Help Ethernet powerline adapters - impact on ping?

[old.user4556]

I'll be moving home soon and my router will be in the living room and my PC upstairs. Wireless isn't ideal, and running cat 5 across the house isn't an option.

Powerline adapters are the obvious solution, but does anyone know what impact (if any) there is on gaming ping? Most of the latency will be from the router to the ISP I suppose, so I don't expect some extra copper will make that much of a difference? FYI it's a brand new house, so new wiring.

 

[ECA]

Almost zero impact. Certainly better than wifi.

 

[old.user4556]

Cheers dude, full steam ahead for a pair.

Any recommended makes?

 

[MYstIC G]

My Netgear passthrough ones have been in constant use for 9 months now and I've not had to do anything with them since plugging them in.

 

[old.user4556]

The netgear passthrough ones were the ones I was looking at. I'll get those ones.

 

[soze]

I have a pair of Netgear ones linking upstairs to the router downstairs that must be 5 years old now. Only 85mb ones as my web is only 18mb anyway.

 

[Gwadien]

Bare in my mind that most houses have separate electrical circuits that effect it..

I have a bridge directly above the router in my livingroom which is upstairs, which runs into the sockets, which then provides two other adaptors, and was certainly better than using a Wireless-USB stick

But I'd imagine if you already have a top of the range wireless equipment, it'd be the same as doing this, since a part of it is still wireless.

 

[leggy]

McG ... Nothing to add other than I've had a stack of solwise adapters in use for 5 years and they are still mint (only 200MBPS but for gaming they are fine).

What games are you playing?

 

[Poag]

I think i've said it before. But i've got 3 Powerline adaptors.

Two 50Mbps ones, on my TV and Media Server, and a 200mbps connecting them to the router. All devolo.

Previously i've game don the 50mbs ones without issue. I even gamed on them in my new house with a sub 5-10ms ping to London NS2 servers before i got the adsl port moved upstairs.

My current house is a old terraced job built god knows when with a power system to match (its got a spinning dial for a elec meter!) no issues it working over the sockets. So long as your house doesn't have mixed socket and light circuits, you should be golden.

 

[Ormorof]

how do these actually work? i just plug one in to the router & another into power outlet near PC with LAN cable straight to network card?

no other trickery?

 

[Poag]

No other trickery.

Plug one in, turn on, connect to router. Plug other in, turn on connect to X Device. 99% of the time done.

1% of the time, press and hold the button down on one, go to the other, tap button on that. Syncs them up.

If you are in shared accommodation, most of these have a application which can be used to setup encryption between the two devices, creating a private LAN other devices wont be able to plug into automatically.

 

[Ormorof]

cool i have my PC in the corner of my apartment far from the router and everytime i sit infront of it the wifi signal drops would be handy to not have to worry about it!

 

[Gwadien]

Only issue is stuff like separate electrical circuits and stuff mentioned above..

Basically, so long as you have a continuous electrical supply, it'll work, but if you have breakers and such (extension cables for instance) then it could not work.

 

[old.user4556]

McG ... Nothing to add other than I've had a stack of solwise adapters in use for 5 years and they are still mint (only 200MBPS but for gaming they are fine).

What games are you playing?

CS:S

 

[PLightstar]

Only issue is stuff like separate electrical circuits and stuff mentioned above..

Basically, so long as you have a continuous electrical supply, it'll work, but if you have breakers and such (extension cables for instance) then it could not work.

It is hampered or won't work on Extension cords like a 4way gang or something. But breakers don't affect Powerline adapters. my Downstairs and upstairs circuits are on different breakers and it doesn't hamper it at all.

 

[Poag]

I've got mine on 4 way extension leads that work fine. Even behind surge protectors.

Infact i think the one plugged into my router is on the end of two extension leads....one of which has a built insurge protector, the other a normal £2 extension jobby.

 

[leggy]

CS:S

Heh no shame there (although most will say ditch it for Global Offensive).

CS is my first love of MP gaming and I still love it even though I rarely play it now. What's you SteamID? I'll look you up next time I'm on.

 

[Litmus]

i found my power lines have no noticeable difference.. my broadband is rated at 17/mb in my area and that's exactly what i get

 

[old.user4556]

Heh no shame there (although most will say ditch it for Global Offensive).

CS is my first love of MP gaming and I still love it even though I rarely play it now. What's you SteamID? I'll look you up next time I'm on.

Bought GO, didn't think that much of it tbh...

I'll login to steam and let you know.

 

[old.user4556]

I'm going to get the Devolo dLAN 650 triple+ ones. I read a review of the Netgear equivalent and they did not seem to get close to the advertised speed (I know you don't get the full 500) where as the Devolo ones were very good indeed.

However, they're about twice the price, so you only get what you pay for.

 

[TdC]

tbh my thought is that as long as they get close to or over your DL bandwidth you're good. I have "500Mbit" models and they sync at anything between 40 and 120 Mbit depending on the alignment of the stars or something. That's fine for me as my max DL is 40Mbit anyway.

 

[old.user4556]

That's a fair challenge, although I'll have NAS as well and will want to backup a lot of stuff periodically so could do with the fastest I can get.

 

[MYstIC G]

It was my understanding that your connection speed is likely affected more by the wiring in your home than it will be the actual devices you use?

 

[old.user4556]

I think that's definitely still the case, but the Devolo units use the third wire for optimal connection speeds. Or something.

FAQ here.

 

[MYstIC G]

Interesting improvement. Looks as though it's non-standardised though http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HomePlug#HomePlug_AV2

 

[old.user4556]

I'm going to get the Devolo dLAN 650 triple+ ones. I read a review of the Netgear equivalent and they did not seem to get close to the advertised speed (I know you don't get the full 500) where as the Devolo ones were very good indeed.

However, they're about twice the price, so you only get what you pay for.

Finally got round to trying these today. Run Cat 5 around the house? GG NOOB!

Super easy to connect, pings are awesome, transfer speeds are unimpacted.

 

[leggy]

Finally got round to trying these today. Run Cat 5 around the house? GG NOOB!

Super easy to connect, pings are awesome, transfer speeds are unimpacted.

Well done.

Now stop girling around with your wire and add Me, Babs and Trem (and whoever else wanted into this hotmanfest - Mystic G?) to Steam so we can all have CS style sexing together.

My steam profile: http://steamcommunity.com/id/theoryofcrows/

 

[TdC]

add meeeeeee as well

I don't play your leg-shaver game but am willing to send you the occasional ASCII art cock pick.

 

[leggy]

Well I'm sure we can all slip on some robot onesies just for you

 

[MYstIC G]

add meeeeeee as well

I don't play your leg-shaver game but am willing to send you the occasional ASCII art cock pick.

occasional... Need more commitment than that