Home address - possible to split?

In reply to dyintorace :

Since your garage was built recently, it's HIGHLY likely that the feed between the buildings is a 4 conductor wire (required by code). That means the buildings are already electrically bonded (by the ground wire), and your garage already has ground rods at the new sub-panel. 
 

So, the grounding issue is a mute point. 

jgrewe said:

Are there any other internet providers, or does AT&T have the area locked up with a city contract? I think there are some tech ideas above that will probably work but another company would be easy too.

I would start with the post office and see how to handle a "mother in law" apartment on the books. They will probably be the only ones that will care. County appraiser's office would be next but I would avoid getting them involved if I could.

There is another provider (Cox) in the area but they're both expensive and terrible.

I'm going to start with the post office as you suggested and see where that goes.

I don't know bugger all about internet, but I'd sure put up a two mailboxes with 356A and 356B on them, and see what happens.  Also, I would sure do it without permission.

In reply to Streetwiseguy :

Actually, you make a good point. 
 

I take back what I said earlier. It doesn't matter it the municipality knows what you are doing. If the property is numbered 356A and 356B, I'm sure the fire department will figure out which building is burning. 
 

The only part that matters is dividing the mail. Work it out with the Post Office. 
 

The internet problem can be solved with a hard wired Cat 5 or 6 cable. 

You don't need 1234A and 1234B. Your house can be 1234 and the apt. Is 1234A. Request it at the post office, once that's done it's recognized as a separate address for other stuff automatically. 

Code says that service providers bond to the ground at service entrance.  Service entrance is another way of saying power meter.  Are their outlaying cases?  Yes but any decent installer is going to say "where's your power meter?"  Code also requires a bonding point at the service entrance.  If the apartment power is grounded separately from the house I don't have any problem with bonding at the house power meter or the apartment ground but I highly suggest that adding a separate ground rod just for the service provider is a bad idea.  As I said before you want the service provider and the power at the same ground potential.

In reply to Stampie :

Not interested in debating code. 
 

As previously noted, the (likely) existing ground rods in his accessory structure ARE bonded to the primary service entrance, and therefore at the same ground potential. 

Sorry for the threadjack...

It's been years since I had to learn all this, but I believe SVrex is correct on the electrical stuff. Bonding should only happen at the service entrance, but that's ground-neutral bonding. IIRC detached buildings usually have their own ground rod, and a ground wire is run to connect their rod and panel ground to the main panel bond and ground rod back at the service entrance. Their neutral is kept isolated and run back to the main panel bond separately from the ground. 

In reply to Tom Suddard :

Correct bonding only happens at the service entrance.  That's what we're talking about and that's what code says.  Suggesting to just drive a separate ground rod for the ATT or whatever is totally incorrect.  Now moving beyond code and just electrical theory you get to why bonding is done.  It's done so that the service provider is at the same ground potential (or as close as possible) as the circuit the the equipment is on.  If you bond to the same ground as that circuit then you're good.  I'd actually want that bond to be on the apartment in this case as the extra wiring back to the main house changes that potential.  I'd say that 99% of installers won't understand that.  If you ask them to put the new service in the garage they'll either say wait I need to go to service entrance or they'll say berk it I want to get paid for this install I'll make the grounding/bonding the customer's problem.

Since terms are important let's define grounding and bonding.  Grounding is when you attach to a ground rod/rods.  Bonding is when you attach to the ground rod/rods that the house electrical is using.  Old code just required a #6 exposed electrode to attach to.  New code requires a bonding block.  I should have opportunities tomorrow to take pictures for the class.

In reply to Tom Suddard :

Reread your post and just wanted to say that bonding is only done to the ground.  Yes in some cases the neutral may be tied to ground but all that matters is ground.

Not really sure what is happening here. 
 

Bonding is the connection of non-current-carrying conductive elements like enclosures and structures. Grounding is the attachment of bonded systems to the earth.
 

Article 100 of the NEC defines bonded (bonding) as “connected to establish electrical continuity and conductivity.” Bonding metal parts, such as enclosures and raceways, ensures that they are all continuous on an effective ground-fault current path (EGFCP) that references back to ground (earth). 

Grounding and bonding- NEC and NFPA

Dyntorace's accessory building panel is grounded because it is bonded to the primary electrical entrance and the ground rods at both structures. 

 

OMG it's like telling a kid they did something wrong and they want to create an argument about something else to distract from what they did.

This right here is a bad idea and will only lead to future problems.

SV reX said:

Couldn't that be fixed by installing a new ground rod at the garage apartment?

There are way better ways of fixing the problem.  A service provider will want to go to service entrance.  Any other creative way will be put onto the customer.

I'm done spending energy on this.

In reply to Stampie :

You and I agree. A service provider may have issue with a 2nd internet service. (Or may not)  As noted, it's probably not necessary anyway. 
 

The problem is the perspective you are presenting regarding bonding, grounding, and grounding rods. It's already had 1 person in this thread consider disconnecting his electric panel ground. That's really dangerous. 
 

No one is questioning your manliness or your knowledge of the subject of internet providers and their methods. You know much more than me on that subject.  Don't give electrical advice. 
 

I apologize to anyone who has read this and thinks it sounds like an argument. Absolutely not my intent. But PLEASE NEVER DISCONNECT AN ELECTRICAL GROUND ROD.