Re: Powerline Networking Question

In article <XkENf.4339$RM2.574566@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Patrick Keenan
<test@xxxxxxxx> writes
This may be posted to the wrong group - if so, please let me know where
would be better. It's kind of a cabling issue...

I'm pretty sure I'm missing something obvious here.

I have a client with a large house with massive walls, which prevent
wireless from being a viable option outside of the room containing the
wireless access point. There are three locations needing network
service - two offices (West and East) on either side of the ground-floor
foyer, and the exercise room in the basement.

I'm generally not permitted to run cable, though I was able to co-opt an
existing cat5 cable from the West office to the phone closet in the
basement, about 50 feet from the computer in the exercise room. I've added
keystone jacks to this and the cable functions properly.

So, we've tried Netgear XE-102 power line ethernet adapters, and this works
just great for the two offices on the ground floor.

In the West office, the DSL service goes to a router (Netgear RP114,
providing DHCP), which feeds the local PC and also feeds a XE-102 (#1).
I've also put ends on a cat5 cable someone ran to the phone closet at the
far end of the basement, and this cable works. No problems here.

In the East office, another XE-102 (#2) picks up the signal and goes to
another Netgear wireless router (just acting as switch and Wireless Access
Point). This has a Phaser printer connected to it and provides wireless
for the laptop on the desk. No problems here either; this works very well.

However, XE-102 (#3) in the exercise room in the basement does not work
well at all. The two offices upstairs appear to be on a single circuit;
the basement exercise room is not only on another circuit but another
breaker panel. The XE102 downstairs can just barely get a connect - at
best it can pick up an IP address, but can't connect to the router, by
browser, ping, or telnet (that router does support telnet). Everything
times out. DHCP renews will often time out.

If I run a long cable from the cat5 drop to the phone closet in place of the
cable from the XE-102, the network wakes right up to full speed, so I don't
think there is, say, a firewall issue. Unfortunately, running this cable
is not acceptable to the client.

So, on the idea that the second breaker panel is a barrier that the XE-102
#3 isn't crossing, I added a fourth XE-102 (#4) to an electric outlet on
the same circuit as the XE-102 #3, and connected it to the cat5 drop in the
phone room, which is connected to the RP114 router in the West office.

The moment I plug the cat5 cable from the router to the fourth XE-102 in,
the activity light on that XE-102 and all the port activity lights on both
routers upstairs start flashing constantly, several times per second. The
network as a whole suffers very badly. Unplugging that cable stops this,
but may have triggered a need to power cycle the two routers upstairs to
restore stability. It looks rather like a loop feeding itself.

I've tried swapping in other XE-102 units; they all behave in the same
manner.

Obviously this idea of the fourth XE-102 jumpered to the router doesn't work
the way I hoped it would. Any suggestions as to how to get a solid signal
to XE-102 #3 on the second breaker panel?

Thanks for any assistance (or redirection to a better forum).

Patrick Keenan



This forum is fine..

Regarding the two different breaker panels.. I suspect they are on
different phases. This means your signal has to go all the way back to
the local transformer, or substation, before it can 'jump' to the other
phase and back to you.. If this is the case, I am surprised you get
anything.

Regarding the rest of your question.. I have read it twice, but am going
to have to read it again, and draw it out. ;-) Not your fault, just
easier to understand.

Have you made up CAT5 cables before?

Do you know the difference between 568A and 568B?

Have you any test gear, or can you borrow any?

Will come back to this once I have drawn it out... Might even hunt up a
website for the XE-102 thingy's.

Soon,
Philip Partridge
.

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