Electronic equipment I bought that actually works!

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  • atgcpaul
    Veteran Member
    • Aug 2003
    • 4055
    • Maryland
    • Grizzly 1023SLX

    Electronic equipment I bought that actually works!

    I needed to move my wife's downstairs office to an upstairs bedroom. All the networking originates in the office and I really didn't feel like fishing Ethernet cable. If I moved the wireless router, I'd be the furthest distance away from where we use it most--the living room. Powerline network adapters to the rescue! I guess these things have come a long way from their inception.

    Bought it on sale locally cheaper than Amazon and I had it today.

    Plugged in the units and they just work and no setup was needed! It's rare that any electronic purchase I make isn't some kind of kludgy hack or is unsightly. These are low key and even 2 sets of Ethernet cables were included.

    I'm pretty sure I couldn't have hardwired the connection for less after buying cable, wall plates, etc.

    I'm serving up DVRed TV from this desktop on XBMC to my Raspberry pi. I'm going to see if the stream is still decent.

  • Rslaugh
    Senior Member
    • Sep 2003
    • 610
    • Red Lion, PA, USA.
    • Ridgid

    #2
    Good to know. I fished a bunch of cat6 as I was remodeling our 1870's wreck which has worked out great but we still have a lot of wireless devices (especially for 2 people, one of which hates technology) so it would be nice to put a wireless repeater somewhere. The horsehair plaster walls do a phenomenal job of attenuating wireless signals. This could be the answer. Thanks for the review.
    Rick
    IG: @rslaugh_photography
    A sailor travels to many lands, Any place he pleases
    And he always remembers to wash his hands, So's he don't gets no diseases
    ~PeeWee Herman~

    Comment

    • atgcpaul
      Veteran Member
      • Aug 2003
      • 4055
      • Maryland
      • Grizzly 1023SLX

      #3
      I streamed a recorded show in full HD from my PC last night and there was no problem.

      PC connected to router/splitter to powerline device. Powerline in office connected to wireless router with a long Ethernet cable connected to router/spliiter in living room connected to Raspberry pi.

      A few years ago, I would have saved myself a whole day (and frustration) to install wall plates in the office and living room (opposite ends of the house) and running Cat5e if I had just used these instead. It would have been cheaper, too.

      As I get older I am putting a higher value on "frustration free" solutions. It's like Danny Glover's recurring line in Lethal Weapon. "I'm too old for this s**t!"

      Comment

      • MBG
        Senior Member
        • Apr 2003
        • 945
        • Chicago, Illinois.
        • Craftsman 21829

        #4
        I'm interested. Do you have more details on how this hook up is done?

        Thanks

        Comment

        • JSUPreston
          Veteran Member
          • Dec 2005
          • 1189
          • Montgomery, AL.
          • Delta 36-979 w/Biesemyere fence kit making it a 36-982. Previous saw was BT3100-1.

          #5
          I was hoping to use one of these in my house, but I have two breaker panels. According to what I've read, it wouldn't work very well for me. Looks like I'm going to be fishing some Cat5e/6 soon. Gotta add another access point to the house, since an interior wall (former exterior wall) is killing my signal strength.
          "It's a dog eat dog world out there, and I'm wearing Milk-Bone underwear."- Norm (from Cheers)

          Eat beef-because the west wasn't won on salad.

          Comment

          • atgcpaul
            Veteran Member
            • Aug 2003
            • 4055
            • Maryland
            • Grizzly 1023SLX

            #6
            Originally posted by JSUPreston
            I was hoping to use one of these in my house, but I have two breaker panels. According to what I've read, it wouldn't work very well for me. Looks like I'm going to be fishing some Cat5e/6 soon. Gotta add another access point to the house, since an interior wall (former exterior wall) is killing my signal strength.
            You mean like a sub panel off the main? I have a subpanel in the shop. I'll move the one plug in there with my laptop and Ethernet cable and try it out.

            Comment

            • atgcpaul
              Veteran Member
              • Aug 2003
              • 4055
              • Maryland
              • Grizzly 1023SLX

              #7
              Originally posted by MBG
              I'm interested. Do you have more details on how this hook up is done?

              Thanks
              One unit plugs into the wall outlet near your internet access point. You then connect the unit to your router/whatever with an Ethernet cable. The other unit plugs into another wall outlet somewhere else in the house near where you want internet access. You then connect that unit to your computer/another router/whatever. In my case you just start surfing the internet.

              There is a button on each unit that lets you sync them onto the same network if they don't automatically connect. There are also status LEDs on each unit if you need to do any troubleshooting.

              Comment

              • Knottscott
                Veteran Member
                • Dec 2004
                • 3815
                • Rochester, NY.
                • 2008 Shop Fox W1677

                #8
                Thanks....that is good to know! I get pretty peeved when things don't work like they're supposed to. Added to my Amazon Wish List!
                Last edited by Knottscott; 03-07-2014, 09:41 AM.
                Happiness is sort of like wetting your pants....everyone can see it, but only you can feel the warmth.

                Comment

                • JSUPreston
                  Veteran Member
                  • Dec 2005
                  • 1189
                  • Montgomery, AL.
                  • Delta 36-979 w/Biesemyere fence kit making it a 36-982. Previous saw was BT3100-1.

                  #9
                  Originally posted by atgcpaul
                  You mean like a sub panel off the main? I have a subpanel in the shop. I'll move the one plug in there with my laptop and Ethernet cable and try it out.
                  That's exactly what I have. The sub was the original main panel, complete with screw in fuses when we moved in. It was upgraded to modern breakers shortly after. The current main panel has been upgraded as well.

                  My router/WAP is on the main panel. 2nd WAP is on the old/sub panel. The 2nd WAP is a Linksys WRT54G (2.2 hardware revision) that I'm running DD-WRT on. I have it set up as a repeater bridge. It's killing my wireless bandwidth, but it's temporary until I can run an Ethernet drop to that location.
                  "It's a dog eat dog world out there, and I'm wearing Milk-Bone underwear."- Norm (from Cheers)

                  Eat beef-because the west wasn't won on salad.

                  Comment

                  • MBG
                    Senior Member
                    • Apr 2003
                    • 945
                    • Chicago, Illinois.
                    • Craftsman 21829

                    #10
                    Originally posted by atgcpaul
                    One unit plugs into the wall outlet near your internet access point. You then connect the unit to your router/whatever with an Ethernet cable. The other unit plugs into another wall outlet somewhere else in the house near where you want internet access. You then connect that unit to your computer/another router/whatever. In my case you just start surfing the internet.

                    There is a button on each unit that lets you sync them onto the same network if they don't automatically connect. There are also status LEDs on each unit if you need to do any troubleshooting.
                    Thanks - just seems too simple. I may have to buy one of these.

                    Comment

                    • dbhost
                      Slow and steady
                      • Apr 2008
                      • 9209
                      • League City, Texas
                      • Ryobi BT3100

                      #11
                      I have a serious issue trusting powerline networking, mostly due to how dirty our power is here. I have UPSes all over the house. Maybe where Loring lives away from the coast it might be better, but here almsot on the bay power fluctuations are a fact of life...
                      Please like and subscribe to my YouTube channel. Please check out and subscribe to my Workshop Blog.

                      Comment

                      • atgcpaul
                        Veteran Member
                        • Aug 2003
                        • 4055
                        • Maryland
                        • Grizzly 1023SLX

                        #12
                        Originally posted by JSUPreston
                        That's exactly what I have. The sub was the original main panel, complete with screw in fuses when we moved in. It was upgraded to modern breakers shortly after. The current main panel has been upgraded as well.

                        My router/WAP is on the main panel. 2nd WAP is on the old/sub panel. The 2nd WAP is a Linksys WRT54G (2.2 hardware revision) that I'm running DD-WRT on. I have it set up as a repeater bridge. It's killing my wireless bandwidth, but it's temporary until I can run an Ethernet drop to that location.
                        So I'm replying from my laptop connected by Ethernet to the Powerline which is connected to my 50' retractable cord reel which is powered by my garage sub. Feeder line from the sub to the house is at least 75' and then another 20' to the other Powerline unit.

                        I also ran an Internet Speed Test (http://www.speedtest.net/). I'm always a little dubious of these things but it's reporting that I'm getting a download speed of 23.2Mbps and an upload speed of 9.92Mbps. I think I pay for 25 down/10 up.

                        So I'd say it will probably work off your sub.

                        Comment

                        • JSUPreston
                          Veteran Member
                          • Dec 2005
                          • 1189
                          • Montgomery, AL.
                          • Delta 36-979 w/Biesemyere fence kit making it a 36-982. Previous saw was BT3100-1.

                          #13
                          Well, I ordered the set from the jungle and got it in yesterday. As long as I was on the same panel, everything would sync properly. As soon as one went onto an outlet on the sub, they quit working. I tried several different outlets in different rooms on the sub with no luck.

                          I am sending back the adapters and will probably run a hard line this weekend. Placed an order for everything I think I'll need, and should get it Saturday.
                          "It's a dog eat dog world out there, and I'm wearing Milk-Bone underwear."- Norm (from Cheers)

                          Eat beef-because the west wasn't won on salad.

                          Comment

                          • atgcpaul
                            Veteran Member
                            • Aug 2003
                            • 4055
                            • Maryland
                            • Grizzly 1023SLX

                            #14
                            Bummer. Sorry it didn't work for you.

                            Comment

                            • JSUPreston
                              Veteran Member
                              • Dec 2005
                              • 1189
                              • Montgomery, AL.
                              • Delta 36-979 w/Biesemyere fence kit making it a 36-982. Previous saw was BT3100-1.

                              #15
                              It was worth a try. If it worked, I wouldn't have to do much labor, and it would've been cheaper.

                              Just for reference, do you have a whole house surge protector? We had one installed a few years ago on the main panel, and I wonder if that was what caused things not to work at my house.
                              "It's a dog eat dog world out there, and I'm wearing Milk-Bone underwear."- Norm (from Cheers)

                              Eat beef-because the west wasn't won on salad.

                              Comment

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