homeplugs vs wireless network adapter?

elmoslats

hi,
I need something to connect my xbox 360 to the internet. which is better?

this http://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-TL-PA211KIT-200Mbps-Powerline-Adapter/dp/B004INVKP4/ref=tag_stp_s2_edpp_url

or this http://www.amazon.co.uk/MICROSOFT-Receiver-wireless-networking-Accessories/dp/B002WO1WI6/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1385409158&sr=8-3&keywords=xbox+wireless+adapter

i'm not really familiar with either. the xbox is in a place that can pick up wifi but is quite far.

the house is old and so are the electrics. do homeplugs work well in old houses?

BloodBath

Homeplugs > wireless all day assuming they work in your house.

Look into the requirements for the electricity network.

CreepingDeath

elmoslats wrote: »

the house is old and so are the electrics. do homeplugs work well in old houses?

If the wires can conduct electricity then they should be able to reliably carry the signal I imagine.

I bought a pair of Zyzel pass-thru 500Mbs homeplugs recently.
Only last night I was trying to copy 2.5Gb across the wireless network, the full diagonal of my house ( front downstairs room to back upstairs room ).

I was only getting something like 1.2Mbs on the Wifi, but got over 3Mbs when I switched to the powerline adapter.
I'm running a Wireless G network.

That Wifi adapter you linked to is Wireless N, which should be faster then a Wireless G network but only if your Wireless router supports Wireless N and you don't have any other
Wifi adapters which require the older/slower Wireless G ( or even worse, Wireless A/B protocol )
Also depends on WiFi signal congestion in your area... so homeplugs are more reliable and typically faster.

The fastest option of all, is to run a normal network cable from your router to your XBox if you can.

elmoslats

BloodBath wrote: »

Homeplugs > wireless all day assuming they work in your house.

Look into the requirements for the electricity network.

CreepingDeath wrote: »

If the wires can conduct electricity then they should be able to reliably carry the signal I imagine.

I bought a pair of Zyzel pass-thru 500Mbs homeplugs recently.
Only last night I was trying to copy 2.5Gb across the wireless network, the full diagonal of my house ( front downstairs room to back upstairs room ).

I was only getting something like 1.2Mbs on the Wifi, but got over 3Mbs when I switched to the powerline adapter.
I'm running a Wireless G network.

That Wifi adapter you linked to is Wireless N, which should be faster then a Wireless G network but only if your Wireless router supports Wireless N and you don't have any other
Wifi adapters which require the older/slower Wireless G ( or even worse, Wireless A/B protocol )
Also depends on WiFi signal congestion in your area... so homeplugs are more reliable and typically faster.

The fastest option of all, is to run a normal network cable from your router to your XBox if you can.

Thanks for these responses. I think ill go with the homeplugs so. My only worry is that the electrics in the house are probably pretty old but I guess I won't know until I try it.

elmoslats

elmoslats wrote: »

Thanks for these responses. I think ill go with the homeplugs so. My only worry is that the electrics in the house are probably pretty old but I guess I won't know until I try it.

Homeplugs are very handy when they work, but how well they work depends on a lot of things specific to your own house - size, wiring layout, breaker type, interference from various things (flourescent lights etc).

For most people they work fine. For some people they don't work at all. You won't know until you try them. Ideally buy from somewhere that has a good return policy.

advertsfox

Homeplugs, I have those exact set of TP-Link and they work brilliantly. I have 3 currently setup, they auto connect to each other as well.

vibe666

if it's an old house, it may be relatively easy to run ethernet cable across the attic and down the cavity in the internal walls to where each end needs to be connected at each end. might be worth looking into as you'd practically get a whole roll of ethernet cable for the same price as a pair of decent homeplugs.

elmoslats

Deleted User wrote: »

Homeplugs are very handy when they work, but how well they work depends on a lot of things specific to your own house - size, wiring layout, breaker type, interference from various things (flourescent lights etc).

For most people they work fine. For some people they don't work at all. You won't know until you try them. Ideally buy from somewhere that has a good return policy.

advertsfox wrote: »

Homeplugs, I have those exact set of TP-Link and they work brilliantly. I have 3 currently setup, they auto connect to each other as well.

I think i'll take a risk on the homeplugs, it is an old house with old wiring so fingers crossed i guess.

vibe666 wrote: »

if it's an old house, it may be relatively easy to run ethernet cable across the attic and down the cavity in the internal walls to where each end needs to be connected at each end. might be worth looking into as you'd practically get a whole roll of ethernet cable for the same price as a pair of decent homeplugs.

the router is downstairs on one side of the house and I need it upstairs on the other side, so won't work for me

vibe666

elmoslats wrote: »

the router is downstairs on one side of the house and I need it upstairs on the other side, so won't work for me

the internal wall cavities will *normally* run from the bottom of the ground floor right up to the attic in between the vertical timber in the walls.

all that normally needs doing, is cutting a hole in the plaster on an internal wall where you want it (upstairs or downstairs) and dropping an ethernet cable from the attic down the gap in the cavity wall right down to where the hole is. then it's run across the attic and the same thing is done at the other end.

cat5e cable is designed to work properly at anything up to 105m/300ft so as long as you use good cable and wall plates and it's all terminated properly you're laughing.

then you just need one of these on each end and you're sorted.

i've even done a similar thing, but due to not being able to run it down the cavity walls because of obstructions (which can sometime happen) i ran it out through a hole drilled in the edge of a window frame upstairs and fixed it to the underside of gutters and downpipes to chase it all the way back in an air vent downstairs where the router is.

wifi and homeplugs will always be disappointing because the advertised speeds are always an unrealistic theoretical maximum which you will never even get half of. when you buy gigabit ethernet, you get gigabit ethernet.