Device Communications
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## Device Communications

Atheros powerline communication chipsets serve as a transparent bridges between an Ethernet network and an active powerline or passive coax cable, effectively extending the Ethernet network. HomePlug® AV devices on the powerline, or at either end of a coax cable, will automatically detect each other and establish communications. Normal Ethernet frames that are detected by one HomePlug® AV device are passed over powerline or coax to other HomePlug® AV devices which then pass the frames on to any Etherenet devices that may be connected to them.

There are three levels of communication.

Powerline Communications

  HomePlug® AV devices use a proprietary protocol defined by the HomePlug Powerline Alliance. In most cases, HomePlug® AV communications do not leave the powerline or coax media used to connect devices. Connected devices use this protocol to detect each other, establish connection, encapsulate Ethernet frames and route them between devices. This level of communications is proprietary and hidden. See the HomePlug Powerline Alliance HomePlug® AV Specification for more information.

Atheros Device Communications

  Atheros devices use a subset of the HomePlug® AV protocol, mentioned above, to communicate with a local host processor. The subset is known as `vendor-specific messages` . Atheros vendor-specific messages are intercepted and processed by Atheros devices. In some cases, they are forwared over powerline or coax to other Atheros devices. Atheros vendor-specific messages are used to interrogate, synchronize, configure and control Atheros devices without affecting HomePlug® AV devices from other manufacturers. See the Atheros HomePlug® AV Firmware Technical Reference Manual for more information.

Network Traffic

  This is the normal network traffic that passes transparently from local Ethernet, over powerline or coax, to remote Ethernet through HomePlug® AV devices.

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