I use an ethernet cable from the Rpi to my router and that is also hard wired to the remote pc running the software. I have not tried video, I just have to wait for the full frame image to download from my SBIG camera. It does not seem much longer than if I had the pc connected directly to the camera. But I have not run any metrics.

Ron

I connect over WiFi to my Pi. I do have some delay, but I save my actual integration images locally on the Pi and use a USB stick to transfer them off and onto my processing machine, which also runs KStars. I do this because file transfer is very slow over WiFi, so rather than eat into imaging time, I just store locally. Takes me about 10 mins to move the files once I am done, depending on the size of my nights worth of imaging of course.

All of these things to consider. It is what makes it interesting!

Jasem says that he is running a Gigabit LAN. That capability is not available over the standard Ethernet port on the Pi. He probably has a board that plugs into a USB port or perhaps a "hat" that stacks on top of the Pi. Or maybe he means that he has a GigaBit router but connects the Pi over the standard 10/100 port and he relies on INDI buffering the stream. Or perhaps when he streams he has it configured to run at a reduced frame rate. It will be interesting what he says about this.

Thanks for your reply!

Consider another approach - install KStars + Ekos on RPi3 and access it over network with VNC. This way you don't need much network bandwidth because captured images are handled locally.

I use ethernet and it has been a huge improvement over wifi. Many problems are solved by it, probably because the connection not only is faster, but more importantly stable. I have bought a tiny pc-board which has gigabit ethernet on it, but the 100mbit of the Pi really is fine as well. I can now use USB over IP which is nice for Windows as well, but requires a stable connection.

I am curious if anyone has a positive (or negative) experience using a "Powerline Network Adapter" such as the one for sale here on Amazon:
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00Y3XRRI8/ref=ask_ql_qh_dp_hza

The idea is to use your home's electrical wiring as an extension of your local area network. The kit comes with two adapters. You plug one into a wall socket next to your router/modem connected by an Ethernet cable. The other adapter you take to some far region of your home having poor wi-fi coverage and then plug in the second adapter into a wall socket and connect your laptop to it with an Ethernet cable. Presto! You now have network connectivity, or at least that is the theory.

This is an attractive solution for me. My property is located in a rural setting but has lots of trees and hills to the east and west. Depending on what I want to image I will have to locate the scope to a different location. Up until this point I was certain that I would run all power to the telescope and Pi using a deep-cycle 12V battery. But there is still a missing component: I need network connectivity. I first considered using a wi-fi extender but now I am not very excited about that option after reading a lot of reviews. So I came across these Powerline Network Adapters. Now I am considering running a 100 ft electrical extension cord from my home to the telescope. That would give me power for the drive and the Pi but also, in theory, I should be able to plug in the Powerline Adapter. I am going to give it a try and see what happens.

Do not use those for AP, at all. Terrible idea to introduce current noise into your optical system.

Totally agree! I have tested with 3 different systems and in fact, it's not a good idea. Gave up on that!
Performance is not addequate for AP. At least that was my experience.I am now running a 25m direct Cat5e cable (Cat6 soon) from my house floor to my Atik, connected to the Gigabit Lan port of my router. That's the best experience I had.

Thanks all, you've saved me money and heartache!

I think I am just going to run CAT5/6 cable. I am not even going to try wi-fi extenders and waps. I don't think it will turn out well.

Time to get out the measuring tape. If I were to venture a guess, I'd say 200 feet.

One thing I would like to do however is install an outdoors socket. That way I don't have to deal with mosquitoes getting in the house. It should be fairly easy to install since I am on the first floor and have an unfinished basement below me.

Are there any noise concerns with running cat5 in two segments (one from the router to the socket, the other from the socket to the telescope)?

Excellent choice, you won't regret it. I have a 7 meter cable feom my telescope to the outside socket in the garden, than a 15 meter cable under the house to a powered switch from TP-Link. From there another 15 meter cable to my internal network (+internet) which is another powered switch. From that switch the final 15 meter cable goes to my computer inside. Ping times are about 0.7ms with 0% packet loss and I can stream live video from my 6D at around 5 fps. Downloading a raw file takes 2-3 seconds, and the USB over IP now stays connected during the night if I want to use that. All of these things either didn't work or were way slower before. After a year of fiddling with wifi extenders, I gave up on it. I had great sessions on wifi, but it was more the exception than the rule and this is now reversed.

Just an update:

High Point Scientific has got a 15% off sale on ZWO products that may last only about a week or until their new inventory is exhausted or Sam pulls the plug on it! I purchased the ASI120MC, a 2.8mm-12mm zoom lens, and a T2-CS adapter: $185.40 with free shipping.

No telescope purchase yet. I am really torn between the "pros" of the ETX-90 and choosing a telescope with a larger aperture. I think the ETX-90 is a great value for $499: Mak-Cass optics, hard carry case, tripod carry bag. The two big negatives are: 3.5 inch aperture (I already have a 3 inch refractor so there will be no great improvement), and no motor focus (not even 3rd party).

So I am holding off on the scope. In the meantime I will be able to connect the ZWO camera to INDI and develop much-needed experience with it. I can do meteor showers with the 150 deg lens. And I have a fondness for appulses of the planets and the Moon; the zoom lens will give me a 30 deg FOV.

I made a trip to Home Depot yesterday and picked up the parts I need to install an outdoors CAT5 socket.

I have been watching some very good YouTube videos on wiring a home network. Now I see that I can use the four unused wires to carry DC voltage from the router in my office to a switch I want to install in the basement just at the point where the cable goes through the wall to the exterior of the house. Should I not do this?