Kitz Forum
Computers & Hardware => Networking => Topic started by: z1ts on October 12, 2017, 11:19:24 AM
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Hi!
Keen to get everyone's views on these:- www.bgelectrical.uk/WiFi (http://www.bgelectrical.uk/WiFi)
Work of the devil (interference etc.) or pure genius?
!!!!!!
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I'm not at all keen on the idea of electronics being built into a mains socket. Maybe I'm being overcautious, but in my opinion these are a potential fire hazard.
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Hi!
Keen to get everyone's views on these:- www.bgelectrical.uk/WiFi (http://www.bgelectrical.uk/WiFi)
Work of the devil (interference etc.) or pure genius?
!!!!!!
Wondering if this works on the "home plug" principle, ie. putting RF through the ring main circuit, would seem logical if it's built into a ring main socket, if so then there would have to be another unit (or home plug) near the router with an ethernet connection to act as a transceiver ?
Note that a lot of the forum members strongly dislike "home plugs" and believe that they can be a source of RF noise to the router in certain circumstances.
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Wondering if this works on the "home plug" principle, ie. putting RF through the ring main circuit, would seem logical if it's built into a ring main socket, if so then there would have to be another unit (or home plug) near the router with an ethernet connection to act as a transceiver ?
No, according to the documentation it is a "range extender".
As for the product, I give it one of my most grumpy, black, looks. >:(
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I'm not at all keen on the idea of electronics being built into a mains socket. Maybe I'm being overcautious, but in my opinion these are a potential fire hazard.
Echo that, especially as it seems to have no on/off switch.
In particular the day will come when, like all electronic products no matter how well made, it malfunctions in some way. Being a thing that is broken you’d want to isolate its supply pending repair which might mean, at the least, switching off an entire circuit at the fusebox, affecting much of your home until such time as you can find an electrician to come and isolate it.
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No, according to the documentation it is a "range extender".
As for the product, I give it one of my most grumpy, black, looks. >:(
I use a TP-Link "home plug" pair to give me 2 ethernet ports for my free-view & free-sat recorders, the rx/tx unit being mounted at the router and connected to a router port, it also incorporates an integral WiFi range extender and is described as such in their literature.
I would think that it would be logical under these circumstances that the data which was "range extended" was transmitted/received over the ring main circuit.
For information, in my case these units have no impact on my router, I have monitored my stat's with & without for extended periods, I do appreciate that quite a few members have had noise issues with various makes of plugs, perhaps I have just been lucky to date.
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I would think that it would be logical under these circumstances that the data which was "range extended" was transmitted/received over the ring main circuit.
These connect to your existing wireless, then simply extend it. No using the ring main to transmit data.
You can connect with WPS then login and configure it. Alternatively they come preconfigured to broadcast their own Wi-Fi channel which is open. You can connect to this and then configure. They also have a version with a usb port.
Personally I wouldn't buy 1 of these. I like my sockets being sockets. Not a fan of the sockets with usb ports either.
I use a TP-Link TL-WA860RE N300 Universal Range Extender + AC passthrough with DD-WRT installed for my BT TV YouView box upstairs. I have it configured so it doesn't actually repeat the Wi-Fi. Does the job I need perfectly. Fortunately my wireless covers the entire house/garden.
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Kitz HS110 uses standard wifi, the smart plugs the others are on about are the type that extend your network via the ring mains.
As for your light switch issue, you could get more switches installed, I have four switches for my hall light. But of course doing that could require decorating to put right damage done during installation, so using LightwaveRf is probably far simplier.
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@Ron. I'd typed about the LightwaveRf kit late last night. Then realised this morning about the HS110's and deleted my post thinking I'd perhaps start a new thread so as not to detract from this one. You must have seen my post and was replying as I deleted, as it wasn't there straight after I'd deleted - Sorry :/
Yes, ideally needs a light switch right by the front door but as you say mess of installation. Because front door is on kind of porch bit that juts out, cant even bring the wiring down from upstairs until you get past the door to the downstairs loo. Add in concrete floors and that is probably why it is where it is, and why not so easy to add another without a fair bit of re-plastering work.
I do have a solar detector light outside, but unfortunately it doesnt quite throw enough light to inside the hall to see a cat which has come running to greet you as soon as it hears the car pull up on the drive and by this point is sat by the door waiting to be an obstacle to fall over. That's happened a few times and why I have a battery powered solar light just sat on the window sill which will come on when it detects me or cat.
The thought of being able to walk through the door and say 'Hall light on' or even switch it on by voice command from the car is very attractive. I had thought about the tp-link bulbs, but existing fitting doesn't use that type of bulb so would mean new light fitting. The LightwaveRf switches are by far the easiest and cheapest option.
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Personally I wouldn't buy 1 of these. I like my sockets being sockets. Not a fan of the sockets with usb ports either.
I agree, having been thinking about sockets with USB and deciding against. It would be different maybe if there was an off switch. As it is you'd need to disconnect for any sort of electrical testing, which in itself would make the test results less meaningful.
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Well, thanks all for your kind input into this thread!
It's most appreciated.
(And don't worry about going off topic @kitz - gave me a neat insight into some tech I'm quite curious about currently!)
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Echo that, especially as it seems to have no on/off switch.
In particular the day will come when, like all electronic products no matter how well made, it malfunctions in some way. Being a thing that is broken you’d want to isolate its supply pending repair which might mean, at the least, switching off an entire circuit at the fusebox, affecting much of your home until such time as you can find an electrician to come and isolate it.
Would just like to second/third these comments about having live electronics permanently wired and powered into your house, especially anything made in China, if bigclive were here I am pretty sure he would agree too.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoZ1_aEDPos[/youtube]
Since becoming a viewer of bigclive's channel I have stopped buying chinese generic electronics goods at all and am super paranoid about stuff.
Chunks
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Was a bit concerned watching that as I have one of these by LAP (https://www.screwfix.com/p/lap-13a-2g-sp-switched-socket-3-1a-2g-usb-charger-brushed-stainless-steel/6222p#BVRRWidgetID) bought from Screwfix which someone fitted 2 yrs ago for me. I've not had any probs with mine and it charges Android devices as expected and is in regular use.
Now I'm not an electrician, but the more I watched, the more I became convinced about the poor quality of this product :o
- "the back is quite odd with metal tabs that has become a cropper on this side".
- "Android phones refused to charge"
- "Oscilating charge"
and more worryingly for the actual sockets
"No connections between the Earths"
One of the sockets wasn't even earthed!!!! Doesn't that mean the actual socket itself is dangerous nvm anything to do with the USB. Surely this cant meet British safety standards?
I have stopped buying chinese generic electronics goods at all and am super paranoid about stuff.
Yup.. Similar to the reasons why you have to be careful with crap extension leads and double adaptors.
Cheap nasty Chinese crap probably bought on ebay that takes 6-8 weeks to get here.
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One of the sockets wasn't even earthed!!!! Doesn't that mean the actual socket itself is dangerous nvm anything to do with the USB. Surely this cant meet British safety standards?
Yes to your query: "Doesn't that mean the actual socket itself is dangerous". It would be dangerous when a fault condition occurs in an appliance plugged into the non-earthed socket of the pair.
And you are quite correct, it does not meet British safety standards.
If The Cattery was a lot closer to Blackpool, I would "call in" to check and replace it for you.
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However the device in the OP is standards-compliant
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Thank you for the kind offer. I didn't install it and that particular brand was recommended by someone who knows way more than me.
Obviously I was concerned after watching that video, then realised it was far more likely to be down to an inferior product that wouldn't pass any safety standards.
I suppose the same applies to other electrical items that you can buy from China on ebay or in cheapy shops.
LAP (http://www.lapelec.co.uk/) are a UK company and their products are trade rated.
The actual product is tested with the following CE standards : BS 1363-2 ASTA BS 5733 EN 605950-1, ASTA
It also has very good reviews when I looked last night.
I had a qualified electrician install new light switches and sockets after having to have new ceiling lighting installed in the kitchen/dining room as the whole ceiling had to be re-plastered after burst pipe in the bathroom 2yrs ago.
Whilst he was here I also got him to replace the circuit switch box with a modern one which has RCDs and isolates certain parts of the house much better. It also means that if anything blows then its a case of flicking a switch rather than messing with fuse wire :)
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Ah, yes. What you have will be of significantly higher build quality than the tat shown in the video. :)
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A fact not often realised is that IT equipment is permitted to have significant current flow to Earth, even in the absence of fault conditions, up to 3.5mA iirc. It’s in the nature of their switch mode PSUs. Thus if you have 3 or 4 PCs plugged into a dodgy trailing extension lead with broken earth, even in the absence of faults, you can get a shock of 10mA or more just by touching a PC cabinet. That’s enough to be very uncomfortable, and occasionally even dangerous.
I mention above merely to underline importance of buying good quality, compliant, apparatus. As long as you do so risks are minimised.