We're about to build and will install a hybrid solar system (or perhaps even off-grid). To supplement the WiFi I thought of using the electrical power cabling to carry ethernet - utilising those adapters that cost under $100 a pair. Just wondering wether these work with any noise created by the inverter and/or whether they would corrupt the operations of the inverter. I understand that some components of the solar system also communicate via power-cables. (I guess I'll have to check specifics with the supplier of the solar system.). But, does anyone has experience and/or any brilliant thoughts? Thanks!
Ethernet over powerlines and DC/AC inverters
(12 posts) (5 voices)-
Lance
Key MasterI have this setup with an EoP adapter in the garage, it drops out regularly but not sure if it is the inverter or a combination of factors. When it's up, it sits at around 20Mbs but it just drops randomly and stays down for some hours. But then, another of these units also does this inside the house, albeit rarely.
I use TP-Link PA211 units, although the older model. Could just be the older ones were prone to this problem and I need to upgrade, but going through numerous forums shows many people have random dropouts with all brands of EoP units.
The EoP units won't affect the inverter operation, unless the inverter is a real POS.
Posted Tuesday 16 Feb 2016 @ 8:39:23 am from IP # -
David
MemberLance said:
I use TP-Link PA211 unitsRubbish brand, if you must use do this at least get decent brand of product, far better off skipping this altogether and using either WiFi range extenders or setting up a point to point system or similar, such as Draytek or other good quality brand.
Posted Tuesday 16 Feb 2016 @ 11:34:23 am from IP # -
Lance
Key MasterI did a lot of research and all brands available at the time had problems, many people found TP link units were working well for them, and they were within budget (not everyone has lots of spare cash for this sort of thing) so gave them a go. Generally, they have been good, it's just the unexplained dropout that causes an issue.
Anyway, the next step will be wifi extenders, will check out the Draytek stuff, or I might just bite the bullet and run some cable...
Posted Thursday 18 Feb 2016 @ 5:45:25 am from IP # -
axess
Memberzeemeeuw,
You are building a new house. Why not get the electrician to run the cable at the same time?
You could even run it to "nodes" in the house. Then you would have your personal cable to the node.
The wifi extender idea is another possibility worth considering.
I was offered the opportunity to talk to my inverter over electric cabling after I was silly enough not to consider an ethernet cable when I had the chance. I chose the wifi option instead which works most of the time. My rammed earth walls seem to block wifi to a certain extent.
Posted Thursday 18 Feb 2016 @ 8:31:58 pm from IP # -
Lance
Key MasterThe tech works well for most people, as I said, the vast majority of the time it works well here, every time we sit down to watch TV in the evening, shows stream from the media server just fine, even 1080 content, it's rare that there is an issue.
Considering the effort to install cable here (no under floor access, so has to go up the walls and through the ceiling, requiring holes to be bored through multiple hardwood studs in the walls, not a pretty task. The guy who installed the NBN here lost a rather expensive drill bit section in our wall, and that was just one cable), EoP was and still is the best solution so far, unless we upgrade wireless to a lot more powerful devices or add repeaters to reach everywhere we need to.
Posted Thursday 18 Feb 2016 @ 9:33:02 pm from IP # -
johnmath
MemberFair enough Lance. My only defences are that I was responding to your two posts listing your woes as well as years of dealing with customers who blame retailers for supplying faulty goods when the faults are in the PoE links in their houses, plus I shouldn't post after a few glasses of red
I edited the post to soften the tone.You are hardly an 'unsophisticated' consumer when it comes to electronics, but most people do not have any understanding of communications technology. Nor should an everyday consumer need to know the nuts and bolts internals of a system or its technical limitations just to get it to work. And as the house is under construction, a lot of grief can be spared later by spending a little money now.
On top of that, over the expected the life of the building thousands of kWh of electricity will be saved by hardwiring as opposed to wireless technologies.
Posted Thursday 18 Feb 2016 @ 10:00:41 pm from IP # -
Lance
Key MasterOk, thanks, have done the same.
Personally I would love to have this place cabled, but being a 100 year old place made of incredibly hard seasoned hardwood, drilling through those studs etc is a real bastard of a job. We are thinking about recladding the place at some stage in the not too distant future, so when the boards are off I will definitely be running cable and adding more insulation, but that's a few years away unfortunately. The OP is very lucky to be able to organise this before building, and would be mad not to cable the whole place. A network geek friend of mine moved a few years ago and one of the first things he did was cable the place to hell, but then, he has pine frames and under floor access I think, and more spare time too
I agree, things should just work, but given the huge variety of environmental factors, such as not-so-great wiring, multiple switch contacts and CBs between circuits, interference from switchmode devices, etc, it's amazing it works as well as it does. And our EoP boxes are the older models of that part number, would like to try something newer and see if they have eliminated the dropout issues. Or, I could spend a few days cabling or a grand or two on high grade wifi stuff, neither of those options excites me right now.
Our EoP boxes use something like 0.2W when in standby (when the device they are cabled to is turned off), wifi would up the energy consumption here a little, but wouldn't be much.
Posted Thursday 18 Feb 2016 @ 10:23:17 pm from IP # -
Lance
Key MasterOk, well I noticed the garage EoP connection was down just now, went out and flipped off the inverter (the only thing running out there apart from the security cam) and boom, the EoP network connected instantly.
So it seems the inverter just makes too much electrical noise for the EoP connection to remain stable, but not all the time. So maybe it's the inverter plus another as yet unknown noise source combining to exceed a threshold.
So, looks like a beefy wifi AP like http://www.citytechnology.com.au/store/ubiquiti/ubiquiti-pico-station-picostation/pico-m2-hp-802.11n-b-g-1000mw-6dbi-picom2-australia may be the best bet, unless I can find the time and inclination to dig under the concrete paths to run conduit...
Posted Friday 19 Feb 2016 @ 2:27:19 am from IP # -
zeemeeuw
MemberThanks to all. Some very valid points, with a passion behind it as well!
Yes, I will go for hard-wiring. But, the hempcrete walls (yes, I have been reading ReNew...) require conduits that add to cost and complexity (but also allow for re-draw of cables). Underfloor is not that easy with a concrete slab (yes, earth coupled...). I saw some ethernet cabling that can be buried underground without conduit and that may be an option for inside hempcrete, especially when run directly over the bottom or top plates inside the frame -- will discuss with the hempcrete people. To keep options open, I'll try to get a sensible distribution of powerpoints on a single CB, to facilitate EoP.
As consumer I hate not to understand the logic behind some 'recommendations' from people who also try to sell you something -- but that requires reading up on plumbing, solar, electricity, LAN, the lot... So, it is helpful to throw my current thinking into this lion-den of a forum
-- the more fueled by a fine red, the more direct the answers!
Posted Friday 19 Feb 2016 @ 2:37:16 am from IP # -
axess
Memberzeemeeuw,
All our outside walls are 300mm rammed earth.
All the required gas and water pipes and wiring conduits were built-in during the ramming process and fitted with electric boxes facing the inside of the formwork. The wires were easy to pull through according to the electrician.
I assume the hempwalls are either rammed or poured between formwork rather than laid in block form? The hempcrete people should have appropriate solutions in place.
Maybe we'll see it on a Sustainable House Day in the future? Sounds great.
Posted Friday 19 Feb 2016 @ 6:27:00 am from IP #