HomePlug units on different ring circuits?

Can I connect two HomePlug units to two different ring circuits in the same house, and expect them to be able to talk to one another?

Both circuits terminate at the same consumer unit.

NPE

Posted 2011-10-20T10:57:37.930

Reputation: 1 169

The key thing with powerline is phase. As long as they are on the same phase, they should be able to communicate. This might also be of interest to you in designing a powerline network: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_line_communication#Failure_Scenarios

– MaQleod – 2011-10-20T15:48:42.283

Answers

You can never tell 100% for sure, but I expect it to work. Networks "withing" a consumer unit usually work without flaws. Often the plugs can even communicate through consumer units, it is even told (unencrypted) networks between houses got linked.

Jens Erat

Posted 2011-10-20T10:57:37.930

Reputation: 14 141

I find that when transmitting other frequencies over the AC wires anywhere, that we had more problems from "Filters" than from the interconnection of the AC circuitry. UPS devices, Surge protectors, power conditioning boxes and even other devices with "filter" items on the AC side.

In most homes the idea works great, and worked great in this one too, then as we started adding in "gear" of all sorts, we slowly lost this type of communications for our purposes completly. EX: We could directally attribute the loss of communications to something as simple and cheap as a 6-pax power strip with built in "surge protection". we kept trying to shift things around, and get closer on wire communications, until it was no longer feasable for all the "Stuff" I have connected.

Psycogeek

Posted 2011-10-20T10:57:37.930

Reputation: 8 067

(+1) Just to be clear, do you find that filters interfere when they're placed between the HomePlug units, or even when they're simply connected to an unrelated place in the AC circuitry? – NPE – 2011-10-20T13:16:15.650

The second one, on that "curcuit" anywhere. I could use a different curcuit. Curcuit meaning house wiring connection from the power box to the wall socket. We had communications from completly different AC curcuits working fine. then put a filter ON the curcuit, and it would fail, or work poorly. – Psycogeek – 2011-10-20T13:24:07.527