HomePlug FAQ *Part 2*

dougal76

Thanks for the quick reply.  Much appreciated.

moraybank

I have a strange problem.

My plugs (Netgear Powerline XAV5201 AV500) have slown down for no apparent reason.

                                                                                                                                               

Downstairs is the plug connected to the gigabit switch.
Upstairs is the plug hooked into my streamer. The speed is hovering around 49-60mbps when it used to be around double that. I now can't stream any of my blu ray rips without major stuttering.

There's been no new peripherals etc connected at the mains, any idea what could be up?

Andy3105

I have been offered a pair of Simpler Networks adapters by a friend as I am looking to extend my network, however the pair he has have an orange Simpler Networks logo on them and I was wondering if anyone knows whether they are compatible with my existing pair of Simpler Networks adapters supplied by BT Vision which have a blue logo.....?

blue70

A couple of months ago I purchased a pair of Advent APWL2012 200mbps Ethernet Powerline Adapters (Shows V 1.0 on sticker) from ebay, primarily to access the on demand functions on my Sky box.

It has been working fine but recently one of the plugs has died, no lights, no functionality, nothing. I've tried it in different sockets and no life at all. I've opened it up but can't see any obvious fault and unfortunately that is the limit of my skills with this sort of electronics!!

What I would like to do now is buy some new plugs and extend my system. Ideally I need a double port plug (with passthrough if possible) for my Sky box and TV (It's DLNA compliant) and a second single port plug for the DLNA TV in the other room and then utilise the surviving plug for my router.

At the moment I can only find one dual port plug with passthrough which is the Devolo one and I could obviously buy a single port Devolo plug for my second TV.

My question is will these Devolo plugs be compatible with my existing Advent plug? I've read that the 500mbps plugs are backward compatible with a 200mbps plug but also that there can be some issues between different makes / types?

Obviously there could also be a better way of achieving what I want to do so any advice in that regard would be welcome as well.
Many thanks

Pecker

I've been running a pair of Netgear Powerline 500 XAVB5201s for a while now, no problems.

I live in a three storey house, very new (only 7 years old).  The BT Home Hub is on the ground floor and the kitchen is on the ground floor too.  One went in the kitchen, the other in the hall, thus attaching the Kitchen PC to the network.

I think had a CAT5 cable running from the BT Home Hub to the middle floor (living room) where my NAS were kept, as well as a networked WDTV Live media player.  Everything on the middle floor is connected with Ethernet switches.

A further CAT5 cable then ran to the bedroom on the top floor, and a second WDTV Live.

So far, so good, no problems, three solid green lights.

Then all change - a second pair of Powerlines - same make & model.

CAT5 between ground and middle floor removed and WDTV connected via Powerline.  4th and final Powerline placed on top floor, spare room, with NAS.

The problem - regular middle red light.  Almost impossible to watch HD material on the WDTV.  Often impossible to watch SD DVD MKV rips.

This has coincided with regular problems with the broadband (including wireless connection).

My guess is that the problem is caused by moving the NAS to the top floor.  But surely this shouldn't be such a big issue.  It's still only 1 floor above the WDTV in the lounge, and as I say the house is very new.

BTW, all 4 Powerlines are plugged straight into the wall, not through 4 gangs, etc.  No phone chargers or hairdryers on.

Comments and advice?

Steve W

Pecker

Anyone?

Steve W

benbow

Hi Pecker
I can't offer any help but plenty of sympathy!
2 Years  ago I bought a pair of Hercules eplugs (200mb) which were difficult to  set up but I eventually got there. I then bought two more - big mistake  as they have been nothing but trouble since. They have a button on each  to match up the network connection and it seems to me that you have to  be pretty precise with the number of times each matching eplug button is  pressed to get a connection or, more often no connection.
I  currently have one of these plugs attached to my router and the other to  my  wife's smart TV in another room which seems to work. My own  connection to a Humax box in the same room as the PC/Router is wired as  the Hercules failed to work!!
Brian

jinder

About to go mad if I can't fix this.

Have a pair of D-link homeplugs, one downstairs to router, one in loft to PC, model no: DHP 306AV (if that is right, has a sticker on the back read off there).

Had them about 2 years now and it was fine. A few months ago the "home" shaped light was red on both, but the internet was working fine.

Last night, had a few things downloading, went to check how they were going and I had "no internet acsess", and the "home" button was not even lit up.

I tried:

Turning the router off and on.
Piaring the homeplugs again.
Changing the socket which the ethernet cable goes in on the router.

I have both plugged into the wall and I cannot figure out what has gone wrong.

HELP!!!

Brian Cooper

Referring back to my eplug post above, after struggling with them for 2  years I finally got a pair of TP-Link plugs 500mb from Amazon for €26 free next day delivery. Plugged them in to my router and the Humax box - bingo, they worked straight away. I tried them for a few days then ordered another pair. All runs smoothly now.
During my time with the Hercules plugs I learned that plugs of this type are a pain in the neck to many people and it seems that this includes most makes, not just Hercules. If they work immediately out of the box you're on to a winner. If they have problems and you have followed the set up instructions carefully, don't struggle, send them back.

vonner

Well if it helps I've got a a pair of the orange logo ones, and they work fine with my Solwise 200AV's.