Computer Related > Network over your mains Miscellaneous
Thread Author: smokie Replies: 22
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New Fri 13 Aug 10 19:03 
 Network over your mains - smokie
I'm looking at this product www.ebuyer.com/product/179960 and have no idea what it does for me. It looks quick enough and quite neat. But:

How would they connect to my router?

Do they provide a wireless or a wired connection? (As it says Ethernet I assume they are wired, but can't see the ethernet port in the pic)

If wireless, how many devices can connect to it?

If wired I presume I could put a suitable router on the end

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New Fri 13 Aug 10 19:11 
 Network over your mains - Tooslow
Blimey that's cheap. The Denovo (?) branded one is just over £100.

You plug one of these into the mains near your router and connect one of the apparently supplied RJ45 (aka Ethernet) cables from your router to an 'ole in this thing. You plug the other one in anywhere in the house where you need an Ethernet port, say just behind your tv/Blu Ray/ PVR which, if recent, wil have an RJ45 socket on the back.

Please report back if you buy, that is seriously cheap.

JH
Last edited by: Tooslow on Fri 13 Aug 10 at 19:11
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New Fri 13 Aug 10 19:13 
 Network over your mains - smokie
Ah OK, so wired only. Seeing as I already have ethernet where I need it around the house which works quite well enough I doubt I'll lash out on this then.
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New Fri 13 Aug 10 19:14 
 Network over your mains - Tooslow
Glad to help. That should be Devolo. I must have had an attack of the Catherine's.

PS - Devolo do one that acts as a wireless repeater. Expensive mind.

JH
Last edited by: Tooslow on Fri 13 Aug 10 at 19:15
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New Fri 13 Aug 10 19:18 
 Network over your mains - Zero
I have the Netgear networking plugs, provides two 4 port switches over the ring mains. Its used to connect tele, xbox and BluRay player to the internet router,
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New Sun 15 Aug 10 23:10 
 Network over your mains - Stuartli
E-Buyer does this Devolo triple kit for £84.62:

www.ebuyer.com/product/179898

and there are also models from HomePlugs and others:

www.ebuyer.com/search?q=homeplugs

Dabs, Scan and other on-line retailers also have plenty of choice and, quite often, special offers on the twin packs.

All harks back to 1999 when the then MANWEB company (served the North West) developed the idea of transmitting data over mains electrical wiring.
Last edited by: Stuartli on Sun 15 Aug 10 at 23:10
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New Sun 15 Aug 10 23:16 
 Network over your mains - Zero
It goes back much much further than that, when the national grid experimented using the national mains distribution over pylons as a data backbone.
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New Sun 15 Aug 10 23:22 
 Network over your mains - Stuartli
MANWEB's experiments made both the local and national TV news programmes at the time as it was aimed at eventually being for home use.

Unfortunately there's not much info to be found now, although I clearly remember the news coverage and thinking this has got to be better than dial-up..:-)
Last edited by: Stuartli on Sun 15 Aug 10 at 23:22
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New Mon 16 Aug 10 14:24 
 Network over your mains - Stuartli
These may prove even better price wise:

www.solwise.co.uk/net-powerline-pl-85pe-mk2.htm
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New Mon 16 Aug 10 14:29 
 Network over your mains - DP
I like the idea of these mains ethernet devices, but when I looked into them before, I was told they do not work if plugged into a four gang / extension lead. As both my desktop PC, and the media centre PC in the lounge (the two devices I would want to use) run off permanently installed 4 way adaptors, and neither are in close proximity to a wall socket, I don't believe they would work.

Has anyone had any other experience?
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New Mon 16 Aug 10 14:43 
 Network over your mains - sherlock47
My experience with BT Comtrend adaptors is that they will not work at a decent speed if the units are connected on separate rings (or at all, if fed from separate consumer units). I had to reconfigure the upstairs ring to be adjacent to to the downstairs ring in the consumer unit. 4way adaptors are not necessarily a problem (but avoid anything with filters) - I guess they say no to minimise potentail for problems.
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New Mon 16 Aug 10 15:39 
 Network over your mains - Stuartli
>>I was told they do not work if plugged into a four gang / extension lead. >>

I have heard of them being used in this way successfully.
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New Mon 16 Aug 10 20:41 
 Network over your mains - Zero
My netgear ones ran slowly when attached to a fourgang extension. So slowly as to be unuseable, but work well when in the wall socket
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New Mon 16 Aug 10 21:27 
 Network over your mains - Focusless
>> Has anyone had any other experience?

Frequently use our Devolo 85Mbps units when plugged into four gangs and not noticed a slow down, but then it's only carrying 2Mbps (max) internet traffic.
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New Mon 16 Aug 10 14:30 
 Network over your mains - rtj70
I recall the experiments with data running over the powerlines - which came to nothing. I assume they were just a little too slow off the mark and then we got ADSL. I bet interference was a factor though.

I see Virgin are starting to run their fiber on overhead lines into some remote parts of the country though. Different technology obviously.
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New Tue 17 Aug 10 00:00 
 Network over your mains - Stuartli
Perhaps trying to transmit data over national power lines is somewhat different to using 240V mains systems.....?
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New Tue 17 Aug 10 00:03 
 Network over your mains - rtj70
It is and there was a trial many years ago. I didn't think National Grid plugged in a 3-pin adapter at their end ;-)
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New Tue 17 Aug 10 00:22 
 Network over your mains - RattleandSmoke
I had to an unusual install the other day for a BT Vision box. That uses ethernet over mains to get its internet access rather than via WIFI. Quite strange especially since the box supplied was 802.11N.

I personaly find ethernet over mains to be too hit and miss, there are too many variables involved.

Also I think they usually state it has to be on the same ring main for them to work properly.
Last edited by: RattleandSmoke on Tue 17 Aug 10 at 00:23
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New Wed 25 Aug 10 22:02 
 Network over your mains - ....
I remember playing about with this on my year out 1990/91. Too much noise on the line and noise suppression was not up to the job.
I've used it for the last year at home and only issue I have has is when an energy saver bulb is uses in the same room as the receiver. Dodgy connection in the lighting & sockets circuit. Germany is the only country I have seen the lighting and wall sockets on the same circuit.
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New Thu 26 Aug 10 20:10 
 Network over your mains - Stuartli
>>I remember playing about with this on my year out 1990/91>>

So nine or 10 years before MANWEB started its experiments here in the North West...:-)

Read about a third of the way through this link:

www.ssynth.co.uk/~gay/cv/empsum.html

Also:

www.pcadvisor.co.uk/forums/index.cfm?action=showthread&threadid=366482&forumid=21 (!)

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New Thu 26 Aug 10 20:48 
 Network over your mains - ....
Heard of the CEGB & National Power?
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New Thu 26 Aug 10 21:00 
 Network over your mains - ....
Reading the CV he joined the co. in '94 and it was one of his first projects. I can't see where it says it was done in '99.
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New Thu 26 Aug 10 23:31 
 Network over your mains - Stuartli
>>I can't see where it says it was done in '99.>>

Probably because there's no such reference...:-)

I'm well aware of the year because it was work undertaken in the North West by MANWEB and was widely featured at the time on local TV news programmes.
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