[andy_e]

I've just moved into a house where the internet comes in downstairs but our living room-cum-study is upstairs. I currently have three things which need network cables, one being a desktop (although I could buy a wifi card for this), one being a raspberry pi (has to be cable for power reasons) and a digital TV box (no wifi).  What's the best, easiest and cheapest way to get network cables upstairs without running hundreds of metres of cable everywhere? I'm hoping not to be in this house for too long so don't want to make any huge changes. Ta all!

[slackline]

Powerline networking (providing the cabling is all on the same circuit).

You buy them such that the 'exit' point upstairs could have a built-in WiFi extender, set the SSID and password to be the same as the downstairs router choose a different channel so its not conflicting with the downstairs router and you'll have improved WiFi signal upstairs.

With your Pi, what is the reason it needs an ethernet cable for power?  All the incarnations use micro-USB for power, generally 5V but the amps vary (see here) if you've not too many other peripherals plugged in then sticking a WiFi dongle should mean your Pi's then untethered.  If you've several peripherals it might be worth looking at getting a powered USB hub.

[lagerstarfish]

or... cheap cable through the windows, hanging outside the house

shouldn't get too squashed if you position the cable in the right place

[Monolith]

I thought this was going to be a UKB networking suggestion at first; the formation of a Masonic scene.

[andy_e]

Sorry lid, nobody wants to build a scene around monkey boy.

Slackers, cheers, hadn't seen that you could get powerline networking! That's pretty cool. Does anyone know how power-intensive they are?

[tomtom]

Sorry lid, nobody wants to build a scene around monkey boy.

:D

[butters]

Sorry lid, nobody wants to build a scene around monkey boy.

Slackers, cheers, hadn't seen that you could get powerline networking! That's pretty cool. Does anyone know how power-intensive they are?

What do you mean by power intensive? How much they consume in use or are you referring to PoE (Power over Ethernet) given the Raspberry Pi is apparently powered by this. If it is the former then a sample of one (sorry Slackers but I am feeling lazy) shows 6 watts.

[andy_e]

Their power consumption. Ta, 6 watts isn't huge. I would need one with at least two cables though, or is there a way to split the network cables once upstairs?

[chris j]

Can you get wifi signal upstairs?

If yes then what I did for my second floor office (router on ground floor) was to get a wifi bridge (trendnet ac1200/tew800mb for me, since discontinued) with 4 lan ports in it. That connects to the router downstairs using wifi, I get better wifi signal upstairs and anything without wifi is hardwired into the bridge unit.

The specs have probably improved since I tried it a few years ago but I had problems with powerline networking trying to stream video from a nas to tv as it didn't have enough bandwidth.

[butters]

Their power consumption. Ta, 6 watts isn't huge. I would need one with at least two cables though, or is there a way to split the network cables once upstairs?

Easiest method would be to install a switch in. You can get multiple port power line adapters I think (I have Cat 5e in place so don't need them) but the extra cost and maybe that of a wireless NIC is probably going to be more. Might be worth seeing if you can borrow a pair power line adapters to make sure that they will work or the alternative is to use the Lagerstarfish solution and run a cable from the router out of one window and in the one upstairs to a switch.

[slackline]

I would need one with at least two cables though, or is there a way to split the network cables once upstairs?

Just buy a Powerline with two ethernet ports.

I've the TL-WPA4220KIT which has two ethernet and WiFi repeater.  If two ports aren't enough then get a network switch.

A minor caveat to this is that there can be fickle issues with networking and I've not quite sussed this out yet...

I've Chromecasts on three TVs, if one upstairs connects to the homenetwork via the WiFi channel from the above Powerline then sometimes I can't cast to it from my phone if the phone is also on that WiFi channel.  Network discovery tools like Fing can see the device on the network, but the casting doesn't work.  Solution I'm using at present is to reboot the Powerline, this means the Chromecast connects to the other WiFi channel coming from the main router, and everything works (until the Chromecast disconnects of its own accord and reconnects to the WiFi channel from the powerline).

[andy_e]

I guess this one will do?

http://www.ebuyer.com/702263-tp-link-tl-pa4020-kit-av500-two-port-powerline-starter-kit-twin-pack-tl-pa4020kit

[Paul B]

Why can't your Pi be WiFi? Mine is and it happily streams 1080p.

[tomtom]

I guess this one will do?

http://www.ebuyer.com/702263-tp-link-tl-pa4020-kit-av500-two-port-powerline-starter-kit-twin-pack-tl-pa4020kit

Yup - we've something similar for the tv.. Works great. Btw, you can also get these with a wifi repeater built in (as well as the line)..

[slackline]

I guess this one will do?

http://www.ebuyer.com/702263-tp-link-tl-pa4020-kit-av500-two-port-powerline-starter-kit-twin-pack-tl-pa4020kit

Yup - we've something similar for the tv.. Works great. Btw, you can also get these with a wifi repeater built in (as well as the line)..

Delayed response as I've been on holiday but I agree with tomtom, that will do the job, although personally I'd get a version with WiFi extender built-in (unless you've a specific need for not losing an ethernet port in the room with your router I don't see any need to have two ports on both powerline plugs).  If you don't want to lose a power socket in rooms look at kits with passthroughs.