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→ When wireless won't cut it
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Background
I had a call from a guy with a wireless problem. He’d recently relocated from a relatively new house to an older bungalow. With the relocation, he had moved his home office to a new location and was having problems getting onto the internet, both from the desktop computer and the office laptops.
The main symptom was a poor wireless signal – or rather, a sporadic wireless signal that fluctuated from zero to acceptable. An additional symptom that only manifested itself after the house move, was audible interference on the cordless DECT phone and occasional dropped calls. The wireless router, a Netgear DG834G, was being used as a modem, switch and router – and appeared to be working correctly. The problematic telephone was a low-cost, non-branded handset.
Finding the solution
There was a limited budget to solve the problem. The main problem stemmed from the physical distance between the router, desktop computers and laptops. The client didn’t want to drill additional holes in the property for additional phone lines or extensions, and wanted an elegant solution.
The problem of poor wireless range came from the increased floor space of the (single storey) property and thicker walls. A newer router and wireless dongle, a Netgear DG834PN RangeMAX with WPN111 dongle, exhibited the same problem of insufficient wireless range – the walls were proving to be the sticking point. Changing the wireless channel and unplugging phone made a marginal improvement, but the connection was unstable and therefore not usable.
The decision was made to use alternate networking methods, negating the need for wireless on the router. I proposed, and installed, a set of Devolo home plugs. The premise of Devolo home plugs is fiendishly simple, yet powerfully effective (with the bonus of being a doddle to install): rather than networking the computers to the router over the air, it uses the mains power.
There’s a psychological barrier about plugging network cables into things that plug straight into the mains without any apparent step-down transformers. Having installed Devolo gear before, it takes a few minutes to get over this mental hurdle – and about the same length of time to get everything up and running.
The router connects to a Devolo duo. The Devolo duo then automatically converts the network signal into a format that can be sent over the mains power of the house. When another Devolo homeplug is connected to the mains elsewhere in the house, it reverses this process and extends the network. With that in mind, another Devolo duo was installed in the client’s office.
The laptops required a bit more work, but not much. They were, by design, mobile units – though the client said they tended to be used in one part of the building. A third Devolo unit, this time a Devolo wireless plug, was installed and provided a secure network for both office laptops and visitors.
The setup time for each unit was less than two minutes. The internet connection has been rock solid since installation, and the client has reported zero downtime from IT troubleshooting.
The wireless functionality on the Netgear router was turned off as it was no longer required. The client also reported the telephone had stopped displaying symptoms of interference, and no calls have been dropped since.
The shopping list
Supplier: Dabs
2x Devolo duo home plugs (also available as a starter kit)
1x Devolo wireless home plug