uverse, Pace PLC 5268AC Home Automation

Greetings to all,

I've got a good one for ya!

Just upgraded from IFITL to U-verse (power) after 15 years. We installed the Pace 5268AC. I configured it (with the tech looking on). All was phenomenal as you might imagine.

Enter day 2 (actually O-dark-hundred). We're peacefully sleeping and suddenly, my home automation system starts freaking out like I've got poltergeist. Figured it was the HA system burping. A few hours later (0700), I checked the logs in the HA system to find out what it thought it was doing; only to find a bunch of new, fairly random, house codes spewing out on the power line... thought 'hmmm, what have I changed?'. Ahhh, the router. But nah, no way; right?

Wrong. The Pace PLC (get it PLC=power line control) router is actually sending out command and control packets on the power lines!

Called tech support. Got a good laugh; no help. Dr. Google gave me some numbers. Called Arris corp (recently acquired Pace). Sorry sir, we don't support that router; from two guys; when, in fact, they do. Oh, also found a patent app for the company regarding PLC.

Called AT&T back today, after five calls (phillipines), one drop, one round-robbin transfer back to the phillipines and finally to a very knowledgable gal in WI (wheew, the states, finally).

They researched high-n-low; to no avail. They have no tech support or engineering contacts for the manufacturer of the router.

So, beware, if you've got Smarthome, X10, Alarm systems with PLC, etc., you may encounter some poltergeist of your own after install.

The workaround: you'll have to monitor your HA systems's logging facility to find out which house codes the router is playing with; then you'll need to modify all of your macros, programs, and PLC devices to avoid those codes (hoping that the router won't eventually play around with those).

Best of luck,

mike

dave, fl