Which appliances can hinder Powerline networks?

Is the same phase used in your office?(electrical wiring)

Plug the PowerLine adapter into the wall
Plug one end of the ethernet cable into PowerLine wall adapter
Plug the other end of the ethernet cable into the Orange LiveBox
Plug the Orange LiveBox power adapter into the wall

The top speed between the devices is 14 Mb/s, so they will never attain the 20Mb/s speed you had with you router / modem.

Netgear offers this FAQ for Powerline devices:

Problem: var js_3;function initPsDisplay(){js_3 = new PsDisplay({"info":{"controller_name":"PsDisplay","name":"PsDisplay_3","type":"FormField","w_id":3},"attrs":{"label":"","tabindex":"","field_name":"description","cf_id":"","table":"answers","highlight":0},"js":null});js_3.init();}YAHOO.util.Event.onDOMReady(initPsDisplay);
Workaround: var js_4;function initPsDisplay(){js_4 = new PsDisplay({"info":{"controller_name":"PsDisplay","name":"PsDisplay_4","type":"FormField","w_id":4},"attrs":{"label":"","tabindex":"","field_name":"solution","cf_id":"","table":"answers","highlight":0},"js":null});js_4.init();}YAHOO.util.Event.onDOMReady(initPsDisplay);

• Powerline products work better when plugged into the wall without power strips, extension cords, surge protectors, or uninterruptable power supplies.

• Passwords. Powerline products have both a network password, and a device password. A particular device's password, which is not changable, is printed on the Powerline product label. Once you have collected all your Powerline device passwords, use the encryption dialog box, as described on pages 9 and 12 of the XE102 User's Guide, to change the network password. (Without password protection, it is possible, although unlikely, for someone very nearby to access your network.)

• If you changed the default network password, make sure that all the Powerline products use the same network password.

• If you've moved a Powerline unit, or disconnected the cables, your other network devices may need about 5 minutes to refresh their information about the Powerline's current status.

• If you have earlier Powerline products, switch to the encryption used by later products. (Early versions of XA601 and XE602 are known to have compatibility problems with newer models.)

• To test whether a house's electrical wiring is contributing to Powerline problems, plug units in the same room. Examples of potential problems are:
  
  • Old fuse boxes.
  • Old wiring that does not meet modern wiring building codes.

• Swap devices to isolate the problem to a particular Powerline unit.
• Reset the Powerline adapters to the default settings using the utility.

• Use all the same Powerline models for best connectivity. Also, software for one model may not work for another model. In particular, remote and advanced features may not work between Powerline manufacturers.

• Powerline is not directed at businesses, however it may work in a business environment, anyhow. See Assessing Powerline for Business Environments. In some cases noise can be limited by placing line conditioners or surge protectors between the source of the noise, and the Powerline units. (Not between the units.) Consult a professional electrician to evaluate your electricity's noise and to suggest remedies.

there wasn't actually any problem with the device. For these bridges to work, you need to be on the same phase of the wiring. If the devices are on different phases then they can't communicate. But I still couldn't get the encryption to work. Netgear support doesn't seemed to be bothered with that...they told me to ignore it.

Our Powerline devices have security that will prevent anyone from seeing your Powerline network. Using the utility provided with the device, you can encrypt all data transfers over powerline to 56 bit DES. In addition, the range of the powerline signal is limited, in order to help prevent others from accessing the data stream.

We recommend that there be no more than 10 computers active on a Powerline network at one time. It is possible to have more than this, but throughput will be greatly diminished.

While *technically* the Powerline network can function when plugged into a low-end powerstrip, i.e. a powerstrip with a simple fuse, this *seriously* degrades performance, and can block the Powerline network completely.

Devices which can affect Powerline throughput inclued blow dryers, electric drills/saws, vacuum cleaners, and window-mounted air conditioners.

Our Powerline devices have security that will prevent anyone from seeing your Powerline network. Using the utility provided with the device, you can encrypt all data transfers over powerline to 56 bit DES. In addition, the range of the powerline signal is limited, in order to help prevent others from accessing the data stream.

We recommend that there be no more than 10 computers active on a Powerline network at one time. It is possible to have more than this, but throughput will be greatly diminished.