Successfully ordered 2 pairs of these earlier today for my 2 Foxtel boxes. Operator kindly told me they're mine to keep, even if I decide to cancel my subscription. Took all of 2 minutes on the phone.
Will be using these as ethernet extensions for my desktop PCs I reckon. If you're not keen on wifi, these work perfectly well with Xbox, PS, or anything else that needs an ethernet or 'secure' wired connection.
Offer ends December 12th. Good luck :)
@ycon
The high-frequency signal is easily attenuated by lots of things including distance and surge-suppressing powerboards.
But if your test distance is very small, they will still work even through the worst impediments including surge suppressors, albeit at a much lower speed.
Being unable to get a connection over a short distance is more likely to be some other issue.
You don't say whether these devices are new, or whether you have had them working before.
A certain proportion are dead on arrival, just plain defective.
The best way to diagnose what is going on is to go to the manufacturer's web site and download and install the device management software. Every manufacturer provides this. They are large programs and not that friendly to use, but they give you the facts.
You plug in two of the devices into the mains, as directly as possible and in the same room, and you connect one to your PC using a network cable, and turn off any wifi on your PC. You run the manufacturer's utility on your PC.
The utility should show you the device that is directly cabled to the PC. You should then be able to look beyond this device to see other devices "in the network".
If you can't see the first device in the program, swap the cable to the other device and see if you can detect that. It is possible that one device is dead, and this will help determine which one.
Next point: for the devices to be able to form a network, they have to have the same network name set internally. The manufacturer usually ships these in pairs and each device in the pair has the same quasi-random network name. But if one device has been swapped somehow with one from another pair, they will have different network names, and will not connect out-of-the-box. Provided you can see both devices, you need to make the network name the same in the two devices.
Incidentally, there is a difference between "getting it working" and "getting it secure".
The encryption is strange on these devices, and it appears that the network name you set acts also as an encryption key. If you plug in a pair of these out of the box and they "just work", you are using the default network name supplied for that pair by the manufacturer. But this level of security is inferior, and a neighbour (they have to be electrically close) may be able to see your network and connect using one of the manufacturer default network names. There are some scary Youtube videos demonstrating how a neighbour may be able to connect to your network. These tests have been done in the UK in small terrace houses.
Widely-separately detached Aussie houses should be OK, but I would not trust these with default settings in a semi or a unit.
I always change the network name on all devices to a long and random network name; this is recommended and gives the best security available with these devices.
The best way to diagnose what is going on is to go to the manufacturer's web site and download and install the device management software. Every manufacturer provides this. They are large programs and not that friendly to use, but they give you the facts.
I've checked the Netcomm website's specific product support page and despite the manual saying I'd find the tools there, there wasn't any available for download and I can't for the life of me find if a CD was included with some NP504s I bought a couple of years back?
Does anyone have a link to the software? I've tried a few from Whirlpool threads, but they all seem to be for the 200mbps adaptors and they don't detect the devices.
I am using the NP504 software from http://www.netcommwireless.com/product/powerline/np504
It's labelled
Drivers/Utilities
NP504 Utility
NP504.zip (244.3 MB) http://media.netcomm.com.au/public/assets/file/0012/101811/N…
Powerline Utility
Powerline-Utility.exe (238.0 MB)
http://media.netcomm.com.au/public/assets/file/0010/64477/Po…
Sorry if the above text and links is messy. The program is large; I think the .zip and the .exe are identical. If you download the .zip then at least you get some integrity checking when you unzip it.
If that does not help then post again. I can spend more time looking at it.
Installer told me not to use a power board or extension cord. Doesnt mean you cant, its just what he said.
Its got a pass through anyway so wack it straight into the wall then piggyback your board on it.
Only available to Boxset subscribers I was told. They offered it at $20 and then free if I stayed with the old pricing plans with the "bonus" channels but to save $24/month I decided to go with the cheaper plan and save some money since I don't watch those channels anyway. Given I "save" $24/month it's only two months to pay for it if I buy it myself.
These are causing major network issues for me when connected at the same time as my Netcomm 204's. Anyone else having that issue?
You might need to get some more NP505's.
Do the 204's have a pairing process like when you add more adaptors to the 505's?
Try the "Joining an Existing Powerline Network" instructions on page 2 of the following guide…
http://media.netcomm.com.au/public/assets/file/0010/136792/N…
As far as I know, you can not interconnect 200 Mbps units with 500 Mpbs units.
The manufacturers say that they can co-exist - i.e. both operate on the same mains wiring - but they don't talk to each other.
Whether they can coexist and run separate networks without electrically interfering with each other is another question. The manufacturers don't discuss this publicly as far as I have read.
Both NP204 and NP505 are HomePlug AV compliant. HomePlug AV devices should be fully interoperable. However, when mixing 200Mbps and 500Mbps devices, they will obviously communicate at the lower speed.
The older HomePlug 1.0 devices (85Mbps) do not interoperate with HomePlug AV devices (but should be able to co-exist as separate networks).
Doesn't seem to work for business accounts. Perhaps I'll try again…
So glad I saw this! I actually purchased one of their Powerline adapters on the 10th then saw I was eligible for a free one. Called up and they credited my account $50. Awesome!
Great work. Well done!
Great post TA….rang on the last day and delivered today
They will work on extension leads and powerboards to some extent.
However, the more connections and cable used, the throughput will be reduced.
Also note that surge protectors/filters can significantly impact throughput/signal strength as well as noise on the line from other devices. Particularly those with switching power supplies (nearly all electronics these days).
I found (if possible) that plugging both units into the same powerboard to confirm they are set up correctly initially was helpful.