HomePlug vs WiFi?

[RamGuy]

Hi, I need your opinion on which I should get myself HomePlug eller Wireless.


We are getting our new 35/35mbps fiberoptic line this month and I have to make the sad move from ethernet to either homeplug or wifi..


So I can either get myself a 200/250mbps homeplug adapter or a g/n wireless network card.

I've got a D-Link DGL-4500 router (stationed in the room next to mine, about 4-6meters from my computer), so I've got draft-N possibilities.


The last time I used wireless I had issues with the connection dropping every now and then.. Back then I was using a Linksys WUSBG54v4 on a Linksys WRT54v5.


And that's why I'm a bit sceptical to use wireless, that's why I consider homeplug..


What would you recommend me to go for? Why?

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

I'll give ya my experience with wireless....and powerline adapters.

I often online game. Favorite games are the Battlefield series, DC, Vietnam, Battlefield 2. Heavy traffic for a game. Latency with wireless wasn't bad, but now and then..the occasional pause? Deadly when flying a B-17 or a Mirage 3 and top speed....you get that 1 second pause...the next screenshot you're in a crumpled pile of smoke on the ground.

I tried lots of different wireless setups, brands, firmwares (from factory, to DD-WRT, to Tomato)..nothing really helped.

So I tried the Linksys PLK200 units. Plugged in...worked like a dream...was just as good as if I had CAT5 to the router...rock steady, same latency as ethernet, I was happy.

But...after time, it seemed like..once a week or so, I'd have no connection, I'd have to unplug..and plug back in..the powerline adapters. Then it was fine.

And then I tried 3 of them.....it was several times a week I had to do that.

Dunno if that got fixed with firmware updates over time..this was a while ago.

 

[thiggins]

If your computer is in the next room, do yourself a favor, drill a small hole and run a CAT 5e or 6 cable between the rooms for Ethernet.

Less expensive and you'll be happier with the result.

 

[RamGuy]

Finally! Next week we will be receiving our fibre-optic line! After over half-a-year of waiting!

But there is one major downside, I'm being forced to drop everything that has to do with Ethernet cables.. I'm forced to either go for wireless or powerline because of my mom not wanting any cables whatsoever.

Then we are back to the question, wireless or powerline?
My past experience with wireless on my computer is rather dull, the combo of WRT54Gv5 and WUSBv4 didn't really work out that well, the connection was dropped every now and then even-though my computer was in the next room from the router?

This time it might happen that the router will actually be placed in opposite part of the house? Making the distance a bit long, and that doesn't really help on the performance and stability, do it!

We are getting a 35 / 35mbit line, and I want to be able to use all of that bandwidth! Along with having barley any package loss and the bes stability possible! I don't want high ping in games, random connection loss or instability not slow speeds! My games should be able to run flawlessly and my torrent downloads should be having a real boost!

Is this even possible by going either wireless or powerline? Or am I totally screwed to begin with?

 

[thiggins]

Neither wireless nor powerline will deliver 35 Mbps consistently with low latency (ping). Ethernet is the only way to get that sort of performance.

 

[thecave]

great price on ZyXEL NBG-318S HomePlug AV 802.11g router

Hope this isn't an inappropriate post, but anyone interested in this thread may want to know that Amazon is currently selling the ZyXEL NBG-318S Powerline HomePlug AV 802.11g Wireless Router for $39.09, about $30 less than I've ever seen it being sold for. Purchasing two of these would actually be less expensive than buying two homeplug AV adapters. Tim reviewed this router at http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/content/view/30320/96/

(Please note that I have no connection to Zyxel or Amazon.)