Carpmart Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 Help needed please... I bow down to the collective knowledge of the MSUK community, mainly because the average age is probably well below half of mine.... IT knowledge seems to be directly yet invertedly linked to age .... I've an old TP link 200MB setup, which I use to extend signal, from my router to my 'shed'. This runs over the twin an earth ring, then creates a wifi signal which I connect to in the shed. I need to upgrade this. I base this purely on running speedtest.net and getting 64MB down when connected to the router directly and around 2Mb when running the same test in the man cave/shed... Can anyone recommend me a good direct replacement which will allow me to get much closer to the 64mb I could be getting? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smeghead28 Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 Could you not move the router nearer the shed? Also have you tried a Wifi extender? I doubt uprgrading the powerline adapters would help as the ones you have should be capable of doing the job. With powerline adapters they should be plugged directly into a socket on there own and not into an extension lead or 2-3 way adpateralso they should not be plugged a RCD type socket. It could be that the shed is on a different ring main to the rest of the house (it should be) but it is my understanding that the powerline adapters should be on the same ring main circuit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madmini Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 Echoing what's said above. Replacing the network over mains kit won't solve the issue. What might work better if you can do it is to run a bit of shielded cat5e into the shed. Connect one end to the router the other end to a wifi access point. No idea if this is feasible or not but its what I would do if it were possible Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carpmart Posted September 18, 2015 Author Share Posted September 18, 2015 Thanks for the replies chaps. I was told wifi extenders (this is a couple of years back when I was told) would consume bandwidth/assets of the service from my main router.. Is this true? Any recommendations of a wifi extender to use? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carpmart Posted September 18, 2015 Author Share Posted September 18, 2015 I can't run Cat 5 to the shed, as the distance and aesthetics would not work.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smeghead28 Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 Thanks for the replies chaps. I was told wifi extenders (this is a couple of years back when I was told) would consume bandwidth/assets of the service from my main router.. Is this true? Any recommendations of a wifi extender to use? Never used one myself but I dare say a Google search would bring up some useful results Had a quick look and the speed and distance does seem to increase with the price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smeghead28 Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 Have a look here,this one seems to be pretty good. http://www.trustedreviews.com/best-wifi-extenders_round-up_Page-5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlton Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 when you say connecting directly to the router was that a wired connection or still by wifi just without the repeater. I am thinking it might be the wireless equipment in the computer that is causing the bottleneck rather than the mains link into the shed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capri-boy Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 If you can't run cat5e then powerline kit is the 2nd best option, wifi repeaters indeed lose bandwith. Speed over mains is highly dependent on the quality and age of the wiring. I swapped some old tp link 200mb ones for my current WD set and found speeds triple - more than fast enough for HD streaming but nowhere near as quick as the external internet connection of the router. Look for GIGABIT classed powerline adapters, careful though as some will claim gigabit but actually use slower chips with some fancy tech to increase throughput. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carpmart Posted September 18, 2015 Author Share Posted September 18, 2015 If you can't run cat5e then powerline kit is the 2nd best option, wifi repeaters indeed lose bandwith. Speed over mains is highly dependent on the quality and age of the wiring. I swapped some old tp link 200mb ones for my current WD set and found speeds triple - more than fast enough for HD streaming but nowhere near as quick as the external internet connection of the router. Look for GIGABIT classed powerline adapters, careful though as some will claim gigabit but actually use slower chips with some fancy tech to increase throughput. WD set? A link would be great..? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carpmart Posted September 18, 2015 Author Share Posted September 18, 2015 I'm not a power user, as in a gamer in the shed etc. I've a laptop and TV, through which I access the Internet for browsing and stream some TV and or Netflix type movies Will I really loose a noticeable amount of bandwidth with a repeater? Do I need dual band if it's an extender? I just want to get as much of my 64mb available in the shed I've got some Amazon credit, so a link to a good extender/repeater/wireline kit would be great? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capri-boy Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 (edited) WD set? A link would be great..? Mine are these: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Livewire-Powerline-Network-Ports-Twin/dp/B003YFHD1W No longer available and we're slated via reviews - suit my needs great though because of the integrated hub. A colleague uses these: http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/computing-accessories/networking/powerline/devolo-dlan-1200-powerline-adapter-kit-twin-pack-10088158-pdt.html?gclid=CjwKEAjw7O6vBRDpi7O-8OWSkwESJACNFsgxL0pXJcgMMuKPfOFbgnTxecsd34imzjlIwiwakaU5IRoC-k_w_wcB&srcid=198&cmpid=ppc~gg~~~Exact&mctag=gg_goog_7904&s_kwcid=AL!3391!3!68396506580!!!g!110897447540!&ef_id=VShM5AAAAWma6BHJ:20150918111530:s and swears by them - as is Devolo are renowned for good quality networking gear. edit: Amazon have them, and also the 500's at a v good price ( Edited September 18, 2015 by capri-boy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bunny_Basher Posted December 5, 2015 Share Posted December 5, 2015 On 18 September 2015 at 11:20:28, Carpmart said: I can't run Cat 5 to the shed, as the distance and aesthetics would not work.. You sure? Ive got a rather fancy 'man cave' in the garden (seriously I can't begin to call it a shed ;)), in which is my main PC...my router is in the dinning room, in the main house. Initially I tried relying on wifi, but the bandwidth and reliability was not good. I tried network over powerline adaptors and although better than the wifi, I just could not get good enough speed for my use. So in the end I bit the bullet and spent a Saturday installing external grade Cat5 from my router to the man cave. Result being that I now have as good speed/latency outside as I enjoy in the house The cable is not that expensive, can be laid straight into earth/gravel so easy to install. Or if you don't want it in the ground, just run it at high level using catenary support wire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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