Wifi Extender?

[empip]

Do check 'what comes in the box'. The pictures can be misleading, as can the wording 'triple' relating to LAN sockets per extender / adapter rather than adapters in the box !
I would tend to go for the best I could afford, a starter kit 1 base unit plus 1 adapter - Wireless etending, triple LAN sockets, pass through 3 pin socket.
That looks like being the 650 model.
Give it all a whirl testing room to room - you could be surprised - maybe buy a cheaper compatable adapter for that odd area not covered.

A lightweight (IMHO) review by Tech Radar http://tinyurl.com/mdpsw3v

I did a quickie test this am. Using an Advent NetBook laptop 100 Mbit/sec network card.
Develo '500' triple plus wireless adapter plugged into a different household circuit than the base '500' unit.
Using http://www.thinkbroadband.com/speedtest.html
WiFi 11.75 Mbits/sec download speed 0.9Mbits/sec upload.
Using wired LAN socket on adapter - same result !

Off to the garage (detached), another different (brand new 2 yrs ago) electrical circuit 5.3 metres from CU in home.
WiFi 11.7 Mbits/sec download speed 0.9Mbits/sec upload.
Using wired LAN socket on adapter - same result !
Essentially identical overall results.
----------------------------
Copied 5.2GByte movie from main desktop connected via wired '500' Develo main adapter to LAN wired desktop PC via '200' Develo adapter. 2 ground floor rooms distant over downstairs ring main.

Consistent 8.5 Mbytes/sec reported throughput.
Verified with stopwatch.
So 68 Mbits/sec speed over LAN. Real test.

68% of the (slowest) 100 Mb/s network card OR 35% of the develo software reported connection speed of 194 Mbit/sec to the '200' Develo adapter.
Maybe I need more machines to find the throughput limit for the develo kit - No wonder the reviews I have seen are not too deep !!

BTW. Also connected via plug in power / energy monitor adapter.
using Wifi with Lan also switched on. 11 VA (0.011 kVA ?) 0.35 Power Factor so approx 4 Watts usage.
Blimey, that's near 11.9 kW / month 4 units on 24/7. £1.79 ( half a pint of grog hereabouts.)
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[securespark]

I have just done the test on my desktop (Cat6 patch cabled):

7.61 and 0.8

Mrs Secure's laptop on Wifi:

7.3 and 0.79

and we are both sitting on top of the router.

That sucks.

We are only 1.1 miles from our exchange.

 

[securespark]

Just set up my system.

It was a real fag cloning them to my router.

But the biggest issue was problems with broken communication between the two units.

It turns out that they took a real exception to being plugged into my MK K1826WHI sockets...... They filter voltage spikes and RF interference (he gets EVERYWHERE, doesn't he?) out of the supply.

Who'd have guessed it?

Anyway, a warning to others who may come here tearing their hair out in the future.

 

[JBR]

Just set up my system.

It was a real fag cloning them to my router.

But the biggest issue was problems with broken communication between the two units.

It turns out that they took a real exception to being plugged into my MK K1826WHI sockets...... They filter voltage spikes and RF interference (he gets EVERYWHERE, doesn't he?) out of the supply.

Who'd have guessed it?

Anyway, a warning to others who may come here tearing their hair out in the future.

Did you change the sockets, or at least the ones you use for the transmitter and receivers?

 

[securespark]

Nah, I'm using those for PC stuff, hence the filters.

Just plugged the Wiffy things into different sockets.

 

[securespark]

Getting a poor signal in the room with the secondary unit.

Technical can't understand why.

 

[empip]

Which equipment did you purchase ?

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[securespark]

This one:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Devolo-dLAN...id=1411766977&sr=8-6&keywords=devolo+dlan+500

 

[empip]

I do not recognise the 'cloning' bit.
I set them up using the software provided - "Cockpit".
Didn't use the 'press button' method.

BTW my router is dual band, having read about possible problems on various fora, before installing Develo 500 kit, and only having the odd device which can utilise 5gHz - I switched off the 5 gHz band... All appears good.

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[securespark]

Yeah, I set mine up using Cockpit.

By changing the WiFi settings for the Devolo unit (ie SSID and password) to the same as my Plusnet router.

The push button method failed because first, the two units were not tied to each other and second, because the firmware was not up to date.

But after I had gone into Cockpit and sorted these things out, the WiFi is now continuous, rather than being in separate zones for PlusNet and Devolo and having to sign in and out of each when moving round the house.

BUT.....when in the room where the secondary unit is sited, the WiFi signal is very poor. Elsewhere, it is great, like upstairs, where it was non-existant, it is good. But it seems that the closer you get to the secondary unit, the poorer the signal.

I will test this out by moving the unit, but do you have any other ideas?

 

[empip]

I have different ssid for each adapter but they share the same pw, the router has it's own ssid and pw, (otherwise, ssid-wise I wouldn't know which I was connecting to.) Our kit remembers the details 'tis just a matter of connecting to the best reception, or not.
Make sure you have customized the windows 'taskbar' to show icon and notifications for network / wifi - easy to connect once pw set to a particular ssid by click and select via icon.

In 'cockpit' Just noticed the 'clone' thingy under 'WiFi Move Technology settings' didn't use either.
Only using wifi passwords - no time or parental controls. WPS box is ticked, but I never used the set up button. There was no tick box with the Develo 200's which I started with.
Ensure Develo updates all done.

Spotted this re: wifi roaming, http://www.msdonkey.com/windows-8/w...necting-to-the-nearest-wireless-access-point/

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[securespark]

I only have one wireless adapter.

My system was like yours: the Devolo adapter had a different SSID and password to the router.

I cloned it because the kids were complaining that every time they moved round the house, they kept dropping out of a WiFi zone and had to sign in to another.

It works seamlessly in that respect now, it's just that I cannot explain why the signal seems weakest in the room where the adapter is.

Updates are all done, thanks.

 

[EddieM]

I only have one wireless adapter.

My system was like yours: the Devolo adapter had a different SSID and password to the router.

I cloned it because the kids were complaining that every time they moved round the house, they kept dropping out of a WiFi zone and had to sign in to another.

It works seamlessly in that respect now, it's just that I cannot explain why the signal seems weakest in the room where the adapter is.

Updates are all done, thanks.

It *could* be the signal is too strong, have you the ability to adjust the signal strength?

I cloned it because the kids were complaining that every time they moved round the house, they kept dropping out of a WiFi zone and had to sign in to another.

I see, case of lord and lady secures in the main house, and sprogs in the west wing?

 

[JBR]

It *could* be the signal is too strong, have you the ability to adjust the signal strength?

That's interesting. I never realised that the signal could be too strong.

 

[EddieM]

It *could* be the signal is too strong, have you the ability to adjust the signal strength?

That's interesting. I never realised that the signal could be too strong.

Well I am no network engineer, but I have been told that too strong a signal can be like being in a really loud room, whereby one's "hearing" naturally attenuates, it could of course be ******!