topic Re: devolo homeplug connection problems in Tech Help - Software/Hardware etc

devolo homeplug connection problems

barrylws1966 — Tue, 16 Dec 2014 20:07:34 GMT

I've recently switched from BT to plusnet fibre broadband and when I was with BT my devolo homeplugs worked quite well but now have become quite unreliable. Has anyone experienced this problem and if so how do you overcome the problem? Thanks in advance

Re: devolo homeplug connection problems

Anonymous — Tue, 16 Dec 2014 20:21:57 GMT

Hi 'barrylws1966' and welcome to the forum !

I run 14 Devolo homeplugs, all bought second-hand on eBay at different times, several different models, some 200Mbps others 500Mbps, and so far none have shown any unreliability.
Have you run the Devolo 'Cockpit', to see if that identifies an unreliable route across your mains wiring ?.
My other thought is that every plug has arrived with the original first release firmware loaded, so I always update to the current version before use.

Re: devolo homeplug connection problems

PeterLoftus — Tue, 16 Dec 2014 22:46:47 GMT

I can't see that a change of router can affect home plugs in any way. Unless the switch mode power supply for router or modem could be a new source of interference

Re: devolo homeplug connection problems

Anonymous — Tue, 16 Dec 2014 23:05:46 GMT

'Anotherone' will probably suggest that some homeplugs are a source of electrical interference, so changing modem/router to one that is less immune to external noise could theoretically cause connectivity problems. However if that were true I would have thought with my 14 homeplugs and numerous modems and routers that I should have seen problems by now - but haven't, although admittedly I'm on ADSL and not fibre. Devolo is the premium homeplug brand, and should be both reliable and cause minimal interference, compared to cheaper models made by other manufacturers.

Re: devolo homeplug connection problems

barrylws1966 — Wed, 17 Dec 2014 22:01:56 GMT

Thank you all for the replies, I'm not very technology minded so I think I may have to reset the homeplugs back to original settings and connect them up again from new. I don't know how to do a devolo cockpit on the plugs

Re: devolo homeplug connection problems

Anonymous — Wed, 17 Dec 2014 22:37:49 GMT

Quote from: barrylws1966
I think I may have to reset the homeplugs back to original settings and connect them up again from new.

I'm not convinced that that will achieve anything unless you are going to update the firmware in each plug as well - which is quite straightforward to do !.

Quote from: barrylws1966
I don't know how to do a devolo cockpit on the plugs

You install "Cockpit" from the link above, then you simply run the program on your computer.
When the screen comes up, it will find all the active homeplugs on your network, show their status and the speed in each direction between them.
See this somewhat outdated Youtube video to get the idea - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_oV74NN9O4

Re: devolo homeplug connection problems

barrylws1966 — Thu, 18 Dec 2014 13:45:09 GMT

Thanks purleigh I'll try doing the cockpit tonight then and will let you know how I get on

Re: devolo homeplug connection problems

Townman — Thu, 18 Dec 2014 18:33:59 GMT

Hi Barry,
A warm welcome to the forums.
"Unreliable" in what way? Completely not working or intermittently not working?
If completely not working, then your home plugs might not be configured to use DHCP address assignment, so there is the possibility that their IP addresses (which worked with the old router) are not in the same range as the default (192.168.1.x) on TG routers.
If intermittently not working, what are the symptoms? It could be the case that they are working OK, but something else is wrong. For example if you are using Win8 platforms with the TG router, other issues could be in play which might be mistaken as a network (home plugs) connectivity issue.
The other suggestions to get the Devolo cockpit software installed - see here http://www.devolo.com/uk/dLAN-software/devolo-Cockpit-simple-powerline-network-configuration - will help you to ensure that the plugs themselves are functioning correctly.
Kevin

Re: devolo homeplug connection problems

barrylws1966 — Sat, 20 Dec 2014 00:43:08 GMT

This is what the plug looks like at the moment.
No joy with the cockpit trick so I think I'll have to try doing a reset tomorrow sometime

Re: devolo homeplug connection problems

Townman — Sat, 20 Dec 2014 11:10:30 GMT

Barry,
All of the lights are green, so I think you are going to have to give us more detail please.
How many adaptors, which kind (WiFi / non-WiFi), what does the cockpit show?

Re: devolo homeplug connection problems

Anonymous — Sat, 20 Dec 2014 11:58:26 GMT

Quote from: Townman
All of the lights are green

That's not what I'm seeing !
The 'house' shaped indicator appears off.
That either means that -

the photo was taken in the short moment that the LED flickers off during normal network traffic,

if the LED is permanently off then it indicates that it is not 'associated' with other active homeplugs on the mains wiring (which is either a configuration issue, or the other homeplugs might have gone into standby mode if their connected ethernet cable is inactive).

Re: devolo homeplug connection problems

Townman — Sat, 20 Dec 2014 12:21:45 GMT

Could be right!
Memory is failing me - thought that one was red is not connected... amber and red indicate slower speeds!

Re: devolo homeplug connection problems

Anonymous — Sat, 20 Dec 2014 13:10:46 GMT

Having put doubt in my mind as to whether an "unassociated" Devolo homeplug shows "red" of "off",
I've just dug out one of my spare "200AVeasy" plugs with updated firmware, and reset it's configuration so it's network association was lost.
The dLAN "house" indicator is definitely "off" when not associated with the other homeplugs.

Re: devolo homeplug connection problems

Anotherone — Sun, 21 Dec 2014 12:51:58 GMT

Ah ha, as my name has been mentioned I thought I'd chuck my tuppence in
Barry, one quick question which may help give a better overall understanding of what might have gone on, when you were with BT were you on Fibre or ADSL?
This could be a simple configuration type issue that's resulted from the change of modem and/or router.

But in any case purleigh is the expert on these and in particular this brand, so we'll leave this to him and I'll only post again if I can contribute something constructive.