Does Power-line Networking require a computer connected to the modem/router to act as a 'server'?

I'm trying to get a basic mental grasp on the idea of Power-line networking. While I understand that other computer can connect to the network by simply plugging their power-line adapters into any electrical outlet, establishing the connection in the power lines is the part I'm still trying to understand.

In my case, a DSL connection comes into the house via the phone jack and goes to a modem/router. I can either connect wirelessly to the router or plug in via Ethernet.

Does a power-line network operate off the router/modem or does it need a computer to be connected to that router then connect that computer to an outlet via power-line adapter?

 

Luckily it does not require a computer working as a server. You just connect an Ethernet wire from a modem to the first adapter and you are go.

 

That is AWESOME! I could have made it work, I have a Dell Latitude E6400 in the closet that will outlive me that I could have used if it required a computer. I've always joked that after a nuclear holocaust, three things would survive if nothing else did- cockroaches, Cher and my E6400!

A few years ago, I was getting off a plane at Burbank Airport and they don't have jet bridges, just the old roll-up staircase for you walk down. I had spent almost seven hours traveling, three hours from Atlanta to Phoenix, a two hour layover, then about 90 minutes from Phoenix to Burbank. I had a Bloody Mary (okay, two) on the way to Phoenix, several beers during my layover and another beer on the flight to Burbank. Between being tired from sitting on my butt so long, the drinks and the fact that I'm 6'3" and 250# and I trip over my size 13 feet all time anyway, I had a little mishap as I was walking down the stairs off the plane at Burbank. My E6400 was just in my messenger bag and I tripped and sent the bag flying over the railing and more than ten feget to the tarmac below. The bag flew open and the computer skidded a good 20 feet away from it and I was freaking out! It cracked cracked the front corner of bottom casing and that made the right side of the palmrest bow upward. The magnesium alloy bottom looked like someone had taken a power sander to it after the skid, but it powered right up and there was no damage beyond the cosmetic damage to the exterior. The display was fine, the SSD was fine (a hard drive wouldn't have survived that, I don't think) and I used it as my daily work computer for another 18 months after that mishap! I wrote Dell and told that story, hoping they might send me a brand new one and use my story as an advertisement....all I got was a form thank you letter, though.

Back to the actual topic, I looked at quite a few power-line adapters on Newegg and Amazon but I wasn't able to see how the computer(s) that are on the receiving end physically hook up to their adapter plugged into the outlet. What port does it use- Ethernet, USB....too bad it doesn't use the VGA port that has never been touched before.....other than that, I've only got an eSATA and HDMI port, so I'm guessing the it's the first or second one I mentioned?

 

There is an Ethernet port in each adapter so you connect your computer to the adapter via an Ethernet wire.
If you have more devices that you'd like to connect, there are powerline devices with more than one Ethernet port and even with a Wi-Fi hotspot (or rather range extender). See this for example.