My new network!

[The Great Cornholio]

Slightly embarrasing that I didn't know this technology existed, being an IT Tech and all that. But I have just managed to share my broadband connection using my electric supply!.

It's a bit pricey at £60 per box, with a minimum of 2 being needed. But it works a treat. It's just a little box that plugs into power and has an ethernet port. It then sends network traffic as mini "power surges" that are intercepted by the other box.

I was having no end of problems with something interfering with my wireless signal so this is a godsend. More internet time for me - no more being kicked off by my girlfriend wanting to buy DVD's!

For anyone who is interested, have a look here :-

Lindy

 

[beorhthelm]

i dont think many people know about this. Its been touted as the Next Big Thing for about 5 years now, but seems that wireless has gained favour instead dispite its secruity problems.

There are plans to deliver connectivity to home over the power grid, but that seems to have fallen flat on its face. They had trials down in Winchester i believe, they've ironed out all the problems, but some reason its just not getting picked up.

 

[Scarface]

I hadnt heard of that either and im training to be an IT tech. We just hooked up our broadband this week and have been asking around for advice on connecting my dads computer to mine so thanks you may have solved our problem!

 

[tinx]

I have no problems with my Wireless Lan and it means not having to plaug PCs into a socket so is always the winner for me. Plus I can also connect my PDA to the wireless as well.

 

[The Great Cornholio]

I hadnt heard of that either and im training to be an IT tech. We just hooked up our broadband this week and have been asking around for advice on connecting my dads computer to mine so thanks you may have solved our problem!

You'll need either a broadband router or to leave the PC connected to broadband on all the time. (I'm assuming you've got an ADSL modem)

 

[The Great Cornholio]

I have no problems with my Wireless Lan and it means not having to plaug PCs into a socket so is always the winner for me. Plus I can also connect my PDA to the wireless as well.

Mine works fine for 5 minutes and then drops the connection for a couple of seconds. It kicked my girlfriend off so often that she refused to use it. Lots of trial and error couldn't isolate what was interfering with it.

So this power solution, along with an upgrade to 1MB ADSL works a treat for me.

 

[ManxSeagull]

Our local electricity authority are due to test broadband via their electricity supply soon.

I have not idea how it works, but it will enable our office in the countryside which is outside the range of ADSL to have broadband.

 

[tinx]

I had some problems with my router, when it wasn't plugged into the main BT socket, it used to disconnect form the net all the time which was well annoying so I moved it to the main BT socket and now I have no problems at all.

Thinking of upgrading to a 1Mb line too, just too much to download and not enough bandwidth

 

[Scarface]

You'll need either a broadband router or to leave the PC connected to broadband on all the time. (I'm assuming you've got an ADSL modem)

That was one of the suggestions we shall be looking into. Does it have to be on all the time or just when i want to use it?

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Mine works fine for 5 minutes and then drops the connection for a couple of seconds. It kicked my girlfriend off so often that she refused to use it. Lots of trial and error couldn't isolate what was interfering with it.

So this power solution, along with an upgrade to 1MB ADSL works a treat for me.

Probably a bit late now but I've seen this with the Netgear 834 wireless ADSL router. Upgrade the firmware to 1.05 ( ships with 1.01 for some reason ) and it appears to fix the problem.

*** Thinks - shit, now I look like a right geek ***

 

[The Great Cornholio]

That was one of the suggestions we shall be looking into. Does it have to be on all the time or just when i want to use it?

If you get a router then the PC it is connected to doesn't need to be on. If you stick with the modem, you will need to set up Internet Sharing within Windows and the PC connected to the modem will need to be on all the time you are surfing using the other PC - it just forwards all requests to the modem.

A router is far and away the easiest way to go. Just get a 2 port router, plug one port into your PC and the other one into one of the Homeplug Ethernet Bridges. Then connect the other PC to another Ethernet bridge and both machines can then access the Internet without the other one being on. In this scenario, the router logs into ADSL and forwards on Internet requests.

A very quick search shows this as a possibility :-

EBuyer router

Other sellers and routers are available - this is not one I use and I'm not recommending it- just giving you an idea..

Hope this helps

 

[The Great Cornholio]

Probably a bit late now but I've seen this with the Netgear 834 wireless ADSL router. Upgrade the firmware to 1.05 ( ships with 1.01 for some reason ) and it appears to fix the problem.

*** Thinks - shit, now I look like a right geek ***

Mine is an Origo and I've tried everything I can think of - including Firmware updates. I can still use wireless on my work laptop fine - it is the position of my girlfriend's PC that seems to be the problem - a wall shared with the kitchen. It is probably the firdge or microwave or something but I couldn't quite isloate it.