Using PowerLine Adaptors

kesterwww · 27-01-2010, 17:50

Hi Everyone, I hope someone can help with the following.

I use a powerlin adaptor, which I plug my homehub into the wall, and on the other side of the room, next to my tv, the other powerline plug comes out and an ethernet cable plugs into my BT vision box.
This all works fine, but I also have my Xbox 360 next to the TV and at the moment when I want to play the 360 online I switch the cables over. The only time this is a problem is if I'm recording something on the BT box and wish to play online games.
I was wondering about using a splitter, but I know that the signal can't be split, so would the following work?;
From my home hub, I plug two ethernet cables into a splitter and plug that end into the powerline adaptor, then from the adaptor next to my tv, I use another splitter. Basically I'm wondering if the powerline can carry two signals from the homehub?
I have been considering getting a 360 wireless adaptor, but they cost like £60.

Kymmy · 27-01-2010, 17:53

You should be able to plug a switch/hub in after the powerline cables.

kesterwww · 27-01-2010, 18:17

So it should work carrying two signals?

Kymmy · 27-01-2010, 18:32

No, it only ever carryies one signal, the hub though will queue the signals

It'll work fine

kesterwww · 28-01-2010, 00:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kymmy

No, it only ever carryies one signal, the hub though will queue the signals

It'll work fine

Great, thanks for your help. Just to clarify, I would be able to go online on the xbox, and still record on the BT Vision box at the same time? The V box requires an internet connection to record or use any PVR functions.

Kymmy · 28-01-2010, 01:11

No idea about your internet speed, but as long as you have a decent speed capable powerline adaptor then it'll always be faster than your connections top speed (what model poweline (speed wise) do you have?)

kesterwww · 28-01-2010, 10:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kymmy

No idea about your internet speed, but as long as you have a decent speed capable powerline adaptor then it'll always be faster than your connections top speed (what model poweline (speed wise) do you have?)

The powerline adaptors I use are Comptrend UPA, and a google search informed me they are capable of upto 200 mbps. My Internet speed is between 10 and 15 meg.

Graham M · 28-01-2010, 11:12

You want a hub/switch at the Xbox360/BT Vision box end, not a "splitter"

Kymmy · 28-01-2010, 11:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by kesterwww

The powerline adaptors I use are Comptrend UPA, and a google search informed me they are capable of upto 200 mbps. My Internet speed is between 10 and 15 meg.

Which means that the powerlines are never going to be the slowest point (the hub will also be 100Mbps) so your internet is the bottleneck. For BTvision and xbox this should be fine

As Graham says a device that splits ethernet is callled a hub or switch (switches are more inteligent than hubs and can slightly speed things up with better point to point connctions) you do not want a "splitter" nor do you want another router (your BT home hub is a router). Hubs/Switches come with 4 or more ports so for example if you have a 4 port hub after the powerline one port will plug into it and you'll then have 3 ports available for other devices that can then not only talk to the router but if needed to each other.

If you get stuck then please come back and ask antoher question in this thread (or another thread if it's on another topic..)

MadGamer · 28-01-2010, 15:13

Sorry to hijack the thread, but I have been looking at these for use with my Blu ray Player, and the cheapest I have seen is around £40 - £45 which is for Ebuyer's own brand, do you think thats a good price or has anyone seen any cheaper elsewhere.

Kymmy · 28-01-2010, 15:15

Oh please go ahead and hi-jack the thread, there's no mods around to tell you off....

.

.

... Hang on a minute....!!!!

Be carefull when you do see them for sale as a lot of places have the slower versions

kesterwww · 28-01-2010, 17:30

Kymmy thanks very much for the advice, and to Graham M. But if these switches cost £40 or so, it defeats the reason I was interested in using splitters, which cost a couple of pounds each. If that is the correct price for one, I'd probably go with the wireless adaptor for the xbox which I've seen on Ebay for about £35.
Anyway, thanks for the advice.

Kymmy · 28-01-2010, 17:33

For example

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/RJ45-5-Port-10...item5d267143e3

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/5-Port-10-100-...item5ad673488d

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/8-Ports-10-100...item3a56f541d3

ZrByte · 28-01-2010, 17:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by MadGamer

Sorry to hijack the thread, but I have been looking at these for use with my Blu ray Player, and the cheapest I have seen is around £40 - £45 which is for Ebuyer's own brand, do you think thats a good price or has anyone seen any cheaper elsewhere.

I use them myself. They are only 85mbps yet strangely give a higher throughput than the 200mbps BT supplied models in the same config. I get about 1.5MB/s - 2MB/s with the 200mbps and 2.5MB/s stable with the 85mbps ebuyer jobbies.

Kymmy · 28-01-2010, 17:55

Just to clarify in this thread.

SPLITTERS (a small passive component that is basically an ethernet Y cable) will not allow multiple devices to connect efficiently. Unless it's a manual switched device the signals will collide and will actually slow things down. The could also damage the equipment they're plugged into. A hub or switch is the ONLY way of connecting more than one device to such a device as a BT home hub, powerline adaptor, xbox..