kriki: Wired network but (almost) without RJ45-cables.

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I had a problem: I am working downstairs, but my internet connection is upstairs. I cannot use RJ45-cables to cover the complete distance because it would mean leaving open the doors. And wireless network is not the best solution for Windows 2008 (I want to upgrade to R2 but that is another story).



How to solve it?

Well, maybe you don’t know. Actually you do know, but you are not aware of it. You already have a complete network through the whole house. Probably more than 1 too.

There are waterworks (is this correct?) (water conducts electricity after all) but it is only available in the bathroom(s) and kitchen and the garden. No, not good enough.

There are the gastubes if you warm with gas. No, not good enough.

There is the central heating that go through the whole house. Well that could be it. … No, it isn’t that one.



BUT there are the electricity cables! And those go everywhere in your house (or office for that matter).



There are gadgets that you plug into an electricity socket and on the other side of it, you plug an Ethernet cable. Those gadgets come in pairs. I put one upstairs with in one end the Ethernet cable that comes from my HDSL modem and in its twin I put the Ethernet cable that goes to my computer.

It is also possible to have multiple pairs in the same house. It is also possible to have some kind of switch in which you can plug multiple Ethernet cables. Or you can also attach a switch to them.

Some ‘problems’ you need to keep in mind: The pair must be behind the same electricity counter (I don’t  know how it is called in English), you should put them directly in a socket that hasn’t a safety against thunderstorms and you shouldn’t put it in a device to which you can put multiple electricity cables (again: I don’t know how it is called in English). To be honest one of my pairs is in one of those and it works anyway. Probably the signal loses some quality, but I don’t notice it. The most common ones work at 200 Mbit (I heard there are also devices that work at 1Gbit), so they can lose some quality before it is felt.



I heard that also some small offices use this system instead of wireless or putting Ethernet cables everywhere.



I bought a pair for € 100.00. Not exactly cheap, but neither is it a prohibitive price tag.



Oh, I would almost forget the most important information: where and how to find them: the system is called “Powerline”. There are multiple companies that have those. If you go to your electronics store and ask about that, they should know about it.



I’ve been using it for some days now and it works fine!



I thought that it could interest other people that this system exists and it works.



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