Homeplug
 

I am currently trying to improve the wireless signal in a friends house but think we are going to stuggle due to the size of it, then I thought about those homeplug things.

Setup is 1 modem/router in the study downstairs and 2 desktops upstairs but signal is only 1 or 2 bar and is very weak and doesnt always work.

There is a laptop but the signal where that is used is ok. For home plug to work would I need 3 plugs? 1 for each pc and then one into the modem/router?

Please advise so I can price up.

Also do they work and are they easy to setup?

Thanks in advance.

Re: Homeplug
 

What model is the router?

Re: Homeplug
 

2 colleagues have just bought Homeplugs and have both been extremely impressed by them, and have ditched their wireless routers as a result.

---------- Post added at 02:31 ---------- Previous post was at 02:26 ----------

Oops, forgot to answer your question about the number of devices you'd need... you'd need one in the study, and then depending on where the 2 desktops are upstairs (i.e. are they in the same room?) you could possibly get away with just the one additional Homeplug upstairs.

Re: Homeplug
 

if its weak signal your needing to boost then these
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http://www.maplin.co.uk/search.aspx?...u=y&doy=search
work really well, although its hard to get maplins to stock the low loss cable and connectors or pre-made is a pain if you want to extend them past the 9inch of cable already attached.

assuming you/they have a detachable arial connection then these or something like them should do you real good.

i get around 20 foot more indoor coverage at the same signal strengh or around 87% SNR with one of these.

at one or two bars , id expect a massive increase if you position them right , rememeber its a directional arial.
the higher the dBi the better it is...
---------- Post added at 02:39 ---------- Previous post was at 02:34 ----------

they do 80MByte peak dont they ?,whats the average throughput , did they/you test that?.

Re: Homeplug
 

Yes they work and yes you will need 3. The faster ones are quicker than most wireless connections but if its just for shaing the net the 14mbps ones will be fine

Re: Homeplug
 

The router is a NETGEAR one, not sure of the model but has the dome on top that can light up if you wish.

Speed is not an issue for the upstairs machines as long as they can connect to the web and its usable.

There is no where in the house to put a signal booster due to the age of the house without it standing out. Homeplug seems the easiest and simplest plan to me.

When you plug them into the mains do they have to be turned on and also is there a CAT5 cable from the plug to the PC?

Cheers

Re: Homeplug
 

yes they are switched on and yes there is a cable to the pc/router its basically a wired connection :) in theory although ive not tested it you could wire the modem to a homeplug then at the other end upstairs wire the home plug to the router. I have no idea if this will work though but my head cant see a reason why it wouldnt.This would bring your wireless connection upstairs

Re: Homeplug
 

you seem intent on using the homeplug and thats fine except its 'in a friends house' so perhaps they might have other idea's....

the 'signal booster' as you call it, is a simple replacement higher rated dBi arial so doesnt take anything away,or adds an extra arial, but simply replaces the old one and increases the signal, and its a far cheaper option than scraping all that existing wireless kit, and replacing with far more expensive homeplug, but if thats what they want to do then sure it will work as long as the connected rooms are in the same circuit..... their not always.

if the one i pointing you to for best price to dBi doesnt suit your look then just pick one of the more convensional ones on that same page with a better dBi than your original one, around 2dBi i assume for most generic arials

it seems your looking for something that can be put in place to make your installation easyer and thats fine and perhaps the homeplug is the easyer option but it seems a rather expensive way to go if you intend to expand the network later.

you imply the house is really big but i find it really hard to beleave that a properly positioned standard wireless router cant get around your normal sized house and well beyond.

'a NETGEAR one' doesnt get us anywere other than assume its a recent one that can do the job if its placed in the right position to cover the rooms in question....

---------- Post added at 17:19 ---------- Previous post was at 17:03 ----------

thinking about it, wouldnt that be a BIG problem unless you could choose the channel each bit of kit communicated?.
how much was your kit zing, and whats its average mbps (im suprised it was mbit not mbyte?)

rather like the way the wireless tv senders have 4 channels to select from.

modem<>HP-channel1<>HP-channel1<>router-wan
pc1<>HP-channel2<>router-lan1
pc2<>HP-channel2<>router-lan2
pc3<>HP-channel2<>router-lan3 etc

or you would end up with the modem trying to connect on a router lan connection or werse bridging/shorting the WAN and LAN ports, dread to think what that might do to the kit.....

i assume all the Homeplug kit does have some formal way to select a channel?.

ohh i think i see what your saying , you mean 'make a hybrid mixed network', so that the HP in effect brings the wireless router closer to the other wireless cards and so increases the SNR power..

in effect you never plug more than the single wireless router and the single modem together over the homeplug devices and so theres no other kit to interfer with the single HP channel.

Re: Homeplug
 

I dunno ive just set them up normally modem to router router to homeplug.I have no idea if my theory would work but I dont see a reason why it wouldnt but i dunno

Re: Homeplug
 

Have you considered Homeplug Wireless?

It seems easy enough to set up.