Powerline / Homeplug via gigabit switch ?

[mdglazerman]

This is my first post on this forum so apologies if I'm re-hashing something that has been dicussed / resolved already !!

I recently purchased a Netgear R6300 router and although the speed is great when I'm in range, I still have some dead spots in my house. I'm hoping to resolve this by moving the router from the basement up to the main floor but in order to do this I have to find a way to provide a network connection where there isn't one currently.

I could drill holes in my floor and run Cat5 cables from the basement but I'm hoping to make life a little easier for myself by making use of a couple powerline adapters (TP-LINK TL-PA6010KIT AV600 Powerline Adapter Starter Kit). The one caveat to this plan is the I currently have an office setup in the basement and have my desktop hard wired into the back of my wireless router to make use of the gigabit connection available off the R6300. Can I use a small 5 or 8 port gigabit switch (TP-LINK TL-SG1005D 10/100/1000Mbps 5-Port Gigabit Desktop Switch) between my DSL modem (single ethernet output) and the first powerline adapter so that I still have a port to hard wire my desktop ?

I understand that powerline adapters can have issues depending on the number of circuits in the house wiring and the age of that wiring. Our house is 14 years old and to be honest I'm unsure how many circuits I have (I know that I have multiple breakers on a central panel which control powere to different areas of the house). I also understand that the homeplug standard is less picky about this now than it was back in the day.

Any advice greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Mark

 

[thiggins]

You can have only ONE device attached to your modem unless your ISP provides multiple public IP addresses. But even then, anything attached in front of the router WAN port will not be protected by the router's firewall.

 

[thoma]

Is there any particular reason that you do not want to move your DSL modem to the first floor? Then you could go DSL-router-HomePlug on the first floor, and then HomePlug-desktop in the basement. Your desktop would then remain behind the router.

If you can't do that, you could get a second router that can be set to access point mode. Run DSL-router-HomePlug in the basement, and AP-HomePlug on the first floor. (Setting to AP is necessary to avoid double-firewalling.)

If your house is 14 years old, you should check the outer jacket of your phone wiring to see if Cat3 or Cat5 is printed on it. It is not unheard of to find Cat5 wiring being used for telephone service, which would open up possibilities (especially if you're using cordless phones).

Finally, you mention drilling through the floor. However, you don't mention drilling through the ceiling of the basement. Is this because you have a drop ceiling? That would make it easier to drill into the stud bay and run Cat6 to wallplates.

 

[starvinmarvin]

Make sure the charging cables/power adapters for your cellphone or tablet or other devices are UNPLUGGED from the wall outlet. They can generate interference which degrades the Powerline signal !!