Powerline plugs and Internet Sharing via neighbours.

[DejaVu]

Would it work?

A friend has been told he can share the cost of a highspeed internet connection with his neighbour - who happens to be his father. He's asked me to help him come up with a way to do it.

We could swing a LAN cable between both addresses, attach a second router with DHCP turned off, but the lay of the land makes it a bit awkward (they are flats with a walk way between them).
I thought perhaps Powerline Home plugs, but I'm not sure if it'd work - different ring main or other factors? I dunno about this type of stuff to much, I'm not a sparky.

The only other option I suppose would be a wireless repeater, but he'd prefer to have homeplugs over wireless. Is it something that would work or is the electricity supply/ring main different per address?

[evilsatan]

Homeplugs must operate on the same ring circuit and anything (such as a fuse board) in between them can cause problems in my experience. Where clients have had an extension I have had problems.

I would say a Wireless link using an AP, you can either have DHCP on if they want to isolate the networks or DHCP forwarder if they want to be on the same LAN then he can use homeplugs around his house connected to the AP/router.

[koola2]

Does the wireless router signal not stretch to next door?

[DejaVu]

@evilsatan,
That's what I figured, but needed someone to clarify it as I've never tried it.

Does the wireless router signal not stretch to next door?

He picks it up in the kitchen with a strong enough signal, but in the living room it's almost nothing.
Thinking a Wireless Repeater plugged in, in the kitchen maybe the way forward at the moment.
Perhaps with a Router plugged into that with a LAN cable running from his kitchen.

[koola2]

Those plugin wireless router are quite cheap these days, so would end up costing the same as powerline adaptors or maybe less.

[evilsatan]

I recently used a couple of these in a large house to extend the wireless. They are a neat all in one solution, the front has signal bar lights so you can tell how strong the signal is and I think you can enable dhcp if you want to isolate the LANs. They are dual band, there is a single band version available for a bit less too. Time will tell how they last but I have had no complaints and the job was about a month ago.

http://www.solwise.co.uk/wireless-wl-580e.htm

[Mobileman]

Yagi Antenna ?? connect to cheapo router and they can be had for cheaper than this also, had friend use these to get wifi down in his barn/shed
http://www.wifi-antennas.co.uk/8dbi-...i-antenna.html

[littlebilly1]

You say there's a walkway between the properties, do they have any windows in a close enough proximity to run a wired connection on the outside of the building?

[grrrd]

In theory the Powerline plugs shouldn't work - but I would still give it a bash. I have had mine working between fuse boards on RCDs and had solid connections (across apartments may be a little far mind!). I suppose it does all depend on the resistance the copper in the building has.
Worth a shot for it would be the most stable/cheapest solution (instead of running a cable outside as per littlebilly1 suggestion). One tip would be to make sure the powerline devices are paired by connecting them next to each other before trying between the properties.

[neilcritc]

in this instance put a tplink wireless extender in the kitchen and connect to the wireless easiest cheapest and simplistic solution mate. about £20!