Powerline vs Ethernet vs Wireless

[Last Starfighter]

Being new to a PC (I've used a mac for years with wireless that I never really thought about), I've been looking into Powerline adapters for my connection. Currently I'm just using the ethernet cable plugged right into my computer, but my living room setup makes it so my ethernet cable extends across a doorway. When I'm done using my computer I unplug it and roll it up so I don't trip over it or something during the night. I have a sabertooth mobo which does not have wireless, and I've been looking into Powerline adapters.

My question is, would powerline be better for me? I hate having to worry about running a cable across my room, but I am in an apartment building. I don't share electricity with my neighbors, but how secure is it? Is it faster than wireless? Or should I just plug right into my pc? What are things I want to look for in Powerline adapters?

[DeltrusDisc]

You could do what I do...

My Ethernet cable comes out of the dining room, through the family room behind the TV, across the hallway opening, then along a short wall, then across the doorway into the basement where it then hugs the wall down the stairs.

How do we make it so it cannot trip anyone? Tape.

Try it. It really works quite well. Would I not mind having the Powerline thingers? Nah, I wouldn't mind at all. However they cost money I can't be spending on such a thing atm and I'm not sure my house is capable of doing it.

[glo]

Do you know if you share a breaker with the other tenants? If so, everyone in theory could access it.

[mojo6912]

Can't you run the cable over the frame of the door? Ethernet cable will give you much better performance and reliability than the other two options. Powerline is probably more reliable than wireless but both will suffer performance losses compared to Ethernet.

[DeltrusDisc]

Can't you run the cable over the frame of the door? Ethernet cable will give you much better performance and reliability than the other two options. Powerline is probably more reliable than wireless but both will suffer performance losses compared to Ethernet.

Over the frame? I daresay that'd look tacky as hell, and also take an extra good 15~ feet or so of cable just to make it. >_< I'd say just tape it down in the door pass, you will *not* trip.

[mojo6912]

lol running a wire over a door looks tackier than on the floor in front of the door? With tape on the floor? Everyone has their opinions I guess...
You can get a cable that matches the color of your wall or even paint it.

Not to mention stepping on cords without shoes kinda hurts and is a pet peeve of mine.

[Djinni]

In order of most likely to be reliable in a typical home:
Ethernet > Wireless > PowerLine

Ethernet is most secure, fastest and most reliable. If you can manage to hide your Ethernet cable and make it "child safe" then do it. It is by far the best option you have.
Failing that, if you have a wireless router, a simple £/$15 Wireless USB Dongle can probably solve your issue without much if any performance hit.
PowerLine is a bit like cable internet... in some cases, it can be amazing, in others you might be better off trying to use 3G internet.

Personally I've found Powerline always to be a little ... on the slow side for local file transfers, when compared to wireless N or standard Ethernet CAT5e. (I think CAT6 is probably the standard now though right?) In any case, your speed can vary on any number of factors... including how much power is being used at any particular time. (There is probably going to be a lot of heated debate about this. But unless you have some actual data to prove me wrong don't bother.)

You might have guessed, I am personally a little anti-Powerline. I have never personally been in a situation where it actually worked properly or gave equal or better results than regular WiFi. Then again, there are some people that swear by it, and good for them.

The long and short is, if you don't fancy taking the risk on a "new" (probably a good 5 or 6 years old by now actually) technology that may or may not work. Go with Ethernet or Wireless. If you don't mind spending some money on a possible solution which may well work very well for you then try out a powerline product. Just stay away from the Netgear ones, I've found they have some rather undesirable results and are prone to over-heating.

P.S. Personally if I had the option, I would run the cable under the underlay under the carpet. You can also get hold of some "flat"/"thin" Ethernet cables if your worried THAT much about stepping on it with bare feet and it hurting, or are the type to still feel the pea between the matress'. It all depends on how much time and money you are willing to throw at a possible solution. Just remember, the thinner the cable, the more prone it is to breaking.

[Last Starfighter]

Do you know if you share a breaker with the other tenants? If so, everyone in theory could access it.

No. I'm on a separate breaker.

[mojo6912]

I too am against powerline. I would sooner use the money to pay an electrician to rout the cable behind the wall than buy a powerline.

[Djinni]

I too am against powerline. I would sooner use the money to pay an electrician to rout the cable behind the wall than buy a powerline.

I'm pretty sure that 90% of the time the only difference between you and that paid electrician is that he (or she) is being paid to use some common sense and drill a hole in the wall where its unlikely there will be any other electrics.
But thats another issue we won't get into just yet.

[DeltrusDisc]

lol running a wire over a door looks tackier than on the floor in front of the door? With tape on the floor? Everyone has their opinions I guess...
You can get a cable that matches the color of your wall or even paint it.

Not to mention stepping on cords without shoes kinda hurts and is a pet peeve of mine.

I knew I'd have to take a picture. I'll provide one a bit later, but most people don't even notice it, because the tape is this kind that really blends into my floor well. (It's a carpeted floor.)

[Zoibert the Bear]

I'm using a few powerline adapters at home and I'm getting close to 95% connection speed on my gigabit LAN, they can be quite expensive though.

[Maki]

Pull up a bit of the carpet? There should be a seam through the doorway. Doesn't take much to pull it up a bit and tack it back down. If it's tile, well....

[Rennadrel]

Can't you run the cable over the frame of the door? Ethernet cable will give you much better performance and reliability than the other two options. Powerline is probably more reliable than wireless but both will suffer performance losses compared to Ethernet.

Not really. First generation Powerline kits were standard 100MB connections, which is what I have and it works phenomenally well. I max out my download capabilities and there isn't a shred of interruption with online games to speak of. Granted I live in a fairly new house, but even 100MB/s of a network connection beats wireless G for speed and wireless in general for connection stability. Second generation Powerline kits are 500MB/s, if that isn't fast enough there is no hope for anyone. Screw wireless if you have a desktop, and screw wired because it's such a hassle to install.

[Deleted]

I doubt it will be long before powerline adaptors are made illegal. They totally destroy amateur radio for entire blocks, which can cost lives. From what I've read even the current ones don't follow the full ECC standard, and even the silly amount of lobbying companies have done, the actual experts have still constantly refused to change it.

So yeah, at some point in the future if something bad happens, do you (or someone you care about) want to die because you couldn't be bothered to install a ethernet?

And before people comment about amateur radio being pointless, http://www.nyc-arecs.org/911.html over 500 helped rescue efforts in 9/11.

[Masark]

I'm pretty sure that 90% of the time the only difference between you and that paid electrician is that he (or she) is being paid to use some common sense and drill a hole in the wall where its unlikely there will be any other electrics.

Any electrician worth their certification will go over the wall with a cable locator rather than relying on "common sense" and "unlikely".

[Yohassakura]

I doubt it will be long before powerline adaptors are made illegal. They totally destroy amateur radio for entire blocks, which can cost lives. From what I've read even the current ones don't follow the full ECC standard, and even the silly amount of lobbying companies have done, the actual experts have still constantly refused to change it.

So yeah, at some point in the future if something bad happens, do you (or someone you care about) want to die because you couldn't be bothered to install a ethernet?

And before people comment about amateur radio being pointless, http://www.nyc-arecs.org/911.html over 500 helped rescue efforts in 9/11.

Honestly, I don't see how radios have anything to do with Ethernet or Power Line Adapters.

Any electrician worth their certification will go over the wall with a cable locator rather than relying on "common sense" and "unlikely".

Definitely going to use a STUD detector.

[Masark]

Honestly, I don't see how radios have anything to do with Ethernet or Power Line Adapters.

Powerline networking adapters basically turn your house's wiring into a massive antenna. Some units operate on the same frequency range as amateur radio and hurl noise all over those bands.

[Cyanotical]

I doubt it will be long before powerline adaptors are made illegal. They totally destroy amateur radio for entire blocks, which can cost lives. From what I've read even the current ones don't follow the full ECC standard, and even the silly amount of lobbying companies have done, the actual experts have still constantly refused to change it.

So yeah, at some point in the future if something bad happens, do you (or someone you care about) want to die because you couldn't be bothered to install a ethernet?

in spite of powerline being vastly inferior to CAT ethernet cable, it doesn't cause problems, if a powerline adapter can cause a huge block wide EMI problem, then turning on a blender would cause aircraft to fall from the sky, sure there is a small amount of EMI leakage from using powerline, but nowhere on the level you are saying

[Korgoth]

Find a way to run the ethernet cable. I am quite a fan of dropping it down into rooms from the attic into the closets, then running it along the floor boards using hooks, 3M adhesive ones if you are worried about damaging the walls. If you are really a style over function person then get Wifi, otherwise get the cable.