Ethernet over mains Elect

Has anyone used the devices that plug into a 13A mains socket and provide an
ethernet connection. i.e.plug one into a lounge socket connected to a
computer and one in a socket ajacent to the broadband router connected into
a spare ethernet port.


Do they work ?
Can you easily move them around ?
Can you switch them off when not in use and know they're going to work
when turned back on?

url:http://myreader.co.uk/gp/1021-1.aspx

 

Yes to all those.

I've installed Solwise 14 Mbps homeplug devices in an old house which had
walls that were too think for wireless to send the signal from the router to
one of the PCs. The house had very old wiring, with three separate fuse
boxes, though presumably all on the same side of the meter, as it is the
meter which blocks the Ethernet signal from escaping from the house.

These worked at about 7 Mbps, which was plenty fast enough for the customer
who only wanted it for accessing broadband, not for PC-PC comms. Ironically
since then he's realised why I recommended the faster (85?) devices that he
decided not to get, when I saw the benefits of PC-PC file and printer
sharing.

The setup worked perfectly well for a couple of years until recently when
something changed and the homeplug started working only in some sockets -
and not the ones in the room where it was needed. This was solved by moving
the router to a socket closer to the PC (luckily there was another phone
socket there) and getting an additional homeplug to supply the signal to a
second PC which had previously been within wireless range.

Maybe the best combination is homeplug to cover the larger distances to
outlying rooms and then a wireless access point to distribute the network
locally to allow a laptop to be used anywhere within several of those
outlying rooms.

 

Do you have any thoughts about surge protection?

IOW, what happens in case of spikes and general rubbish on the power
line?

Lnz

[L.]

 

When I tested the devices in my house before installing them for the
customer, I had two devices each plugged into a surge protector - these were
at opposite ends of the house. The devices worked perfectly well and the
speed was identical to that without surge protectors.

So use surge protection if possible - it seems to cause no problem.

 

Homeplug devices should not be plugged in to a surge protected socket; speed
will be reduced.

The internal circuitry of the device provides isolation from the mains.

I've used these in several houses without any difficulty being experienced.
One of the users has had 100% reliable connection for something like 18
months now.

Chris

 

snip

I've read this a few times and it just isn't true.

My next door neighbour is on the same phase as me and when I tried
connecting to my router from their ring main it worked fine.

 

That's interesting because I tried exactly the same thing, and got no
connection whatsoever!

Chris

 

Are you sure they are using the same phase as you?

I tried the other next door neighbour on a different phase and no
connection at all.

 

Could you confirm that my understanding is correct.

That I can connect 1 "PL-85PE" to an ethernet port on my broadband router
then using 3 more "PL-85PE" with a computer connected to each they will
share the same connection into the broadband router.

thanks
Andy

url:http://myreader.co.uk/msg/10214082.aspx

 

Yes. Although the devices have the ability to set an encryption password
(use the same one for all devices), by default this is turned off so the
devices will talk to each other.

 

Yes, definitely. 0v between the lives.

Chris

 

The same problems are also experience by users of X-10 remote
control devices. Visit the alt.home.automation newsgroup where they
often recommend a breaker box surge protector from Leviton and no
surge protectors at the outlets. In your case, the same product would
probably come from Furse among others. Locating the protector close
to earth ground and farther from the ethernet device means ethernet
communication is minimally impeded AND protection is far superior;
advantage twice over.