Re: Powerline networking
On Fri, 2008-09-26 at 14:20 +0100, Jonathan Peterson wrote: Does anyone know if powerline adaptors (things that turn your socket ring into something like a LAN) just work or require multiple faffing sessions? Just work. I've used the 85Mbps and 200MBps products from Devolo[0] in a number of properties and have never had any problems with them. Devolo provides Linux tools for configuration (if required), while other manufacturers tend to just do Windows MacOS. .ib [0] http://www.devolo.co.uk/uk_EN/index.html
Re: Powerline networking
Jonathan Peterson wrote: I confess that I sort of forgot about the whole 'network over power cables' thing until I needed network access in series of buildings with metre thick granite walls. And concrete ceilings. Does anyone know if powerline adaptors (things that turn your socket ring into something like a LAN) just work or require multiple faffing sessions? The actual requirement is to network the various converted outbuildings of an old farm. My guess is that these things turn the copper cables into a kind of giant unswitched 10-base-2 type network. My hunch is that the network is shared across every building on the same loop from the nearest transformer - I don't see how the signal would get through a transformer, and I don't see why anything else would stop it. This is fine, as the devices appear to have some kind of security layer that prevents neighbours reading your network traffic. Has anyone used this stuff? I use it to get to the basement, where the wifi doesn't reach. It just works. You just have to make sure that you plug the adaptor straight into the socket, or in a plain extension cord. I found that any kind of power surge protection will break the transmission. The model I have seems to allow some kind of password protection for your network, as well as defining several networks, but I haven't tried it (the software is Windows-only). I used it as a plain ethernet wire. -- mirod
Re: Powerline networking
On Fri, 2008-09-26 at 14:20 +0100, Jonathan Peterson wrote: I confess that I sort of forgot about the whole 'network over power cables' thing until I needed network access in series of buildings with metre thick granite walls. And concrete ceilings. Does anyone know if powerline adaptors (things that turn your socket ring into something like a LAN) just work or require multiple faffing sessions? The actual requirement is to network the various converted outbuildings of an old farm. Check first that the buildings are all on the same electrical phase: farms can be on 3-phase instead of a single phase. These things will not normally work across phases. And don't try to bridge phases, unless you really understand the power engineering involved.
Re: Powerline networking
On Fri, Sep 26, 2008 at 2:20 PM, Jonathan Peterson [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I confess that I sort of forgot about the whole 'network over power cables' thing until I needed network access in series of buildings with metre thick granite walls. And concrete ceilings. Does anyone know if powerline adaptors (things that turn your socket ring into something like a LAN) just work or require multiple faffing http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/11/13/solwise_pushes_powerline_sec/ I've four of these, and they mostly work a charm. I gather it can depend a bit on how good your wiring is. Peronally, power-strips (four sockets, with a lead, that expands a wall socket) really kill it. Used directly in the wall sockets, they work really well. One unit didn't. Solwise replaced it without much fuss (after I assured them I can read and following the instructions, and had actually tested it properly).
