HPNA (Phone line) networking.

Witor · 29 Jan 2009 at 11:48

Here's a strange one, i've had to look into HPNA as a last resort, wondered if anyone here has any experience on it...

Background:

3 PC's at home, all via a Wireless G (54mbs) network, with a NAS/USB 500gb drive on the adsl router, here im planning to store all my photos/docs/mp3's etc in order to share with the following:

1 - Main PC, gaming PC, etc, in my "office" room
2 - Laptop, usually leave this on overnight for downloads, in my "office" room
3 - HTPC, for films/photo nights, etc - in the living room.

Problem is that the Main PC & Laptop are in one room, and the HTPC is on another, I cant lay Cat5 for asthetic reasons (Wife would kill me), can't use powerline adaptors as my house is actually 2 apartments (with their separate ring main supplys, i.e HTPC is in a "different" house so to speak)

There is an existing telephone connection in the "office" room and living room, and I know the HPNA is possible. Just investigating standards at the moment, HPNA1 only allowed 1mbps (eek!), HPNA2 (10mbps - not good enough) and HPNA3 is 128mbps (perfect). All 3 standards allow network/phone/adsl transmissions concurrently...

So, back to original question, anyone have much experience on HPNA networking? i.e adaptors to use? reliability? are products readily available, etc.....

errata · 29 Jan 2009 at 17:23

Last time I saw any kit avilable it was the older slow stuff. I suspect its unobtainable retail except from some speciaists. I never saw anyone reccomend it over the alternatives as phonewire is not usually high quality stuff (at least mains wiring has a lot of copper in it).

What you could do with powerline is bridge the 2 ring mains in the 2 apartments with an extra adapter or 2 provided you have 2 sockets from the different properties realtively close together ie

unit 1

router say>ethernet patch cable>powerline adapter>mains socket near a mains socket in unit 2

>ethernet cable to <powerline adapter in ring main of unit 2>further adapters as needed near your ethernet eqipped PC etc

The bridge is only of the ethernet signal so its perfectly safe electrically to do this.

It would be worthwhile first testing if you can get any signal via powerline between the 2 units, it goes through common fuse boxes, is nearly stopped by meters by really only stops with distance and change of phase in the electrical supply.

Witor · 30 Jan 2009 at 14:41

Ok, expanding on your idea Errata, would this mock up work?

Few explanations...Orange area demarcates the separation between my 2 Apartments, each Apartment has its own fusebox so to speak. Green circles represent power sockets in one Apt, red circles in the other Apt. HTPC in living room can therefore be plugged into a green one. Network signal can then be carried from other green --> red down the hallway via a small ethernet cable.

Signal can then be picked up in the Main PC's room as shown.

Correct? (eek...)

Witor · 30 Jan 2009 at 14:52

Yes, it does look like a 6 year old drew it, but I cba with faffing around on Visio today

errata · 31 Jan 2009 at 11:02

best as i can tell from the diagram its fine, the red sockets become 'homeplug' live from the adsl (i assume its a router),

you then link red socket to green sockets via an ethenrt cable bridging the 2 mains circuits and making green sockets 'homeplug' live,

the adapter at the htpc is then connected all the way back to the adsl, nas (asuming its connected to teh router) and the other pc using the ip addresses from the router.

cant help thining though that are shortcuts if you can rearrange some of your kit and use ethernet cables rather than 4 adapters

By the way if you have 2 fuse panels but only 1 meter you may still get a signal via homeplug and may need only 2 adapters rahter than 4