Just spotted this: http://www.rapidonline.com/Cables-Connectors/PE-Power-Ethernet-Socket-Networking-501768

Looks pretty neat, especially for new builds, but mighty expensive for what it is.

Although the power consumption is tolerable low in standby, it doesn't seem to have a way to manually turn it off, which is a pity.

If the price was lower, the power consumption was lower and it could be easily just turned on and off I think I'd be interested.

I'm using something similar to those plug-in ones to run i player on the TV, and it works pretty well. What I liked about the ones in the socket was the neatness - no plug in bits.

I've got wireless at the moment, and it's OK, but quite power-hungry. I have the wireless router on a time switch to try and cut the power down a bit, but it does grieve me having to have it powered up and transmitting even when I'm using the wired connection.

Nothing, TBH it's what I was planning to do in the new build, pretty much flood wire it with Cat 5. Relatively cheap to do, but does mean extra wall plates around the place. I just liked the neat look of the combined unit, but not enough to pay that sort of price for them.

I'll be doing it as Cat 6. Once you want HD TV over IP you will be glad of it. I will also not put all the face plates on. Lay the wires, patch them back at the distribution point and remember where the cables are. Put the faceplates on once you know where you need them else sods law will be invoked! (same for TV Sat as well BTW). And also put in twice as much as you think you need. Oh but do label them

edit - remember not to 'pull' the cable. It is solid wire and should be laid else you risk damaging the inner wires.

My understanding is that you can run hdmi over 2 x cat5e cables, which is what I intend to run to most rooms. The cable is relatively cheap so not a huge cost to put in two where one might suffice.

Remember that data cabling is now covered by the updated IEE 17th Edition, as is just about everything in the world.

Not that I think it matters in a home.
I like Cat5, used to string it across the carpark at work, can get over the 175 m limit usually without a repeater if treated well.

Posted By: SprocketJust put Cat6a/7 shielded everywhere.

I understood that the additional shielding in CAT6 made it quite stiff and difficult to pull through. If this is the case then I'm not sure it is worth it. I suspect that shortish runs of Cat5e may well work faster than a gigabit.

Posted By: SprocketJust because you don't need it now doesn't mean you won't need it tomorrow.

I agree with that.

Posted By: JSHarrisLooks pretty neat, especially for new builds,...

I'd have thought new build is exactly when you don't need this as it's easy to put in "proper" network cable.

Posted By: bealersYou have Ethernet in your loft? :)

Of course. And Ethernet is not the only use for Cat5 - sticking 1-wire sensors in the loft is, by the standards of this forum, normal behaviour.

I shall definitely be running cables, 5e or 6. Wireless can be such a pita, even now.

Absolutely.

Posted By: CWatters

Posted By: JSHarrisJust spotted this:http://www.rapidonline.com/Cables-Connectors/PE-Power-Ethernet-Socket-Networking-501768" rel="nofollow" >http:////www.rapidonline.com/Cables-Connectors/PE-Power-Ethernet-Socket-Networking-501768">http://www.rapidonline.com/Cables-Connectors/PE-Power-Ethernet-Socket-Networking-501768

Looks pretty neat, especially for new builds, but mighty expensive for what it is.

I think it's more suited to retrofit.

Agreed. In a new build, do it properly and run proper network cable. As a retrofit, it looks quite a neat (if expensive) solution and I can see the advantages.

I don't understand this. What is the point in Cat5 if you can just use the power lines? Is there some drawback to power-line use as an information carrier? Will these systems only work if on the same 'ring' of power line or will they transmit through the fuse-board to other rings? It looks like they could be really useful in my situation as a neat way to get ethernet to the whole house. I could run cat5 but being a retrofit it would require a lot of ripping up and also planning as to where it will be needed.

You can also use Cat 5 for other things than Ethernet - telephone, video (with some hassle), 1-wire, whatever.

Powerline adapters should be avoided, they are polluting the radio spectrum. Its probably a strange notion but the EM spectrum especially <30MHz is a valuable resource that is slowly being degraded by these and a growing array of poorly built/designed electronic devices.

Power cables aren't designed for radio frequencies, it just gets radiated everywhere so not exactly secure. Use cable or wireless.

As I understand it, all devices on the powerline network share the same bandwidth. The mainstream is now 200mbps, with 500mbps becoming available. If the connection is point to point then they get the full bandwidth. If there are 4 adapters with two talking to the other two, then you only get half the bandwidth because they can't all be talking at the same time. Also note that the powerline bandwidth is half-duplex, i.e. it is either sending or receiving, but not both at the same time, whereas ethernet is usually full duplex (i.e. both send and receive at the same time).

Each ethernet connection is point to point and with a decent switch can handle up to 1gbps in each direction, so 10 times the maximum bandwidth of a point to point powerline connection. Again, a decent switch will allow full line rate on several (or many) cables at the same time.

So, the available performance on ethernet across a home network is much larger. You may argue this is extreme and 100mbps is enough, but in a few years time when you want to stream more than 1 HD TV channel around the house it might start to look limited.

Ethernet is also more private, in that it never extends out of the house. If you had a neighbour on the same phase it might be possible to pick your powerline up in their house (never tried it).

Ethernet also uses marginally less power than powerline, but probably not enough if this was the only reason.

Finally, there are lots of complaints (justified or otherwise) from radio hams about powerline interfering with their radio signals.

Lots of people are talking about this being mental and bad for radio etc but, to be honest, I don't really care about radio signals and technical jiggery pokery. All I am really interested in is does this stuff do what it says on the tin and is there any real reason (performance etc) why it would be a bad idea in an average system. Mark makes the point about it being less than Cat5 which is relevant. I am currently the only one in the house and my needs will be for a computer, maybe one TV monitor in the future and a number of IP cctv cameras (up to 8). Would this be too much for this system to handle? The only other option is for me to rip up all the floors and walls and run new cat5 cable everywhere. Currently I manage on wifi but the house has big walls and many areas are poorly covered.