someone i work with here has just got a gadget that is usb and connects into the mains plug and uses the mains wireing if the house to carry the signal instead of running extra cables everywhere... at the other end you have a gadget that you can plug into the other PC and then any socket and this picks up the signal...file sharing is fine but internet access and print sharing is proving to be more tricky... any one got and experence on this??

Joel

Yes and no... I was involved in the trial that tested throwing a web connection through sub stations and your electricity supply.... it was abandoned due to signal quality issues at quite close distances to the substation.

Not seen a "just in your house" system though, other than baby monitors \ video senders etc.

Creative used to have a home networking product that used the mains wiring, IIRC. Was a few years back, and fairly pointless now everything is going wi-fi

File-sharing between PCs is working ok but not the internet? Sounds like a configuration problem with the PCs, not the network...

Any firewalls anywhere that might throw a spanner in the works?

If you are looking to build a network at home go for wireless. The price of wireless networking components is now very reasonable.

IIRC there was some controversy over this.. something about interferance with digital radio that is also being trialled.. i think they chose to go for the digi radio route, as wifi is quite common now

We've got 2 PC's networked in here using telephone lines rather than ethernet, works ok, but theres something like a 4 Mbit maximum speed so if ever things progress beyond that I'll have to install something else...

4 Mb :eek:

thats shocking for home networking, we got ya standard 10/100 with the possibility of a gigabit backbone between main computer and server thingy(next to each other)

sorry, just found out that we are actually using the gigabit between the server/main computer. much nicer

Packard Bell Net2Plug:

http://www.webuser.co.uk/products/prod_rev.php?rid=1923&cid=213

Moving to Toy Room.....

Sorry to resurect this from the depth of the briskoda archive but has anyone got any more input on the network through the mains network.

Joel

I have 2x 85mbs Homeplugs at home and it is literally, set and forget. Works fantastically well to bridge my downstairs network with my upstairs one without any glitches.

One thing bugs me about this.

Does the network connection use the earth core ?

No idea, and why would it matter? All I know is that I've got a more reliable connection than wifi with more security to boot...

PLC - power line communications.

Radio hams are unhappy about this as it uses "their" bandwidth.

IIRC utilises WPA encryption so very secure. Only confined to your home mains as I don't believe it can pass through the transformer.

Pretty much plug 'n play although you normally have to register the security numbers of the individual modules so they can search for each other.

Can be considered to be "wireless"...only connection is between module and router.

Current devices don't have neough bandwidth for video but HD PLC will.

No idea, and why would it matter? All I know is that I've got a more reliable connection than wifi with more security to boot...

Actually if your neighbors are on the same power grid as you they will be able to see your pc if you network over power cables:eek:

Actually if your neighbors are on the same power grid as you they will be able to see your pc if you network over power cables:eek:

If they are, you better check your leccy bills...

It is my understanding that each house has its own branch of power supply, with no connection to their neighbours. But even if they were, the homeplugs come supplied with a utility which you can use to change the default 'password' to something else. This reduces the chances significantly.

Netgear gadget does the network via mains thing as well, does not look to bad.

Zyxel is the manufacturer to look at, and to clarify these devices will *not* make your PC visible over the national grid! The signal cannot get past the meter. PM me if you want more details on the product.

R

Found one here .....not too sure how well they work ...but any thing wrong best bet is the manufacturers for advice

http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/specpage.html?NGR-XE102

Actually if your neighbors are on the same power grid as you they will be able to see your pc if you network over power cables:eek:

I don't believe this to be true...you will only see what's connect to your LAN.

There are a few manufacturers working on this...Develo on gen2 at the moment and Panasonic on the HD version.

The only things to be careful of is if older house with older type wiring....not sure of the effect as I didn't get round to testing.