Question about ethernet over power lines
Question about ethernet over power lines
Hi everyone, I'm in a six-unit building and connected my workshop in the basement to the network on the third floor using a powerline bridge. Now I want to control my garage door through an app. When I first got the TP-Link powerline adapter, I checked if it worked in my garage—it did, though with limited speed. But for this project? That's not important! Recently, I swapped out the garage door motor and tried to set it up as an IoT device. Unfortunately, I lost the connection. To be honest, since my workshop is much nearer, I wondered if the powerline adapter could help bridge the gap. The issue is, I can't just buy another adapter; they're only sold in pairs, and spending 150 bucks wouldn't be worth it if it fails.
Power line focuses on the gap between points A and B. Adapters were initially designed for one circuit. The updated versions can handle multiple breakers but incur a price. More breakers mean higher chances of interference. Depending on your location in the US, the utility brings 220 volts into homes through two 110-volt cables. Each 110-volt cable connects to a side of the breaker panel. This becomes a problem if both locations are on separate main wires. Then the signal must travel to the meter, which can be problematic. The best approach is to test it—if it fails, you’ll know for sure.
In Switzerland there are three stages. I’ll check if the garage could belong to another area than the apartment and the workshop.
I recently checked the connection from the workshop to the garage, and it functioned properly. I plan to purchase more adapters, trusting they perform as described on the TP-Links website's graphic.
Just like you mentioned, for your situation performance isn't a priority. I relied on ZyXEL PLA5206KIT Ethernet over Powerline for several months. The speed varies—sometimes it works fine, other times it's extremely slow. What makes it unpredictable is that the powerline adapter could fail at any moment, requiring me to unplug and plug it back in. A warning: don't be surprised if one night you can't access your garage because the adapter stopped working.