What is Powerline Networking?

With Powerline device, virtually any device found in the home such as PCs, printers, TVs, VCRs, set-top boxes, security systems can be easily networked together through the existing power connection. Powerline Networking doesn't require any new wires and is both robust and affordable. This high-speed powerline communications technology provides a 14Mbps data rate over existing power lines in the home. New versions are now available at 85Mbps and 200Mbps.

What market opportunity does HomePlug technology address?

By creating a single industry standard and certification program, HomePlug technologies address the problems that have prohibited broad market penetration of powerline networking. 
HomePlug-certified products leverage the ubiquity of power outlets and electrical wiring to enable scores of connected home applications. The market is growing quickly and HomePlug 1.0 networking products are shipping throughout North America, Europe and Asia.

What are the benefits of using power outlets to connect devices found in the home?

HomePlug-certified products offer a convenient way to share broadband Internet services. Home networks are far easier to install than the dedicated network cable needed for purely Ethernet-based networks or for the optimum placement of wireless access points. HomePlug AV addresses the need to distribute entertainment content, such as HDTV, throughout a home.
Power outlets are the most pervasive home wiring medium. Power outlet connectivity is available worldwide, affording the use of multiple outlets in every room at a lower cost per connection point. HomePlug technology leverages existing power outlets to provide both power and connectivity. Additionally, the convenience of connecting any device through a power outlet will enable exciting new products covering entertainment, information access and telephony services.

What are the challenges of using power outlets to connect devices in the home?

Past challenges of using power outlets to connect devices in the home included a lack of industry specifications and multiple sources of electric noise. HomePlug technology has overcome these challenges by creating a specification and advanced, optimized algorithms in semiconductor technology. 

Is the Alliance's powerline technology compatible with other home networking technologies (including phone line, wireless and structured wiring)? 

HomePlug technology will not cause interference and, in fact, can work together with other networking choices. Homes with Category 5 wiring will most likely have rooms or walls without available connectivity. Because of the ubiquity of power outlets, consumers are guaranteed to have a power outlet available for non-mobile devices. As for wireless technologies, HomePlug-certified Wi-Fi access points bridge wireless and powerline technologies, allowing you to connect all your battery-operated devices.

Are there other organizations/Alliances in the home networking space? 

Yes, there are alliances that support various technologies, including phone line and wireless technologies. All of these groups share a common vision of helping the consumer realize the benefits of the connected home.

What is HomePlug 1.0?

HomePlug 1.0 is the specification for a technology that connects devices to each other through the power lines in a home. HomePlug-certified products connect PCs and other devices that use Ethernet, USB and 802.11 "Wi-Fi" technologies to the power line via a HomePlug "bridge" or "adapter." Some products - such as connected audio players - even have HomePlug technology built-in. These products provide a simple solution for consumers interested in distributing connectivity around their home without adding any new wires.

What is HomePlug AV?

HomePlug AV is the next generation of powerline technology. HomePlug AV is built from the ground up to support entertainment applications, such as HDTV and Home Theater. HomePlug AV provides a convenient and cost effective method of distributing HDTV in the home without new wires.
The objectives for the HomePlug AV specification include providing the best solution for high quality video distribution, with secure connectivity and built-in Quality-of-Service (QoS), to ensure a great customer experience at a price that is competitive with other home networking alternatives. HomePlug AV co-exists with HomePlug 1.0.

What are HomePlug AV's speed, features and capabilities? 

HomePlug AV was designed to support the high-bandwidth and low-latency demands of several simultaneous streams of HDTV and VoIP, made concurrently available in over 90% of power outlets in a home. The target applications are in-home distribution of audio-video in home-theater and data-networking environments. For this reason, in the given frequency range, HomePlug AV has pushed Shannon's Law to its limit and provides a 200Mbps class service at the PHY layer. After overhead considerations, the MAC layer will support over 100Mbps.
What QoS support does HomePlug AV provide for emerging AV and IP applications?
HomePlug AV provides advanced QoS functions and features geared towards meeting the latency and jitter requirements of all emerging AV and IP applications.

Is HomePlug AV compatible with HomePlug 1.0?

All HomePlug AV and HomePlug 1.0 devices can exist together on the same power line. The HomePlug AV specification also supports specific product implementations that allow HomePlug 1.0 certified products to interoperate with HomePlug AV products.

Which frequency range is HomePlug AV using? Does HomePlug have any plans to use higher frequencies (e.g. above 30 MHz) and if not, why not?

HomePlug AV will use frequencies in the range of 2 to 28 MHz. The alliance does not currently have any plans to use frequencies above 30 MHz, but there is a possibility for expanding this range to higher frequencies depending on governmental regulations in the future.

Will powerline work on old wiring ? 

Older wiring can be used for powerline communications. In some cases, old wiring may have faulty connections or long wiring paths. These may influence performance. 

Does the powerline signal pass between houses ? 

In some cases, powerline signal can pass between homes, apartments or condominiums. This depends greatly upon the path and distance of the wiring. In any case, pass code can be set to secure communication link.