1. What is the distance this device can transmit? ANS: Powerline technology provides reliable coverage for considerable distances in a home, but the limiting factor is often noise in your home's electrical system. Since noise is not directly distance-dependant, you may get (considerably) less or more coverage.
2. What is the throughput this device can transmit? ANS: The device’s throughput depends largely on several factors: (1) the distance with another device, (2) interference by other appliances, (3) number of same Powerline devices which share the common electric wiring, and (4) application packet types – TCP or UDP. TCP applications will be slower than UDP applications. Longer distance, larger interference, or more Powerline devices will reduce the data throughput. The maximum throughput between two devices for TCP and UDP are specified in the SPECIFICATIONS section.
3. Do I have to rewire my home electric outlets or install special filters for using this device? ANS: Powerline uses a home's existing electrical wiring to network computers in different rooms so that they can share files, printers, and Internet connections. This Powerline products use existing electrical sockets (outlets). If your wiring is modern, there is no need to rewire outlets or to install special filters.
4. What type of AC outlet can I plug for this device? ANS: This power line product works with AC 100V to 240V with 2-prong or 3-prong electrical outlets, depending on whether the plug is 2-prong or 3-prong type.
5. Can this power-line device work with circuit breakers? ANS: In many countries Powerline signals will not communicate between different phases. Please have installers or expert local to your country to check your home’s electric wiring before installation.
6. Is it secure to send private data over this power line device? ANS: It is secure enough because the technology supports special data encryption. Please refer to the SPECIFICATIONS section for the type encryption algorithm used with this device.
7. How can I connect multiple devices together? ANS: multiple devices can be connected together if they are in same logical network group. Use the GROUP button or utility software on a PC to set the group of this device. By default, device in a newly shipped dual or combo package are in same group.
8. How many devices can be assigned into a single group? ANS: Please see SPECIFICATIONS section for maximum number of devices that can be assigned to a single logical network group. There can be multiple groups in same electric wiring environment.
9. Does any device in a group communicate to any other device in a group? ANS: Yes. For example, four Powerline devices, A, B, C and D form a logical network group, .B, C, and D all can communicate to A. if A links to a PC, then B, C, and D all can share files of the PC. If A links to an xDSL broadband router, then B, C, and D all can surf the internet via the DSL router.
10. Why need password? ANS: Since the device can be configured by a PC utility software, password protects the device being configured by unauthorized people.
11. What standard does this device use? ANS: Powerline devices from multiple manufacturers using this same PLC standard will be able to communicate with each other. Please see SPECIFICATIONS section for the exact PLC standard used in this device.
12. How many of this device can I install in my home? ANS: Although the multiple devices can be used in a single power-wiring network in a building, the more number of devices being deployed will share the bandwidth, and cause unintended performance degradation.
13. Can I install this device in a business environment? ANS: Powerline devices are not recommended to be used at business, however it might work in business environment when the placement of two of Powerline devices is not far away from each other and when there are not too much electrical noise generated by neighboring electrical devices in the office or factories, for example, with most fluorescent lights, the noise is liable to overwhelm Powerline products.
14. Can this PLC device communicate with any other PLC devices purchased in the market? ANS: PLC devices using different PLC standard (protocol) may have problem to communicate with each others, although they all can co-exist on same electric wires. Check the following table for capability of communication between different PLC standards.