Networking without wires or wi-fi

[Feek]

Just had one of these delivered in the post..

http://img371.imageshack.us/img371/6497/dsc00021ko5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Networking without wi-fi (which is painfully slow in my house due to it being 50 years old with massive huge thick walls) over mains cabling. I've done a quick test here at work and it seems good so I'm hopeful that when I get home and use it for my Xbox that I'll get decent connectivity and be able to stream media to it :)

[Daz]

If they're 200Mbps then you should be fine, it'll never run that fast but even half that will do for most things :)

[Matblack]

Aitch's dad uses that to stream from his PC to his media centre, he has the 200Mb one and he gets good bandwidth with it not as Daz says 200mb but still enough to send video.

I'd consider it too if they weren't so fracking expensive!

MB

[Feek]

I didn't go with the 200Mb version, I've gone with 85Mb which is just a tad slower than if I'd get if I put some cable in. I'd think that would be perfectly good for what I want to stream.

[Daz]

Trouble is, it'll never run that quickly - it's theoretical (ie, you aren't actually using the wires for anything else, like say powering any devices). Either way it'll be fine for music and pictures but video? Depends on what you're streaming I guess.

[LeperousDust]

Doesn't this depend on the wiring of your house too? As in plug it in to two seperate loops and you won't get anywhere? Also your old old house with thick walls hopefully had the woefully age old shoddy wiring done in it's time rewired!

[Mark]

I've got the 200Mbps version too. I can sustain 15-20Mbps through it without any problem, but that seems to be about the limit for me. Luckily both digital TV and DVD max out around 10Mbps so it's more than enough (I was getting regular drop-outs on wifi despite having two 5dB antennae within line of sight). I do have both units plugged into surge suppression though which is something they say you shouldn't do.

[Feek]

I plugged it back in here and moved it to the other side of the office, did some throughput tests and got decent speeds so I'm hopeful that I'll be OK. I won't be going through any surge protectors and yes, we're not on the original wiring!

[Feek]

Right then. I've got an indicated connection speed between them of 60-65Mbps which the media centre setup thing reckons is about of a third of the way into the 'TV' part of it's bandwidth but nowhere near HDTV.

The couple of videos I've got in a suitable format play but stop and start a few times.

However, using TVersity, I've had no pausing problems at all. This is a good thing.

[Mark]

Is that indicated speed reported by the utility supplied with them, or a network test? I find the utilities are somewhat over-optimistic (or at least the Netgear ones are).

Just as aside, for TV, I'm not quite sure where it's getting it's numbers from. As a idea, BBC1 freeview is currently transmitting at 4.44-4.59 Mbps (it fluctuates a bit). EPG and Teletext data adds about another 2 Mbps on top of that. You'd probably need 70 Mbps for an entire Multiplex, but you can only watch one channel at a time anyway. :)

The stopping/starting thing is what I used to get over wi-fi. I did all I could to fix it but it just wouldn't have it. I still get it if I skip around the recording (while it plays catch-up), but other than that it's OK. I can't comment on TVersity as I don't know what file formats it uses, but if that's the main use then it seems like a winner.

[Daz]

However, using TVersity, I've had no pausing problems at all. This is a good thing.
By default it downscales by quite some way though - change the resolution settings to whatever your screen is running at on your 360 if you haven't already :)

[Admiral Huddy]

I'd like to have non-WiFi solution to my workshop.. Although I get a decent reception, at times the signal drops and is not that reliable.

I have thought about running some CAT5 cable to the workshop, then have a switch inside so I can plug other PCs into.

That said, Home Plug Ethernet would be great. The trouble I have is that the power in the workshop and the home have their own RCDs but are on the same meter. So I'm not sure if they are on the same circuit. My guess is that they are but it would be too expensive to findout that they don't work.

[Feek]

Want to borrow them to try?

[Admiral Huddy]

Want to borrow them to try?

might have to take you up on that :D

[Del Lardo]

As I'm sure a few of you are aware video is a right PITA as it is very sensitive to packet loss which is inherent in wireless. If you are serious about home based wireless video then Ruckus do some very good video specific wireless kit though I'm not sure if they deal with the general public or only with service providers.

Personally I'm not a great fan of powerline adaptors as most houses have upstairs/downstairs on different rings meaning that you either need to route cables or add in a wireless bridge to use it properly.

[Mark]

I was running two freeview streams simultaneously over my powerline yesterday. Accidentally, but it was good to see it worked.

[LeperousDust]

Surely in your case Huddy wireless would be better, you only need it to one place so you coluld use a directional antenna and get an easy 54mbs with the equipment you've already bought.

If i was in your situtaion though i probably would have just thrown cat5 in anyway with a switch...