Networking over mains wiring

[PerlOfWisdom]

Looking into intercoms a while back and I thought the two devices had to be on the same mains loop for transmission via mains to work. Could be wrong.

They don't have to be on the same circuit - just the same phase - which means that nearby neighbours on the same phase can also pick up any unencrypted signal.

[conned tractor]

They don't have to be on the same circuit - just the same phase - which means that nearby neighbours on the same phase can also pick up any unencrypted signal.

What happens if the next house on the same phase (three doors down?) are also running ethernet comms over the mains. Does the system address the signal so that it only uses the local data, and not the one down the road? Will the signal clashing be enough to corrupt the data? So, house number 1 puts data 0101 on the bus and house number 7 puts 1010 on the bus (the mains cable) at the same time. I assume it is modulated on top the mains signal. Not a comms expert - in fact pretty poor comms knowledge, hoping one of you wise lot know the principles.

Probably not an issue as not many people own them at present, but just a hypothetical due to curiousity.

[TykeMerc]

I've set up a pair at my place and 4 points at my ex wifes place for my sons to use PC's and Xbox. I've bought Comtrend 200 Mbit ones as they're effective and inexpensive.

The adapters have a passworded web interface to allow you to configure them as a private network (basic security) and work as if I had run cables from the router to the points of use, they even work fine over gang sockets and seperate rings.

Effortless and an easy way to overcome the limitations of wireless.

[tino]

So, just how much was your PI quote.

apparently it was £3.14159265358979323846p

[MPwannadecentincome]

They don't have to be on the same circuit - just the same phase - which means that nearby neighbours on the same phase can also pick up any unencrypted signal.

I understand from the devolo.co.uk website that the meter blocks the signal from going beyond the house.

There must be some element of signal reduction in a consumer unit - I had an office put in the garden - 100ft of armoured cable and a consumer unit and instead of 14M connection it can only now do about 5 or 6. Luckily I also had 100ft of cat5e wired up so I have a direct link to my router.

[Sysman]

They don't have to be on the same circuit - just the same phase - which means that nearby neighbours on the same phase can also pick up any unencrypted signal.

I suspected that I had this problem in a hotel which had networking over mains. It worked fine during my first few stays, but on the last visit I was getting DHCP addresses from a different router lobbed at me, which meant I couldn't reach the outside world. A bit of filtering should have sorted that out, but it was the end of the gig and I wasn't too bothered.

[ASB]

apparently it was £3.14159265358979323846p

[PerlOfWisdom]

What happens if the next house on the same phase (three doors down?) are also running ethernet comms over the mains. Does the system address the signal so that it only uses the local data, and not the one down the road? Will the signal clashing be enough to corrupt the data? So, house number 1 puts data 0101 on the bus and house number 7 puts 1010 on the bus (the mains cable) at the same time. I assume it is modulated on top the mains signal. Not a comms expert - in fact pretty poor comms knowledge, hoping one of you wise lot know the principles.

Probably not an issue as not many people own them at present, but just a hypothetical due to curiousity.

I imagine they use a similar system to wireless internet.

[MPwannadecentincome]

What happens if the next house on the same phase (three doors down?) are also running ethernet comms over the mains. Does the system address the signal so that it only uses the local data, and not the one down the road? Will the signal clashing be enough to corrupt the data? So, house number 1 puts data 0101 on the bus and house number 7 puts 1010 on the bus (the mains cable) at the same time. I assume it is modulated on top the mains signal. Not a comms expert - in fact pretty poor comms knowledge, hoping one of you wise lot know the principles.

Probably not an issue as not many people own them at present, but just a hypothetical due to curiousity.

Apparently the meter blocks the signal or at least severely degrades it. Even if the signal did cross between the houses through the meter the manufacturers recommend using encryption which actually is very easy to set up.

You are right not many people own these at present, certainly not as much as wireless. I can see many wireless networks from my house, I do not see other people's mains LAN devices.

[TykeMerc]

You are right not many people own these at present, certainly not as much as wireless. I can see many wireless networks from my house, I do not see other people's mains LAN devices.

Same here.

As mentioned configuring security is a doddle.