The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group 240v Ethernet George Skarbek gskarbek@melbpc.org.au |
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When WiFi won't work and you can't drill holes, try sending your network around the house via the mains wiring. George Skarbek investigates. |
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NetComm's Turbo Wireless HomePlug NP290W is a useful device for computer users living or working in a large solid brick building and who would like to use wireless connectivity. Often this is impractical because the broadband wireless modem is too distant and the resultant signal strength is too weak to penetrate the brick walls. Drilling holes through solid brick to run Ethernet is an expensive solution and for this reason the HomePlug devices are popular as they use the existing 240 volt wiring to run the Ethernet signal to parts of the house or office. (See the review in November 2007 issue of PC Update) |
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The Wireless HomePlug takes this one step further. It allows you to use the
existing 240 volt wiring to send the Ethernet signal to a wireless device (also
containing one Ethernet port) where several users can be within range.
A typical home setup would be where the incoming ASDL line is in the downstairs
office in the front of the house and the kids' bedrooms are upstairs in the back
of the solid brick house. In such a case, installing a normal wireless router
would not work as the signal strength would be too weak upstairs and not usable.
Using the NP290W would overcome this problem and
the solution will be cheaper
than having to run a Cat 5
cable to an upstairs router.
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Setup Getting this combination working is delightfully simple. Just plug the HomePlug into a standard 240 volt power point near the router and connect the Ethernet cable then plug in the wireless unit in a room where the laptop is. Then switch on the laptop, click on Show Available Networks and connect to the one called yournetworkname. No software or any other configuration is required for you to be able to use the Internet or to connect to the other computers, assuming that you've created a share name on the other computers. However, for security reasons you must read the manual in order to protect yourself from having your neighbours using your bandwidth.
Performance |
The benchmark was with the two computers connected via an Ethernet cable. The
time for this test was
1.39 seconds which represents 9.6 MB/Sec or 78.8 Mbps which is very close to the
maximum 100 Mbps that the Ethernet is capable of.
The first test was with the laptop next to the NP290W HomePlug and all on the
same power board next to the main computer. The average signal strength was -25
dBm and the time was approximately 10 second but this varied a bit
due to interference from other wireless networks in the vicinity.
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Moving the laptop to the floor below resulted in the time increasing to 13
seconds, representing just over 8 Mbps. However, this is more than adequate for
using the Internet as not many users are over 512 Kbps or 0.5 Mbps. (Signal
strength was down to approximately -45 dBm or over 100 times weaker) Moving the laptop to the carport which is behind a fireproof brick wall, the wireless signal was too weak to make any connection, however by moving the NP2900W HomePlug into the carport power point, and having the laptop a few metres away the transfer rate was still about 8 Mbps, quite acceptable. The street price for the wireless HomePlug combo including one NP285 Turbo HomePlug and one NP290W HomePlug is under $250. |
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Conclusion
This can be a useful solution
in some situations and can be expanded as required in the future.
Reprinted from the January / February 2008 issue of PC Update, the magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia
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