Home wireless network help

[ArisVer]

I have issues the last 6 months since I changed my modem from ADSL to VDSL. The first modem was connected in my room and I was wired to it hence no issues. When they changed it, they placed it outside the house, one floor down because of wiring (they needed CAT5 cable for that and we had a line there - attempts to run new lines on existing telephone lines failed because of stuck cables). We cannot run any cables without drilling holes and the wires will be showing all over the place so we will avoid that.

My first solution was using powerline adaptors which wasn't that good. We also added other devices in the house, an android TV stick, a tablet, and whoever comes with a smartphone. So I got some wireless repeaters that do not function well, maybe they are too cheap.

My setup as it is now: modem on floor 0, repeater-1 on floor 1 connected to modem, another repeater-2 on floor 1 which can only connect to repeater-1 and repeater-3 (on floor 1/2, using this in summer only) which is connected to modem.
I wonder whether if I get a good repeater for repeater-1 which is located in the center of the house, can cover the repeater-2 requirements.

I want a wireless setup using parts that I can find on ebay or from 2 local stores (links below). My internet line is only 2Mbits but I want the setup to be good enough for at least 10Mbits constant rate. Any other possible solutions are welcome.

http://www.singular.com.cy/en/

http://www.eshopcy.com.cy/ <------ this one is actually in Greek so you may want to skip it.


And a question related to this. I have an unused telephone line in my room (which is the attic, floor 2). There is probably a way to connect it to the modem but is the telephone cable suitable for this?

 

[JackMDS]

I would start with this - http://www.singular.com.cy/en/asus-...4-port-switch-802.11a-b-g-n-ac-dual-band.html

 

[sdifox]

Do you have coax cable running to each floor?

 

[ArisVer]

Thanks for checking Jack, I will have a look at that.
Edit. Is it worth it paying extra for the AC as I have no devices that can use that? /Edit.

Do you have coax cable running to each floor?

When the house was build it was wired with coax from a central box to each room, coming from the antenna of course. I don't see how can I use that because we also use the TV.

 

[sdifox]

Thanks for checking Jack, I will have a look at that.
Edit. Is it worth it paying extra for the AC as I have no devices that can use that? /Edit.




When the house was build it was wired with coax from a central box to each room, coming from the antenna of course. I don't see how can I use that because we also use the TV.

EoC can coexist with cable and satellite signal.

 

[ArisVer]

I didn't know of that technology and read about it last night, interesting and the adapters are a bit expensive. In my case is not applicable unless you go for a complete home network and skip the exterior antenna. My modem is located in a room we build outside in the basement and t does not have coax, only telephone and power cables. The coax center box is located one floor above. I could reroute some unused lines from the center box to the rooms but I don't need internet in the rooms (and the attic does not have coax). The living room and kitchen lines (where repeater1 and repeater2 are) are occupied from the antenna signal going to TVs.

 

[sdifox]

I am talking about using EoC to get internet to each of your floors then you put a wifi access point on each floor.

 

[ArisVer]

Yes I understood that, but I cannot wire the modem with the coax as there are no coax cables in the room where the modem is.

Going with a repeater setup is more simple and enough for my needs if I get a decent router at the center spot.

 

[sdifox]

Quick question, did you make sure you installed the ethernet over power adapters on the same phase of the power grid in your house?

 

[ArisVer]

Actually they were on different phases. The attic has it's own phase. Are you thinking of connecting that adapter to a router in the living room? I am not sure whether the basement and living room are on the same phase but I can find out.

 

[sdifox]

Actually they were on different phases. The attic has it's own phase. Are you thinking of connecting that adapter to a router in the living room? I am not sure whether the basement and living room are on the same phase but I can find out.

Try it on receptacles on the same phase and see if it works better. I suspect it will.

 

[ArisVer]

Thanks for trying to help. I asked and found out that I was wrong as I assumed that because I have a separate power board I had a different phase in the attic.
It turns out that the phases could be anywhere and I don't have any electrical wiring diagrams as none were made.

 

[sdifox]

It is not that hard to determine phase. Would be easier with two people, one mans the breaker board and the other test the lights and sockets.

 

[JackMDS]

In the USA houses get in High Voltage and it divide into 110 VAC phases.

You probably have 220VAC and only one Phase.

--------------
http://www.tomsguide.com/us/Powerline-Networking-Test,review-1333-3.html

 

[sdifox]

In the USA houses get in High Voltage and it divide into 110 VAC phases.

You probably have 220VAC and only one Phase.

--------------
http://www.tomsguide.com/us/Powerline-Networking-Test,review-1333-3.html

Oops forgot that bit.

 

[ArisVer]

It is not that hard to determine phase. Would be easier with two people, one mans the breaker board and the other test the lights and sockets.

Testing this is way out of my knowledge. The way I see the setup, is that the power goes inside the fuse box (behind it actually) and that is were the wiring was made. The house does have three phases because you get much better current flow, besides we needed some extra power for a water well pump.

Here the voltage is running at about 230V. The power supply lines have 5 wires, probably three running at 230V, a neutral and a ground. Three phase homes have three wires coming from them while single phase homes only take one of the 230V lines. These are in the air (on power poles, not underground) so it's easy to see that.

 

[ArisVer]

Three phase homes have three wires coming from them while single phase homes only take one of the 230V lines.

A correction here. Three phase homes have four (NOT three) wires coming from them while single phase homes only take two (NOT one).....the extra line I forgot to mention is the neutral line.

 

[sdifox]

Testing this is way out of my knowledge. The way I see the setup, is that the power goes inside the fuse box (behind it actually) and that is were the wiring was made. The house does have three phases because you get much better current flow, besides we needed some extra power for a water well pump.

Here the voltage is running at about 230V. The power supply lines have 5 wires, probably three running at 230V, a neutral and a ground. Three phase homes have three wires coming from them while single phase homes only take one of the 230V lines. These are in the air (on power poles, not underground) so it's easy to see that.

You have fuses and not breakers? What I am talking about is very simple, turn on all nights, pull one breaker or fuse and see which lights go off :biggrin:

 

[ArisVer]

First let me be clear that I am not sure what current pass through the main electricity power lines and what each line is. They have 5 wires and the fourth counting from above is a thinner wire. The first power lines were placed by the British before 1960 when Cyprus used to be a UK colony so we might be using the same standards and we also have the same wall sockets.

In this picture the two wires (on the left) go to the left house and this is a single phase. Another four wires go across to a house were I know it has three phases (also has a water well pump and it was my father that persuaded them to place a three phase electricity).


In this picture, four wires are coming towards our house (and another four going to the house across) which is the three phase power supply. Btw, the black line below the five electricity lines are from CableNet, our only local cable company as far as I know. They only recently placed them in this area and as you can see they are not connected yet.


Same picture taken from the attic.


Here is the main power switch outside the house and it is probably a breaker switch. Some times it switches off and we can turn it back on without changing any fuses. It happens less than once a year since they placed a new transformer in the area a few years ago. It has three "boxes" rated at 60A and 415V, probably large fuses.




This is the main power box. It has switches for the other two power boxes as described on the left side panel. This is were the living room wall plugs are connected, which is were I want to place the router. I do not know if it has fuses.


This is power box A. It controls the wall plugs in the basement were the modem is. I do not know if it has fuses.


This is power box B in the attic and this is a fuse box.



I don't know whether this information is enough for you to understand anything.
While what you said about finding out were the phases go from the light switches sounds easy, I am not sure how can this be done.

 

[sdifox]

the panel with the two column of switches is the breaker box. this is where power is distributed to the different switches and sockets in your house. Normally the ones in the same column are in the same phase.

I see notation on the panel door, it should tell you where the breakers are connected to. Let's assume breaker 1 is livingroom, then you would go to living room and rooms adjacent to it and turn on the lights. then turn off the breaker and see which room's light went off.

usually a breaker controls a few rooms.

 

[ArisVer]

Thanks for the suggestions. EoC seems the best solution and maybe I will go that route. I will think about it and decide.