Homeplugs to the rescue
Just thought I'd post my experiences for anyone else strugging to get a wifi signal.
I'd been having problems getting a good wireless signal in my conservatory, where my hifi is. I have an airport express in there, for when I just want access to all my music, and am not too bothered about quality. But the signal is poor, because of the distance from my router, and the fact that it has to travel through steel and other things that cause interference (cordless phones, etc). Even a wireless extender didn't fully solve the problem, as the signal always seemed to fail eventually, and that would be the end of the music.
Then recently, I heard about homeplugs. For £40 for a pair on Amazon, I thought they'd be worth a go, and they definitely have been worth it. I am now getting constant, uninterrupted music, and all my problems are finally solved. Delighted.
So give these little beauties a go if you're struggling to get a good signal somewhere in your house.
I use solwise 200Mbs homeplugs. Fantastic for online gaming etc
BUT, they do inject a lot of noise into the mains supply. Personally I use a balanced mains transformer to remove all the noise
I have a couple, one for watching IPlayer on the Humax and one for my son's bedroom. They have both been trouble free.
I only have a 85mbs one, and I've only used it a couple of times, but haven't noticed any noise. I will look out for it, but given I only have it on when listening to my AE, I probably wouldn't notice many problems.
I'm thinking of getting an Apple TV to replace the AE. Would the homeplug that I have be able to stream movies, or would I need a faster one?
I would like to share sound & vision around the house. I am aware of various devices to use homeplugs to share ethernet around the house, but what do I use to share hi-fi? The consensus appears to be that hi-fi is maintained better using a wired connection, rather than wirelessly?
Wired is best, then homeplugs (preferably the new av2-500 spec), wireless N a close third, and wireless G lagging behind as a last resort.
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After my recent wi-fi trials and tribulations, I've just installed a pair of Belkin Surf Powerline plugs. Simple and very effective.
Andy Clough is Brand Editor of What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision and whathifi.com