Using phone-line networking in addition to already installed wireless/wired router?

[dcdomain]

My mother wants to place a computer down in the basement for work purposes. However she doesn't want to run RJ-45 cable all the way down there, and the wireless is useless at that distance.

Could a phone line networking kit be the solution? And would this be the possible configuration?
Install a phone line networking PCI card into a computer on the second floor that is already connected to the internet via the existing wireless/wired router. I would then connect this computer to the phone line and enable Internet Connection Sharing.

In the basement, I would install a phone line networking PCI card or a USB adapter into the computer there and connect that to the phoneline. What stinks about this is that I will have to have the computer upstairs on in order for the computer downstairs to work right?

Is there a better solution than the one I am currently proposing? Perhaps a huge antenna for my wireless router? Or some sort of repeater? If so please explain! Thank you!

 

[n0cmonkey]

I think I've seen adapters that take rj45, run it over the power lines Q), and come out the other side using rj45.

How bad is your wireless signal? I've got 2 wireless machines (iBook, and an MA311 networked desktop) in the basement with the WAP (another PCI card in a computer running WAP software) 2 floors above the clients. It isn't the fastest, but I do manage to get ~80KB/s off the crappy DSL.

 

[dcdomain]

Woah the RJ45/power adapters seem interesting. Thanks for the suggestion, but they also seem expensive, moreso than the other solutions... going to keep reading up on it.

As for the wireless, that's pretty amazing that you are able to get a signal that well. What type of router are you using? With my router in this location, I barely get a signal with my Shuttle MiniPC with wireless at the second location, but the notebooks seem to work fine.

Location of Router on Second floor:

00X0
0000
0000
0000

Location(s) of Shuttle PC with wireless on First floor:
X000
0000
0000
0X00

The notebooks seem to work fine in these locations though.

 

[n0cmonkey]

The "router" I use is an old Dell pentium 133 running OpenBSD with an old Linksys wireless PCI card (prism 2 chipset). I get signal pretty much anywhere in the house. When I had a wired and wireless network (they've merged, kinda), I was getting around 400-700KB/s between hosts. Not a lot, but enough to get work done. If I go outside though, I lose the signal.

If I remember where I saw the power line/rj45 adapter things I'll post it. But my mind is pretty blank at the moment.

 

[dcdomain]

Thanks for all your help, as I research the powerline adapters more... they seem to be the most likely route I'll take, unless I can find some cheap and powerful antennas for my wireless PCI cards and wireless router.

I found a few powerline products at Newegg and Amazon, now I'm just researching which one I should purchase. It's definitely better than the phoneline idea since I won't have to do any internet connection sharing.

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: dcdomain
Thanks for all your help, as I research the powerline adapters more... they seem to be the most likely route I'll take, unless I can find some cheap and powerful antennas for my wireless PCI cards and wireless router.

I found a few powerline products at Newegg and Amazon, now I'm just researching which one I should purchase. It's definitely better than the phoneline idea since I won't have to do any internet connection sharing.

It looked like they didn't require any stupid drivers and stuff too. If you get them, let us know how you like them. A minireview or something.

 

[0roo0roo]

get a directional antenna and point it at the basement?

 

[0roo0roo]

n/m powerline would be easier.