dLAN - it works!

dLAN
Originally uploaded by mcmrbt.

This is a ridiculously easy home networking solution for hard-to-wire locations that are unsuitable for wireless.

I converted my garage to a home studio. It places my iMac about as far from my phone socket and modem/router as it's possible to get and still be indoors. I could just about get WiFi reception in there (through several walls), but it was flaky and intermittent, and sometimes impossible. Older readers of the blog will remember that even purchased a booster antenna for my wireless network, but it made no difference, so I sent it back.

I thought I'd try one of these, the Microlink dLAN - ethernet over electrical circuit. The one I'm trying is the high speed starter kit (up to 85 mbps - you get two of the units, plus two ethernet cables in the box).

I didn't bother to look at the manual, of course. I'm a Mac user, so I expect things to just work. Connected it to my modem/router with the supplied ethernet (cat5) cable, plugged it into a free power socket, and did the same thing the other end with my iMac. It took as long to do as it did to type that.

No configuration, nothing to install (on my Mac anyway). Didn't even have to reboot. And it worked immediately - much lower latency than the wireless network, much better speed, didn't have to change any settings (though I did switch Airport off to avoid confusion).

Brilliant!