Powerline Networks Finally Viable?

Logic Bomb writes: "MIT's Technology Review has an article discussing the current state of digital networking over electrical lines. It sounds like we may be seeing useable electrical-line LANs soon, but this obviously doesn't solve the 'last mile' problem. I remember once reading something about attempts to provide Internet connectivity over the electrical grid; anyone heard anything recently?" This article may be shocking (in a good way) if you assumed that practical powerline networking was still far in the future, and in a bad way if you thought that companies could easily agree on the right standards and methods to accomplish it;)

Comments

It works during blackouts..(duh!)...basic info

[jwater]

I have done some research into this area for a project at work. The Intellon PowerPacket uses OFDM this modulates the data in the 4.3 MHz to 20.9 MHz band. This is independant of the 60Hz power signal on the line, and at much lower amplitude(voltages). So it means that this will work during the power outages in CA. Also the security is taken care of encypting your info with a 56-bit DES key. This keeps your neighbors from snooping, but not distributed.net or the NSA. Every powerline on the same side of the transformer as you and in transmission range can be connected. It is also independent of the Frequency/Voltage differences in outher countries. Check out HomePlug for the standard wars to come. In essence they have picked the fundamental ideas from Power Packet.

Technology Squables

[peterdaly]

The fight over the best technology is not a bad thing, any more than Linux is a bad thing because Windows already exists. It will drive competition for better technologies, which is a goog thing in such a immature market.

I used to work for a company which makes commercial cable equipment. Most cable companies today that offer broadband use different cable modem technologies, but that is starting to change. Based on all the different technologies in the market, a standard (DOCSIS) was decided upon. Whether modems using that technology are out yet or not, I don't know.

Anyway, incompatible technologies are an importart part of such an immature and unstable industry such as power line broadband.

The "power struggles" among the major companies is a good thing. When a standard comes out, it will be that much better.

-Pete

News.com article on just this subject

[mblase]

Power outlets may feed home networking

A consortium of about 90 high-profile technology companies will announce Tuesday that the group has finalized a new standard that will serve as a common way for connecting electronic devices to the Net through electrical outlets.

The HomePlug Powerline Alliance, which includes Cisco Systems, Intel, RadioShack, Motorola and Hewlett-Packard, among others, has spent the past year working on a standard for using homes' internal electrical network to link electronic devices. The new standard is based on technology created by little-known company Intellon.

etc....

Wow

[MxTxL]

Everyone is saying how it's so cool that they could run networking over the power grid. How could you all miss that the article was about IN HOME LAN networking via the wall power outlets.

While it would be cool to run broadband access over the already existing power lines, that's not what the article was about, nor does anyone suggest that's possible.

How will it impact appliances?

[GreyPoopon]

This may be a tad "off the wall," but I'm concerned about impact on appliances. Apparently, power "noise" is so bad that a few years ago, a company made money selling these "green" plug adaptors that conditioned the power oscillations to more efficiently drive appliances. They claimed that their deviced drastically improved power efficiency and increased the lifetime of your appliances.

Now, maybe that's a whole bunch of bunk, but if it's accurate, what effect would this new device have? It surely would "dirty" up your power a bit, not to mention everyone elses on your phase loop. Enough of these running, and we'd all have to buy whole-house green plugs for everything EXCEPT the outlet we were using for ethernet.

On another note, wouldn't this technology have similar problems as cable modem? If the whole neighborhood signs up, what kind of throughput will you get? I have to believe that running new power cables (to increase bandwidth) is more expensive than burying some extra fiber.

GreyPoopon
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