Powerline Adapters on different rings?
Discussion
Hello
I have an old house with thick stone walls and I want to have wifi in a shed outside. I have recently run power out to the shed so thought I would give Powerline adapters a go. A bit of googling suggested that everything downstream of the meter should be covered, so no issue.
I purchased these on the strength of their reviews:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0746HVPMC
Set them up today - got the wifi cloned and everything and while in the same room as the router it worked fine. Went to install it in the shed and it wouldn't pair up with the transmitter.
Brought it back into the house and tried it in an upstairs socket (transmitter is on downstairs ring) and no joy...
My consumer unit is a fairly modern split one, and the two ring mains are on different RCDs. Thinking about how an RCD works (both L and N wound round a ferrous core) I expect they present a significant impedance to signals in the GHz range.
Is it generally accepted that both transmitter and receiver should be downstream of the same RCD? Shame the manuals don't mention this if so!
To complicate things further the shed has a consumer unit in it with another RCD...
Any ideas?
Really should have buried some CAT6 when I was installing the power cable!
Thanks.
I have an old house with thick stone walls and I want to have wifi in a shed outside. I have recently run power out to the shed so thought I would give Powerline adapters a go. A bit of googling suggested that everything downstream of the meter should be covered, so no issue.
I purchased these on the strength of their reviews:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0746HVPMC
Set them up today - got the wifi cloned and everything and while in the same room as the router it worked fine. Went to install it in the shed and it wouldn't pair up with the transmitter.
Brought it back into the house and tried it in an upstairs socket (transmitter is on downstairs ring) and no joy...
My consumer unit is a fairly modern split one, and the two ring mains are on different RCDs. Thinking about how an RCD works (both L and N wound round a ferrous core) I expect they present a significant impedance to signals in the GHz range.
Is it generally accepted that both transmitter and receiver should be downstream of the same RCD? Shame the manuals don't mention this if so!
To complicate things further the shed has a consumer unit in it with another RCD...
Any ideas?
Really should have buried some CAT6 when I was installing the power cable!
Thanks.
They can be hit and miss, I had problems in a small new build when on different rings.
There are other methods you can employ e.g http://www.broadbandbuyer.co.uk/store/wifi-links/w...
Though how far is the shed? An external access point might cover it if it's not too far.
There are other methods you can employ e.g http://www.broadbandbuyer.co.uk/store/wifi-links/w...
Though how far is the shed? An external access point might cover it if it's not too far.
GrumpyTwig said:
There are other methods you can employ e.g http://www.broadbandbuyer.co.uk/store/wifi-links/w...
Though how far is the shed? An external access point might cover it if it's not too far.
Cheers I haven't seen the point to point things before. I think an access point would work, and tbh the construction of the upstairs of the house is much thinner so maybe just a decent AP inside would do it. Though how far is the shed? An external access point might cover it if it's not too far.
Could do without drilling and making good though so the powerline jobbies seemed like the perfect solution!
Order66 - thank you also.
If your setup is like mine, you could “bridge” the rings by having some plug sockets wired up to each. Get four powerlines and set them up as two paired networks rather than all being on the same network. Plug both in to a switch. I’ve done this and it works really well. One pair from main circuit board to loft. Other pair from secondary circuit board to garden gym.
Edited by page3 on Wednesday 27th December 20:53
There is absolutely no reason why it shouldn't work. They are either faulty or you have done something wrong. I have exactly this at home with one in the garage and several in the house. Many on different rings through RCDs.
You say you have 'paired' the wifi...are you sure it's not trying to work as a wifi extender? My ones at home never needed pairing. There is one that can be used as a wifi access point but it has its own signal separate to the router.
You say you have 'paired' the wifi...are you sure it's not trying to work as a wifi extender? My ones at home never needed pairing. There is one that can be used as a wifi access point but it has its own signal separate to the router.
Page3 - thanks for the suggestion but if I understand you well I'd need to get Ethernet close to my other rings so might as well find another solution at that point.
Road2ruin - I cloned the wifi using the WPS button on the router. There is a wee light on the powerline adaptors which shows whether they are paired or not, and as I understand this means over the powerline network. It works (green) if they're on the same ring, doesn't if they're not, although interestingly it's no light on the upstairs ring and a red light in the shed.
How many RCDs does your signal pass through to get to your shed? Just checked my consumer unit - it has to pass through 3 RCDs to get to the shed socket! I could reconfigure the consumer unit to reduce this to 2 by putting the downstairs ring and the shed on the same side of the consumer unit, but the fact it doesn't work on the upstairs ring suggests I'd be wasting my time.
In fairness the transmitter is in a 4 gang extension which the manual says to avoid. I'll change that before trying anything else!
Road2ruin - I cloned the wifi using the WPS button on the router. There is a wee light on the powerline adaptors which shows whether they are paired or not, and as I understand this means over the powerline network. It works (green) if they're on the same ring, doesn't if they're not, although interestingly it's no light on the upstairs ring and a red light in the shed.
How many RCDs does your signal pass through to get to your shed? Just checked my consumer unit - it has to pass through 3 RCDs to get to the shed socket! I could reconfigure the consumer unit to reduce this to 2 by putting the downstairs ring and the shed on the same side of the consumer unit, but the fact it doesn't work on the upstairs ring suggests I'd be wasting my time.
In fairness the transmitter is in a 4 gang extension which the manual says to avoid. I'll change that before trying anything else!
Hi Jambo,
Mine pass through two RCDs, one in the house and one in the garage. I really don't think the RCDs have any bearing though. I must admit I have never heard of this make and have previously used Devolo or TPlink. I would be tempted to nip to Argos buy a pair of either of these makes, with or without the wifi extension part, and try them. If they work you can return whichever you chooses. I had an adapter from TPlink once that would work in the kitchen but would not work in the dining room...no idea why, same ring! Replaced it with a complete set of new ones and all worked fine, still does to this day. Sorry I can't be much more help. I would also check the adapter using a cable rather than wifi to see if that is the issue.
Mine pass through two RCDs, one in the house and one in the garage. I really don't think the RCDs have any bearing though. I must admit I have never heard of this make and have previously used Devolo or TPlink. I would be tempted to nip to Argos buy a pair of either of these makes, with or without the wifi extension part, and try them. If they work you can return whichever you chooses. I had an adapter from TPlink once that would work in the kitchen but would not work in the dining room...no idea why, same ring! Replaced it with a complete set of new ones and all worked fine, still does to this day. Sorry I can't be much more help. I would also check the adapter using a cable rather than wifi to see if that is the issue.
Thanks.
Looking at the competition they are very cheap compared to similarly specc'd leading brands... I should have known better!
Tried taking an extension cable upstairs, plugged into the downstairs ring. Worked fine, when right beside the upstairs socket that it won't work in (I tried other upstairs sockets too).
It has to be something to do with my consumer unit, and logically the RCDs are prime suspects due to their (tiny) inductance. Maybe other brands put out more power and can deal with this... Will try another brand and hopefully get on better!
Looking at the competition they are very cheap compared to similarly specc'd leading brands... I should have known better!
Tried taking an extension cable upstairs, plugged into the downstairs ring. Worked fine, when right beside the upstairs socket that it won't work in (I tried other upstairs sockets too).
It has to be something to do with my consumer unit, and logically the RCDs are prime suspects due to their (tiny) inductance. Maybe other brands put out more power and can deal with this... Will try another brand and hopefully get on better!
Finally had a chance to plug it straight into the wall without the multiple 4 gang adaptors - works a treat!
They must reduce the signal strength to such an extent that RCDs matter.
Now need to change the socket behind the TV, router etc. to a double so that I can get the 50m extension reel out of the living room... not popular.
They must reduce the signal strength to such an extent that RCDs matter.
Now need to change the socket behind the TV, router etc. to a double so that I can get the 50m extension reel out of the living room... not popular.
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