View Full Version : Homeplug adapters
Assalaamu alaikum
I've given up trying to improve our wireless network (signal is weak at either end of the house and its impossible to browse the web without the connection breaking...very annoying esp. when you're trying to transfer files...) so I'm looking to change round - does anyone use these homeplug adapters e.g any of these (http://www.ebuyer.com/cat/Wired/subcat/Homeplug) these for their network? What are they like in terms of ease of setup/use and does it matter which brand one you get? We have Be broadband and their Bebox router.
Ideally I want something that will give me a like a wired connection for the pc's as the laptop seems to be ok with the wireless generally but it could be better. One thing is though that the electrics in our house are two separate circuits for the upstairs and downstairs (they can be switched off independantly, so they're two circuits but from one source) so do you think the adapters will still work?
ibn suleman
03-01-08, 10:05 PM
hey ur doing physics u shud know abt the electrics side of it :p
but they seem really easy to use
http://www.automatedhome.co.uk/Reviews/HomePlug-Adapter-Review.html
just plug in and go...
and i think it shudnt matter that ur circuits are separate, i think that is standard in most houses in uk,
unless u live in a super duper huge house :p
any advice? anyone...?
I was going to then I hesitated because I don't have much experience with those things. But, I did try them out once, and they were terrible.
You get interference from microwaves, from a television, from CRT monitors, I'm sure you know why.
Likewise, in our house in particular, the electricians have goofed up and we have coaxial cables running alongside mains wiring in some places, and that really interferes with the signal.
Given the cost of those things, and the unreliability, I'd just go and run an ethernet cable from your BeBox to an ethernet switch or another wireless router somewhere closer to your PC's.
ibn suleman
03-01-08, 10:08 PM
oh yeah,
a lot depends on the wiring in ur house....there are some seriously bad electricians out there :eek:
can u not try it and return it? :S
As for the wiring, I don't know, but thinking from a Physics point of view, if those two circuits are completely isolated than it shouldn't work.
Those things work by superimposing a high frequency signal...
ibn suleman
03-01-08, 10:13 PM
As for the wiring, I don't know, but thinking from a Physics point of view, if those two circuits are completely isolated than it shouldn't work.
Those things work by superimposing a high frequency signal...
it shud still work...
http://www.broadbandbuyer.co.uk/Shop/ShopDetail.asp?ProductID=2821
something like this shud work regardless.
it shud still work...
http://www.broadbandbuyer.co.uk/Shop/ShopDetail.asp?ProductID=2821
something like this shud work regardless.
Okay, I've had it confirmed, they will work over different circuits in your house, provided you only have one power source in your house. Also if you have a three phase supply (ask your electrician), with each circuit on a different phase, they won't work (stands to reason).
ibn suleman
03-01-08, 10:28 PM
Okay, I've had it confirmed, they will work over different circuits in your house, provided you only have one power source in your house. Also if you have a three phase supply (ask your electrician), with each circuit on a different phase, they won't work (stands to reason).
thats what i though abt phases..but the one in the link abovce says it works across multiple phases :S
thats what i though abt phases..but the one in the link abovce says it works across multiple phases :S
oh, hadn't seen that link. In general they don't, but if somebody is claiming theirs does (they must have some way of compensating or detecting the phase - not all that hard), then I'm sure it does work...although they're still unreliable because of the interference.
The wiring in our house is really old and in need of repair (...and my dad is an electrician lol...) so thats why I'm a bit worried as to if it'll work or not. The circuits both run from the same source obviously but dont join apart from that (I think) as they can be turned off independantly. My dad said it should work but he's not sure so I havnt bought the adapters yet, theres so many and all diff brands so its a bit confusing...but yea the best thing would be to buy some and see if it works or not.
To put ethernet cable from the router to where the pc's are would be kinda difficult...and it wouldnt look all that great as it'd be surface wiring...A couple of years back I spent ages extending our telephone line to around the house and its all surface wired so its functional but could prob look better than it does :o (well it looked a lot better before my brother decided to tug at it...) I dont think my parents will be too happy with me running ethernet cable against the walls...will have to ask them...
I have another wireless router (our old one) - a Netgear DG834G but when I plugged this in our internet went down...
The wiring in our house is really old and in need of repair (...and my dad is an electrician lol...) so thats why I'm a bit worried as to if it'll work or not. The circuits both run from the same source obviously but dont join apart from that (I think) as they can be turned off independantly. My dad said it should work but he's not sure so I havnt bought the adapters yet, theres so many and all diff brands so its a bit confusing...but yea the best thing would be to buy some and see if it works or not.
To put ethernet cable from the router to where the pc's are would be kinda difficult...and it wouldnt look all that great as it'd be surface wiring...A couple of years back I spent ages extending our telephone line to around the house and its all surface wired so its functional but could prob look better than it does :o (well it looked a lot better before my brother decided to tug at it...) I dont think my parents will be too happy with me running ethernet cable against the walls...will have to ask them...
I have another wireless router (our old one) - a Netgear DG834G but when I plugged this in our internet went down...
I think Wireless router is best option.
First you have to make sure which tel. line is(BT or nTL) in your home.
If BT line then you can use Netgear router 834G but you can not use with nTL(virgin media). If you have nTL(Virgin media) then buy a router DSL Wireless and it will work. It is so simple and if you have still problem then PM me and i will guide you all about connecting.
I have another wireless router (our old one) - a Netgear DG834G but when I plugged this in our internet went down...
I tried that too, to be honest I don't really like the BeBox...the pink blob just cheeses me off.
For some reason, despite filling in the right details, my DG834GT didn't work either. Go on www.bethere.co.uk, log onto the forum, and they have a few instructions.
What you could do, actually, is to connect your Netgear to your bebox using an ethernet cable, (assuming your netgear is a better wireless device than the bebox), log in to the netgear, give the netgear an IP address (manually) of the same type as that on the bebox:
eg. if the bebox is 192.168.2.1, then set the netgear to 192.168.2.2 or something.
Switch off DHCP on the netgear....connect using your laptop to the netgear, and the internet should work.
I think Wireless router is best option.
First you have to make sure which tel. line is(BT or nTL) in your home.
If BT line then you can use Netgear router 834G but you can not use with nTL(virgin media). If you have nTL(Virgin media) then buy a router DSL Wireless and it will work. It is so simple and if you have still problem then PM me and i will guide you all about connecting.
I tried that too, to be honest I don't really like the BeBox...the pink blob just cheeses me off.
For some reason, despite filling in the right details, my DG834GT didn't work either. Go on www.bethere.co.uk, log onto the forum, and they have a few instructions.
What you could do, actually, is to connect your Netgear to your bebox using an ethernet cable, (assuming your netgear is a better wireless device than the bebox), log in to the netgear, give the netgear an IP address (manually) of the same type as that on the bebox:
eg. if the bebox is 192.168.2.1, then set the netgear to 192.168.2.2 or something.
Switch off DHCP on the netgear....connect using your laptop to the netgear, and the internet should work.
I dont think the old router is any better than the bebox...we had the same problems with the internet signal when we were using it with our previous ISP - everything worked fine until we decided to rearrange rooms in the house and then found we couldnt pick up signal where we put the comp - nobody wants to swap rooms with me atm so I need to make the internet work all over the house!
I think I'm gonna have a go with these homeplug things - I'll have a look in pc world on sunday and ask if they'll return them if they dont work (even if they do work I'll return them and then buy them cheaper elsewhere :D :o)...I would try to fix up the old router with the bebox but firstly it is old and I remember we had the same problem using it before and secondly the bebox is on top of our cupboards in the kitchen (kinda centre room in the house but not directly linked to any pc's), all neatly wired there (I exteneded our phone line to put a socket there) so I'm reluctant to take it all down and mess it up, when I'm not even sure it'll work...if I have a sudden urge to try and fix it up I shall have a go but at the moment I just want a quick solution!
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