Ethernet over Power

Off-Topic
#1

I have an Ethernet over Power unit that transmits my LAN to a part of the house where it is impossible to run a physical ethernet cable. I think it was made by Sling.
It has been working great for about two years… but yesterday it started to act VERY strange.

At random intervals during the day it would just shut-down, the 15-30 minutes later it would power back up again. Nothing else on the same electric circuit was having a problem, so its not a loss of power. Someone mentioned to me, that perhaps a neighbor was doing something that somehow injected some signal into the neighborhood power grid that confused my unit (these are all free standing homes, not townhouses or duplexes). While I can see that might be possible, it doesn’t seem probable.

Has anyone else experienced anything like this? I don’t want to buy a new unit, and find out the problem is environmental,

#2

While I can’t comment on your location, it is more probable that you might think. EoP introduces “noise” on the mains lines and do actually extend past your perimeter (likewise your neighours noise). This “noise” usually doesn’t persist past the next HT transformer, but it is unlikely that you have one per house (we don’t in NZ & I haven’t seen evidence of that anywhere else).

WiFi has probably has a heap more security than EoP, but as I don’t use EoP I can’t assert that as being true.

#3

the EoP is only to get Internet to my Roku for the TV… so security isn’t a big deal…
and this just started happening yesterday…

I’m going to see if I can’t throw together a quick app to check every few minutes. I have a wireless access point connect there as well, so there are two named networks in my house… one comes right from the main router, the 2nd from the AP…

#4

[quote=412817:@Dave S]I have an Ethernet over Power unit that transmits my LAN to a part of the house where it is impossible to run a physical ethernet cable. I think it was made by Sling.
It has been working great for about two years… but yesterday it started to act VERY strange.

At random intervals during the day it would just shut-down, the 15-30 minutes later it would power back up again. Nothing else on the same electric circuit was having a problem, so its not a loss of power. Someone mentioned to me, that perhaps a neighbor was doing something that somehow injected some signal into the neighborhood power grid that confused my unit (these are all free standing homes, not townhouses or duplexes). While I can see that might be possible, it doesn’t seem probable.

Has anyone else experienced anything like this? I don’t want to buy a new unit, and find out the problem is environmental,[/quote]
It could be power drops though. I worked for a company at one time where there wasn’t anyone “upstream” from them where they were so the power company had throttled the amount of power on the line. When development started on that line, the power company had forgotten about the throttling and they had all kinds of weird brownouts until we were able to get someone out to test the power output. Basically while they were supposed to be getting 120V to 127V, they were getting more like 100-110V and several of the pieces of equipment were not happy about that.

#5

I would think a power flucuation would be noticable, lights dim (if even for a split second) etc…
I wrote a crude Wifi monitor using the macOS Airport command and Shell… will see what it says in the morning
perhaps I can detect a pattern

#6

Hi Dave,
I am a Radio Amateur, i can legally transmit enormous amounts of power (when aerial gain is included it can be several kilowatt ERP) on the whole radio spectrum, and quite happily do.
this is all within the licence conditions, it is incumbent upon every electronic product available to be able to deal with that situation, which is quite obviously why all the regulations exist.

BUT as we all know there are many cheap crappy products that do not adhere to these specifications, thats obviously why they are cheap.

if the products you own are not able to deal with the radio power of some external influence, such as a radio amateur or a commercial user, you are going to get these issues.

in 40 years of operation as a radio amateur i have had loads of fun with local authorities, governmental agencies, commercial radio operators etc who have all complained and tried to prosecute me for operating entirely within the framework of my highly regarded qualification.
never has a single one of those objections been upheld nor gone beyond an initial hearing.

as to your problem and its description of the timeout period, it reminds me of issues that were suffered by my neighbours with similar wifi over mains power units when i wrote some software to destroy their wifi over power systems due to them blanking the normal radio spectrum with cheap and illegal ethernet over power adaptors.

these wifi over mains system are totally destructive to the radio spectrum they should not be employed in any circumstance.
i no longer have any interference from these products as the users found a sensible way to connect.

i also sell a product to that does exactly what you explain, it knocks out over power ethernet transmitters which normally hang up for 15-30 minutes because they think they are getting hacked, it does not take long for the owners to remove them.

the fact that 2.4GHz is unregulated has allowed a great amount of internet expansion, but there is also a great deal of abuse of that spectrum point.

perhaps consider other people in your choice of internet connection or at least investigate the information enclosed if you are slightly interested.

#7

WOW… you are saying the ME using an FCC approved device is causing YOU troubles… sorry if I don’t get choked up…

Its not like I built a giga-watt linear amplifier to blanket my neighborhood… but rather again… a device that was required to pass FCC certifications. There is nothing “cheap or illegal” about these devices… Unlike a lot (not saying you) Ham operators.

Even if the EoP devices “leaked”, the level would be in the milli-watt range, and doubtful your level of equipment would consider more than back-ground noise.

The fact that you publicly admit to “writing software to destroy their wifi” concerns me.
Were if not for the fact that you are in Spain and not the United States, I would be forwarding your email to the FCC.

#8
  1. Go to big box store with return policy/amazon
  2. Buy new power line devices
  3. Test
  4. Return if problem persists or recycle old one if problem doesn’t persist
  5. Turn on roku watch netflix and chill

or

Use wifi.

#9

haha, dave you replied in exactly the manner i expected so you did not disappoint! i am not having a go at you personally, unfortunately i knew you would think that i was.

how do you know that the devices you are using are legitimate?
you do not obviously understand the 'leak" as you call it, perhaps your special devices do not do so, there are many many that do, harmonics are amplified by the undetermined cable length, filters are not included and the power radiated is all over the radio frequency, i expect you know all that and are just being playful in your reply.

re-read what is written, the point was the there is nothing that your supposed legitimate product can expect to be safe from, the whole point of the FCC (and other agencies) is to have a framework of understanding regarding RF functionality.
that includes its ability to operate in a crowded band of devices and it has to be able to resist outside interference.
me sending data on an unlicensed band using a device that has passed every possible certificate and using its functions to manage that spectrum by purposeful husbandry of a particular device is in no way illegal or discouraged.
the spectrum at that band has a million products using it and the majority are likely to be non compliant, experience, not anecdote.

the devices you are operating for the function you want to achieve have absolutely no more legitimacy on the spectrum than any other, and if there is even a tiny chance they are causing issues on radio bands that are regulated and have legitimate users operating, then how on earth do you think its ok for you to expect to be protected.

you are welcome to forward my details to the FCC, i can give you some contacts who i deal with in the compliance field to target your complaint, the FCC is just a little part of the industry, believe it or not, the rest of the world have their own compliance administration too, which i suspect is a surprise to you! (that bit is a joke, just incase you did not get it)

but as Julian said, chill, get an ethernet cable and stop polluting the RF spectrum(i said that last bit, not Julian, just so you do not have to interpret the sentence too much).

#10

EoP is very strange. it works, and suddenly it doesn’t.
move the device to another plug in the house and it works again…or not !
this dysfunction can be caused by your neighbor having another microwave oven …
as Julian said, buy another unit, test it, and if it still doesn’t work, send it back and use a wifi link
wifi links are really stronger and not as susceptible as EoP.

#11

you can add running capacitor after you power meter in each face line this avoid any hack to the grid or noise.

#12

At same time help to save money on power bill
https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/100uf-440-vac-run-capacitor_60208280991.html

#13

I have three pairs of EoP devices from TP-Link at my farm (connecting barn, stable and tool-shed with the main building). They have now worked for two years. Initial setup was a bit of a problem since we have GFCIs all over the place and they seem to introduce some isolation between phases. After sorting out which phase goes where and then connecting the pairs accordingly all is well.
Distances to the other houses are well over 75 meters.

Any change if you try to identify the phases and keep them on the same?

#14

One thing that can seriously disrupt EoP devices are cheap (usually chinese) led bulbs.
These lamps, due for their poor constructions and inadequate circuitry, inject noise on the power.
No problem with high quality led bulbs (Philips, Osram just to name some)

#15