Networking through House Phone or Electrical Lines

des79 · 11-19-2004, 01:11 PM

Does anyone have guidance and/or experience with the use of home electrical lines or telephone lines as a backbone for a home network? I believe there is a product called homeplug, but I have not found any reviews for that or similar products.

batty_professor · 12-07-2004, 09:15 PM

The Homeplug" name sounds vaguely familar, but I can't say much other than I'm afraid you would be disappointed by the performance, as you just can't send data over telephone wire and expect much speed. Isn't there some way you could run some CAT-5 cable in place of the phone wire?

des79 · 12-08-2004, 12:37 PM

Thanks for the thoughts. I wasn't receiving any feedback on this forum so I posted a similar question on the Networking Forum. The feedback there is similar to yours in that I would be greatly disappointed in any form of networking over telephone or electrical lines.

Your thought on running CAT5 wiring may be my next option, it's just that our "new to us" house was originally constructed in 1734 with an 1800's addition, and I am leary of trying to run cabling too much. Athough there are attics and basements to run the cabling through most of the walls are plaster and lathe and I want to stay away from any sort of surface wiremold (it would take away from the quaintness of such an old house).

dai · 12-08-2004, 04:47 PM

you could always go wireless

batty_professor · 12-08-2004, 05:19 PM

I would like to add that wireless networking is getting more affordable all the time.

Sutto · 12-09-2004, 07:30 AM

As mentioned before, wireless is the best option in this situation.

des79 · 12-09-2004, 09:16 AM

Already doing some of that with a D-link wireless router connected my Direcway modem. The problems I am running into deal predominantly with the distance from the second floor router location to the family room and kitchen at the far end of the house (the area that would have been a shed or barn for the original 1734 house).

The internal wireless modem in my IBM Thinkpad (my work computer) does not connect from there so I bought a D-Link wireless card and I am having moderate success....if you are in just the right spot and don't move too much. Plus the signal strength is very low. However it works great in the bedrooms and sitting rooms on the second floor.

Are there wireless repeaters available? Does it make sense to spring for an additional wireless router and link it in series with CAT5 from the current router (through the attic and down to an area over the kitchen / family room)?

**gotissues68** · 12-30-2004, 12:23 AM

sorry for the late reply. I have used HomePNA which is homenetworking via already installed phone line cabling and I can say I wasn't disappointed. It was 10mb at the time which was perfectly fine for browsing and such, however transferring files was a drag

They may have changed the spec to 100mb though recently. And the gear to setup a network is incredibly cheap altho it maybe onpar with wireless at this point.

**MD_Willington** · 01-13-2005, 05:32 PM

I used to work as a subcontractor for a GC, if you're brave enough you can pry off your baseboards and put cat5e behind the baseboard, that way the wire is hidden from plainsight.

MD

11-19-2004, 01:11 PM	#1 (permalink)
des79 Registered User Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 10 OS: Windows XP	Networking through House Phone or Electrical Lines Does anyone have guidance and/or experience with the use of home electrical lines or telephone lines as a backbone for a home network? I believe there is a product called homeplug, but I have not found any reviews for that or similar products.

12-07-2004, 09:15 PM	#2 (permalink)
batty_professor Asst. Manager, Alternative Computing Forums Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Hooterville Il 45 mi. east of St. Louis mo Posts: 2,608 OS: Fedora Core 5 for now	The Homeplug" name sounds vaguely familar, but I can't say much other than I'm afraid you would be disappointed by the performance, as you just can't send data over telephone wire and expect much speed. Isn't there some way you could run some CAT-5 cable in place of the phone wire? __________________ It's better to know me and not need me than to need me and not know me. B. While users are never under any obligation, if you feel the urge please feel free to visit our donation page. Every little bit helps. And we thank you for your support. Microsoft free Registered Linux user 397458

12-08-2004, 05:19 PM	#5 (permalink)
batty_professor Asst. Manager, Alternative Computing Forums Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Hooterville Il 45 mi. east of St. Louis mo Posts: 2,608 OS: Fedora Core 5 for now	I would like to add that wireless networking is getting more affordable all the time. __________________ It's better to know me and not need me than to need me and not know me. B. While users are never under any obligation, if you feel the urge please feel free to visit our donation page. Every little bit helps. And we thank you for your support. Microsoft free Registered Linux user 397458

12-30-2004, 12:23 AM	#8 (permalink)
gotissues68 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Vancouver Washington, Mountain View CA and Atlanta GA you pick the week! Posts: 716 OS: Linux/FreeBSD	sorry for the late reply. I have used HomePNA which is homenetworking via already installed phone line cabling and I can say I wasn't disappointed. It was 10mb at the time which was perfectly fine for browsing and such, however transferring files was a drag They may have changed the spec to 100mb though recently. And the gear to setup a network is incredibly cheap altho it maybe onpar with wireless at this point. __________________

01-13-2005, 05:32 PM	#9 (permalink)
MD_Willington Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: WA State & BC Posts: 587 OS: XP	I used to work as a subcontractor for a GC, if you're brave enough you can pry off your baseboards and put cat5e behind the baseboard, that way the wire is hidden from plainsight. MD __________________ Mainboard: PCC M848ALU / ECS L7S7A2 / ECS 748-A, HDD: Western Digital 40Gb, RAM: 2-256Mb DDR266 by Micron 4x AGP Card: 3DForce4-MX440, CDRW: Liteon 52x32x52, PSU: Antec True430, CPU: XP2200+ (AXDA2200DUV3C) *It's OK to be ignorant; it's not OK to play stupid.* *Never assume you are entitled to an answer. You are not.*

12-08-2004, 12:37 PM	#3 (permalink)
des79 Registered User Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 10 OS: Windows XP	Thanks for the thoughts. I wasn't receiving any feedback on this forum so I posted a similar question on the Networking Forum. The feedback there is similar to yours in that I would be greatly disappointed in any form of networking over telephone or electrical lines. Your thought on running CAT5 wiring may be my next option, it's just that our "new to us" house was originally constructed in 1734 with an 1800's addition, and I am leary of trying to run cabling too much. Athough there are attics and basements to run the cabling through most of the walls are plaster and lathe and I want to stay away from any sort of surface wiremold (it would take away from the quaintness of such an old house).

12-08-2004, 04:47 PM	#4 (permalink)
dai Manager, Hardware Forums Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: west australia Posts: 56,546 OS: win 7 32x 64x rtm	you could always go wireless

12-09-2004, 07:30 AM	#6 (permalink)
Sutto Registered User Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 15 OS: XP Pro	As mentioned before, wireless is the best option in this situation.

12-09-2004, 09:16 AM	#7 (permalink)
des79 Registered User Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 10 OS: Windows XP	Already doing some of that with a D-link wireless router connected my Direcway modem. The problems I am running into deal predominantly with the distance from the second floor router location to the family room and kitchen at the far end of the house (the area that would have been a shed or barn for the original 1734 house). The internal wireless modem in my IBM Thinkpad (my work computer) does not connect from there so I bought a D-Link wireless card and I am having moderate success....if you are in just the right spot and don't move too much. Plus the signal strength is very low. However it works great in the bedrooms and sitting rooms on the second floor. Are there wireless repeaters available? Does it make sense to spring for an additional wireless router and link it in series with CAT5 from the current router (through the attic and down to an area over the kitchen / family room)?