I have some power-line ethernet adaptors that worked great in my previous house. At my new house, they can't get more than a few KB per second because there's too much noise in the line according to the device statistics. How can I troubleshoot what's causing the noise, and what tools would I need?
Power-Line Networking – How to Troubleshoot Noisy Power Lines?
electrical
Related Solutions
For power line communication devices to operate correctly they should be on the same leg of the power lines coming into the house. Your house has two power legs and a neutral leg. Voltage from each leg to neutral is nominally 120 volts AC. Voltage from leg 1 to leg 2 is nominally 220 volts. The power line modules work best when all devices are connected to the same leg. If one device is connected to leg 1 and the other device is connected to leg 2, the signal could have to return to the utility transformer (on the pole and could be blocks away) before reaching the other leg.
The quick fix, if you can, is to swap breakers in your main panel so that all power line modules are on the same leg. If you can not do that,this bridge may help. Although this is designed for the "X10" system, they all work pretty much the same and could work as well for your system.
The breakers alternate from leg 1 to leg 2 as shown.
No need to worry, a 200 amp supply box has more than enough reserve to power your garage. If there ever was an exess draw - anywhere in the system - your circuit breakers would react by tripping.
You could run a sub panel to the garage, in case you ever wanted to use more powerful tools in the garage.
Install a 50 amp duael breaker in the panel, run #6 three-wire line to the garage in a plastic conduit line and connect it to a sub panel circuit box in the garage. Then you can run individual 20 amp circuits from the sub panel to power outlets in the walls and another circiut to your workbench, etc. you could run 3 or 4 20 amp circuits in the garage. This would leave you in good stead for any future needs in the garage.
Related Topic
- Electrical – practical, inexpensive way to track power usage by source
- Electrical – Seem to have a voltage problem after reconnecting meter box – how to troubleshoot
- Electrical – Is it normal for a power strip/plugs to have a metallic smell
- Electrical – Powerline Adapters and Non-Grounded Outlets
- Electrical – Intermittent power outtages to only part of the house. Power can be restored by turning the stove on for just a second, then turning it off
- Electrical – Re-fishing a broken wire
- Electrical Issues – Why a Broken LCD TV Causes Circuit to Go Out Without Tripping a Breaker
Best Answer
You could start by turning off circuits at the service panel one at a time until the noise level drops. Once you have it isolated to a particular circuit, turn off or unplug devices until you find what's causing it. The usual suspects for electrical noise in houses would be motors -- fridges, washers, etc. -- and fluorescent lights generally the 4' or 8' long tubes with magnetic ballasts, less so with CFLs (see Brian's comment below), so you should start with those circuits first.
If you can't isolate the problem that way, and if you can power your networking equipment from batteries (laptops, UPS, etc.) you could turn off the main breaker to the house and see if the problem is inherent to the wiring or environment.