DIY

Wireless networks can be a beautiful thing, or they can be an incredibly frustrating thing. In this case study we'll look at how powerline networking was used to extend wireless coverage in a very big log house with thick logs walls and lots of tile, where running cat5 cable was not an option. For those not familiar with powerline networking, rather than running cat5 network cable, you simply plug a network adapter in to the wall at each location where you want to transmit and it uses your home power cabling for network communication.

The subject in question for this case study was suffering from abysmal wireless performance. Laptops used upstairs would consistently drop connections, streaming internet radio (via Sonos) would constantly buffer, and the wireless printer in the study would work marginally at best. To try and fix the problem a Belkin F5D7132 Wireless-G extender had been put in to place, in extender mode. This appeared to work sometimes, but most of the time wireless performance was still extremely frustrating.

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Tired of sitting around the tiny computer monitor watching Hulu? Looking for a way to watch internet content on your DLNA-enabled TV? Look no further than PlayOn from MediaMall.

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Every time I say "simple bat file" I get flashbacks to my old shop teacher Mr. Lambert. He was a brilliant wood craftsman and we were all simply a bunch of clowns. While he was instructing us on how to make something in the perfect way that he did it, he would always start by saying, "you make yourself a jig". In a way, a bat file feels to me like a jig. Sure there are more eloquent ways of doing it and you could go nuts and make a Frankenstein-ish monster, but sometimes it's just easier to write a bat file quick. In the interest of creating usable content to get this going, I offer some of my simple home network scripts and bat files. In this case, monitoring Windows server DHCP leases. Useful where you are paranoid that someone may have gotten past your wireless security... The caveat here being that this works for sure on Windows Server 2003, I haven't tested on 2008 yet as I have access to none.
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