Aaron
Member
Registered: 9th Aug 04
Location: Cottingham, East Riding
User status: Offline
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Thanks for everyone's advice in the NAS server thread. I'm now pretty sure which device and drives i'm going to buy.
My next dilemma is network speeds.
My media centre is connected to the rest of my network by Solwise 85mbps home plugs. My router is upstairs, as is my microserver, and as will be my NAS when i buy it.
The issue is that a general file transfer speed from my Microserver to my media centre is around 750kbps (yes...kbps...it's that bad), however, if i move the home plug from my media centre into a socket upstairs, i get a data transfer speed of roughly 2.5 to 3 Mega Bytes per second.
After doing a bit of research in to this, i'm lead to believe that the 2.5 to 3 Mega Bytes per second is pretty much all i should really expect out of these plugs, however, my issue is that this speed can't be achieved in my living room downstairs.
In the research i've done, it seems that the issue is that the power line signal has to go upstairs, and probably onto a different circuit or something (i'm a n00b when it comes to domestic electronics), which is causing the slowness. This has been proven by having a better transfer speed in any socket upstairs as opposed to a much slower transfer speed to any socket downstairs.
I've done stuff like unplugged electrical devices in order to lower the noise on the circuits, in hope that it would improve the speed delivered to my media centre...but no joy.
So my question is this. Does anyone know anything which could possibly speed up the speeds i'm getting downstairs, or, am i going to have to give in and get someone to install a network socket/cable from my media centre to the eventual location of my NAS. Or, does anyone have any other ideas?
In all honesty...i'd much prefer the NAS to be placed up stairs. I thought about having it downstairs to be a quick fix, but i don't really want to see it, and i don't think it's the quietest of devices when it gets going either.
All ideas welcome 
[Edited on 27-12-2012 by Aaron]
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pow
Premium Member
Registered: 11th Sep 06
Location: Hazlemere, Buckinghamshire
User status: Offline
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To get the top rates the plugs need to be on the same ring.
Can't you chuck a bit of cat5 between the two devices?
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Aaron
Member
Registered: 9th Aug 04
Location: Cottingham, East Riding
User status: Offline
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It looks like getting a cable put in is the way forward, but as it's a rented house that we live in, i was hoping to avoid this.
Running cable isnt something which i have any experience in, and i get the impression that the route between the 2 ports won't be a simple one. I know a guy who installs network cable and ports for a living, so i've got him coming round in a few days to check it out.
I've been looking on the Solwise website at some faster home plugs, and i plan to call them for some advise tomorrow, however, i suspect that the home plugs could be fibre speed....but i'd still get crappy speeds due to the way the electrics here.
Thankfully, Solwise are a local company, so i might even nip in for a chat.
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Bart
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Registered: 19th Aug 02
Location: Midsomer Norton, Bristol Avon
User status: Offline
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The homeplug speeds will depend on a number of things, but yes, having them on different rings will not be great.
If you look at your MCB disboard, it'll have a ring for upstairs sockets, downstairs sockets, upstairs lights, downstairs lights etc, these are the rings.
If your home plugs are on the same ring, they're almost directly connected and you'll achieve better speeds. If not, then the signal will have to travel back to the disboard, back through the MCB, over the copper busbar and back down the other ring.
Too much interference, too much reistance will make for weaker signal.
As you've said above, your best bet is just to drill a small hole somewhere out the way and run the cable around the exterior of the house.
It shouldn't be hard to hide it behind some guttering or something. I did this with my last house.
Lastly, where is your router? My opinion is, if your running one cable down, run a spare cable just in case. even if your mask up both ends, you have easy room for expansion in the future.
[Edited on 27-12-2012 by Bart]
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Aaron
Member
Registered: 9th Aug 04
Location: Cottingham, East Riding
User status: Offline
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The router is upstairs, as well as my Microserver, and it's also where the NAS will be placed when i eventually buy it.
I hope the process of running the cables is an easy one tbh, but i guess we'll see.
I agree with running extras too
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