Homeplugs/Powerline

Stumpy

I have just ordered a couple pair of these via Amazon - I'm still a bit wary because I've been looking into these for about a month now, and this price seems almost too good to be true:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001M06Y0M/ref=oss_product

£42 including free delivery, the pack includes 2 adapters and one patch cable (which is weird, as really you need two! I'm guessing they assume you have at least the one cable that you have been using to connect your laptop or whatever to the router previously).

The adapters are the "middle" speed capacity - they usually come in 85, 200 and 1000. 85 is probably okay for just a bit of browsing, but I am planning on streaming video from the internet so went for the 200. Every 1000 that I have come across (and there aren't many) seem to have problems and poor reviews.

This particular set were on a "special offer" fairly recently at the BT shop, which I missed, but are apparently now up to £80.

These are NOT compatible with Homeplugs. Think the old Betamax and VHS problem - Powerline and Homeplugs are similar and don't mix and match.

For information, these are to extend your computer network around the house, without the need for cables or wireless - they actually use your electricity supply cabling. So you plug one adapter in close to your router, connect it to the router as you would a computer, then plug another adapter anywhere on the electricity circuit (although being on the same ring main is prefereable) - so in the garage, the home office in the shed, the bedroom - and then simply plug the laptop, computer, whatever, into the second adapter.

TehJumpingJawa

Good choice, and good price.

I have bought 2 pairs; 1 from ebay (they were obviously the pair BT used to send along with the homehub), the other I bought from the BT shop when the aforementioned special offer was on.
I have the first pair in my house connecting my downstairs cluster to my upstairs, and frequently stream full HD content without any problems.
The 2nd pair made a great b'day pressy for my nephew so he could connect his 360 to their router.
Much more reliable, capable, and flexible than the rubbishy proprietary 360 wifi dongle.

Both sets have performed perfectly despite the 2 houses they're being used in having wiring from 100 years ago.

For obvious reasons I don't think the betamax<->vhs analogy is particularly fitting.

Stumpy

Cool .. glad to hear from someone who has used them successfully. As far as my analogy goes .. I was simply trying to explain that Homeplug and Powerline type adapters, despite looking and doing the same thing, are not compatible with one another (ie, you can't use both in order to create a network) - is this incorrect?

Phantom_Flan_Flinger

Stumpy wrote: »

......is this incorrect?

No, you're right.

Stumpy

okay cool thanks! Perhaps it was the thought of sticking recording medium into them that didn't work I couldn't think of a better analogy off the top of my head

dbuk44

Stumpy - thanks for this.

The reviews for the brand are solid.

This is a very good price delivered for 2x 200Mbpls.

In fact. Too good?

I've had a punt and and placed an order but with slight uneasiness.

Either this this marketplace seller has slipped up and pasted the wrong description (dual, rather than single) or they've deliberately priced themselves ahead of other sellers with used products.

Can you shout when you get yours and let us know whats in the box

Stumpy

dbuk44 wrote: »

Either this this marketplace seller has slipped up and pasted the wrong description (dual, rather than single) or they've deliberately priced themselves ahead of other sellers with used products.

Can you shout when you get yours and let us know whats in the box

I'll update once they arrive - I have received an email this morning confirming they have been shipped.

I have similar worries to you, but have double checked both the description and the sellers information - the description clearly states " The following items are included in your PG902 package: A pair of PG902 adapters One Ethernet cable One copy of this user guide " and when checking the seller information it states that the items are new, however, it wouldn't be the first time that someone has slipped up and posted the incorrect information. I am a little concerned that the price may be for a single plug, but we shall see!

The seller does have a good reputation on Amazon so hopefully even if they'd made a mistake, they will be happy to rectify it. Although to be honest even if there is only one of these plugs per box, I think its still a decent price, albeit not as good a price as I thought! :money:

TehJumpingJawa

Stumpy wrote: »

Cool .. glad to hear from someone who has used them successfully. As far as my analogy goes .. I was simply trying to explain that Homeplug and Powerline type adapters, despite looking and doing the same thing, are not compatible with one another (ie, you can't use both in order to create a network) - is this incorrect?

Indeed, you are correct.

I was focussing on the fact that a media player is compatible with only certain media, and so getting the wrong media player (betamax, and more recently hd-dvd) limits your potencial catalogue of media.

Homeplug vs powerline is completely different in that regard; they have no dependence beyond the ability to purchase future adapters. As neither standard is in any immediate threat of being abandoned, there is little to worry about.

Stumpy

These arrived today. I haven't actually installed them yet (literally only just arrived!) but in each box was 2 of the plugs (the black ones pictures in the "customer photo" on the Amazon site and one fairly short network cable. There were no instructions included in the box, but the seller did include a letter giving a link to an online manual (http://download.comtrend.com/Powergrid902_UK.pdf)

On the box was a label stating "BT Vision Powerline Adapter" with a date of 30/06/10.

Looking at the individual plugs ... each has a label on with the usual stuff, serial number, manufacturer, etc ... but one has "Connect to BT Vision+ Box" and the other "Connect to BT Home Hub".

*Edit: I've now connected the first pair - very easy. Didn't really do anything - plugged the first one in near the router and attached that - which automatically got the connection, then plugged the other in near a desktop pc in a bedroom - didn't press any buttons, it just worked. The only thing I did notice as I was connecting the one upstairs - the adapter is slightly wider than a normal plug, so if it going into a socket that is a little "tight" for space, you might struggle. The one downstairs is in a two plug wall socket, and there is plenty of space between the two plugs. The one upstairs is on a three plug wall socket, which obviously (on mine anyway) had smaller gaps between sockets. I managed to get it in, in the end, but it involved switching plugs around until I found the slimmest to go next to it.

The other thing I noticed, with that particular adaptor anyway, was that the front socket, ie, the one that you can plug something else into, was a bit stiff - again I had to try a couple of different plugs before i found one that would go in.

Regardless, currently green lights all round, and it is happily updating Ubuntu!

Stumpy

Update: I've now installed adapter number 3 (4 is for future use). 3 is getting plugged into a Bluray DVD player which in true moneysaving spirit I got free using points gained doing shopping surveys :money:

Its a Sony and a huge improvement on our old very slow player, with the added bonus that, once connected to the internet, you can connect to sites such as BBC iPlayer to stream content.

This installation was not QUITE as easy, in that I had to "introduce" it to the network, simply by pressing the button on the main adapter until a light flashed, then getting to the 3rd one within 30 seconds and pressing the button on that one until the light flashed. Then it was done - its currently streaming high quality content from the BBC onto our fairly large hi-def TV. No buffering or anything, so far. Our internet speed is 4Mb.

Oh, and there was no problem using the socket on the front of this one - I guess some may just be a bit stiff.

Phantom_Flan_Flinger

Stumpy wrote: »

On the box was a label stating "BT Vision Powerline Adapter" with a date of 30/06/10.

I bought mine from the BT site a few months back. They too, only came in a little box with nothing else. The manual is available to download from the BT site at the bottom of the product page.
Makes you wonder though if they've been refurb units from the BT site but are being sold as new or maybe excess from Bt Vision contracts?