Ethernet over house power

[VK4CDI]

GD,
Anyone have any experience using ethernet over your house 240V wiring adapters?

My shack is some 25Mx away from the house, and I have tried a wireless connection which was hopeless. At the moment I have a very long ethernet cable across the lawn....
The latest Aldi cattledog has a pair of the above adapters, and they sound like the solution, but worried about interference.

Any thoughts appreciated

Phil VK4CDI

[VK3DXE]

Just had a fella here at work asking me about these. I told him I'm technically and philosophically opposed to them.

If BPL is anything to go by, I'd steer clear of them.

[VK2AVR]

I have used them in the past, prior to ham radio days, so I can't comment on any interference caused. My experience was that they were better than wireless (802.11g in a congested neighbourhood) but the units were fragile. One of them released its magic smoke and in the time it took the manufacturer to replace it under warranty I ran a cable, and have never looked back.

25 metres is an easy hop for WiFi, but you will need a directional antenna (or possibly one on each end). I'm currently building a tin can antenna based on this design:
http://newplans.net/WiFi/Directional/Types.htm
coupled with a USB wifi adapter having an RPSMA connector this is an easy build. I have also seen a couple of simulations stating that the tin can antenna has a couple of prominent side/rear lobes (approx 135 degrees away from the main forward lobe) and that a bisquare antenna has moderate gain but a much nicer pattern.

Have you got a laptop? How far into the garden do you get before the wireless drops out? A higher gain omni-directional antenna on the AP will get you better range, not a problem if your house is single storey, and a directional antenna at the shed will sort you out for MUCH less money than a pair of EoP adapters.

Geoff VK2MIA

[VK4KL]

Go the cantenna I used one (home brew using Milo tin) and they work great had reliable wifi connection out to around 150 meters.

Adrian
this is the one I made
http://www.turnpoint.net/wireless/cantennahowto.html

[VK4TI]

GD,
Anyone have any experience using ethernet over your house 240V wiring adapters?

My shack is some 25Mx away from the house, and I have tried a wireless connection which was hopeless. At the moment I have a very long ethernet cable across the lawn....
The latest Aldi cattledog has a pair of the above adapters, and they sound like the solution, but worried about interference.

Any thoughts appreciated

Phil VK4CDI

Lotsa ifs in thier use , if on the same phase , same circuit and if they dont interfere

I dislike them intensly as all to often they splash into the band I wont to use , a pair of cheap wireless routers under the eaves with a cheap directional antenna will do the job for you and using 5 gig will solve your problem .Or install that cable correctly

[VK4CDI]

Thanks for all the replies.....seems like they are not the way to go.....
The notebook that I use in the shack has an inbuilt antenna, so can't plug an external antenna in.....I could use 2 wireless devices to make a link, but 5Ghz out of the question, my Home theatre has a BelkinScreen cast that is on 5Ghz, can't interfere with the telly!!
I will probably string a cable from roof apex to apex and plug in that way, digging trenches through the XYL's lawn is not a good idea.......

Thanks
Phil VK4CDI

[VK6ADF]

I had limited access (otherwise known as poor access) from my shack to the main wireless router so I used one of these on my laptop and disabled the wireless on the laptop. Now have good access. My shack is not outside so don't know what range it has but there is the opportunity of changing the inbuilt antenna to an external with careful surgery I guess. The item cost me about $55.

http://www.dlink.com.au/products/?pid=DAP-1155

[VK4TI]

Thanks for all the replies.....seems like they are not the way to go.....
The notebook that I use in the shack has an inbuilt antenna, so can't plug an external antenna in.....I could use 2 wireless devices to make a link, but 5Ghz out of the question, my Home theatre has a BelkinScreen cast that is on 5Ghz, can't interfere with the telly!!
I will probably string a cable from roof apex to apex and plug in that way, digging trenches through the XYL's lawn is not a good idea.......

Thanks
Phil VK4CDI

The are other frequency's available to you for an external router , cheap and a cat5/6 plugin so it's easy enough ,and 5 gig has many available channels with little traffic . If you do string a cable only earth one end or you will suffer ground potential problems .

[VK2XSO]

Just when we thought BPL had gone the way of Video2000.
Another device to keep an eye out for.
http://www.justhdmi.co.uk/hdjuicebox/

[VK4TI]

GD,
Anyone have any experience using ethernet over your house 240V wiring adapters?

My shack is some 25Mx away from the house, and I have tried a wireless connection which was hopeless. At the moment I have a very long ethernet cable across the lawn....
The latest Aldi cattledog has a pair of the above adapters, and they sound like the solution, but worried about interference.

Any thoughts appreciated

Phil VK4CDI

If the whole shebang is on the same phse and circuit it might work , but will usually be noisy and interfere with a number of bands , if you can afford a very moderate amount then conduit , underground pre-terminated fibre and a couple of cheap da interfaces (50$ ) the pair , no chance of electrical or ground potential difficulties , fast and quite for very little money , pm if you need more advice

[VK3AUU]

If you use a nice sharp lawn edger you can bury an ethernet cable a few inches below the lawn.
Gain antennas on Wifi are of doubtful legality.

David

[VK2CSW]

I've been using POE adapters for about five years without issue.

Keep in mind that they do struggle across phases and the throughput is less that ethernet.

Regards

[VK2AVR]

Gain antennas on Wifi are of doubtful legality.

Not sure where you're getting your info from.

LIPD Class licence allows 4W EIRP @ 2.4GHz. As long as transmit power + antenna gain < 4W EIRP it is fine.