Compensating for dynamic nulls in a power line communication system

1. A method of facilitating communication in an electrical power network having a complex impedance, comprising:

modifying said complex impedance of said electrical power network; and

determining whether said modifying affected a quality of said communication.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said modifying alters a characteristic of a null in said electrical power network.

3. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein said communication is conducted in a signal frequency band, and

wherein said modifying improves said quality in said signal frequency band.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said modifying is performed in response to a determination that said quality is below an acceptable threshold.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein and said modifying and said determining are repeated for a plurality of values for said complex impedance, and wherein said method further comprises determining which of said plurality of values yields a best level for said quality.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said method is employed by a device selected from the group consisting of a transmitter, a receiver, and a transceiver.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said method is employed by a transceiver that failed to receive an acknowledgement of a message that said transceiver previously transmitted over said electrical power network.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said quality is gauged by a bit error rate of said communication.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said quality is gauged by whether said communication is acknowledged by a receiver coupled to said electrical power network.

10. A method of facilitating communication in an electrical power network having a complex impedance, comprising:

determining a quality of communication in said electrical power network; and

modifying said complex impedance of said electrical power network if said quality is below an acceptable threshold.

11. A method of facilitating communication in an electrical power network having a complex impedance, comprising:

transmitting information via said electrical power network;

determining a quality of communication of said transmitted information;

modifying said complex impedance of said electrical power network based upon said determination; and

retransmitting said information via said electrical power network.

12. An apparatus for facilitating communication in an electrical power network having a complex impedance, comprising:

a circuit for modifying said complex impedance of said electrical power network; and

a processor for determining whether said modifying affected a quality of said communication.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein said modifying alters a characteristic of a null in said electrical power network.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 ,

wherein said communication is conducted in a signal frequency band, and

wherein said modifying improves said quality in said signal frequency band.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein said modifying is performed in response to a determination that said quality is below an acceptable threshold.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein and said modifying and said determining are repeated for a plurality of values for said complex impedance, and wherein said processor further comprises a module for determining which of said plurality of values yields a best level for said quality.

17. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein said apparatus is employed by device selected from the group consisting of a transmitter, a receiver, and a transceiver.

18. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein said apparatus is employed by a transceiver that failed to receive an acknowledgement of a message that said transceiver previously transmitted over said electrical power network.

19. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein said quality is gauged by a bit error rate of said communication.

20. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein said quality is gauged by whether said communication is acknowledged by a receiver coupled to said electrical power network.

21. A processor for facilitating communication in an electrical power network having a complex impedance, comprising:

a module for determining a quality of communication in said electrical power network; and

a module for controlling a circuit to modify said complex impedance of said electrical power network if said quality is below an acceptable threshold.

22. A processor for facilitating communication in an electrical power network having a complex impedance, comprising:

a module for advising a transmitter to transmit information via said electrical power network;

a module for determining quality of communication of said transmitted information;

a module for controlling a circuit to modify said complex impedance of said electrical power network based upon said determination; and

a module for advising said transmitter to retransmit said information.

23. A storage medium that contains instructions for controlling a processor for facilitating communication in an electrical power network having a complex impedance, comprising:

instructions for controlling said processor to determine a quality of communication in said electrical power network; and

instructions for controlling said processor to control a circuit to modify said complex impedance of said electrical power network if said quality is below an acceptable threshold.

24. A storage medium that contains instructions for controlling a processor for facilitating communication in an electrical power network having a complex impedance, comprising:

instructions for controlling said processor to advise a transmitter to transmit information via said electrical power network;

instructions for determining quality of communication of said transmitted information;

instructions for controlling said processor to control a circuit to modify of said electrical power network said complex impedance based upon said determination; and

instructions for controlling said processor to advise said transmitter to retransmit said information.