'Powerline' and 'Mesh' are orthogonal terms. We can talk 'Powerline' vs. 'Wi-Fi' because both are using just different media to transmit data. Mesh refers to the way in which different nodes are connected. Usually, in powerline, the path from one node to the other is decided by the electrical wiring topology. In Wi-Fi, there is more flexibility because different nodes can interact with each other using different paths at different times.
In our evaluation (1800 sq. ft. California residence built in the 1970s), Wi-Fi turned out to be far better than powerline for backhaul. However, the same might not be the case for an east coast building / European / Asian houses (built with brick walls and lots of concrete).
Powerline can do seamless handoffs also as the last feet delivery in these cases is still Wi-Fi. Qualcomm's Wi-Fi SON firmware features (that include the seamless handoff features) are also available on the HomePlug AV2 chipsets used by TRENDnet.
The access point to which you get connected depends on proximity as well as current load on that AP. Wi-Fi SON is meant to provide the best user experience for a particular scenario. So, it is not always that you would get connected to the fastest AP, as the definition of fastest might change from time to time even in the same network.
Powerline varies way too much depending on the location/wiring of your home. I guess it's better than nothing but this is going to be far inferior compared to a MOCA-based backhaul.
For sure.. but not everyone has a cable outlet in every room that needs a end-point. Coax wiring is just not as prevalent or ubiquitous as electrical wiring is, and it will never be - just as Ethernet wiring will never be as prevalent as coax, and never will be.
However, the technical performance advantages of coax wiring is undeniable.
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4 Comments
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snakyjake - Friday, January 6, 2017 - link
How is Powerline usage different than mesh (besides for using the electrical wiring)?Is powerline better than wifi for backhauling?
Does the Powerline do seamless handoffs, or does the signal drop?
Do I always get connected to the fastest access point, or what happens when there's multiple access points within range?
ganeshts - Monday, January 9, 2017 - link
'Powerline' and 'Mesh' are orthogonal terms. We can talk 'Powerline' vs. 'Wi-Fi' because both are using just different media to transmit data. Mesh refers to the way in which different nodes are connected. Usually, in powerline, the path from one node to the other is decided by the electrical wiring topology. In Wi-Fi, there is more flexibility because different nodes can interact with each other using different paths at different times.In our evaluation (1800 sq. ft. California residence built in the 1970s), Wi-Fi turned out to be far better than powerline for backhaul. However, the same might not be the case for an east coast building / European / Asian houses (built with brick walls and lots of concrete).
Powerline can do seamless handoffs also as the last feet delivery in these cases is still Wi-Fi. Qualcomm's Wi-Fi SON firmware features (that include the seamless handoff features) are also available on the HomePlug AV2 chipsets used by TRENDnet.
The access point to which you get connected depends on proximity as well as current load on that AP. Wi-Fi SON is meant to provide the best user experience for a particular scenario. So, it is not always that you would get connected to the fastest AP, as the definition of fastest might change from time to time even in the same network.
zlandar - Monday, January 9, 2017 - link
Powerline varies way too much depending on the location/wiring of your home. I guess it's better than nothing but this is going to be far inferior compared to a MOCA-based backhaul.ganeshts - Monday, January 9, 2017 - link
For sure.. but not everyone has a cable outlet in every room that needs a end-point. Coax wiring is just not as prevalent or ubiquitous as electrical wiring is, and it will never be - just as Ethernet wiring will never be as prevalent as coax, and never will be.However, the technical performance advantages of coax wiring is undeniable.