Broadband over power lines hardware

[flamer]

Hi,

I'm interested in finding out whether it is possible and cheap enough to share a broadband connection (lets say an adsl one) throughout a block of flats using a power line based network? How much would the hardware cost? Is is easily available in South Africa and does it work well?

Cheers.

 

[Bondizzo]

GPS is currently planning to do this, I believe you would need a special network so that it connects with saix in order to succeed

 

[m0zy]

http://www.netcomm.com.au/SpecSheets/NP285_Turbo_HomePlug_Twin_Pack.pdf

 

[TivoZA]

There are many different "Ethernet over power" devices available but whichever you choose make sure it can run over a 220V power line, most that are available on international sites only work over a 110V power line and using a step down transformer will prevent the device from working. Two of the units that should work locally are "Netgear XE102" and the "NeverWire".

The added points in the below quote are also worth noting as the phase supply issue will mean you won't be able to share your ethernet connection with other flats in your block.

Just a comment for those folks considering the power line communications route. First off beware of the 110v/220v issue with the stuff you get from the States and, as noted above, you cannot make use of transformers to step down the voltage as a transformer by design insulates the source from you. I.e. you no longer have a direct wire connection to your power socket, but rather an "induced" connection created by magnetic fields and other magic stuff.

This brings the second caveat. If you happen to have an old house with three phase supply (like me ) and have plugs wired on separate phases you will find that you cannot communicate between these plugs. This is because, again, there is a transformer between the phases back at the substation supplying your power and the comms cannot get from one phase across to the other. There are ways around this, but they tend to be expensive and require you to fiddle with the incoming electrical feed, a practice generally frowned upon by your friendly supplier.

Newer houses running a single phase (as most do now days) are fine and the technology works well then.

Just thought I would share this as it can really take some serious time to figure this out if you don't know.

 

[gee7022]

Hi,

I'm interested in finding out whether it is possible and cheap enough to share a broadband connection (lets say an adsl one) throughout a block of flats using a power line based network? How much would the hardware cost? Is is easily available in South Africa and does it work well?

Cheers.

I have tested this in a few houses and if your house has a phase 1 it works like a bomb. I used a airlive powerline adapters and they worked out about R700 for one (you would need one for each house you want to connect up and one at the main router.)

 

[MFour]

hmm now this is interesting, better hide this thread or Telkom will get ICASA to prohibit us from doing that. ATM you may not lay cables across boundries, but wha wha wha, here there are no cables, cept the power cables. Hmm wonder if this will be perceived to be transmitting of data which I think might be found to be sort of illegal.

lol well good one guys, I hope you get the block of flats sorted, it would be a laugh