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home plug connections

I

IJ36

Member
Hi,

Can anyone advise me on a connection question?

I have the Humax T2 PVR in one room, a T2 in another room which I use, also, for accessing recordings on the PVR and all of this is connected to my PC upstairs, through home plug adapters, so mains wiring. and the broadband router ( Sorry if this is long winded, just trying to make it clear before my question)

I, also, have a PC downstairs, but the wifi connection used on this one drives us mad with constant connectivity and speed problems. Can I connect the home plug to this second computer, and get internet access through that, and then connect the computer to the nearby T2 without messing up its connection to the T2 PVR?
 
IJ36 said:
Can I connect the home plug to this second computer, and get internet access through that, and then connect the computer to the nearby T2 without messing up its connection to the T2 PVR?
Click to expand...
The best wat to do this would be to connect a switch (eg http://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-Unm...FSPY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326880032&sr=8-1) to the Homeplug and run cables to the PC and HDR (suggest you don't call them T2s as it doesn't distinguish between the HD and HDR which can be important sometimes).
 
The theory of HomePlug is that it creates a network on your mains wiring. You can use just two and get a point-to-point link (which is how I read your second paragraph), but what I have done is to connect one HomePlug at the broadband router which then adds the mains network to my whole home network (Ethernet and WiFi), so now anything connected to another HomePlug can see all the other devices on the network including the broadband terminal.

Any device which is inconvenient to add to the network by WiFi or Cat5 can then be added to the network using another HomePlug adapter - plug it in, introduce it to the current HomePlug network, and away you go. HomePlug is a bit like WiFi though - Cat5 Ethernet has individual connections back to the router, all of which can work at full speed all the time, WiFi and HomePlug have a single common connection shared between all the devices on that sub-network so there can be contention and interference (and in the case of WiFi contention and interference from outside).

I advise using the same make of HomePlug adapters throughout, and the same speed rating - they are supposed to all be compatible, but if it doesn't work and you have adapters from two different manufacturers, who do you blame?

Further advice: 85Mbps should be plenty enough for video streaming. I use AV200, and I see little point in using the expensive 500 and 1000Mbps units.

Does that answer your question?
 
Hi,
Ok, just to clarify - my home plugs are all of the same make, and I have three, one connected to the router, one to the HDR and one to the HD. They are all the Devolo 85Mbps units.
My question is whether general connection to the internet will work better through a wired system of home plug rather than the wifi dongle I am using now and would I have to buy another home plug or can I just connect to the PC in question by using the one I have and then connecting this PC to the HD? Or am I better then buying the advised link equipment? Also, in doing this I don't want to lose the connection between the boxes.
Thanks
 
IJ36 said:
My question is whether general connection to the internet will work better through a wired system of home plug rather than the wifi dongle I am using now
Click to expand...
That, in general terms, is an impossible question to answer as it will depend on various factors local to you. If WifFi is not satisfactory then the Homelugs may well be an improvement.
and would I have to buy another home plug
Click to expand...
Buying another Homeplug would be one way to do it.
or can I just connect to the PC in question by using the one I have and then connecting this PC to the HD?
Click to expand...
What I don't understand is how you propose to do this? Personally I would use a switch as stated previously.
 
IJ36 said:
I, also, have a PC downstairs, but the wifi connection used on this one drives us mad with constant connectivity and speed problems. Can I connect the home plug to this second computer, and get internet access through that, and then connect the computer to the nearby T2 without messing up its connection to the T2 PVR?
Click to expand...
I don't think we quite understand what you intend to do (a diagram would be great).

I presume your WiFi base station is the typical broadband router provided by your ISP. Any equipment you wish to have communicating with each other on your home network and/or with the external Internet needs to be linked (somehow) to the broadband router. You can do this by direct Cat5 (wire) connection, WiFi, or HomePlug. By connecting a HomePlug to the router, every other HomePlug on your mains ring will communicate with it and therefore the router. If you have something that is out of range of the WiFi, and you don't want to wire, then HomePlug it.

Once everything can communicate with the router, then everything can also communicate with everything else.
 
My thoughts were that once connecting the home plug to PC with ethernet cable I could then just cable from the PC to the HD box
 
IJ36 said:
My thoughts were that once connecting the home plug to PC with ethernet cable I could then just cable from the PC to the HD box
Click to expand...

That is possible, but can be a relatively complex set-up depending on what end result you want. You'd be much better implementing a hub/switch or similar.

If your PC operating system supports Internet Connection Sharing of some kind and you only need PC - to - Humax and Humax - to - PC and Humax - to - Internet connectivity then it is possible to do what you want without having to set up routing.
 
I think the bit people are not sure of is how would you connect the PC to the HD box. Is it Via USB, LAN cable etc?
 
IJ36 said:
My thoughts were that once connecting the home plug to PC with ethernet cable I could then just cable from the PC to the HD box
Click to expand...
Does your PC have two network ports? I am sorry to bang on but connecting the Homeplug to a switch and then taking a cable to the PC and a cable to the HDR will be a fit and forget solution.
 
Thanks for all of the replies. I am going to have to think it all through more and think too on the solutions suggested which are much appreciated.
 
Hi,
I also use home plug networking.
In my case, my wireless broadband router is upstairs, and the wireless signal downstairs was very poor.
I solved this by buying a separate wireless access point (important distinction, as it can't be used as a direct internet connection router). Its purpose is to create an additional network point (in this case wireless). It's also a 4-port wired network hub.
1. So I connect the wireless access point to a home plug downstairs.
2. I connect the Humax to the access point via a wired ethernet connection.
3. My laptop connects to the access point wirelessly
4. My internet router (upstairs) is also a 4-port ethernet hub, so I've got a wired ethernet connection from the router to a second home plug.
5. Hey presto, everything's connected.
My Humax can see my laptop over the wireless access point (which is set up as a media server) and my desktop (which is also set up as a media server).
The 2 computers can also see the Humax (which has content sharing switched on).

Hope this helps.

Who Max?
 
MartinLiddle said:
The best wat to do this would be to connect a switch (eg http://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-Unm...FSPY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326880032&sr=8-1) to the Homeplug and run cables to the PC and HD
Click to expand...
I have one of those masterplug towere with 2 LAN/Ethernet ports (1 in and 1 out). I have tried various ways of achieving whatI want to do, through this, but, Ithinkmore ethernet ports/connections are needed such as through the TP-Link that you recommended. Can you give me more info on your set up. Getting a good connection now through the home plug to the internet, when before it was always dropping out, but would be great to connect the HD now too.

Sorry Martin this is meant to be with your quote above.
 
IJ36 said:
I have one of those masterplug towere with 2 LAN/Ethernet ports (1 in and 1 out).
Click to expand...
What make and model? (otherwise any advice is guessing).
Can you give me more info on your set up.
Click to expand...
If you need to go down this route then buy a switch (the TP-Link is just an example of a cheap switch). You will need two extra network leads. Remove the connection from the HomePlug to the PC and connect the HomePlug to one of the ports on the switch. Connect the PC to another port on the switch; connect the Humax to another port on the switch. That is it; everything should then work. However wait and see if we can do it with what you have when we know the make and model.
 
The masterplug tower thing IS NOT an Ethernet hub, you are supposed to connect a single link through it to filter out spikes.
 
Wrong about the masterplug, thanks Black Hole. Thought it could be used for dual purpose.


MartinLiddle said:
What make and model? (otherwise any advice is guessing).
Click to expand...
The HomePlug is Devolo 85Mbps. The Humax near the PC is the T2 HD which I use for streaming recordings from the Humax T2 HDR. The PC is virtually home built through a contact (but no longer contactable to advise) it comes up as Elonex. It does have a spare USB port and firewire ports. Just a thought - wondering if any of these could be used for connectivity rather than the switch.

If not I will stop going on about this and go get the switch.

Thanks[
 
IJ36 said:
It does have a spare USB port and firewire ports. Just a thought - wondering if any of these could be used for connectivity rather than the switch.
Click to expand...

All sorts of things are possible eg USB to network adaptors but for your case they are not a good idea.
If not I will stop going on about this and go get the switch.
Click to expand...
Get a switch.
 
All up and working great with the switch.

Thanks for your help Martin and thank you to everyone who replied. The site is a real help to a novice like me.
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