Most of us use WiFi wireless technology to connect to the internet at home, at the office or in a hotel room using our laptops, tablets and smart-phones.
While wireless access is certainly very convenient, it can also be very frustrating when it is difficult or even impossible to connect to the internet because of a poor wireless signal.
The reason for a poor wireless signal is usually a combination of distance from the broadband wireless router, thick walls or possibly walls or ceilings that incorporate materials such as metals that block radio waves.
In such cases it would be necessary to boost wireless coverage by deploying one or more additional wireless access points.
Each additional wireless access point has to be connected to the internet router either directly or via an intermediate network switch. There are three different methods of doing this each of which requires a different type of device. The different methods are:
- an ethernet cable connection;
- a Wireless Repeater devices; and
- a Homeplug device.
Here we consider how HomePlug devices could be deployed as a possible solution to the problem of a poor wireless signal.
Click on the appropriate link above for more information on the other methods.
Homeplug devices
One of the easiest ways of solving the problem of poor wireless coverage is to use a technology known as HomePlug to install an additional wireless access point in the location where there is a wireless coverage problem.
Homeplug devices use existing mains electrical cabling to provide a network connection to any room in your home or office. They offer an alternative to the often impractical and expensive option of installing network cabling from your router to the required location.
[NB HomePlug is sometimes known as PowerLan]
The diagram below shows a simple Homeplug network in which the master Homeplug adaptor is connected to a spare ethernet port on the internet router and also to a convenient mains outlet. The other slave Homeplug adaptor is plugged into a spare mains socket in the required location.
The diagram shows a that a slave Homeplug adaptor can not only provide wireless access, but can also provide wired connections for 3 x devices. Please note that not all Homeplug wireless adaptors have this multi-port capability.
It is possible to have up to 16 x Homeplug adaptors on a single network.
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Get in touch with us if you have a specific requirement or if you wish to discuss how your business could make better and more cost-effective use of its existing telecommunications and internet infrastructure and services.
