System and method for an intelligent load center with integrated powerline communications network switching and network management capabilities

A method of operating a multi-carrier communications system, the multi-carrier communications system including a plurality of communications nodes coupled to one another over a communications medium, wherein the communications medium includes a load center comprising a main power feed line and a plurality of powerline branch circuits, the method comprising:

• (a) receiving, over a powerline, from a data source a multi-cast signal destined to be transmitted over a powerline to a plurality of devices on a plurality of respective powerline branch circuits, (b) determining at the load center optimized communication parameters for each of the plurality of powerline branch circuits, (c) re-transmitting the multi-cast signal over the plurality of powerline branch circuits using a plurality of respective optimized communication parameters, (d) providing blocking filtering for undesired powerline communications signals on each powerline branch circuit, (e) passing desired powerline communications signals on respective powerline branch circuits and thereby isolating each powerline branch circuit to its own communications signals, (f) providing noise filtering to reduce the effect of noise on the aggregate communications bandwidth, (g) operating the load center as a network switch or a router where each switch or router port is connected to a respective isolated branch circuit or main feed circuit, and (h) monitoring power quality on each segment of the network using the load center.