Powerline Networking Questions

Aidoscuz · 20 Oct 2008 at 23:49

Hey all

I need to help someone extend the range of their wireless network. At the moment they have a Belkin N1 modem router and a Belkin Wireless Universal Range Extender as they have a big house. The range extender is extremely unstable though, it drops its connection about 3 or 4 times a day.

I was looking at ways of extending the range of the wireless network and I came across the Netgear WGXB102 Powerline range extender. It seems like a great idea - will it work with the Belkin router or is it only designed to work with Netgear products? And can anyone who owns it let me know how good the reception is?

Also if anyone has any other suggestions for boosting range that'd be great.

Thanks

Skidilliplop · 21 Oct 2008 at 12:45

I don't own one but certainly seen similar products that work ok. the only communication that is likely to be proprietary is over the power circuit. Wirelessly it'll use an 802.11 standard and thus should work with any wireless kit and any ethernet connection to the router is again a global standard and will work with anything.

To be 100% do you have a link to the netgear site page for the product?

Aidoscuz · 21 Oct 2008 at 22:20

Thanks for the reply. Here's the link to it.

Skidilliplop · 22 Oct 2008 at 09:46

According to that link it's just an ethernet bridge so it won't do wireless, it'll be effectively like running a cat5 cable into the room then you wire your PC into the other end. The only brand I can think of that make them is homeplug but I'm sure there are more.
Such a device would take a cat5 from the back of the router, to the power socket. Then there's what is effectively a wifi access point that plugs in wherever you want to on the power circuit.

hope that helps.

Aidoscuz · 22 Oct 2008 at 20:41

The WGXB102 is a kit as far as I know - it comes with a wired bridge (XE102) and an access point (WGX102) as well. Seems like powerline in general is universally compatible so I think it'd be safe to tell my friend to order one. Thanks for the help

errata · 23 Oct 2008 at 14:33

The link was to a kit, powerline/homeplug replaces ethernet cabling, the bridge would be used to insert the signal into the mains from the main router, the wap can extract this and provide a wireless access point elseere just as if there was a cable between it and the router.

That kit is really old and uses the slowest form of powerline at 14 mbps, you should aim for 85 mbps kit at least as its current and cheap (200 mbps is availble)

You may find it easier to abandon the extender and use 2 homeplug/powerlines for whatever it is that needs access this would cost abot £40-50 for 2 plugs

or if the issue is the ability of the router and extender to maintain signal then this might be improved if you feed the extender via powerline from the router

superflyguy · 25 Oct 2008 at 22:47

Yeah get yourself 2 devolo 200Mbps, plug the ethernet cable from the router into one and then just plug the other adapter into any socket.
You then just plug the device into the socket.
He could plug a switch into it and then have upmteen LAN ports to play with or a wireless access point to extend the wireless range.
Choice is his and job done!

Aidoscuz · 8 Nov 2008 at 19:18

That sounds like a much better option! I've found a nice and cheap 85 Mbps kit elsewhere, so if should any wireless access point work with this setup? I didn't know you could plug a wireless access point into a wireless router to boost the range. I used to have a Netgear WG602 access point plugged into my old Netgear DG814 wired router to get wifi but I assumed there'd be problems with having two units broadcasting the wireless signal or something like that.

So basically he needs to buy 2 powerline adapters (like an 85 Mbps equivalent of this) and a Netgear WG602 access point (or some other model)?