Evaluation of Power Line Communication Equipment in Home Networks

In this paper, we examine the performance of power line communication equipments (ethernet-to-powerline adapters) that come from different vendors and are based on different technologies and standards. The scope is to investigate commercially available power line communications (PLC) equipment in their actual working environment under real conditions. Coexistence issues are studied, as well as the possible degradation of performance in case powerline adapters from different manufacturers and technologies are simultaneously operating in the powerline network under consideration. The influence of potential noise sources (ac adaptors, cell phone chargers), as well as plug-in cases that are not recommended by the manufacturers but are, however, convenient in domestic grids (power strips, extension cords), are also examined.