Netgear Powerline XE102 with Multiple Switch Question

[burgerwars]

I'm thinking of buying three XE102's. What I plan on doing is plug
one into my router/switch (where my cable modem is with the main PC
and server I use). Plug another in another bedroom for a PC to use
there. And plug another downstairs in the family room for use with
another PC and media player. My question is does the XE102 support
another switch plugged into where I plan to have it in the family
room, so it can support additional devices or PCs there? All the
diagrams I see show the XE102 just supporting one device, where it's
plugged directly into a PCs NIC card.
Also, any comments about connection speed, when compared to ethernet
or 802.11g?

Thanks

 

[Steve Winograd [MVP]]

I'm thinking of buying three XE102's. What I plan on doing is plug
one into my router/switch (where my cable modem is with the main PC
and server I use). Plug another in another bedroom for a PC to use
there. And plug another downstairs in the family room for use with
another PC and media player. My question is does the XE102 support
another switch plugged into where I plan to have it in the family
room, so it can support additional devices or PCs there? All the
diagrams I see show the XE102 just supporting one device, where it's
plugged directly into a PCs NIC card.

Yes, the XE102 will do what you want. You can connect a switch to it
and connect multiple computers/devices to the switch.

I installed an XE102 network for one of my clients yesterday, and I
love that little device. It's totally reliable, it doesn't require a
driver program (so it works with all Ethernet-ready computers and
devices), and it works in some settings where wireless networking
doesn't (e.g. a huge multi-level house). IMHO, home powerline
networking deserves to be much better known and more widely used.

Also, any comments about connection speed, when compared to ethernet
or 802.11g?

That's the only disadvantage I see to home powerline networking. In
my tests, the maximum transfer rate for file copies is around 3
Mb/sec, which is about 2/3 the speed 802.11b and much slower than
802.11g and Ethernet.

However, it's faster than most home Internet connections. It can't
take full advantage of my Comcast cable modem connection, though. I
just did some speed tests, and downloads ran at 2940 Kb/sec with
Ethernet and 2072 Kb/sec with the SpeedStream SS2502 (which is based
on the same chipset as the XE102). I don't have any XE102's at the
moment, because I keep selling them to my clients.

I just got a pair of XA601's, which connect to a computer's USB port
instead of its Ethernet port. They seem to be just as good as the
XE102, working reliably even with Win98SE.

Thanks

--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com

 

[Dean Williams]

Yes, the XE102 will do what you want. You can connect a switch to it
and connect multiple computers/devices to the switch.

I installed an XE102 network for one of my clients yesterday, and I
love that little device. It's totally reliable, it doesn't require a
driver program (so it works with all Ethernet-ready computers and
devices), and it works in some settings where wireless networking
doesn't (e.g. a huge multi-level house). IMHO, home powerline
networking deserves to be much better known and more widely used.


That's the only disadvantage I see to home powerline networking. In
my tests, the maximum transfer rate for file copies is around 3
Mb/sec, which is about 2/3 the speed 802.11b and much slower than
802.11g and Ethernet.

However, it's faster than most home Internet connections. It can't
take full advantage of my Comcast cable modem connection, though. I
just did some speed tests, and downloads ran at 2940 Kb/sec with
Ethernet and 2072 Kb/sec with the SpeedStream SS2502 (which is based
on the same chipset as the XE102). I don't have any XE102's at the
moment, because I keep selling them to my clients.

I just got a pair of XA601's, which connect to a computer's USB port
instead of its Ethernet port. They seem to be just as good as the
XE102, working reliably even with Win98SE.

--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com

Has anyone tried the XE102 with WiFi access points? I tried to use
DLink's AP/Repeater product (configured as a WiFi repeater - it
repeates the WiFi signal of my router/switch/access point), with
marginal results. My thinking is to use the XE102 (with one plugged
into the router/switch, obviously) and then plug the AP/Repeater into
it (config'd as an access point). My hope is that I'll now get
reliable WiFi in the remote areas of my home.

 

[Steve Winograd [MVP]]

Has anyone tried the XE102 with WiFi access points? I tried to use
DLink's AP/Repeater product (configured as a WiFi repeater - it
repeates the WiFi signal of my router/switch/access point), with
marginal results. My thinking is to use the XE102 (with one plugged
into the router/switch, obviously) and then plug the AP/Repeater into
it (config'd as an access point). My hope is that I'll now get
reliable WiFi in the remote areas of my home.

I've done exactly what you're proposing, Dean, and it works fine. You
can put the wireless access point in whatever location gives the best
wireless signal distribution. In my 3-level house, the cable modem is
on the first floor, and I've put the XE102 and wireless access point
on the second floor.
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com

 

[burgerwars]

Just to follow-up, I did buy a couple of XE102's and hooked them up
tonight. One I plugged into a router/switch upstairs, and one I
plugged in downstairs (about 30 feet away), which then goes into
another switch. I then plugged my laptop into that.
Both started working immediately. Nothing to configure. I then ran a
couple of speed tests, using dslreports.com and another service. The
results were about 2800 kbps download and 300 kbps upload. This is
very close to what I get from a hardwired ethernet connection (my ISP
is Time Warner Cable). So as far as internet browsing, not much of
speed difference there, but obviously there will be a speed difference
if I copy a bunch of files between PCs on my network. I'll be testing
these things a bit more this weekend.

 

[Steve Winograd [MVP]]

Just to follow-up, I did buy a couple of XE102's and hooked them up
tonight. One I plugged into a router/switch upstairs, and one I
plugged in downstairs (about 30 feet away), which then goes into
another switch. I then plugged my laptop into that.
Both started working immediately. Nothing to configure. I then ran a
couple of speed tests, using dslreports.com and another service. The
results were about 2800 kbps download and 300 kbps upload. This is
very close to what I get from a hardwired ethernet connection (my ISP
is Time Warner Cable). So as far as internet browsing, not much of
speed difference there, but obviously there will be a speed difference
if I copy a bunch of files between PCs on my network. I'll be testing
these things a bit more this weekend.

Thanks for the report. I'm glad that it's working so well and that
you're getting better speeds than I do!
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com

 

[Michael]

Hope you don't mind my jumping in at this point. I'm considering the three
topologies (Cat5, Wireless and Powerline) for an installation at a church
client of mine. Their church office is basically a three story brick and
block construction 1940's home and running the cat5 will be difficult. The
distances between places where network drops are needed are such that the
wireless is possibly a problem. Thus I want to look at Powerline. But when I
talk to Belkin about their powerline products, they say all nodes must be on
the same circuit breaker, not just in the same breaker panel, to be able to
communicate. I can see how this makes some sense but it also severely limits
the use of the technology. I know the bedrooms on the third floor use
different circuit breakers than the offices in the basement, as you'd expect
them to. Does anyone know the correct answer here? Is there one good source
or review of the pluses and minuses of the three topologies that anyone can
recommend?

Thanks.

Michael

 

[Steve Winograd [MVP]]

Hope you don't mind my jumping in at this point. I'm considering the three
topologies (Cat5, Wireless and Powerline) for an installation at a church
client of mine. Their church office is basically a three story brick and
block construction 1940's home and running the cat5 will be difficult. The
distances between places where network drops are needed are such that the
wireless is possibly a problem. Thus I want to look at Powerline. But when I
talk to Belkin about their powerline products, they say all nodes must be on
the same circuit breaker, not just in the same breaker panel, to be able to
communicate. I can see how this makes some sense but it also severely limits
the use of the technology. I know the bedrooms on the third floor use
different circuit breakers than the offices in the basement, as you'd expect
them to. Does anyone know the correct answer here? Is there one good source
or review of the pluses and minuses of the three topologies that anyone can
recommend?

Thanks.

Michael

I haven't tried Belkin's powerline product, but I suspect that their
representative gave you bad information.

The Netgear and SpeedStream powerline products that I've used work
fine between different breakers on the same panel, and between
different breaker panels in the same house. As I understand it, they
would even work between different houses that are fed from the same
power company transformer. That's why it's important to use data
encryption on the powerline network.

Here's my summary of the three topologies:

Cat5 Plus

1. Low cost
2. High speed
3. High security
4. High reliability
5. Mature technology, numerous vendors
6. Recent computers have network adapter built in

Cat5 Minus

1. Requires running cables

Wireless Plus

1. No need for cables
2. Laptop users are completely mobile.

Wireless Minus

1. High cost
2. WEP encryption hard to set up, can be broken by determined hacker.
3. Limited range

Powerline Plus

1. Easy to set up -- no driver program to install
2. No new cables -- works wherever there's an AC outlet

Powerline Minus

1. Low speed
2. Few equipment vendors
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com