using home wiring for ethernet connection

[Jim Beaver]

I've got a thing called a Slingbox that allows one to send one's cable TV box or TiVo signal through one's computer router, so that one can access the box or TiVo from any computer anywhere with internet capability.

For people whose routers are in a different part of the house from their cable box/TiVo, they have a product called SlingLink, which uses the household wiring to connect the Slingbox to the router.

SlingLink doesn't work for me, since apparently my router is on a different electrical circuit than my Slingbox/TiVo/cable box circuit.

I asked some computer sources about alternatives and got this:

"Wild guess- See if the two circuits are on the same "leg". If they aren't, swap one so they are and see if it works. If you don't know what I'm talking about, call your electrician buddy."

Anyone want to be my "electrician buddy" on this one?

Jim Beaver

[Toller]

I sure hope not! Takes a couple minutes, but if you do it wrong it could all be over in a couple minutes.

[RBM]

Your typical electrical service has two hot legs and one neutral leg that feed the house. These devices that use the wiring to transmit data often need to be attached to the same leg, or some type of bridge is required. As a test you could turn on any 240 appliance which may act as a bridge. If it works, find an electrician to install the transmitting and receiving circuits on the same leg

[Cliff Hartle]

My understanding is that you have 220 volts coming into your house this is split into 2 120 volt legs. The two devices have to be on the same leg.

Don't they make a wireless solution?

[gfretwell]

Turn the dryer on and see if it works.. ;-)

[AZ Nomad]

AC wiring is good for about 4800-9600 baud.

The phone lines are good for about 1mbps; you might be able to use them if they're cat-3.

Best bet is to string ethernet, or go wireless. Use repeaters if necessary.

[Chris Lewis]

That's so old-school.

Powerline Ethernet adapters are capable of 200Mbps or more.

Eg: Netgear

At that speed, it won't go through transformers, or even necessarily jump legs in an electrical panel - as the OP seems to be experiencing.

[AZ Nomad]

In other words, it has all the disadvantages of wireless and wired without the advantages of either.

[Bill Stock]

You need a phase coupler, there are several that plug into your Dryer outlet. Be sure to buy the right version ( 3 vs. 4 pin).

I stole this blurb from one companies web site:

Corinex PowerPhase Coupler - Model D3 3 Pin Dryer Coupler - When the outlets in just one room or section of your house have a noticeably weak Powerline network connection, it may mean that those rooms are on a different circuit. The Corinex PowerPhase Coupler joins together the Powerline network frequencies from separate circuits. Simply plug in the coupler to extend your Powerline signal to the adjoining circuits. / US,CAN / CXZ-CXP-PH2-D3-1.1

They can also be installed in your fuse panel, but if you need an electrical buddy I don't recommend it.

[Chris Lewis]

According to AZ Nomad :

Not really.

Not going through transformers is a feature, not a bug - you know your neighbors can't receive it, without having to encrypt it. Not jumping legs is probably not universal, and easily rectified. Likely better reliability/consistency throughout a whole house than wireless if the hub can't be optimally placed. Wireless phones won't interfere with it. Doesn't need holes drilled/wire laid like wired. Connects to your ethernet connector, no awkward wireless cards - (for us Linux weenies, not having to worry about whether your laptop's wireless is supported in the OS is a nice feature).

The main disadvantage seems to be that they're relatively new, not terribly common (yet) and still fairly high price.

If they were more available, I'd probably switch to it from wireless.

[trader4]

In most cases, there is no transformer seperating your house from a neighbors. A typical transformer installation serves more than one house. Now the signal still may not get far enough for your neighbor to be able to recover data, but this isn't any kind of security guarantee. It's like having a wireless with no encription and relying on distance outside the house for security.

Not jumping

More and more people are using notebooks and similar today and for years they've been coming with wireless already built-in. With wireless, you can use those devices not only in your house, but when staying at hotels, traveling, Starbucks, etc. So, I don't see much market today for these powerline devices, except for peculiar apps, like the one the OP has.

[Mark Lloyd]

And of the two, ethernet is much preferable. It's faster and much simpler (and so more reliable).

[dpb]

Been using one here for several years for the desktops -- in older homes, particularly as this one, multilevel, it's the cat's meow, so to speak...

--

[Meat Plow]

Wireless ethernet is your friend.

[CJT]

It shares one advantage with wireless -- the possibility of avoiding the need for new wiring.

Not going through transformers could be considered a security "feature."

:-)

[CJT]

How so? Whole blocks of houses can share a transformer.

Not jumping

[Mark Lloyd]

IF a (much simpler) ethernet cable won't work.