D-Link Homeplug units

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linw

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# 138191 24-Dec-2013 06:07

Anyone with experience of the DHP-1320 router/switch/wifi and the DHP-306AV wifi node? They are cheap at $28 (from Ascent - can't believe that one!) for the former and $45 for the latter.

Just looking at solving a problem at a relative's place where cabling is not an option. Would be two remote outlets.Traffic is pretty low so 200 Mbps would be OK. Or is it wrong thinking not to go for the 500Mbs units??

TIA.

SepticSceptic

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# 957028 24-Dec-2013 18:32

Had a couple of the D-Link 500Mbps ones to remote LAN to the shed. Works well enough - bit finicky on making sure your wiring is correct, and on the same power phase. But other than that, able to stream 2 movies at once.

You mention the DHP-306AV are a wifi node? Maybe if connected to a Access point ... exactly what I have done - fed the remote LAN end into a re-purposed ADSLv1 modem/router/wifi access point. Set the wifi to a lower power setting so it wouldn't overlap the home wifi radius, and also allow DHCP forwarding. Some consumer grade modem routers won't have the DHCP forwarding - have a couple basic units (Thompsen ?) that don't. Linksys does.

My thoughts are no longer my own and is probably representative of our media-controlled government

linw

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# 957089 24-Dec-2013 21:29

Thanks for the reply. I got myself a bit confused with the 306AV. There is a W306AV that has the wireless N output. It is $93 at Ascent.

Bit of a toss up whether to use a W306AV or the 306AV plus an AP. Not much in it costwise but the AP would give more ethernet ports.

Cheers.

sonyxperiageek

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# 957106 24-Dec-2013 23:10

On the topic of PowerLine adapters, which brand do you guys think is better: D-Link or Netgear?

Sony

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michaelmurfy

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# 957108 24-Dec-2013 23:16

sonyxperiageek: On the topic of PowerLine adapters, which brand do you guys think is better: D-Link or Netgear?

They all use the same chipset, so doesn't matter what you really use.

Michael Murphy | https://murfy.nz
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sonyxperiageek

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# 957109 24-Dec-2013 23:19

Ok, I got a scenario here: If I have a 100Mbps Powerline adapter connected to the router, then I have a 1Gbps Powerline adapter connected somewhere else in the house, will I be able to achieve the 1Gbps speed theoretically? Or must I also have a 1Gbps Powerline adapter at the base (connected to the router)? Theoretically speaking...

Sony

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michaelmurfy

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# 957111 24-Dec-2013 23:28

sonyxperiageek: Ok, I got a scenario here: If I have a 100Mbps Powerline adapter connected to the router, then I have a 1Gbps Powerline adapter connected somewhere else in the house, will I be able to achieve the 1Gbps speed theoretically? Or must I also have a 1Gbps Powerline adapter at the base (connected to the router)? Theoretically speaking...

It will be limited at 100mbit, I have a mix of 200mbit and 500mbit adapters of different brands working on my network.

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sonyxperiageek

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# 957112 24-Dec-2013 23:28

And for example, this "newer model" Powerline adapter says it can connect to speeds of over 200Mbps, but only has a 10/100TX Ethernet port - http://www.dlink.co.nz/products/?pid=989

Then the following Powerline adapter says it can connect to speeds of up to 200Mbps, but only has a 10/100TX Ethernet port - http://www.dlink.co.nz/products/?pid=979

So... what's the point of selling them both at the same time, if the maximum speed (theoretically speaking) for both Powerline adapters is limited to 100Mbps from the Ethernet port?

Sony

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sonyxperiageek

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# 957115 24-Dec-2013 23:30

michaelmurfy:
sonyxperiageek: Ok, I got a scenario here: If I have a 100Mbps Powerline adapter connected to the router, then I have a 1Gbps Powerline adapter connected somewhere else in the house, will I be able to achieve the 1Gbps speed theoretically? Or must I also have a 1Gbps Powerline adapter at the base (connected to the router)? Theoretically speaking...

It will be limited at 100mbit, I have a mix of 200mbit and 500mbit adapters of different brands working on my network.

Ok, so if the adapter connected to the router was a 1Gbps one, I should be limited at 1000mbit right? Theorectically..

Sony

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michaelmurfy

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# 957116 24-Dec-2013 23:32

sonyxperiageek:
michaelmurfy:
sonyxperiageek: Ok, I got a scenario here: If I have a 100Mbps Powerline adapter connected to the router, then I have a 1Gbps Powerline adapter connected somewhere else in the house, will I be able to achieve the 1Gbps speed theoretically? Or must I also have a 1Gbps Powerline adapter at the base (connected to the router)? Theoretically speaking...

It will be limited at 100mbit, I have a mix of 200mbit and 500mbit adapters of different brands working on my network.

Ok, so if the adapter connected to the router was a 1Gbps one, I should be limited at 1000mbit right? Theorectically..

It's all limited to the lowest speed adapter IIRC. 200mbit is just 100mbit in reality, it's what switch manufacturers used to do in the early 00's "200mbit per port!"

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sonyxperiageek

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# 957122 24-Dec-2013 23:50

Ok, thanks Michael!

And I'm also assuming that the DHP-W310AV is slightly better (newer and faster) than the DHP-W306AV? Both have wireless capabilities..

Sony

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raytaylor

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# 957142 25-Dec-2013 03:45

sonyxperiageek: And for example, this "newer model" Powerline adapter says it can connect to speeds of over 200Mbps, but only has a 10/100TX Ethernet port - http://www.dlink.co.nz/products/?pid=989

Then the following Powerline adapter says it can connect to speeds of up to 200Mbps, but only has a 10/100TX Ethernet port - http://www.dlink.co.nz/products/?pid=979

So... what's the point of selling them both at the same time, if the maximum speed (theoretically speaking) for both Powerline adapters is limited to 100Mbps from the Ethernet port?

I forget what the actual ratio is, but when you see 200mbps on a homeplug, much like wifi thats the radio speed. The chipset adds a whole bunch of error correction stuff onto the packets so they can be rebuilt at the other end if the radio link is suffering interference.

So for a wifi link, its about 50% - eg. a 54mbit 802.11g wifi link can only put through a maximum of 24mbits.
I forget what the ratio is with homeplugs, but it wouldnt surprise me if a 200mbit unit runs closer to 80mbits of actual throughput, even before the ethernet port becomes a limiting factor.

Oh here we go
Homeplug 1gbit PHY layer, runs at 500mbits at the mac layer https://www.homeplug.org/about/faqs/
Homeplug AV runs at 200mbits at the PHY layer and 80mbps at the mac layer - so gigabit ethernet port not needed. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HomePlug

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Ragnor

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# 957156 25-Dec-2013 05:05

Homeplug/Powerline tech is half duplex (can't send and receive at the same time like most wifi and unlike Ethernet over regular network cable) iirc so generally real speed is usually less than half the marketing speed once you allow for protocol overheads etc.

linw

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# 957419 26-Dec-2013 08:50

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Thanks for the extra info, guys. Reinforces the maxim of using cable if you can but these devices can provide a good solution if you can't cable.

They also have an advantage in that they are portable. Especially good for renters.