Powerline Experts needed
 

Guys,

I don't use powerline, so looking for an answer for my mate.

He wants to distribute his network over 2 completely separate consumer units, i.e. 2 buildings sitting side by side.

So I though powerline in building 1 -> Cat 6 cable -> powerline in building 2 and this would bridge the network?

I'm now not so sure this would work ??

Any comments welcome :)

Thanks,

Re: Powerline Experts needed
 

Bridging between two buildings on different power circuits via wired Ethernet is not advisable due to the possibility of each building being at a different earth potential which would lead to DC currents flowing in the cable. Also if a fault condition affects the electricity supply of one building, then the Ethernet cable may be used as a path to earth via the other building(this also applies to lightning strikes).

Wireless or fibre is the way to go on this one.

Re: Powerline Experts needed
 

Jon,

Thanks for the prompt reply and valid points.
Good point about wireless, now I can suggest powerline wireless as a possible safe option. :)

Re: Powerline Experts needed
 

Could always try this http://www.firecomms.com/products-consumer.html

Though depending how many computers maybe they could look at a seperate circuit just for the IT for both units. Also I set up a powerline ar my sisters house where we have a seperate consumer box for a flat they have in the basement and the Tplink still conected when i tried it out :) so it may be worth a go

Re: Powerline Experts needed
 

Run a fibre between the two buildings and get 2 media convertors (fibre to ethernet) and do that. You can get pre-terminated fibre cables here.

Re: Powerline Experts needed
 

http://electronics.stackexchange.com...ically-coupled
Apparently, the Ethernet specification requires a reasonably high degree of isolation, certainly enough to deal with ground potential differences, though a long cable would be vulnerable to induced voltage from nearby lightning strikes. If it's not strung outside on poles, a wired Ethernet connection should actually be ok

Also, if the two buildings shared a feed, then powerline Ethernet signals might propagate between them.

Re: Powerline Experts needed
 

Cheers Guys for all the relevant and useful information.
I've emailed it all to my mate and he can take from it what he will
Hopefully it will all be of use :)

Re: Powerline Experts needed
 

Re: Powerline Experts needed
 

Adduxi - I'd like to address the matter of different ground potential raised by Jon_T.

There's an intresting article about this here.

Taking this article at face value, the nub of the argument is that different ground potentials arise when there are two different electrical systems. Now consider two adjacent houses on the same phase from a common electricity source. How can they be at different earth potential when they are on the same electrical system?

On Jon_T's point about a fault in one building leading to a path to earth via the ethernet cable going into the other building's Powerline seems a bit esoteric to me. That would have to be an extreme situation whereby in the faulty electrical circuit live remains open because the trip in the consumer unit hadn't occurred.

There is, however, a conflict of common sense.

1/
Common sense says that with modern electrrical standards, why not link two houses on a common electricity supply and phasing? Just do it and hope that speeds will be reasonable.

2/
Common sense also says don't link two electrical systems even if they are common because you don't know what can happen.

What would I do? I'd try it because I can't see what fault in the neighbouring building would do anything different with or without Powerline adaptors which, after all, are just propagating RF and not directly bridging electrical systems. If next door blows and they have no Powerline at all, and surge that might occur will still reach my system.
If they are on different phases, then the Powerline solution won't work anyway because the electrical system isn't common.

Re: Powerline Experts needed
 

Seph,

Yes, all valid points and well thought out as usual.

As I said previously, I will pass on all the information and let my mate make informed decisions. :)