Powerline Networking

In it effort the spread the good news of powerline communication, the HomePlug Powerline Alliance has announced plans to attend two technology summits in China this year. The HomePlug powerline communication technology enables homeowners to use thier existing electrical wires to distribute broadband Internet, HD video, digital music and smart energy applications. The Alliance believe this is a chance for local Chinese companies to gain insight into these leading edge technology advancements. Read more »

Pace has announced its latest set of High Definition set-top boxes for the connected home. The new set-top boxes are expected to offer pay TV subscribers an advanced viewing experience. The boxes offer a number of flexible features to enhance users viewing experience and network setup options.  Operators are expected to benefit from the devices, which are accompanied by upgraded software, business consulting, specialised customer care call centre and product delivery services. Read more »

Wi3 in partnership with Entropic Communications as developed the Wi3Port, a digital home Powerline Ethernet solution that allows you to connect your home devices via Wi-Fi, Wired and Wideband. Debuted at CES, the solution is a combination of the Wi-Fi Direct specification, the MoCA IPTV/Smart TV standard enclosed in their in-wall wallport patented design. According to Wi3, the Wi3Port is a truly built-in network solution for in home media streaming and digital file transfers. Read more »

D-Link said this morning that they are launching a new line of Whole Home Routers with its patented SmartBeam technology.  The new range of Wireless-N Routers is due out in the first quarter of this year. The SmartBeam-enabled wireless routers are ideal for anyone who suffers from "dead-spot" issues in your home, and will be able to work with a wide array of devices Android phones, iPad, iPhone, laptops, entertainment systems. Read more »

As part of Puerto Rico’s Smart Grid Initiative, the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) has selected PowerNET International in partnership with Amperion to implement a trial broadband solution over high voltage powerlines communications network. The project will allow the island to implement a new communication infrastructure using its existing high-voltage electric power lines and infrastructure. Read more »

It’s almost a year since Atheros Communication acquired Intellon Corporation, a supplier of HomePlug and other powerline communication solutions, and today Atheros announced the release of four new reference designs based on Wi-Fi, HomePlug AV Powerline and Ethernet technologies. The reference designs comprises of a router and three adapters that use various combinations of its XSPAN wireless LAN, AMP™ powerline and ETHOS Ethernet technologies. Read more »

WD the developers of countless storage devices as join the likes of D-link, Netgear and others in launching a new powerline Ethernet AV kit called WD Livewire.  The new WD Livewire will act as a complement to Western Digital existing connected home devices, like the My Book World Edition and WDTV Media Player.  At data rate of up to 200Mbps the WD Livewire will have no problem streaming HD video into your home theatre transferring large files between devices or playing multi-player online games – all done without the need of running cables throughout your home. Read more »

The TWG (Technical Working Group) of the Powerline Alliance has announced that they are making steady progress in the development of Homeplug AV2 specification. The group said they hope to finish the specification in the first quarter of 2011 and that they expect Homeplug AV2 specification to deliver a 5x increase in performance over existing Homeplug AV solutions. The AV2 specification will be fully interoperable with current Homeplug AV and future Homeplug Green PHY and IEEE 1901 products. Read more »

Atheros recently announced the availability of the AR7400 chipset. The new Powerline Ethernet communication technology is capable of using the existing electrical wiring inside the home to transfer data at up to 500Mbps, a capacity that is 2.5 times faster than what is currently available among Homeplug AV products.  Atheros said with this capacity household should be able to experience HD quality entertainment from every power outlet in the home. Read more »

Plaster Networks announced availability of a new networking solution for delivering music, videos, and other multimedia content using existing electrical wiring within the home. In response to the growth of streaming video, IPTV, and over-the-top (OTT) applications, Plaster Networks offers a reliable alternative to wireless networks, and is more cost-effective than installing Ethernet cables in the walls. Read more »