We set up our Christmas trees and outside lights, and I started noticing some weird behavior with my powerline ethernet devices.

I have a star topology network, with a cable modem and firewall, a powerline device plugged into it, and a powerline device at my desktop and at my

With the lights on, I can't ping the BBS box from my desktop box. I can't ping the desktop from the BBS. Both machines can get to the internet, and if I try to get to the BBS by NAT redirect (hit the outside IP on one of the redirected ports) it works just fine!

With the lights off, everything works the way it always has.

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Re: Powerline issues
By: Poindexter Fortran to All on Sat Nov 28 2015 10:19 am

We set up our Christmas trees and outside lights, and I started noticing some weird behavior with my powerline ethernet devices.

I have a star topology network, with a cable modem and firewall, a powerline device plugged into it, and a powerline device at my desktop and at my

That line seems to be cut-off.

With the lights on, I can't ping the BBS box from my desktop box. I can't ping the desktop from the BBS. Both machines can get to the internet, and if I try to get to the BBS by NAT redirect (hit the outside IP on one of the redirected ports) it works just fine!

With the lights off, everything works the way it always has.

Interesting. I have only ever used 2 power-line adapters, usually as a bridge to a WiFi or Ethernet LAN. It sounds like the technology is susceptible to changes in the circuit, which you're introducing with your exterior wiring (christmas lights). Maybe try changing which outout(s) you're using for the lights. If you're using more than one, try consolodating to one circuit and change which circuit that is (e.g. sepate it from the circuit being used for the PLN). Experimentation and work-arounds are probably the only solutions (short of replacing the PLN adapters).

digital man

Synchronet "Real Fact" #29:
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Re: Powerline issues
By: Poindexter Fortran to All on Sat Nov 28 2015 10:19 am

With the lights on, I can't ping the BBS box from my desktop box. I can't ping the desktop from the BBS. Both machines can get to the internet, and if I try to get to the BBS by NAT redirect (hit the outside IP on one of the redirected ports) it works just fine!

With the lights off, everything works the way it always has.

Are the lights using the same IP and port as your BBS and Desktop?
JK could'nt resist that one,sorry.

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Re: Powerline issues
By: Digital Man to Poindexter Fortran on Sat Nov 28 2015 02:27 pm

Interesting. I have only ever used 2 power-line adapters, usually as a bridge to a WiFi or Ethernet LAN. It sounds like the technology is susceptible to changes in the circuit, which you're introducing with your exterior wiring (christmas lights).

After I posted that, I moved the adapter to another circuit and the network works fine now.

Eventually, I'm going to pull all ethernet, now that I own the house I'm in. The PLAs are a great stopgap, though. I need a couple of APs to extend my wireless and tried setting up WDS -- I gave up, set up the powerline adapters and set up a couple of cheapo routers with DHCP turned off and the PLA plugged into a LAN port.




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Re: Powerline issues
By: Poindexter Fortran to All on Sat Nov 28 2015 10:19:08

I have a star topology network, with a cable modem and firewall, a powerline device plugged into it, and a powerline device at my desktop and at my

With the lights on, I can't ping the BBS box from my desktop box. I can't ping the desktop from the BBS. Both machines can get to the internet, and if I try to get to the BBS by NAT redirect (hit the outside IP on one of the redirected ports) it works just fine!

With the lights off, everything works the way it always has.

I wonder if your lights might be creating electrical noise/interference in your electrical circuits. There are powerline noise filters that may help with that - The noise filter plugs into the power outlet, and then you plug the appliance/device (such as your lights) into the noise filter. If your lights are creating noise in your electrical circuits, a noise filter might help improve the performance of your powerline ethernet adapters.

Nightfox

Re: Powerline issues
By: Nightfox to Poindexter Fortran on Sun Nov 29 2015 02:59 pm

I wonder if your lights might be creating electrical noise/interference in your electrical circuits.

I'm sure they are -- they're LED lights, which I'd think would be less likely to cause interference than incandescents.

There are powerline noise filters that may help
with that - The noise filter plugs into the power outlet, and then you plug the appliance/device (such as your lights) into the noise filter.

I moved my office powerline adapter over to a different circuit in the same office space, and it's all good now. Weird, though -- that each powerline adapter could talk to the router and the internet, but not each other.

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■ Synchronet ■ realitycheckBBS -- http://realitycheckBBS.org

Re: Powerline issues
By: Poindexter Fortran to Nightfox on Sun Nov 29 2015 05:01 pm

I wonder if your lights might be creating electrical noise/interference in your electrical circuits.

I'm sure they are -- they're LED lights, which I'd think would be less likely to cause interference than incandescents.

LED lights are *more* likely to cause interference because they're inherently DC devices. Incandescents are AC, and are effectively just resistors.

While the LEDs themselves are unlikely to cause noise, the DC power uspply and the controller are vastly more likely to cause noise than an incandescent bulb.

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Re: Powerline issues
By: Denngray to Poindexter Fortran on Sat Nov 28 2015 05:38 pm

Re: Powerline issues
By: Poindexter Fortran to All on Sat Nov 28 2015 10:19 am

With the lights on, I can't ping the BBS box from my desktop box. I
can't ping the desktop from the BBS. Both machines can get to the internet, and if I try to get to the BBS by NAT redirect (hit the
outside IP on one of the redirected ports) it works just fine!

With the lights off, everything works the way it always has.

Are the lights using the same IP and port as your BBS and Desktop?
JK could'nt resist that one,sorry.

i was wondering if the connection turns off and back on again when they blink :D
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We set up our Christmas trees and outside lights, and I started noticing some weird behavior with my powerline ethernet devices.

I have a star topology network, with a cable modem and firewall, a powerline device plugged into it, and a powerline device at my desktop
and at my

With the lights on, I can't ping the BBS box from my desktop box. I can't ping the desktop from the BBS. Both machines can get to the internet, and if I try to get to the BBS by NAT redirect (hit the outside IP on one of the redirected ports) it works just fine!

With the lights off, everything works the way it always has.

Very strange... Never heard of Christmas lights that didn't like the BBS. :)

I have never tried the powerline ethernet gear, as I ran all CAT5-E here. Quad
jacks in all rooms, some with (2) quad jacks. Total of 80+ cables run in the house.

- Mark

--- WWIVToss v.1.51
* Origin: http://www.weather-station.org * Bel Air, MD -USA (33:1/3.0)
■ Synchronet ■ curmudge.hopto.org

Re: Re: Powerline issues
By: Mark Hofmann to Poindexter Fortran on Sat Dec 12 2015 11:28:31

I have never tried the powerline ethernet gear, as I ran all CAT5-E here. Quad jacks in all rooms, some with (2) quad jacks. Total of 80+ cables run in the house.

I looked up what it takes to wire a house with ethernet cable, and it looks like it's quite a bit of work to get that done. Powerline ethernet adapters are a lot simpler, but they do have their drawbacks.

Personally, I'm somewhat surprised that more houses these days aren't wired
for ethernet when they're built. It would be nice if that was a standard thing done when building a house, but it seems that's not so. I suppose wi-fi is common enough that many people might not use ethernet much anyway.. However, with internet speeds increasing (I've heard gigabit internet is becoming available), I'd think it would be more important to have high-speed networking in the house to take advantage of that. I don't think wi-fi is fast enough yet to handle that.

Nightfox

Re: Re: Powerline issues
By: Mark Hofmann to Poindexter Fortran on Sat Dec 12 2015 11:28 am

Very strange... Never heard of Christmas lights that didn't like the BBS. :)

I have never tried the powerline ethernet gear, as I ran all CAT5-E here. Quad jacks in all rooms, some with (2) quad jacks. Total of 80+ cables run in the house.

i'd rather just lay some cable. if you know what you are doing it's not even noticable.
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Re: Re: Powerline issues
By: Mark Hofmann to Poindexter Fortran on Sat Dec 12 2015 11:28 am

I have never tried the powerline ethernet gear, as I ran all CAT5-E here. Quad jacks in all rooms, some with (2) quad jacks. Total of 80+ cables run in the house.

Wow!

The powerline adapters were a great solution when I couldn't run cable; in my new house I'm planning on duplicating that star run with ethernet. I might just use the phone wires as pull strings and put a switch into a weatherproof box underneath the house - then I'd have Cat 6 in most of the rooms and could use them as phone or voice.

Right now I'm using Comcast's VOIP service, and use cordless phones with extenders, so the phone wiring is pretty much useless. Would want to keep it running near the network junction in case I go DSL, though.

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■ Synchronet ■ realitycheckBBS -- http://realitycheckBBS.org

Re: Re: Powerline issues
By: Nightfox to Mark Hofmann on Sun Dec 13 2015 09:34 am

I looked up what it takes to wire a house with ethernet cable, and it looks like it's quite a bit of work to get that done. Powerline ethernet adapters are a lot simpler, but they do have their drawbacks.

Yep, as per my post I was thinking about using the phone lines to pull ethernet through the walls and abandon analog voice cabling. Don't need it any more.

Personally, I'm somewhat surprised that more houses these days aren't wired for ethernet when they're built.

People are doing that now. It's a lot easier before the sheetrock goes up.

I need to do some digging around -- if I can find a CAT 6 cable that doesn't mind being outdoors I could piggyback along my cable runs and get wired ethernet to most of my locations that have Powerline adapters now.

..Or, just wait until after Christmas when things in my house go back to normal. I had to go all Scrooge on my family this afternoon; I'm trying to get caught up on work and had to turn off the Christmas lights to get my network connection going...

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■ Synchronet ■ realitycheckBBS -- http://realitycheckBBS.org

Re: Re: Powerline issues
By: Poindexter Fortran to Nightfox on Sun Dec 13 2015 04:06 pm

..Or, just wait until after Christmas when things in my house go back to normal. I had to go all Scrooge on my family this afternoon; I'm trying to get caught up on work and had to turn off the Christmas lights to get my network connection going...

if your new house has a basement, just have the wiring go up through the floors. that's what i do.
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■ Synchronet ■ ::: BBSES.info - free BBS services :::

Personally, I'm somewhat surprised that more houses these days aren't
wired for ethernet when they're built. It would be nice if that was a standard thing done when building a house, but it seems that's not so. I suppose wi-fi is common enough that many people might not use ethernet
much anyway.. However, with internet speeds increasing (I've heard gigabit internet is becoming available), I'd think it would be more important to have high-speed networking in the house to take advantage of that. I don't think wi-fi is fast enough yet to handle that.

I have said the same thing. From what I'm told is I'm not the norm when it comes to networking and technology. The vast majority of people are fine with wireless and wouldn't know how to setup an ethernet switch anyway.

If I was to ever move again, the first thing I would do it wire the house up again. Quad jacks everywhere complete with patch panel and everything just like I did where I am now.

It takes some time to do all the work, but well worth it.

- Mark

--- WWIVToss v.1.51
* Origin: http://www.weather-station.org * Bel Air, MD -USA (33:1/3.0)
■ Synchronet ■ curmudge.hopto.org

Re: Re: Powerline issues
By: Mark Hofmann to Nightfox on Mon Dec 21 2015 08:42 am

If I was to ever move again, the first thing I would do it wire the house up again. Quad jacks everywhere complete with patch panel and everything just like I did where I am now.

Ditto. If I can find an ethernet cable that can tolerate being run outdoors outside of a conduit I could follow my cable drops and get a half-decent star network, but any time I open a wall in this place I'm going in with ethernet!

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Re: Re: Powerline issues
By: Poindexter Fortran to Mark Hofmann on Tue Dec 22 2015 06:53 am

Ditto. If I can find an ethernet cable that can tolerate being run outdoors outside of a conduit I could follow my cable drops and get a half-decent star network, but any time I open a wall in this place I'm going in with ethernet!

Here you go:
http://www.amazon.com/PoindexterFortranDreamCable/dp/B0082K863S/

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Re: Re: Powerline issues
By: Deuce to Poindexter Fortran on Wed Dec 23 2015 12:23 am

http://www.amazon.com/PoindexterFortranDreamCable/dp/B0082K863S/

Perfect -- thanks!

I have a run that would go under the house and lay on top of an unfinished basement floor, sounds like this would work there, too.

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■ Synchronet ■ realitycheckBBS -- http://realitycheckBBS.org

Ditto. If I can find an ethernet cable that can tolerate being run
outdoors outside of a conduit I could follow my cable drops and get a half-decent star network, but any time I open a wall in this place I'm going in with ethernet!

I have run standard CAT5e outside before with no conduit. Works just fine provided you don't have squirrels chewing on the cable.

- Mark

--- WWIVToss v.1.51
* Origin: http://www.weather-station.org * Bel Air, MD -USA (33:1/3.0)
■ Synchronet ■ curmudge.hopto.org

Re: Re: Powerline issues
By: Mark Hofmann to Poindexter Fortran on Wed Dec 23 2015 12:50 pm

Ditto. If I can find an ethernet cable that can tolerate being run outdoors outside of a conduit I could follow my cable drops and get a half-decent star network, but any time I open a wall in this place I'm going in with ethernet!

I have run standard CAT5e outside before with no conduit. Works just fine provided you don't have squirrels chewing on the cable.

you should use outdoor waterproof shielded cable. its a little more expensive but it's better than doing something like that.

those wires are very small and they can snap from cold weather. or god knows what else. i hope you're just doing that to your own stuff and not your customers.
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■ Synchronet ■ ::: BBSES.info - free BBS services :::

Ditto. If I can find an ethernet cable that can tolerate being run
outdoors outside of a conduit I could follow my cable drops and get a
half-decent star network, but any time I open a wall in this place I'm
going in with ethernet!

I have run standard CAT5e outside before with no conduit. Works just fine provided you don't have squirrels chewing on the cable.

As long as you don't mind replacing it every 8-12 years (depending on weather/sunlight) that's fine. The outer casing will break down though,
mostly from UV sunlight.
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+o Roughneck BBS

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Re: Re: Powerline issues
By: tracker1 to Mark Hofmann on Wed Dec 30 2015 01:49 am

As long as you don't mind replacing it every 8-12 years (depending on weather/sunlight) that's fine. The outer casing will break down though, mostly from UV sunlight.

you should get outdoor spec'd stuff for the outdoors PERIOD.
you dont know how long it's going to last because it depends on where you are, what the weater is, and god knows what else.

those wires are very small so i wouldnt trust it.
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