«

My current setup has:

ADSL modem ---- Hub --- Box1
\
\
Box2

with wired connections, which is fine because both machines are in the
same room. I now want to have the two computers in rooms that are about
10m apart on different floors, and running a network cable is not
feasible. These are not the latest technology - 1.8 GHz P4. One
currently has no spare USB sockets, but I think I could add a PCI USB
card if necessary.

I'm wondering what is the best value wireless option. DSE has various
gadgets, but I don't know anything about their pros and cons.
Suggestions welcomed.

Gib

Gib Bogle wrote:
> My current setup has:
>
> ADSL modem ---- Hub --- Box1
> \
> \
> Box2
>
> with wired connections, which is fine because both machines are in the
> same room. I now want to have the two computers in rooms that are about
> 10m apart on different floors, and running a network cable is not
> feasible. These are not the latest technology - 1.8 GHz P4. One
> currently has no spare USB sockets, but I think I could add a PCI USB
> card if necessary.
>
> I'm wondering what is the best value wireless option. DSE has various
> gadgets, but I don't know anything about their pros and cons.
> Suggestions welcomed.

Ignore wireless and get one or another of the ethernet over power
solutions. See below for an example.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Computers/C...-205838379.htm

EMB wrote:
> Gib Bogle wrote:
>> My current setup has:
>>
>> ADSL modem ---- Hub --- Box1
>> \
>> \
>> Box2
>>
>> with wired connections, which is fine because both machines are in the
>> same room. I now want to have the two computers in rooms that are
>> about 10m apart on different floors, and running a network cable is
>> not feasible. These are not the latest technology - 1.8 GHz P4. One
>> currently has no spare USB sockets, but I think I could add a PCI USB
>> card if necessary.
>>
>> I'm wondering what is the best value wireless option. DSE has various
>> gadgets, but I don't know anything about their pros and cons.
>> Suggestions welcomed.
>
> Ignore wireless and get one or another of the ethernet over power
> solutions. See below for an example.
>
> http://www.trademe.co.nz/Computers/C...-205838379.htm
>
Eeeewww! A recipe for fried newbies if ever I heard one! When I was at
Uni someone ran a 'radio station' over the power cables in one of the
Halls. It basically pumped the music over the earth and neutral wires.
All the listener had to do was plug his speaker into the earth and
neutral and he got music, albeit with a horrendous 50 cycle hum. That
went OK until someone got it wrong and nearly killed themselves.

Cheers,

Cliff

--

The Internet is interesting in that although the nicknames may change,
the same old personalities show through.

EMB wrote:
> Gib Bogle wrote:
>> My current setup has:
>>
>> ADSL modem ---- Hub --- Box1
>> \
>> \
>> Box2
>>
>> with wired connections, which is fine because both machines are in the
>> same room. I now want to have the two computers in rooms that are
>> about 10m apart on different floors, and running a network cable is
>> not feasible. These are not the latest technology - 1.8 GHz P4. One
>> currently has no spare USB sockets, but I think I could add a PCI USB
>> card if necessary.
>>
>> I'm wondering what is the best value wireless option. DSE has various
>> gadgets, but I don't know anything about their pros and cons.
>> Suggestions welcomed.
>
> Ignore wireless and get one or another of the ethernet over power
> solutions. See below for an example.
>
> http://www.trademe.co.nz/Computers/C...-205838379.htm
>

Do you use this yourself?

Gib Bogle wrote:
> EMB wrote:
>> http://www.trademe.co.nz/Computers/C...-205838379.htm
>>
>
> Do you use this yourself?

Yes - I have a couple of them. One I use from time to time for getting
network temporarily to areas of the house where there is no cabling.
The other I use to connect my father's study to the network in his house
over a 50m distance. They work well in both applications - the only
problems I have ever had have been in industrial situations where there
is a lot of back-EMF noise on the power circuits from large machinery.

EMB wrote:

>> I'm wondering what is the best value wireless option. DSE has various
>> gadgets, but I don't know anything about their pros and cons.
>> Suggestions welcomed.
>
> Ignore wireless and get one or another of the ethernet over power
> solutions. See below for an example.
>
> http://www.trademe.co.nz/Computers/C...-205838379.htm

Problems between circuits and no go between phases make those a
crapshoot if it will work in any given situation.

Gib Bogle wrote:
> My current setup has:
>
> ADSL modem ---- Hub --- Box1
> \
> \
> Box2
>
> with wired connections, which is fine because both machines are in the
> same room. I now want to have the two computers in rooms that are about
> 10m apart on different floors, and running a network cable is not
> feasible. These are not the latest technology - 1.8 GHz P4. One
> currently has no spare USB sockets, but I think I could add a PCI USB
> card if necessary.
>
> I'm wondering what is the best value wireless option. DSE has various
> gadgets, but I don't know anything about their pros and cons.
> Suggestions welcomed.
>
> Gib

I've checked out a few options and it looks as if it makes sense to get a combination ADSL
modem/switch/WAP. There are many that look roughly equivalent, priced (at the cheapest) between
$110 and $130. Here are a few:

Netgear DG834G
ASUS WL-AM604g
D-Link DSL-G604T
Linksys WAG200G

My main concern is that the device will have enough power to communicate from upstairs to
downstairs, but it seems to be hard to get info about the range, presumably because it depends very
much on the geometry and materials of the house. Can anyone comment on the relative range of these
devices? I'm leaning towards the WAG200G.

Gib Bogle wrote:
> My main concern is that the device will have enough power to communicate
> from upstairs to downstairs, but it seems to be hard to get info about
> the range, presumably because it depends very much on the geometry and
> materials of the house. Can anyone comment on the relative range of
> these devices?

It's really a total lucky dip based on the building. I get 30m
horizontally and 1 floor down (precast concrete floor about 300mm thick)
at work with a cheap DSE WAP. But an identical WAP struggles over 1
level and 8m in my boss' wooden floored house.

>
> I've checked out a few options and it looks as if it makes sense to get a
> combination ADSL modem/switch/WAP. There are many that look roughly
> equivalent, priced (at the cheapest) between $110 and $130. Here are a
> few:
>
> Netgear DG834G
> ASUS WL-AM604g
> D-Link DSL-G604T
> Linksys WAG200G
>
> My main concern is that the device will have enough power to communicate
> from upstairs to downstairs, but it seems to be hard to get info about the
> range, presumably because it depends very much on the geometry and
> materials of the house. Can anyone comment on the relative range of these
> devices? I'm leaning towards the WAG200G.

I had a friend where downstairs room was single storey part of house with
tin roof. In that case device had to sit on upstairs floor presumably to
allow signal to get under roof.

I have a WAG200 but no upstairs but I checked it out a bit. Going outside, 3
walls (1 brick) and ~30m signal dropped to 2 bars and speed to 11meg. At 2
walls (1 brick) and around 20m it was back to full strength. Within the
house always seems to be full strength.

J Brockley wrote:
>>
>> I've checked out a few options and it looks as if it makes sense to
>> get a combination ADSL modem/switch/WAP. There are many that look
>> roughly equivalent, priced (at the cheapest) between $110 and $130.
>> Here are a few:
>>
>> Netgear DG834G
>> ASUS WL-AM604g
>> D-Link DSL-G604T
>> Linksys WAG200G
>>
>> My main concern is that the device will have enough power to
>> communicate from upstairs to downstairs, but it seems to be hard to
>> get info about the range, presumably because it depends very much on
>> the geometry and materials of the house. Can anyone comment on the
>> relative range of these devices? I'm leaning towards the WAG200G.
>
> I had a friend where downstairs room was single storey part of house
> with tin roof. In that case device had to sit on upstairs floor
> presumably to allow signal to get under roof.
>
> I have a WAG200 but no upstairs but I checked it out a bit. Going
> outside, 3 walls (1 brick) and ~30m signal dropped to 2 bars and speed
> to 11meg. At 2 walls (1 brick) and around 20m it was back to full
> strength. Within the house always seems to be full strength.

Thanks, I've decided to go with the WAG200G.