100 meters. Get cat6, so that you are set for 1Gb. Power-adapters won't get you anywhere near that kind of performance.
The power-line adapters are very comfortable if you don't want to/can't run cables, but they make you lose a lot of network performance.

Buying and installing long cables can be a little tricky, because you may have to apply the connectors yourself, and there are some strict guidelines as to how to insert the 4 coloured pairs of wires when dealing with very long cables. (It´s not trivial!)


Yesss! Definetly! -There are several routers out there with multiple ports for cables, and antenas for creating a new WiFi point.

To make installation and configuration easy, you can also opt for a cheap switch for the cable, and then connect a micro WiFi point to it, like the ones from TP-link or D-Link. They are about 20+ (twenty) bucks. TL-wr802n or DAP-2230.

I have wifi at home via wireless router from the fiber box and can use my Iphone and CS3.
I have also bluetooth.
It recommended maximum 10 metres by use wifi at home.
Be sure that there is free way of the wall at home when you use wifi.

I just use my CS3. Wi Fi not needed for anything I can think of other than an update which I rarely need. Anyway I just live in a cave so just having the leccy is a step forward from winding up the spring and letting the loco go round in circles until it stops.
All this wi fi stuff is good if you need it but I cant think why.
Anyway John good luck with the installation.

OK John. I understand.
Where we lived before I had the layout and a dedicated computer in the basement. To connect it to my office computer (and I think I had Internet by then) I bought an Ethernet cable 25 m with connectors. The speed requirement was moderate back then and I don’t think the cable was rated. Anyway, I used it a couple of month ago and it still works.

I second John’s suggestion. If you don’t need Internet connection in your hobby room, you can install a wifi router and connect the ECoS (and other wired units) via Ethernet cable. Your mobile stations can then connect via wifi using the SSID created for this new LAN.

If you later want to connect your hobby room to Intenet via a 25 meter Ethernet cable to your house, I see two options:

(1) Keep your hobby room router. However, you will need some special ”subnet” settings in your router, as your Internet provider most probably only allows you to have only one main router.

(2) (Recommended) Replace your hobby room router with a switch (they are also cheap). You need to connect a wifi access point (AP) to the switch, via an Ethernet cable. Now you have one Internet connected LAN for the whole property.

Yes, I believe this is what ESU describes in sections 7.4.1 and 8.2 for ”Independent isolated operation”, with reference to the Mobile Control manual.