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Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: tunnie on 17 February 2014, 15:51:37

Title: BT Powerline Adaptors
Post by: tunnie on 17 February 2014, 15:51:37
Any good?

http://www.ebuyer.com/620076-bt-triple-pack-200mbps-powerline-adaptor-3-x-075595 (http://www.ebuyer.com/620076-bt-triple-pack-200mbps-powerline-adaptor-3-x-075595)

Thinking I may get these, when eventually my Home Hub is delivered  ::)
Title: Re: BT Powerline Adaptors
Post by: pscocoa on 17 February 2014, 15:57:32
if you want hd then they cannot be used with bt vision/youview - ok for sd but you will have to direct wire for hd and any special channels - discovery etc. you maybe with sky so maybe there is a variation but check it out
Title: Re: BT Powerline Adaptors
Post by: Kevin Wood on 17 February 2014, 15:57:48
Get some Cat 5 instead. :y
Title: Re: BT Powerline Adaptors
Post by: tunnie on 17 February 2014, 16:05:00
if you want hd then they cannot be used with bt vision/youview - ok for sd but you will have to direct wire for hd and any special channels - discovery etc. you maybe with sky so maybe there is a variation but check it out

Not interested in BT Vision/YouView, only getting BB  :y

Get some Cat 5 instead. :y

MrsT won't allow me to start making holes in our shinny new house  ::)

Only looking for a better/stronger connection for my laptop on the 2nd floor, oh and my PC.
Title: Re: BT Powerline Adaptors
Post by: pscocoa on 17 February 2014, 16:12:14
i have used powerline effectively - works best if you have separate socket for adaptor and not on extension lead
Title: Re: BT Powerline Adaptors
Post by: aaronjb on 17 February 2014, 16:15:08
MrsT won't allow me to start making holes in our shinny new house  ::)

(http://www.balljars.net/images/BPM-red-a.jpg)

 :P ;D
Title: Re: BT Powerline Adaptors
Post by: Stemo on 17 February 2014, 16:16:51
if you want hd then they cannot be used with bt vision/youview - ok for sd but you will have to direct wire for hd and any special channels - discovery etc. you maybe with sky so maybe there is a variation but check it out

Not interested in BT Vision/YouView, only getting BB  :y

Get some Cat 5 instead. :y

MrsT won't allow me to start making holes in our shinny new house  ::)

Only looking for a better/stronger connection for my laptop on the 2nd floor, oh and my PC.
I use them, Tunnie, and they seem fine to me. But some folk don't like them for reasons unknown. They work for my skybox and my PC upstairs.
Title: Re: BT Powerline Adaptors
Post by: Gaffers on 17 February 2014, 16:17:24
Get some Cat 5 instead. :y

Which reminds me, the missus is leaving for 2 weeks holibobs.  Time to wire the house! :y

MrsT won't allow me to start making holes in our shinny new house  ::)

Neither will Mrs G, but I will use the TV ariel feed to reverse pull a line up to the loft from where I can pull down the CAT5 feeds I need for down stairs.  Cisco switch and patch panel in the airing cupboard (as we have a combi boiler there is no hot water storage in there) if it gets too hot in the summer I will make a thermo regulated vent with the air in the stairwell or loft :y

With that setup I can put the wireless router downstairs where I get better coverage across the property, have a hard line feed to the media setup downstairs and eventually fit out the house with remote touch-screen media clients, including one planned for the bathroom (but still no idea as to how I will do it yet)  Oh and dont forget the automated house I have planned.

It will probably all be finished by the time I am ready to move out ;D
Title: Re: BT Powerline Adaptors
Post by: AndyRoid on 17 February 2014, 16:35:19
MrsT won't allow me to start making holes in our shinny new house  ::)
Can't say I blame her, you're not exactly the DIY type  ;D

As Kevin says, hardwired is the way to go but if that is really not an option then I would personally suggest adaptors that can do 500mbps full duplex as opposed to the 200mbps variety (especially if you intend to stream HD).

Title: Re: BT Powerline Adaptors
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 17 February 2014, 16:38:48
Why not just get a bloody good wifi router?
Title: Re: BT Powerline Adaptors
Post by: Kevin Wood on 17 February 2014, 16:43:23
Why not just get a bloody good wifi router?

Yep, despite the huge claimed data rates, a decent wi-fi network will work better in practice, IMHO, especially in a new house with paper walls. :y
Title: Re: BT Powerline Adaptors
Post by: pscocoa on 17 February 2014, 16:56:11
yes - but some houses with thick Victorian walls just cannot allow a decent wifi signal to permeate.

Just re-engineered my daughters place to give better wifi signal at front of house - new latest Virgin wifi router installed - but to get signal to opposite end of house we previously had 25 metres of cable externally - now using powerline adaptors and stripped all cable out. Working fine. Wifi signal - no chance.
Title: Re: BT Powerline Adaptors
Post by: I_want_an_Omega on 17 February 2014, 17:08:51
My place has some very thick old stone walls (over 2 feet thick) and more modern parts made of paper plasterboard/studwork. I'm using multiple Netgear PoE access points  - one of which covers the whole of the modern extension but needs individual units located throughout the thick-walled bit.

Key things like the TV & Youview box get cat 5 wired connections.  :y
Title: Re: BT Powerline Adaptors
Post by: TheBoy on 17 February 2014, 17:24:09
Cable. Grow knackers :P

Failing that, a better router, the HH5 is better than a lot of ISP routers for wifi, but ultimately still poor.

If you have to go powerline adapters, not those old, obselete ones, go for a minimum of 500Mbps ones, and accept the throughput will be very poor. Very, very poor.

But fit some cable.
Title: Re: BT Powerline Adaptors
Post by: pscocoa on 17 February 2014, 17:45:05
Cable. Grow knackers :P

Failing that, a better router, the HH5 is better than a lot of ISP routers for wifi, but ultimately still poor.

If you have to go powerline adapters, not those old, obselete ones, go for a minimum of 500Mbps ones, and accept the throughput will be very poor. Very, very poor.

But fit some cable.
Yes think about this very carefully, consider all options... and then fit cable. Unless you are not too bothered about speed in the remote location.
Title: Re: BT Powerline Adaptors
Post by: tunnie on 17 February 2014, 19:06:11
Cheers all :)

A decent WiFi router is considerably more than these Power Plug network jobbies, hence going for these. All heavy media downloads will be going wired into the router, I just want a slightly improved connection for upstairs, bit of VPN, possible online games.
Title: Re: BT Powerline Adaptors
Post by: chrisgixer on 17 February 2014, 19:37:18
Why not just get a bloody good wifi router?

In my case, because the ps3 wifi has failed, and the router is upstairs in the office.

...and no, I won't be buying a new ps4 or xbox1 instead.

Although we don't even have a bb connection ATM. ::)
Title: Re: BT Powerline Adaptors
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 18 February 2014, 08:09:47
yes - but some houses with thick Victorian walls just cannot allow a decent wifi signal to permeate.

Just re-engineered my daughters place to give better wifi signal at front of house - new latest Virgin wifi router installed - but to get signal to opposite end of house we previously had 25 metres of cable externally - now using powerline adaptors and stripped all cable out. Working fine. Wifi signal - no chance.

The wireless routers supplied FOC are rubbish, truely hopeless in my experience.

Even in the MIL's house where the internal walls are built using blocks made from Weldon spoil (e.g. iron ore), the wifi signal works well with a GOOD wireless router and hopeless with a naf Netgear free job.

 :y
Title: Re: BT Powerline Adaptors
Post by: Allenm on 18 February 2014, 10:21:16
yes - but some houses with thick Victorian walls just cannot allow a decent wifi signal to permeate.

Just re-engineered my daughters place to give better wifi signal at front of house - new latest Virgin wifi router installed - but to get signal to opposite end of house we previously had 25 metres of cable externally - now using powerline adaptors and stripped all cable out. Working fine. Wifi signal - no chance.

The wireless routers supplied FOC are rubbish, truely hopeless in my experience.

Even in the MIL's house where the internal walls are built using blocks made from Weldon spoil (e.g. iron ore), the wifi signal works well with a GOOD wireless router and hopeless with a naf Netgear free job.

 :y

Have you got a make/model of a good wireless router?  My HH4 can only be seen in half the house and I'd rather not spend a day ripping floorboards up to run Cat5 round the place.

Title: Re: BT Powerline Adaptors
Post by: tunnie on 18 February 2014, 11:23:44
yes - but some houses with thick Victorian walls just cannot allow a decent wifi signal to permeate.

Just re-engineered my daughters place to give better wifi signal at front of house - new latest Virgin wifi router installed - but to get signal to opposite end of house we previously had 25 metres of cable externally - now using powerline adaptors and stripped all cable out. Working fine. Wifi signal - no chance.

The wireless routers supplied FOC are rubbish, truely hopeless in my experience.

Even in the MIL's house where the internal walls are built using blocks made from Weldon spoil (e.g. iron ore), the wifi signal works well with a GOOD wireless router and hopeless with a naf Netgear free job.

 :y

Have you got a make/model of a good wireless router?  My HH4 can only be seen in half the house and I'd rather not spend a day ripping floorboards up to run Cat5 round the place.

Also these HH5's I think have some kind of fibre unit built in? (as no box on the wall is needed now apparently)

So would that mean turning the HH5 into a switch? With a new WiFi router going off the HH?  :-\ :-\
Title: Re: BT Powerline Adaptors
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 18 February 2014, 11:46:20
I use an Asus AC66U dark Knight....wireless is pretty stunning on it!

The HH5 has no fibre port, it does have an integrated VDSL modem (as you are often supplied a seperate naff VDSL modem so it does away with this)

HH5 is supposed to have much improved wifi thanks to the triple antenna setup but, there internal so compromised somehwat (form over function).

Title: Re: BT Powerline Adaptors
Post by: tunnie on 18 February 2014, 11:48:59
This one?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Asus-RT-N66U-Wireless-streaming-Warranty/dp/B007W16SMO (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Asus-RT-N66U-Wireless-streaming-Warranty/dp/B007W16SMO)

Will see how I get on with HH5 first  :)
Title: Re: BT Powerline Adaptors
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 18 February 2014, 11:57:18
Yep.

They do a version with built in modem for more money but, the wifi is not as good due to the internal antenna configuration
Title: Re: BT Powerline Adaptors
Post by: biggriffin on 18 February 2014, 12:11:59
The vigin super hub 2 works all round our house.
some people must live in bigger mansion, bigger than 3 bedrooms. :)
Title: Re: BT Powerline Adaptors
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 18 February 2014, 12:17:05
The vigin super hub 2 works all round our house.
some people must live in bigger mansion, bigger than 3 bedrooms. :)

Also a well respected performer (its a Netgear unit actualy), not nearly as good wifi (twin internal antennas) but above average.

Can you tell i spent weeks researching this before buying  ;D
Title: Re: BT Powerline Adaptors
Post by: biggriffin on 18 February 2014, 12:24:00
I would never had guessed, i just go for free stuff, which is what i thought mr tunnie would do,or ask somebody at the rodeo were he works for a freebie.

for those thinking  rodeo=cowboys ;D
Title: Re: BT Powerline Adaptors
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 18 February 2014, 12:26:59
He wont want to do that as the ones that Sky supply are utter rubbish and dont even have GigE ports  ;D ;D

I guess its in line with the 'reliable receiver' policy they clearly have  ;D ;D ;D :y
Title: Re: BT Powerline Adaptors
Post by: biggriffin on 18 February 2014, 12:29:55
So as stated a 2bit cowboy company,.
wont have it as its over priced.and you can only watch one Chanel at a time..
rant over
Title: Re: BT Powerline Adaptors
Post by: tunnie on 18 February 2014, 12:38:53
So as stated a 2bit cowboy company,.
wont have it as its over priced.and you can only watch one Chanel at a time..
rant over

Eh? Current HD or plus boxes have twin tuners. Record something, watch something else. Or record 2 and watch on demand or previous recording.
Title: Re: BT Powerline Adaptors
Post by: aaronjb on 18 February 2014, 12:41:14
tunnie - if you want to borrow a pair of powerline adapters (200Mbit or 500Mbit), let me know.. I'm not using my 200Mbit pair and I'm 'rarely' using the 500Mbit ones.
Title: Re: BT Powerline Adaptors
Post by: biggriffin on 18 February 2014, 12:43:47
Record one then watch another, ive got videos with programs on i still haven't watched. I don't have time to sit down and watch and recorded endless American c**p, and as for football please explain that.
 :(
Title: Re: BT Powerline Adaptors
Post by: tunnie on 18 February 2014, 12:44:55
tunnie - if you want to borrow a pair of powerline adapters (200Mbit or 500Mbit), let me know.. I'm not using my 200Mbit pair and I'm 'rarely' using the 500Mbit ones.

Cheers. Might very well so that. Been informed Fibre has now been installed. Week after next will be setting my office up, so may need these.

Thanks  :y
Title: Re: BT Powerline Adaptors
Post by: tunnie on 18 February 2014, 12:48:33
Record one then watch another, ive got videos with programs on i still haven't watched. I don't have time to sit down and watch and recorded endless American c**p, and as for football please explain that.
 :(

So why rant about only being able to watch one thing at a time?  :-\

Sports is an addon.

There is no law saying you need pay tv, so why worry?

Maybe i should rant about Holland & Barret, all those expensive, pointless pills? Cowboy company that  ::)  ;D
Title: Re: BT Powerline Adaptors
Post by: chrisgixer on 18 February 2014, 13:50:07
To me, if the super hub 2 wasn't so good, I would of kept the n900 wifi router, and just plugged it into whatever router they send.

The n900 wifi router has greater range than the sh2 by about 20ft even sending the signal from the far side of the house, with dual band networks over 2.4 and 5ghz.

That was all really. :)
Title: Re: BT Powerline Adaptors
Post by: tunnie on 18 February 2014, 13:53:13
To me, if the super hub 2 wasn't so good, I would of kept the n900 wifi router, and just plugged it into whatever router they send.

In my London flat I had Virgin's 'Super Hub', all I can say is that it was super shite!

1 one bed flat, wifi struggled to reach the bedroom from the living room, the walls were solid (1936 build), but still should have done better.

I will have had all 3 soon, so be good to compare.
Title: Re: BT Powerline Adaptors
Post by: chrisgixer on 18 February 2014, 13:56:50
Both networks?
Title: Re: BT Powerline Adaptors
Post by: biggriffin on 18 February 2014, 13:59:05
To me, if the super hub 2 wasn't so good, I would of kept the n900 wifi router, and just plugged it into whatever router they send.

In my London flat I had Virgin's 'Super Hub', all I can say is that it was super shite!

1 one bed flat, wifi struggled to reach the bedroom from the living room, the walls were solid (1936 build), but still should have done better.

I will have had all 3 soon, so be good to compare.

must have been a,pattern part.. ;)
Title: Re: BT Powerline Adaptors
Post by: tunnie on 18 February 2014, 14:04:01
Both networks?

As in BT/Virgin Cable/Sky?

To me, if the super hub 2 wasn't so good, I would of kept the n900 wifi router, and just plugged it into whatever router they send.


In my London flat I had Virgin's 'Super Hub', all I can say is that it was super shite!

1 one bed flat, wifi struggled to reach the bedroom from the living room, the walls were solid (1936 build), but still should have done better.

I will have had all 3 soon, so be good to compare.

must have been a,pattern part.. ;)


Nope was a 'Genuine' Virgin Media part  ::)
Title: Re: BT Powerline Adaptors
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 18 February 2014, 14:07:56
To me, if the super hub 2 wasn't so good, I would of kept the n900 wifi router, and just plugged it into whatever router they send.

In my London flat I had Virgin's 'Super Hub', all I can say is that it was super shite!

1 one bed flat, wifi struggled to reach the bedroom from the living room, the walls were solid (1936 build), but still should have done better.

I will have had all 3 soon, so be good to compare.

Yes, super hub one was an awful bit of kit (Netgear CG3101D)
Title: Re: BT Powerline Adaptors
Post by: chrisgixer on 18 February 2014, 14:13:43
Sorry yes. Superhub 1 was a disgrace. Hence we complained and got the 2, which was initially reserved for customers with 100meg packages.

2 is Far far better. (And has two networks, one on 2.4ghz and one on 5ghz like the n900 wifi router.)
Title: Re: BT Powerline Adaptors
Post by: chrisgixer on 18 February 2014, 14:15:27
They have now dropped the sh1. All Vm customers now get sh2. Genuine only of course. ;)
Title: Re: BT Powerline Adaptors
Post by: tunnie on 18 February 2014, 14:18:18
They have now dropped the sh1. All Vm customers now get sh2. Genuine only of course. ;)

Not surprised it was terrible, not even basic proxy options  :(
Title: Re: BT Powerline Adaptors
Post by: aaronjb on 18 February 2014, 14:23:53
They have now dropped the sh1. All Vm customers now get sh2. Genuine only of course. ;)

Not surprised it was terrible, not even basic proxy options  :(

Yeah.. only advanced poxy options.. ;D
Title: Re: BT Powerline Adaptors
Post by: TheBoy on 18 February 2014, 20:05:34
TB Towers uses a Draytek 2920n, only does 2.4Ghz wifi (mines quite old now), but very good wifi coverage, despite the hostile environment (39 other 2.4Ghz APs visible from router location). Also has the capability to do other stuff well...  ...if only Draytek didn't keep cocking up the firmwares  ::)

Pricey, even compared to the ASUS, but worth it. Looking at replacing, due to age, but nothing else seems to fit the bill.
Title: Re: BT Powerline Adaptors
Post by: TheBoy on 18 February 2014, 20:07:49
The HH5 has no fibre port, it does have an integrated VDSL modem (as you are often supplied a seperate naff VDSL modem so it does away with this)
The vDSL modem supplied by OR isn't a bad performer, assuming you have the right one (ideally needs to match DSLAM manufacturer). And the earlier versions of the Huawei ones cook, but should have been swapped out a couple of years back