Powerline Networking won't allow simultaneous wired and wireless connections

mccauliflower
Aspirant
Jun 07, 2016
Michaelkenward:

Thanks very much for your response. I think you're interpreting my layout correctly, and yes, it may indeed be "wonky." I suppose your question ("which is providing the network, the modem or the router?") gets at the crux of my problem: namely, that I'd like to be able to utilize both. Perhaps it's simply not possible.

I've seen examples of the layout you describe -- where the modem connects to the router, and the router to the powerline. The reason I have the modem connected to powerline1 (in room 1) and the router connected to powerline2 (in room 2) is that room 2 is full of Wi-Fi enabled devices that do NOT have Ethernet ports (e.g. Roku streaming player, tablets, etc.), and keeping the router in there ensures a strong Wi-Fi signal. Meanwhile, room 1 is where my cable line is, so that's where my modem needs to go. I think it's probably a common dilemma: somebody put the cable line in the least useful room in the house, but I'd rather not run a 50-foot Ethernet cable all the way across the house to my router.

Perhaps the "wonkiness" of my arrangement (which, I should repeat, works great for Wi-Fi in room 2) is keeping me from enjoying a wired connection in room 1. Would you agree? Or do you think there might still be a way to plug into the powerline in room 1?

Thanks again!
- michaelkenward
  Guru - Experienced User
  Jun 07, 2016
  mccauliflower wrote:
  Perhaps the "wonkiness" of my arrangement (which, I should repeat, works great for Wi-Fi in room 2) is keeping me from enjoying a wired connection in room 1. Would you agree? Or do you think there might still be a way to plug into the powerline in room 1?
  
  That seems likely to me. But I am no real expert.
  
  I do, though, have a similar dilemma. My modem/router is well away from many of the wifi clients. My solution is to have a powerline arrangement that has two powerline plugs (well, several actually) but one of them is also a wifi extender. an XWNB5201. This provides the wifi access to those "remote" devices.
  
  As it is, I can't see any reason why you need the powerline plugs, unless this is providing you with the link between the modem and the router.
  
  If this is the case then I would worry about which box is handing out the IP addresses for local devices, wifi and wired. In other words, which is the DHCP server? They can't both be doing it. At least, they shouldn't. If they are this might explain what you see.
  
  If you put the modem and router together, this would deliver wifi in room 1. Then an extender would feed off the mains LAN and provide wifi in room 2.
  
  I suspect that you will find that this is a more normal configuration.
  - JamesGL
    NETGEAR Employee Retired
    Jun 10, 2016
    Hi mccauliflower,
    
    Is your modem a modem/router or just a plain modem? If it is just a plain modem, then your setup will not work. The problem with that kind of setup is that the modem will only recognize one connection at a time. If the router gets the connection first via the 2nd powerline then the laptop wired to the 1st powerline with the modem will not be able to get a connection. This is a modem limitation. If you happen to have a modem/router type of modem, then it should work as it caters 2 or more connection at the same time.

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Powerline Networking won't allow simultaneous wired and wireless connections