powerline network connection problems

[udhetari]

I have two desktops, both HP Pavillions using Windows 7, connected to my router by powerline network adapters (devolo 1200). This has been working fine for almost two years, but in the last couple months, internet access has been erratic. The Windows diagnostic tool shows that I  am connected to the router, but the router to internet connection is broken. Usually the error message is that the IP address is invalid, but Windows is unable to fix it.

But the Windows diagnosis seems to be wrong: at the same time I'm having this problem, I'm able to connect through my router using any of a number of wireless devices - laptop, telephone, etc. I have also had the router checked, and even replaced, by my service provider, and they also can't find a problem with the signal to my house. So I'm left thinking the problem must be with the powerline network.

Before I decide whether to replace the powerline adapters or switch to a wifi network, I wanted to ask a few questions:
   Could there be another cause other than the powerline adapters for this problem? How could I find it?
   Are there inherent problems with this type of network, ie, is this problem likely to recur?
   Are wireless adapters universally compatible, ie, if I change routers will I need to change adapters?

Thanks in advance for any insight you can offer.

[DaveLembke]

Depending on wireless signal strength, you could go with a low cost USB Wireless Adapter, or a better internal PCIe slot type adapter with an antenna on it for better range.

The powerline network bridges I have never had any great luck with.

Since you already have wifi, I'd convert the desktops to be wifi, however take a wireless device to the locations that the desktops are in first to verify that the wireless is strong enough in the locations where the desktops are so you know they could be switched over to wifi as a $30 or less solution if you have 2 bars or stronger signal strength at the locations. If you only have 1 bar strength or comes and goes, then you will want to either relocate the computer(s) or router, or go with replacing the powerline network bridges.

Here are some adapters I have gotten that work ok and are cheap. I used one of these to make an old dell laptop have wireless that never came with wireless. It worked on USB 1.1 which I was surprised with Windows XP on a Pentium 3 CPU http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA24G2179560&cm_re=usb_nic-_-33-114-110-_-Product

[udhetari]

Thanks for this. I'll look into the wifi option.

[Geek-9pm]

It is hard to tell if the power line adapters are working as they should.
But here is an peppermint you  cloud try.

Get two computers and the two power line plugs together in one room.
Connect the two computers using the power line adapters. At close range it should be perfect. Then you  do some test to see how reliable of a connection you can get. If it is not excellent, at least one of the power line plugs has gone mostly bad.

Some people hate Power Line Network L devices. For a different reason.
http://www.arrl.org/bpl-and-smart-grid-archives

[DaveLembke]

wifi i feel is the best option for many reasons. One reason is that it limits the power surge path to only the power supply vs jumping a communication circuit and direct path up the ethernet which can take out the computer if there is no ethernet network suppression. On wireless the computers would be better protected from lightning strikes or power surges from back flowing up the ethernet lan connection.

[strollin]

I recently switched from using wifi on my laptop to using some Netgear powerline adapters.  The difference was pretty dramatic.  I have a 75Mbps internet connection coming into my router but with wifi, I could only obtain 15Mbps downloads.  With the powerline adapters, I can get 66Mbps download speeds.  Copying files across the network from one computer to another is also about 5X faster.

As for the OPs issue, it may be that one of the adapters has failed.  In order to determine which failed, it would require another adapter and trying the new one with an existing adapter one at a time to see if either current adapters works well with the new one.  Might be simpler to buy new adapters.

On the Netgear adapters, there is an LED that shows approximately how good the link is between the adapters.  LED is off for no link, Red for a marginal link, Amber for better and Green for best.  When I first installed the adapter in a wall socket, I got an Amber link but moving the adapter to a different socket gave me a green link.  Do your adapters have similar indication of link quality?  Regardless, have you tried different wall sockets to see if things work better?