Post #4672176 · Elektrine

@queerlilhayseed@piefed.blahaj.zone

2026-09-11 22:48 UTC

I think all power lines should have a communications protocol. Not every device has to use them, and they’d be lower bandwidth than data-only lines, but I think the era of data-communicating appliances is here to stay, and it’d be better they go over the wires we have rather than clogging up the wireless spectrum. Within a single building for sure, but even neighborhood lines could carry some data I bet. I wonder if and how that would work. Gonna have to learn some more about electricity and grid infrastructure.

Replies (3)

@Godort@lemmy.ca 2026-09-11 23:31

The cybersecurity specialist in me really doesn’t like the idea of having enough wire in public spaces that it’s essentially impossible to monitor, sending infrastructure related data. But then again, a weekend playing around with a flipper zero and a walk through town is enough to realize that it probably doesn’t matter.

Open ##4672896
@marcos@lemmy.world 2026-09-12 00:35

We have several good standards for power-line networking. All of them fail for the usual problems, like all companies making sure every connector you can buy is proprietary and incompatible with each other’s.

Open ##4673522
@Canonical_Warlock@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2026-09-12 00:53

They already do. There’s ripple signaling for electrical infrastructure and power company disconnect boxes. If you’ve ever seen those power company boxes hooked up to HVAC equipment that’s what those are for. They let the power company use ripple control to selectively disable high power draw equipment during peak load times.

Open ##4673698