powerline networking

[VST_Man 1]

has anyone tried these? basically you plug one into the wall AC outlet and another at the router which then provides a network link via the AC wiring. Works out to 1000ft.

 

With that in mind, one could power a IP camera and connect via a network via the AC wiring out to 1000ft. I even read a post on a guy who used them to do just that. ie. use AC wiring at gates to connect IP cams at 900ft. easy.

 

Anyway, just another tool

 

 

http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/B000GR1CBI/ref=s9_asin_title_1-hf_favarpcbss_2238_p/104-7938561-3455149?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-1&pf_rd_r=1SWDJX4YD013CPN4JS74&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=278240701&pf_rd_i=507846

[CollinR 0]

Never done it but all powerline controls have some hidden troubles.

 

These devices usually work on 110v current, well you have 2 legs of 110 in an install like that. If the router is on one leg so must the camera, not to mention going through transformers between the houses and a gaurd shack. I know it will work just not something I would bet an install on, not when wifi is an option.

[metafizx 0]

yes, I tried the Lukwerks system.

 

it is pretty nice, if it works. I tried it in one home, and could not get the cameras to connect to the server on certain circuits. I still am puzzled why it didnt work.

 

another thing is, I could not have battery backup on these cameras, since they derive their power from the AC.

 

their outside camera does not have IR, and the lens is not replacable. so that was another issue. although their inside camera does have an IR kit.

 

so if you don't care about those things, I thought the motion detection worked really well and the software is pretty nice too.

[jeromephone 6]

Does the system work if the camera and dvr are being fed by different transformers?

[scorpion 0]

Do they have phase couplers such as the devices that are used for X-10?

 

http://www.x10pro.com/pro/pdf/xpcr.pdf

[CollinR 0]

Not to my knowledge, that would really help if they did.

[metafizx 0]

Does the system work if the camera and dvr are being fed by different transformers?

 

responding concerning the LukWerks system, the "DVR" is their software on a pc, which works pretty good IMHO. The cameras are also LukWerks.

 

I think LukWerks is a "packaged" version of HomePlug.

[SureVeillance 0]

As others have reported, I have also had varied success with streaming video over powerline products which use HomePlug. I have also tried AppleTV and SlingBox over powerline ethernet - the SlingBox was connected to the monitor output on a GE DVMRe.

 

This technology works by superimposing a signal on top of (or in between, depending on how you look at it) the AC current. If you have the sender and receiver plugged into outlets on the same circuit, you would have no problem sending >50 mb/second which is as good as wired, but not very practical because if they were that close, you would probably be able to wire it.

 

If you plug into 2 different circuits, but they are on the same 'rail' of the circuit breaker box, then you generally will still get reliable transmission, but probably closer to 10 mb/second - still enough for most video surveillance equipment.

 

If you plug into 2 circuits that are on opposite phases in the circuit breaker box, then the signal has to 'jump' to the other phase - which results in further degradation or no signal at all. What those phase couplers do is generally to plug into the electric drier outlet which has both phases present and provides a path for the signal to jump phases without shorting out the drier, of course.

 

If you are in a building which has multiple breaker boxes, it gets increasingly difficult for the signal to get from the sending circuit to the receiver and even a phase coupler may not help if you have to jump to the other phase in the other breaker box.

 

Generally powerline ethernet devices such as Netgear HDX101 come with a pc client that shows you the quality of the signal and the speed of transmission. I have used that to create a site survey of a building and predetermine whether powerline is a viable option or not for various locations in the building.

 

By the way, don't connect powerline devices through surge suppressors because they also suppress the ethernet signal! And be careful if you are going to mix HomePlug 1.0 devices with other powerline technology devices in the same building.

 

Having said all that, I did find an application which worked well and proved much more reliable than 2.4 GHz wireless in that case.

 

Have fun!

Andy

[scorpion 0]

What phase coupler were you referring to? Do you have a link?

 

 

I really hate it when a signal has to travel through a building back to a panel then out of the building to the transformer, and then back down, and in to the building, to the panel, and out to another device. No wonder their are so many issues on seperate branches!

[SureVeillance 0]

Scorpion, depends on your application and your results may vary .

The drier model https://auction.smarthome.com/XcAPViewItem.asp?ID=111014 or Google for SignaLinc Plug-In Phase Coupler (for 3-Wire 220V D

 

At the high end - commercial type equipment, look at Corinex.com, such as https://www.corinex.com/web/pcx.nsf/Doc3?Open&pl=enterprise or Google for corinex powerline phase coupler

 

More info on HomePlug at http://www.homeplug.org

 

This type works at the breaker panel http://www.smarthomeusa.com/Shop/Phase-Couplers/Item/XPCP/

 

I have actually used a different trick to avoid phase couplers. I was trying to link from a circuit in the main part of the house to a device that was in an addition, on another ciruit breaker panel. I was getting very bad results until it occured to me that I could actually put the receiver in another room in the addition which had an ethernet port near a wall outlet. So the signal goes from one room over the power line to another room and then bridges from the powerline to the wired ethernet jack. This proved to be very fast and very reliable. That trick will only work if your application works with wired as well as powerline devices.

 

Good luck.

Andy

[scorpion 0]

I am familiar with X-10.

 

I was confused. I thought that you had a coupler for powerline IP. I did not know you were talking about X-10.

 

Power line IP is great for those troublesome installs!

 

Are the powerline IP, and the X-10 using the same frequency as it is being "injected" on to the power line?

[SureVeillance 0]

If you are using a passive coupler, it should work for x-10 or powerline ethernet. If you are using an active x-10 coupler, it will probably not help powerline IP because the active couplers usually read the x-10 signal and retransmit it. The Corinex stuff is not x-10, it is designed for commercial distribution of IP signals across various types of wire and powerlines.

[scorpion 0]

Thanks! I appreciate the info!