Laptops Desktops Monitors & LCDs Graphics Cards Handhelds Phones Software Networks Printers More »
search
advertisement
Click Here.
AnchorDesk

Bill Machrone
Home Phoneline Network Kits Reviewed, Reviled

Bill Machrone
Contributing Editor PC Magazine
Friday, September 15, 2000
TalkBack!Add your opinion
Let's get my prejudices out of the way first, then I'll tell you about our review of four Home Phoneline (HPNA) networking kits.

I hate HPNA networking. Oh, not with an active, passionate hatred; it's more a head-shaking, why-did-they-do-this disdain for the technology.

The technology actually works, which is amazing in itself. Getting a 10-megabit signal across the vagaries of home telephone wiring with all kinds of unpredictable patches, unterminated branches, bad joints and outdated equipment is an engineering feat, not to be dismissed lightly. That's the part that I like. The rest has to do with the implementation and some inherent limitations.

First: What's so terrible about running Cat 5 cable for your network? A 1,000-foot spool costs about $55 at Home Depot when I looked last. Oh, it's unsightly? Well pahdon me. You can get it with a tasteful white, gray or beige jacket (I use a color I call Defiant Blue); you can run it along baseboards; you can paint over it. The Radio Shack tool that attaches the RJ-45 jacks to the ends works like a champ.

Second: Ten megabits isn't fast enough, at least not in my household, where two teenagers (and their dad) play MP3s over the network, share the cable modem and access a couple of networked printers.

Third: Who decreed that I want to do my computing where the phone lines go? My home has seven computers and four phones. There's a 2-line phone on the big desk here, among three of the computers. A phone and a stereo system are the only electronics permitted in the master bedroom -- no computing here. There's another phone in the kitchen -- no computer there. My daughter's room has a phone, but it's her private line -- not on the phone network. But her computer's on the network.

Then there's the computer in the family room/music room that takes care of MIDI, recording and serving up multimedia files. No phone in this room because it would be disturbing to the people who are either playing an instrument, reading, watching TV or working on a craft or hobby. There are a couple of computers, networked of course, in the basement rec room, but the phone is in the workshop.

Fourth: Who has phone lines anymore? A friend who runs a business from her home recently realized that of her half- dozen phones, only one is hard-wired. The rest are wireless.

Fifth: USB is a terrible way to network if you a) have a high-speed connection b) do anything else that's bandwidth- intensive via your USB port c) move a laptop from your home network to the office.

Despite its rated 12-megabit speed, jam-ups and glitches are common when multiple high-speed devices (digital cameras, scanners, Webcams, printers) compete for bandwidth. If you want to connect to an Ethernet device such as a cable modem or DSL line, you may need additional hardware at additional expense. You can configure your laptop to work on a Home Phoneline network and an office Ethernet network, but don't expect it to be easy.

Finally: There's no cost advantage. HPNA costs as much as or more than Ethernet.

There, I'm glad I got that off my chest. Now on to the reviews. If you can still think of a reason why you'd want an HPNA network, we found two winners among the four kits we reviewed. The D-Link and 3Com products are excellent, but you'll want to read the review in order to understand why their prices are $100 apart.

Read PC Magazine's review of Four Home Phoneline Networking Kits. Click for more.

Previous Story  Next Story 

Special sponsor stores
advertisement
Click Here