Smart Media Player Network Access in Fedora 20

[Tim]

Tim:
>> I can't see see why an ordinary powerboard would be a problem, it's
>> just
>> a series of sockets wired in parallel, just like your wall sockets
>> are.
>> 
>> However, if you have a filtered powerboard, of the type that remove
>> electrical noise (usually with a core wound around ferrite), it's
>> quite
>> likely that they'll filter out the networking RF.

Patrick O'Callaghan:
> Tim, according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HomePlug:
> 
>         Noise sensitivity was problematic in early powerline technology,
>         though later versions have solved this problem. Also, early
>         powerline technology could not reliably communicate across
>         different electrical phases. HomePlug solved this problem by
>         increasing the communication carrier frequencies so that the
>         signal is conveyed by the neutral conductor, which is common to
>         all phases.
> 
> I'm no electrical engineer so I've no idea if this makes sense, which is
> why I said the OP should test it to make sure.

My background is electronics, so using the neutral line as a "common"
for everything, makes *some* sense (as everything should have a
connection to it).  However, it's grounded at some point, so you're
running your signal straight into the ground, there.  Which can reduce
the effectiveness of your in-house transmission.  But ought to have the
advantage of making your transmissions not leave your premises (so
much).

The last sentence is a bit of nonsense, though.  Increasing the
frequency *so* it goes into the neutral, is just crap writing.
Increasing the frequency is increasing the frequency, it goes where it
is, it doesn't move into another wire.  Actually applying the signal to
the other wire would put it there.  I think they've conflated two
sentences together.

Dunno how well people cope with non-polarised two-pin mains plugs that
can be plugged in either way.  Some people realise to try plugging it in
the opposite way, many probably would not.  That's a problem we don't
have in my country, the plugs can only fit one way.

However, filtered power boards usually have some sort of choke between
active and neutral, so both poles are filtered.  So going through one of
the EMI reduction boards may be a showstopper.

There is a hell of a lot of hash on the mains, these days.  With
lighting dimmers, and switchmode power supplies in almost *everything*
plugged into the mains (computers, TVs, video recorders, stereo systems,
compact fluorescent lights...).

-- 
[tim at localhost ~]$ uname -rsvp
Linux 3.9.10-100.fc17.x86_64 #1 SMP Sun Jul 14 01:31:27 UTC 2013 x86_64

All mail to my mailbox is automatically deleted, there is no point
trying to privately email me, I will only read messages posted to the
public lists.

George Orwell's '1984' was supposed to be a warning against tyranny, not
a set of instructions for supposedly democratic governments.

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