Setting Up Powerline Network

[patrickjp93]

So, 2-story house in Jersey, thick and soundproof walls, no ethernet wired throughout, most powerful Wireless N router on the market (circa 2011) on the lower floor where cable comes in with updated directional antennae to reach through the walls and floors to multiple computers. Every other room in the house but the 2nd floor far rooms gets good reception.

 

I think we're going to rework the house with a powerline solution because of Linus' demo proving it has better reliability and ping time than Wireless with signal repeaters. My one question is this: how should I configure for 4 computers? We get a 40Mbps connection to the house itself. There are periods of the day all 4 computers are using online resources.

 

Common sense tells me the module going from the router to the wall should have the highest bandwidth to have a good, reliable split, and then the endpoint modules should be the lowest bandwidth needed (smallest I've found is 80Mbps).

 

Is this correct? Is there something I'm missing?

[Liam-McShane]

I'm not 100% sure what you're trying but powerline adapters only work in pairs so you would need 4 pairs for 4 computers if all the computers cannot be directly connected to the router. At least that's how all the ones i have used work. 

[patrickjp93]

I'm not 100% sure what you're trying but powerline adapters only work in pairs so you would need 4 pairs for 4 computers if all the computers cannot be directly connected to the router. At least that's how all the ones i have used work. 

1 pair per computer?! Someone please tell me that's not true... That would have been a detail to mention in Linus' video of it.

[AddonCustoms]

Downstairs - Router > Cable  >  Powerline and computers

 

Upstairs -  Powerline > Cable > Network Switch > Cable to each computer

 

That way you only need 1 powerline adaptor.

 

It works I used it myself for 4 years.

[Liam-McShane]

1 pair per computer?! Someone please tell me that's not true... That would have been a detail to mention in Linus' video of it.

As far as i know yes, that's how they work.

 

Downstairs - Router > Cable  >  Powerline and computers

 

Upstairs -  Powerline > Cable > Network Switch > Cable to each computer

 

That way you only need 1 powerline adaptor.

 

It works I used it myself for 4 years.

I would do this if, of course, all the computers are in the same room or you don't mind Ethernet cables all over the place.

[Liam-McShane]

1 pair per computer?! Someone please tell me that's not true... That would have been a detail to mention in Linus' video of it.

From reading around some powerline adapters seem to work in 3's. I haven't seen if they work in any higher numbers together though. I have never had any luck when trying to use more than 2.

[AddonCustoms]

As far as i know yes, that's how they work.

 

I would do this if, of course, all the computers are in the same room or you don't mind Ethernet cables all over the place.

 

crap didn't even occur to me that they might be in different rooms.

 

From reading around some powerline adapters seem to work in 3's. I haven't seen if they work in any higher numbers together though. I have never had any luck when trying to use more than 2.

 

I used to have 3 sets of 2 running in my old house, they worked fine.

 

I would still suggest the method I posted above, and try and hide the switch somewhere and hide the cables.

[patrickjp93]

As far as i know yes, that's how they work.

 

I would do this if, of course, all the computers are in the same room or you don't mind Ethernet cables all over the place.

Yeah, there's a long hallway and each computer is in a separate room. One computer is directly above the router/modem and gets good wireless, but the other two are in bedrooms behind solid oak doors and,again, thick and soundproof walls which I swear have aluminum foil in there reflecting the signals.

[Liam-McShane]

Yeah, there's a long hallway and each computer is in a separate room. One computer is directly above the router/modem and gets good wireless, but the other two are in bedrooms behind solid oak doors and,again, thick and soundproof walls which I swear have aluminum foil in there reflecting the signals.

Have you tried wireless boosters? It's the only thing i can really suggest other than putting Ethernet in your walls which is expensive.

[AddonCustoms]

soundproof walls which I swear have aluminum foil in there reflecting the signals.

 

Wouldn't surprise me, when I done some building work years ago, there was a metal foil over the insulation to keep it together and stop it from getting damaged, you could have some of that, and that could interfere with the wireless. or that the walls are too thick to penetrate.

 

Maybe use 1 powerline and have that go into a wireless booster or something. (not sure on the names of things as I hate wireless)

 

or possible,  Powerline > Wireless booster > wireless receiver by each computer to help ?

 

not sure on how much that would cost though.

[patrickjp93]

Have you tried wireless boosters? It's the only thing i can really suggest other than putting Ethernet in your walls which is expensive.

The problem with boosters/repeaters is the added lag (yes both of these rooms game) and unless I can find a near-0-downtime repeater, well, you get the picture.

[Liam-McShane]

The problem with boosters/repeaters is the added lag (yes both of these rooms game) and unless I can find a near-0-downtime repeater, well, you get the picture.

That's what i thought. It's a shame wireless is still a bit shit. 

[patrickjp93]

That's what i thought. It's a shame wireless is still a bit shit. 

And yet the standard to replace AC will have more bandwidth than Ethernet: 10.4Gbps.

[Liam-McShane]

And yet the standard to replace AC will have more bandwidth than Ethernet: 10.4Gbps.

It's not going to solve your issues though is it. At least i don't think it will.

[patrickjp93]

It's not going to solve your issues though is it. At least i don't think it will.

No, and in fact in most homes it would get worse. I'm just saying the speeds keep going up yet no one seems to be solving the reliability problem. When my parents move to London I'm hoping they find Ethernet or Fiber.

[Liam-McShane]

No, and in fact in most homes it would get worse. I'm just saying the speeds keep going up yet no one seems to be solving the reliability problem. When my parents move to London I'm hoping they find Ethernet or Fiber.

They know most people will look at the speed and think it's automatically better. It's how stuff works unfortunately.