Powerline Ethernet adapters to network computers in older home
If anybody on this forum has heard of these, I am thinking of trying this solution, as I have tried wifi & it did not work, too many settings,codes & configurations that are difficult to figure out.
Right now, I am in a 55 or older home, some parts of it have been rewired. I have read many good reviews about power line Ethernet adapters, but I am not sure if they would work in my situation. Now, there is a 7 year old Dell PC in our kitchen with AT & T DSL service, AT & T provided a modem router, specifically the speedstrem 5100, but it has only one Ethernet port, the other outlet is for the phone or DSL line. I tried to set up an apple airport extreme with it & it did not work. I was told to put the speedstrem in bridge mode, & I lost all internet connectivity. I had to call AT & T tech support to reset the speedstream & get connectivity back. This was a horrible experience, our family had a huge fight over it, & my father got very angry with me, so I do not want to go through it again. So I was prepared to hard wire everything, even if it meant running Ethernet cables all over the house from the PC with the modem router in the kitchen to connect to my macbook pro in another room. I would prefer something that is very simple, with no software to install or configure. I dont want to have to change the speedstream modem settings at all. I would rather everything to be just a matter of plugging & unplugging something, & the ability to easily go back to my original set up if something does not work. I dont have the time or the technical knowledge to set up complicated settings for a network. that is why the powerlines appealed to me, they offer a hardware solution without so many cables running everywhere. but I am concerned about interference, especially in the kitchen, (with the fridge, microwave, & telephone) & reliability, because other people in my home use the computer in the kitchen, & I cant screw up the internet connection. I notice when the fridge turns on in a new power cycle, the lights dim briefly in an adjacent room. AT & T seems very tricky to network, when I called them, they told me no other name brand routers are compatible with their service, & they had an AT & T branded 2 wire router, & it would be the only thing that would work. Well I went online to look up the model their support rep told me on the phone, & it had alot of negative reviews on amazon. It was a notoriously bad router, that was hard to configure & did not last. I want to be able to use the internet in another room on my macbook, I am taking online classes, & it is distracting with people coming in & out of the kitchen. |
These things are junk. They don't work. I tried all of them last summer and fall. The signals dip and disappears, even in homes/offices with new wiring that exceeds normal specs. In the home you've described, you'll have nothing but problems. I ended up climbing in the attic and just running new wires to the room needing additional access. I also had to add a new router with more available ports.
2wire routers are also notorious junk that is foisted on customers by ISPs. No tech in his right mind would use a 2wire. They're not awful for a modem, but miserable as routers. WARNING: You have found one of my pet peeves! = Stupid things ISPs tell customers. As such, I will come across as far more aggressive as I normally would. Now then... AT&T is lying to you. ISPs seem to hire morons. Quote:
The downstream router has no bearing on the function of the AT&T modem any more than your choice of beverage affects the car. Charter tries to give me the same BS all the time. They are fools. It's nothing more than an attempt to avoid troubleshooting the zillions of routers that exist out there. However, rather than say "we do not support anything other than ____ brand router," they chose to lie. -- ASIDE: There was a similar discussion some months ago, where a video conversion service was claiming that video quality "cannot be corrected". Well, that's obvious BS, too. It's the same type of misinformation. -- A standard network looks like this:
The only caveat is that you might need to log into the modem, and disable the built-in router, so that your new downstream router handshakes/marries the modem. While most modems will still work fine with the integrated router enabled, some will not. Note that AT&T may choose to lie to you here, too, saying that you cannot log into the modem. That's BS. You login to modems and routers by way of a local IP address typed into a web browser. Most of them using a standard 192.168.0.1 address. (You can change the address too, to avoid sniffing bots that may try to hack your connection. For example, making it 192.168.129.1) Login details are usually found in instruction manuals, or you can look this info up on Google real easy, with your model information, plus the search keywords "IP login address default username password" NOTES:When my ISP tells me that something cannot be done (and I know they are wrong/lying), I get rude. I pay too much money for service to deal with some Sally Stupid on the other end of the phone. I tell them they're full of crap, and to please put an intelligent tech on the phone. I don't care if the person is offended. They are not qualified to be a tech. Quit, find another job. I've had an ISP tell me something as silly as "you can only use Internet Explorer with our internet service." Clearly that person is an idiot that should not be listened to. I often go one further, calling their corporate and reporting stupid techs. Installing a new router is easy. 1. Unplug power from modem, turn off all computers. Leave it that way for about 10 minutes. 2. Plug in new router. The modem is now wired to the new router, and the computers are now wired into the router. No computers in the integrated modem+router. 3. Plug in modem. Wait maybe 3 minutes. Watch all lights go green/whatever, and usually NOT blinking after connection is established. 4. Plug in router. Wait maybe 2 minutes. Watch lights as the router will "find" some things. 5. Turn on one computer. See if you're connected. If not, call AT&T. Tell them you need them to flush/reset the MAC address cache for your connection. If you get another idiot on the phone, escalate the call to a higher level tech. Feel free to lie to the tech, and tell him/her that you added a new computer, and it's not connected to the internet like the old one. If the person tries to blame the computer, which is likely, insist he/she checks the connection first. Inform the tech that you've already turned off the modem, waited 5 minutes, and turned it back on. If it's a computer with the connection issue, they are obligated to help. If it's a router, Chicken Little will scream that the sky is falling, and they insist they cannot help, that routers are the spawn of Satan, and the interwebs only works on compooters. ... Even though the modem/ISP sees nothing more than MAC from either device. (At least in this frame of reference.) Hopefully it won't get this far. It will just be live once the wiring is done correctly, and all the gear is turned on in the right sequence, with adequate delays between them (as noted). I know this is very complicated. You just a crash course in Internet connections. IP 101. :) |
Since you gave the model of modem, I took a few minutes to look up the info for you. This is what I found:
username = admin password = admin IP = 192.168.1.0 or 192.168.254.254 Refer to your 5100 manual, if you have one. What I'm about to explain to you is also laid out pretty well at http://www.dslreports.com/faq/11827?...23283824521575 What you'll want to do is pre-alter the modem, before plugging it into a live network with the ISP. You may need to change the default IP of the router, because it can conflict with the default of the modem. They have to use different IP addresses/numbers. "May" means that you might OR MIGHT NOT need to do this. See if the numbers match. No reason to waste your time if the numbers are already different. If required, you'll do this by turning off a computer, unplugging the internet access. Power up router, plug it into computer (CAT5/CAT5e/CAT6 cable), and then turn on computer. Log into the router's default IP. Again, most use 192.168.0.1, but defer to your router paperwork. Find the place in the router where you can change the IP. Make it something simple that you'll remember. AND WRITE IT DOWN IN THE MANUAL! I suggest 192.169.100.1 for this. Okay, that's changed. Turn off computer, unplug power + CAT cable of router. Plug into modem again. Turn on computer. Login into modem. Disable integrated router, if the option exist. Now run through the full setup in the last post. Your problem was using bridged mode. That's a problem waiting to happen. I've never had luck with bridging two routers, either. I used to slave a wireless from a wired router, before replacing everything last year. While I linked to a page that discusses a D-link router, you can buy whatever you want. I use a Frys G wireless, as well as a Netgear G wireless. That took quite a bit of writing. If you weren't a Premium Member, I'd have never written that much! :) If this has helped in any way, especially if I helped save you some $$, remember the cause! http://www.digitalfaq.com/donate.htm Thanks. :) |
First off, thanks a bunch for your detailed explanation, it still is quite confusing for me, & I am reluctant to make any changes to the modem, as the main kitchen computer & DSL service is not mine but my mother's, so I dont think I will risk making a mistake like that again.
If I go wireless, I think it might be simpler if I just got a whole new router & replace the speedstream with it, rather than getting into settings I dont understand. I found this on amazon, http://www.amazon.com/Actiontec-GT72...pr_product_top & it stood out because alot of the reviewers said it was compatible with AT & T. another option I am leaning towards now,( especially after what you said about the power line adapters, I was seriously considering buying those, but I definitely do not want problems) is just hard wiring everything, with some cat5e ethernet cable from this Ethernet port expander which is what I just got; http://www.amazon.com/Netgear-FS105N...=pd_cp_e_3_map and attaching it to the speedstream, adding more ports, & wiring my macbook pro to it, & running wire to different rooms. before you advised against the powerline adapters, I was looking at these; http://www.amazon.com/Actiontec-Mega.../dp/B000QGBC8C but I was a little skeptical & thought I would ask someone who might be knowledgeable. That makes sense that they might not be that good, I was reading up about them, & the site I read said that they were a lesser known technology in the US, & more popular in Europe because of the brick housing there. It's odd, it seems these have been around a while & not that well known in the states according to this site; http://www.pcworld.com/article/13809..._rewiring.html Again, I appreciate you in depth reply, but I think I would be better off just completely replacing the speedstream or expanding it's ports, & doing a hard wire, rather than tinker with settings that are confusing to me. If this were my own, I would be more willing to risk it & experiment, but as it is not mine & stable reliable internet access is crucial for my whole family, my mother & I do not drive, & we live in a somewhat isolated neighborhood so we rely more heavily on the internet than an average person, & I am taking online classes. |
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You can easily change the setting back again. If you can use email, and browser a website, you can do this with no problems. It just sounds scary. It's not. Quote:
The speedstream might have a router in it, but it's still a modem. The router functionality would be "in addition to" the core modem purpose. Are you sure this modem even has a built-in router? If it does not have wireless, and it does not have more than one outlet for networking cabling, then it's not a router. You still need a router behind a switch to issue IP addresses to the LAN. Think of a switch as a "splitter". Think of a router as a "local area network controller". You can't make a LAN from a mere splitter. The split signals have no idea what they're doing without some direction from a controller further upstream. The ISP is not that upstream. Beyond that, the switch you linked to is expensive for what little it does. It's $20. My G router was $20 from Fry's. Online, you can get a good name brand G wireless router for $30: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...SIN=B000BI1XNE I'd value a plain old switch (non-Gigabit) at maybe $10. Quote:
It only seems confusing when it's written in detail. It's like being a kid and told "you're going to the doctor to get a shot". OH MY! A SHOT! But after it's done, you sit and think to yourself, "that's all?" ...... This is no different, really. Good luck. :) |
I cannot risk doing anything like I did before I nearly came to blows with my father over my last mistake, I absolutely cannot make any more mistakes, my parents will kick me out of the house. All I want to do is be able to use the internet in another room with another computer, maybe I should just subscribe to my own internet service, wifi is too complicated for me.
So a switch will not work with the modem? so the only solution is a complicated wifi router? so what everybody is saying is the only possible solution is a wifi router? I do not understand them or the settings. I cannot figure out how to piggyback the speedstream modem to them. Wif is also difficult because the older computer with the AT & T DSL service is is not wifi equipped, so I am faced with fiddling with adapter & it's settings. are there any inexpensive basic internet services I can subscribe too? one where I could pay as I go or make a yearly payment? |
Adding requires change. Replacing requires change. If you can't change, then I don't know what to tell you. The internet is not plug-and-play like a USB device.
I only know about the internet options where I live and work. Everywhere is different. Wireless routers still have wired ports. You add wireless, you don't replace wired connections. Any machine that need to receive wireless must have a wireless card added, if it doesn't have one already. Many (most?) laptops have had integrated wireless for years now. |
I went to another website called DSL reports, & it seems that the modem is made to work with only one computer at a time. They told me to put it in bridge mode, I have done this & lost all connectivity, as on here I was told bridge mode is trouble. this is their responses;
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So what ever I get, it has to be connected to this very limited modem, that seems to have locked (like ironclad) me into this one computer? I cannot replace the modem with a combo router modem unit? Is there a simple router with extra ports that I could use in a wired network without having to change the modem settings? I found this on amazon; http://www.amazon.com/Actiontec-GT72...pr_product_top would this work? could I replace the seedstream modem with it? it looked good because some of the reviewers said it worked with AT & T DSL. are all internet service providers like this? when one signs up they give them a primitive modem that locks them into on only one computer? dont they realize people want to network? I would think they are aware that families with kids are likely to have more than one PC wanting internet access in different rooms? are there internet service plans that dont involve phone lines? maybe as a last resort, I may just have to get my own subscription, but all the phone lines in our home are tied to AT & T on the PC in the kitchen. I know something needs to be changed & adjusted, I would be more willing to experiment but the bigger issue is the computer is not mine, my mother & father use it, & my last mistake cause alot of problems between us all. does the iphone with 3g allow one to use the internet without having to connect to hotspots? I ask because I would be able to use this in my home. thank to all for your input. |
I fixed your post to use quotes. Easier to read that way.
What you've been told at DSLreports is pretty much the same thing that's been said here:
I don't have lots of details on iPhones, as I don't have one. You pay for separate internet service for iPhone (via AT&T, unless you jailbreaked it), so it connects over cellular networks. It doesn't need wifi routers like a laptop, no. ISPs only give you a "live wire" to the Internet. They're not responsible for how you wire your house. You get a modem to receive the signal, and that's it. Think of this:
The only think really holding you back is your own fear. There's nothing you can buy to avoid change. The choices are:
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I believe it was lord smurf who linked me to this router; http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...SIN=B000BI1XNE
I like that it is cheap, but it did not get the best reviews, do I have to use the wireless feature if I get a wifi router? can I go in & activiate wifi later if I want? & if I use the wireless on it, will g band be enough for my home? it is a single story, but the main PC with DSL AT & T is in the kitchen where the fridge & microwave could interfere with signals. The house is sprawled & has a lot of clutter up the walls in every room. It seems that the speedstream modem & router have to have 2 different separate IP addresses to work together? so they do not clash? I looked at the bottom of the speedstream & it's number: 192.168.0.1, & I looked at the trendnet router I was linked to, & it's number is; http://192.168.10.1 if you type in my modem number, I dont know if the info will come up, dont make changes, tell me what to change. |
Online reviews are more often a statement about the abilities (or inabilities) and knowledge (or lack thereof) of the person leaving the review, rather than a statement about the item itself.
For example, let's look at some of the comments left about that trendnet router: Quote:
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Anyway ... My point is that you shouldn't put too much faith in user reviews online. In many cases, what you're reading has been written by an idiot. (Or a person that doesn't know as much as they think they do. Or doesn't know anything, and knows it, yet still blames the product.) The same can be said of some review sites that write fluffy BS for all their staff-written reviews. About.com, PC World and CNET.com are good examples of sites/pubs that never write any bad about anything. They're too afraid of losing ad revenue or affiliate commissions, so everything is good! Whee! Utopia! (RIDICULOUS, of course!) And.. Put the router by the modem, which I assume is by the current computer. That way everything that's wired now will be wired in the future. If you're home has too much junk, lots of walls, then maybe look at an N router. But you also need an N wireless card on the computer getting the signal. Or climb in the attic, and just add more wires. Wireless can be disabled in all the wireless routers I've seen to date. 192.168.0.1 and 192.168.10.1 will NOT conflict. Those can co-exist just fine. |
I looked at the trendnet manuel, I downloaded it, & among it's setup steps, there is a part to choose to set up wireless LAN, with enable or disable, is this where I choose to go wireless or wired? & if I choose disable, can I go back in & activate it?
can you recommend other good inexpensive N routers that may work with the speedstream 5100 modem? I looked at trendnets website & I see they have an N router. so this is one key for compatibility, make sure the router IP address is different from the the modem IP address? |
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Or $30 Cisco refurb router: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...SIN=B002WWHO0I Or $25 TrendNET: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...SIN=B000WBNY9G D-Link and TrendNET make excellent routers/switches/cards. My gigabit network is built around D-Link switches and TrendNET gigabit NICs (network interface cards). Cisco is "the" maker of routers -- usually the highest of quality, and always more costly than other brands. Which one your buy is up to you. You'd want to look at the manual for each, to find out the default IP. You can change the IP of the router, too. I change my router IPs on purpose. Quote:
Not "compatibility" -- no. All routers and modems should work with each other. This is to avoid conflicts. Otherwise it's like two people (strangers) trying to share one cell phone number. Obviously, that won't work -- each device needs its own unique number on the network. Separate IPs, for the router and modem. "Bridging" is how you make two different devices share one IP, but that can be hit or miss. It's never worked well for me, and it's not worked for you. |
what do you think went wrong with the apple router I tried to hook up? It was weird, I had the wireless signal going, but when I opened the airport software/utility, I could not get into the interface to make any adjustments, I got an error message; -4, an error occurred while trying to access the apple device, make sure your network connection is valid & try again. I checked my cables & they were all plugged in ok, but this is as far as I could get in the airport software, I could not add security or settings.
what would be the difference between these other routers suggested? what's to stop me having the same problem with those? |
Apple isn't a router company. Quirks of their gear, I'd imagine.
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wow, its that simple, you think the apple airport extreme was just bad or quirky, when I was looking for a router, I went with it because of the good reviews, with all the reviews I thought I could not go very far wrong.
I am nervous about trying this again, but I will, what is the model of router you are using? could you link it? which one has the easiest set up? what ever router I get, I do need it to be mac compatible as well, I am on a mac laptop. With a wifi router, if it has wifi on, can I still make the kitchen PC a wired connection? Right now I am leaning towards a wired network, it seems more reliable, so even if I get a wifi router, I think I will hard wire all the computers to it. |
You can't buy anything I'm using, it's all replaced by newer models for quite a while now. The only thing still sold new is maybe the D-link gigabit switches.
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Here are some of the stats/connection info with the modem connected to the computer in the kitchen, I just thought I would put this here to see if that would help anybody advise me on routers, & what would work best to set up a network with this modem.
DSL UP Connection UP Connected at 3008 Kbps (downstream) 512 Kbps (upstream) IP Address 71.136.70.110 IP Gateway 71.136.79.254 DNS Servers 68.94.156.1 dnsr1.sbcglobal.net 68.94.157.1 dnsr2.sbcglobal.net Mode PPP on the modem (Public IP for LAN device) Timeout Never Modem Information Modem Name SpeedStream Model 5100 Serial Number 2000B239C67B3 Software Version 1.0.0.39 MAC Address 00:0B:23:9C:67:B3 First Use Date 2004/09/26 00:58:57 GMT Local Network Modem IP Address 192.168.0.1 Ethernet Status Connected |
Sometimes the simplest answers are the correct ones.
None of that info really helps determine a good router, aside from showing you a modem IP, in case you're shopping for a router that intentionally differs in IP. (Which you are, I think.) |
I see some routers have the gigabit description in part of the specs, what is gigbit? do I need it? there are quite a few models, & it it is a little confusing, also my pc has windows service pack 2, what type of encryption will work with this?
do I need N band? or will g work? I do have a sprawling cluttered home, even though it is one story, & the kitchen PC has a fridge & microwave in it. |
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