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DenBeke

macrumors regular
Original poster
Aug 11, 2011
192
8
Antwerp
Situation: router/modem in the basement; normal users in living; heavy users/filesharing on first floor.

Could I use an Airport Express, make it pickup the signal from the router and setup a wired network between the heavy users, so that everyone still has internet connections but that the heavy users can share files between them where they are connected wired?

But if you're connected to the original router you should still be able to share files with the heavy users and vice versa.

Is that possible?

Or should I just pull an ethernet cable from the router to the first floor.
The problem is that it's difficult to get the wire over there without breaking the whole house.
 
Had the wrong one posted, you could use something similar to this with EU Pins of course.

net-pl-500av-4pe-3.jpg
 
And that is?
A powerline I assume.

Well, I already thought of that, but the power here is on different subnets and I think it will never work well here.
 
DenBeke said:
Situation: router/modem in the basement; normal users in living; heavy users/filesharing on first floor.

Could I use an Airport Express, make it pickup the signal from the router and setup a wired network between the heavy users, so that everyone still has internet connections but that the heavy users can share files between them where they are connected wired?

But if you're connected to the original router you should still be able to share files with the heavy users and vice versa.

Is that possible?

Or should I just pull an ethernet cable from the router to the first floor.
The problem is that it's difficult to get the wire over there without breaking the whole house.
Click to expand...


Not sure what you actually want to do ?
Can you run cable anywhere or is WiFi the only reasonable option ?
Do the users on the two floors want to achieve a high data rate between floors or only among users on each floor ?
If the answer is that only WiFi is possible and user traffic is limited to its own floor, then you may need the following :

1. Get 2 Airport Express units, one for each floor.
2. Get 2 switches, one for each floor.
3. Wire up each floor and connect LAN devices to the floor's switch.
4. Connect each switch the the floor's AE.
5. Link the 2 AEs and the router by WiFi.

All users will then be able to access the router but won't have a high data rate between floors or to/from the router.

I can understand that PowerLine won't work - it won't work for me either.
 
Seems interesting, so the wired traffic on a floor will not pass through the 'base' router?

Can anyone access any computer?
 
DenBeke said:
Seems interesting, so the wired traffic on a floor will not pass through the 'base' router?

Can anyone access any computer?
Click to expand...

If the switches work OK (might need smart switches, might not), then all traffic on the same floor will be recognised by the switch as being directed to another IP/MAC address on the same switch. Can't be sure about between floor traffic, but also shouldn't have to go through the base router. Would probably go Device>Switch>AE>AE>Switch>Device.

If all devices are on the same IP subnet, then yes.
 
DenBeke said:
And that is?
A powerline I assume.

Well, I already thought of that, but the power here is on different subnets and I think it will never work well here.
Click to expand...

Yes that's right.

If both floors are on the same phase it should work, hell I think even when there is 3 phase power in the building it still works because I think the signal is on the common wire.

The above idea with AE and routers will also be a possible solution.
 
justperry said:
Yes that's right.

If both floors are on the same phase it should work, hell I think even when there is 3 phase power in the building it still works because I think the signal is on the common wire.

The above idea with AE and routers will also be a possible solution.
Click to expand...

What you might not have notices is that the OP is in Belgium. Belgium has this odd wiring code for power that sometimes allows a power installation to have 3 voltages : + 115, 0, -115 (I think). Normally the wiring is + 230, 0. AFAIK this isn't anything to do with 3 phase installations.

PowerLine doesn't like that.
 
drsox said:
What you might not have notices is that the OP is in Belgium. Belgium has this odd wiring code for power that sometimes allows a power installation to have 3 voltages : + 115, 0, -115 (I think). Normally the wiring is + 230, 0. AFAIK this isn't anything to do with 3 phase installations.

PowerLine doesn't like that.
Click to expand...

I am an electrical engineer and I am originally dutch(Neighbour of Belgium) and never heard about this, belgium has a 220-240 Volt network.

Also on a normal 220-240 AC network the voltage is also alternating in between -220-240 Volt and + 220-40Volt, this is why it is called alternating current.
 
drsox said:
If the switches work OK (might need smart switches, might not), then all traffic on the same floor will be recognised by the switch as being directed to another IP/MAC address on the same switch.
Click to expand...

Will I be able to have a gigabit network (between computers on the same switch)? Because I see that the Airport Express only has an 100Mbit port...
 
Why not use airport extreme in living room and its ethernet shared to file share and one express on that floor to give wifi.
 
justperry said:
I am an electrical engineer and I am originally dutch(Neighbour of Belgium) and never heard about this, belgium has a 220-240 Volt network.

Also on a normal 220-240 AC network the voltage is also alternating in between -220-240 Volt and + 220-40Volt, this is why it is called alternating current.
Click to expand...

Yes, I do know what AC is - I also did some EE at University. Not being an electrician I had my man test the lines (3 wires in a socket). He found what I listed.

That might be why PowerLine plugs work in some circuits in my house and not others. Most other types of Electrical and Electronic work fine in the house behalve an X10 network. Might be the same problem. Or he just might be incompetent also.

Maybe the folks who revamped the house in 2000 screwed up and it's somehow wrong. If the OP also lives in an old/revamped Antwerp property maybe he has the same issues (hopefully not the same workmen as the cause). It's common in Belgium to have erratic restorations !

----------
DenBeke said:
Will I be able to have a gigabit network (between computers on the same switch)? Because I see that the Airport Express only has an 100Mbit port...
Click to expand...

Yes, if you get gigabit switches (not much extra cost anyway vs fast ethernet versions). If you want a recommendation - I have 6 Netgear GS108tV2 switches (they have other versions with almost the same name). I got these because they are manageable (i.e. have a web page to connect to and change config settings).
 
drsox said:
Yes, I do know what AC is - I also did some EE at University. Not being an electrician I had my man test the lines (3 wires in a socket). He found what I listed.

That's why PowerLine plugs work in some circuits in my house and not others. Most other types of Electrical and Electronic work fine in the house behalve an X10 network. Might be the same problem.

Maybe the folks who revamped the house in 2000 screwed up and it's somehow wrong. If the OP also lives in an old/revamped Antwerp property maybe he has the same issues (hopefully not the same workmen as the cause). It's common in Belgium to have erratic restorations !
Click to expand...

Powerline Plugs:
I had kinda problem in my friends house a couple of years ago, then found out that the more junctions/splitting wires there are the weaker the signal gets.
Odd thing was, it wasn't working well on the second floor just 10 meters away but in his Garden house/swimming pool which was 30 meters away it did which was on a different phase.
 
justperry said:
Powerline Plugs:
I had kinda problem in my friends house a couple of years ago, then found out that the more junctions/splitting wires there are the weaker the signal gets.
Odd thing was, it wasn't working well on the second floor just 10 meters away but in his Garden house/swimming pool which was 30 meters away it did which was on a different phase.
Click to expand...

This exchange prompted me to Google some more and I found that, apparently, Ring Mains aren't common in Belgium - most installations are radial. That explains why I have more than 10 fuses in the main box.

I guess if some of the wiring pairs are installed backwards (possible ?), then trying to cross the main box with a LAN signal might well fail. i.e. it would work between some pairs of floors/sockets and not between others.
 
drsox said:
This exchange prompted me to Google some more and I found that, apparently, Ring Mains aren't common in Belgium - most installations are radial. That explains why I have more than 10 fuses in the main box.

I guess if some of the wiring pairs are installed backwards (possible ?), then trying to cross the main box with a LAN signal might well fail. i.e. it would work between some pairs of floors/sockets and not between others.
Click to expand...

I think it also depends on how old the wiring is.
And what kind of connectors/connections are used, I actually thing the old way, twisting wires and then cap them are much better then the "click and fix" way.
That's what was used in my friends house.
BTW, ring mains are dangerous.
 
justperry said:
I think it also depends on how old the wiring is.
And what kind of connectors/connections are used, I actually thing the old way, twisting wires and then cap them are much better then the "click and fix" way.
That's what was used in my friends house.
BTW, ring mains are dangerous.
Click to expand...

Wiring is supposed to be c2000 but I have found all manner of types, colours and sizes in the walls. So some could be from 1908 (original build date).

Don't tell the British that ring mains are dangerous.
 
DenBeke said:
I found this will that work to get the Wi-Fi signal into to the switch?
Click to expand...

Where would you put that ? Yes, it's a wireless access point but it's only WiFi G, so old tech and slow speed. If you want 2012 tech, look for a version with WiFi N. What's the config you are now considering ?
 
This is what I want to achieve:

Internet%20Network%20Configuration.png


The internet comes from the router/modem of my ISP, I want to pick up the Wi-Fi and make a wired connection between some computers by using a switch. So internet passes trough Wi-Fi, but file transfers between files on the switch go over wired connection.

So will that bridge work?

But for 'casual' file transfers all computers over the house should see every computer.
 
DenBeke said:
This is what I want to achieve:

Image

The internet comes from the router/modem of my ISP, I want to pick up the Wi-Fi and make a wired connection between some computers by using a switch. So internet passes trough Wi-Fi, but file transfers between files on the switch go over wired connection.

So will that bridge work?

But for 'casual' file transfers all computers over the house should see every computer.
Click to expand...

Yes, that should work. Do all the devices that use WiFi have N capability ? Better if they do. I would look for an N compatible Access Point, if possible from the same range as the router. Have a look through the stuff on this site (inc the forums) : http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/finders/wireless/view.
 
Well, the router comes from our ISP and has still G. But we don't need N for our internet connection...

So i'll keep you informed about my setup. First i'm gonna buy the accespoint/bridge and test with my switch.

I've got a gigabit 3com switch that I'll can use to test everything. If that works well i'll buy a less consuming switch.
 
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