A network switch, the network switch comprising: a plurality of Power-over-Ethernet ports (2, 3), each Power-over-Ethernet port (2, 3) configured to connect to a plurality of twisted-pair wires (6, 7) and configured to send and to receive signals with at least one data packet, the at least one data packet comprising a target address, and configured to transmit direct-current electric power via the plurality of twisted-pair wires (6, 7); at least a first Powerline Communication port (4, 5) configured to connect to a pair of line wires (8, 9) supplying alternating-current electric power and configured to send and to receive signals with at least one data packet via the pair of line wires (8, 9); wherein the at least one data packet comprises a target address; the network switch further comprising a controller and a memory, the memory storing a lookup table with a plurality of entries, wherein each entry comprises a target address of a data packet and a target port selected from one of the ports of the plurality of Power-over-Ethernet ports (2, 3) or from the at least a first Powerline Communication port (4, 5); the controller being communicatively coupled to each of the ports (2 - 5) of the plurality of Power-over-Ethernet ports (2, 3) and to the at least a first Powerline Communication port (4, 5) and to the memory, the controller being configured to: receive an inbound signal with at least one data packet from one of ports (2 - 5) of the plurality of Power-over-Ethernet ports (2, 3) or from the at least a first Powerline Communication port (4, 5), demodulate the inbound signal, produce at least one data packet from the demodulated inbound signal, determine the target address of the at least one data packet, look up the determined target address in the lookup table to identify at least one target port (2 - 5), produce an outbound signal modulated for the at least one target port from the at least one data packet, and send the modulated outbound signal to the at least one target port (2 - 5). a plurality of Power-over-Ethernet ports (2, 3), each Power-over-Ethernet port (2, 3) configured to connect to a plurality of twisted-pair wires (6, 7) and configured to send and to receive signals with at least one data packet, the at least one data packet comprising a target address, and configured to transmit direct-current electric power via the plurality of twisted-pair wires (6, 7); at least a first Powerline Communication port (4, 5) configured to connect to a pair of line wires (8, 9) supplying alternating-current electric power and configured to send and to receive signals with at least one data packet via the pair of line wires (8, 9); wherein the at least one data packet comprises a target address; the network switch further comprising a controller and a memory, the memory storing a lookup table with a plurality of entries, wherein each entry comprises a target address of a data packet and a target port selected from one of the ports of the plurality of Power-over-Ethernet ports (2, 3) or from the at least a first Powerline Communication port (4, 5); the controller being communicatively coupled to each of the ports (2 - 5) of the plurality of Power-over-Ethernet ports (2, 3) and to the at least a first Powerline Communication port (4, 5) and to the memory, the controller being configured to: receive an inbound signal with at least one data packet from one of ports (2 - 5) of the plurality of Power-over-Ethernet ports (2, 3) or from the at least a first Powerline Communication port (4, 5), demodulate the inbound signal, produce at least one data packet from the demodulated inbound signal, determine the target address of the at least one data packet, look up the determined target address in the lookup table to identify at least one target port (2 - 5), produce an outbound signal modulated for the at least one target port from the at least one data packet, and send the modulated outbound signal to the at least one target port (2 - 5). receive an inbound signal with at least one data packet from one of ports (2 - 5) of the plurality of Power-over-Ethernet ports (2, 3) or from the at least a first Powerline Communication port (4, 5), demodulate the inbound signal, produce at least one data packet from the demodulated inbound signal, determine the target address of the at least one data packet, look up the determined target address in the lookup table to identify at least one target port (2 - 5), produce an outbound signal modulated for the at least one target port from the at least one data packet, and send the modulated outbound signal to the at least one target port (2 - 5).