Wireless Networking and Walls

One problem with having too much PC junk lying around is finding somewhere to plug it in. One piece of hardware I have had a problem finding a home for is my Linux server. It's only a small desktop PC that normally runs headless but it still produces too much noise to put anywhere in the house. However we do have an outhouse (old outside toilet) which has mains power in it. So my first plan was to connect to the the PC to the wireless network we have at home. I had a spare wireless card which I installed in the PC and then tried to get a signal. I could sometimes see the acess point but I couldn't manage to get a reliable connection no matter how I positioned the antenna. Moving the access point was also not an option because it is an intergrated access point and ADS router and I don't have a phone socket in a better position. Then I had the idea to look at powerline networking (networking over mains), commonly known as homeplug and discovered that they have now come down to acceptable price (20 pounds per adaptor). After a little bit of research I opted for a pair of Acer Homeplug Adaptors from eBuyer. When they arrived I plugged them in they it just work, so now I happily have a reliable network connection between all my PCs.