Tracker Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 The wifi via the BT home hub is unreliable and often fails to connect or drops out generally at the most inconvenient times - like when you are using it. I've had a new home hub thingy but it made no difference. I know that hard wiring ethernet cables is 100% dependable but tidily routing the cables is a pain in the hub. Has anyone any experience of using home mains wiring devices like the one linked below for the purpose please? http://www.faculty-x.net/NET-PLV-500AV-PE_MK2.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody. Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 Hi tracker , i tried these devices , problem was i couldnt get the units to recognise each other , without this theyre useless , i finished up taking them back to the shop , maybe i had bought faulty ones and should have exchanged them and tried again , but i bought a wifi dongle instead managed a decent signal and have since used that , if you want to try some i would buy from a shop where you can return them if you have any probs , rather than the net . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caddies104 Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 Hi Have you done a speed test on your Broadband?? If it is low then speak to BT which I did, you will be surprised how they can improve it at NO cost... You can do spread check on your laptop or Ipad...etc.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted March 4, 2014 Author Share Posted March 4, 2014 Thanks guys. Speedtest shows about 6.0 mbs which is not startling but average for around here but my current understanding is that the speed would not affect the quality of wifi signal from hub to pc unless it were very low - especially as there are no problems when hard wired? Had not realised that dongles were available for this purpose and that seems a more cost effective solution worthy of investigation. If I understand it right, you just plug it in a usb port and it amplifies the wifi signal without increasing speed, which is what I think I need, rather than more speed? Has anyone got any other words of experience please - like would a dongle work as a cost effective wifi signal booster for devices with a usb port when away from home? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AliB Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 PowerLine adapters work very well. We use the TP Link brand at work. Seldom had any problems. I used to think they only worked if both modules were on the same ring main, but I have now been proved wrong and they work fine from an upstairs power point to a downstairs power point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 In this area were we live, the BT Broadband, was almost nil , very poor, being to far away from the exchange. In the end we changed to Virgin for Phone TV and broadband. We now have a very fast WiFi connection If you have the cable in your area, it may be worth looking at PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peter Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 But......................You're still the same distance from the exchange that you got your internet from BT Which Virgin or anyone else will also use, plus the same wire.. *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leake Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 We have TalkTalk which gives us 56 mbs and could go up to 83 if we wanted. Wf connection is fine and very reliable. The positioning of your hub can be the cause of you problems. Make sure it is well away from TV sets, hands free phone hubs etc or anything else that could cause interference. The BT hubs are usually pretty good and more than adequate for the average house. I can pick up three signals from other houses in our road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted March 5, 2014 Author Share Posted March 5, 2014 Colin Leake - 2014-03-05 7:43 PM I can pick up three signals from other houses in our road. So can I but the wretched thing still can't provide a reliable indoor link in a bungalow! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teflon2 Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 Hi Tracker I use a Belkin N+ hub and it's right next to the telephone base unit have no problems for the last 3 years. My laptop has built in wi fi but you can get a dongle and connect with no problems. Hope this helps. John ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enodreven Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 Hi, Just a thought, do you have one of those Wifi finder/booster things that you can use when you are away from home to pick up (free) Wifi signals, similar to the link below, only if you have and you are only having problems with 1 computer you could try it in your home. I have just tried the one I have for the van on my home laptop and it has increased the Wifi signal from what I normally pick up. http://www.play.com/PC/PCs/4-/39905939/736112131/-/ListingDetails.html?_%24ja=tsid:13315%7Ccat:39905939%7Cprd:39905939&$$ja=cgid:7025486697|tsid:48121|cid:130773417|lid:54129052377|nw:g|crid:22604418417|rnd:1992293594153446342|dvc:c|adp:1o3|mt: I have also tried similar home network adaptors to the ones in your orginal link, with mixed results, the first ones I tried a few years ago just didn't work at all, but I was give a pair by a friend which did work, albeit I'm fortunate at the moment not to need such a thing, but I suppose its got to be worth a try. By the way the ones that didn't work were brand named and quiet expensive, the free ones were from a TalkTalk box kit, soi would perhaps go for the cheap ones first. Best of luck Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted March 6, 2014 Author Share Posted March 6, 2014 Thanks Brian - we use an ipad away from home and as they don't have a usb connection we don't have a wifi booster - shan't ever buy another ipad but as it was a gift I can't say too much!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 Hi Peter In our own area, BT are not very good but Virgin who have laid their own cables (fibre optic) are absolutely wonderful. When we were previously with BT our lines kept breaking down because of a very old aluminium line - every time an engineer arrived he would say it was stupid and not cost effective and he would get it changed. I gave up in the end and went to Virgin. Hi Tracker Father Christmas brought me an iPad - I think it's great! It's not a computer, their idea of a spread sheet is terrible, it cannot compete with Microsoft office, but as a fun tool for emails, transferring photos and banking whilst abroad is excellent. Everybody to his own! Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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