Abstract: Briefly, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a power brick for use with a network adapter includes: a power supply and at least one signal transformer. The power supply and the signal transformer are physically remote from the network adapter and capable of being electronically coupled to the network adapter via a cable.

Abstract: Briefly, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a power brick for use with a network adapter includes: a power supply and at least one signal transformer. The power supply and the signal transformer are physically remote from the network adapter and capable of being electronically coupled to the network adapter via a cable. Briefly, in accordance with another embodiment of the invention, a power brick for use with a network adapter includes: at least two signal transformers. The at least two signal transformers are physically remote from the network adapter and capable of being electronically coupled to the network adapter via a cable. Briefly, in accordance with on more embodiment of the invention, a method of using a power brick with a network adapter includes the following. A high voltage power supply including superpositioned high frequency communications signals is received via a power brick. The voltage of the received signal is reduced.

Abstract: Briefly, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a power brick for use with a network adapter includes: a power supply and at least one signal transformer. The power supply and the signal transformer are physically remote from the network adapter and capable of being electronically coupled to the network adapter via a cable.

Abstract: In one embodiment of the invention, an access point for use in a powerline based network includes first physical layer circuitry to interface with a powerline and second physical layer circuitry to interface with an antenna. The access point also includes circuitry to interface between the first and second physical layer circuitry. The first and second physical layer circuitry and the circuitry to interface between the first and second physical layer circuitry allow an untethered electrical device to have data communication through the powerline with an electrical device tethered to the powerline. Under another embodiment of the invention, a powerline based network includes a powerline and an access point connected to the powerline and capable of wireless communication.

Abstract: A multiple bus system architecture and improved data transfer methods are disclosed for transferring data between a plurality of data processing resources. The bus structure of the present invention includes both a parallel and serial bus which interconnects data processing units and peripheral devices (collectively referred to as "agents") to permit the exchange of data and messages at high speed using a minimum of "handshake" events prior to the actual data transfer. Both the serial and parallel bus protocals are controlled by message control means coupled to each communicating agent. A local bus is coupled to processing agents within the system such that local memory and secondary processing resources may be accessed without impacting data traffic along the parallel bus. Direct access to resources coupled to the local bus of an agent from other bus agents is also controlled by the message control means.