Hi guys, I’ve not been so active on here recently 'cos I’ve been very busy developing and installing a network solution for a client.
Problem: network a milking parlour control system, in the middle of nowhere, to an existing PC on the wrong side of a 250yr old stone cottage, 200m away.
Solution: well I’ll spare you the details, but it involves several ethernet over mains points, high power wireless access point and client, external antennas and weather proof (cow proof!) boxes.
…and hey presto! 2MB broadband connection up and running with remote access software to manage the system from the cottage.
Ethernet over mains is so cool. Adding DD-WRT embedded control firmware on the wireless links was a lifesaver on this job too…
The over mains stuff does look impressive, never thought of it till the other day when i noticed something else talking about it and then funny enough was wondering around maplins in Guilford waiting for Richersounds to open and they had a whole load of it.
May get me out of a similar problem at work but the thing I have to think about is if the sockets I have in mind are really on the same circuit
The ethernet over mains, was the only viable solution for getting a network signal anywhere remotely near to a suitable location for a wireless AP.
It was a huge relief to locate the AP over the other side of the cottage, through several 3-foot thick stone walls and talk to it as if it were on the desk next to the PC.
I was a bit concerned about network bandwidth - especially since they route the internet as well as the remote access, but the 85MB jobs seem to hold up just nicely.
And just a couple of years back the technology was nowhere to be seen. I had to be careful that they were on the same circuit (not a problem for most users), and that they were not plugged into filtered sockets, but apart from that, they’re a true plug and play. :tiphat:
