[ale] OT - Power line networks

[Dow_Hurst]

I've used the little boxes that plug into your home power outlets and provide ethernet over the house wires.  It really works well and the devices have not been damaged by power surges or brownouts.  I've only used two of these to complete one connection.  They were about $80 each at the time of purchase but saved a ton on what running ethernet cable would have cost.  Wifi wasn't an option in this situation either.  Here is the kicker with these devices:

They have to be plugged into a raw outlet with no surge protection involved.  Surge protectors interfere with the signal and usually block it.  You can do what I did by using UPSes with LAN protection ports.  So, I come from the computer to the UPS with a ethernet cable first.  Then I go from the UPS to the device.

Also, from a security side, the signals only stop at the local transformer, as far as I understand.  Our throughput is better than the outside cable connection so no slowdowns due to the devices is ever noticed.

After a brownout I did have to unplug and plugin the devices to cycle their power.  Something had happened to them that caused packet loss, but that fixed the problem.  First time in a couple of years I had a problem.
Hope this helps,
Dow


-----Original Message-----
>From: "Asif E." <asifem at gmail.com>
>Sent: Jan 12, 2006 7:23 PM
>To: ale at ale.org
>Subject: [ale] OT - Power line networks
>
>Maybe offtopic, but does anybody here have experience with LAN over power
>lines for home networking?  What are the pros and cons and what should I
>watch out for?


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