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It’s not Power over Ethernet . . . NetComm NP210: Ethernet Over Power T here’s a rather clever ad on TV at the moment which has the tag “isn’t it nice when things just work”. I’m sure you’ve seen it. While this review has nothing to do with a Honda car, it has everything to do with things “just working”. It’s so nice to find a product which not only delivers what it promises – it does it without any hassle, any setup difficulties. It just works! Over the years, we’ve looked at many types of computer networks, some in considerable depth. This month, it’s another type of network. But it is quite different in that, while it is wired, the wiring is already in place in your home or office. This network uses the power lines running through the building (and even beyond) as the network. It’s called Ethernet Over Power (EOP) Ethernet over power does exactly what its name suggests – there is no wireless, no Cat5, no coax – the 240VAC power wiring, as well as supplying 14  Silicon Chip power, supplies the network connection. In other words, the data stream is superimposed onto the mains at significantly higher frequency that the 50Hz mains – in fact, it’s in the several MHz range. Using power lines for networking has been in the pipeline (no pun intended!) for some years, with various systems set up here and overseas to test it out. To our knowledge, this is the first system to actually reach it to market, at least here in Australia. There are other power line systems currently becoming available which offer broadband over power lines – we understand trials have been conducted in Australia but so far, we haven’t heard of anything further. First, let’s explain the NetComm HomePlug system. As our photo shows, it looks like a pair of plugpacks and a couple of Ethernet connection cables. And, apart from a CD loaded with software and manuals-on-disk, that’s exactly what you appear to get when you open the package. But those “plugpacks” are not quite what they seem. Yes, there is a power supply built into them. But they also contain the “smarts” which turn them into network adaptors. Each terminal on the network requires one of these plugpacks. The basic package contains two plugpacks; you simply buy as many as you need, up to the maximum of 15 terminals. Also, each of the terminals needs to be on the same wiring circuit, or phase. That’s usually not so much of a problem in a home setup because most homes are fed by a single phase. In an office, it might not be quite so simple because all three phases are used in many cases to distribute loads – and this system cannot cross from one phase to another. NetComm claim a range of up to 200 metres, which is far more than most LANs would need. We weren’t able to confirm that range because we couldn’t easily get two houses 200m apart on the same phase! However, we did confirm a range of more than 70m plus, with the aid of a long extension lead and a pair siliconchip.com.au by Ross Tester Product Review of notebook computers. But we are getting slightly ahead of ourselves. At the outset, we said that the systems simply works. And it does. There is a Quickstart card in the box which basically tells you what to do: load the driver software, plug the adaptors into power and the Ethernet cables into the appropriate (RJ45) sockets on your PC and on the adaptors – and that’s it. It just works! So I followed the Quickstart card – and away it went! No problems whatsoever. The two computers found each other without any problems at all and I was able to transfer data back and forward, examine one’s hard drives from the other, etc etc – exactly as I could have done had they been connected via my wireless network (which of course I disabled first) or via a “normal” Ethernet (wired) network. One curious thing: on one PC the signal strength meter told me I had excellent signal (100%, in fact); on the other PC, it told me the signal strength was low. No, I don’t have a clue why! Working from one to the other and vice versa appeared to be pretty much identical, with plenty of speed, etc. Speaking of speed, how fast? The specifications say that they are up to 14Mbps – faster than 10base-T networks but not as fast as 100base-T; faster than 802.11b wireless but not as fast as 802.11g wireless. I was able to confirm this as pretty accurate. Like any network, speed depends to a large degree on distance; as I mentioned before, I wasn’t able to stretch mine out to the 200m maximum but room-to- room, it worked like a charm. As far as speed is concerned, 10baseT and 802.11b networks are more than adequate for surfing the ’net – therefore Netcomm’s HomePlug system was too. For the vast majority of users, speed would not be an issue. But if you are after maximum throughput (or more likely have a lot of highlevel users trying to use the network at the same time), the speed limitation might start to become relevant. The question will obviously arise: what happens if your next-doorneighbour decides to put in the same system? At the risk of sounding smart, nothing – if not only because the way power wiring is distributed in Australia, adjacent homes are almost always on different phases. But that’s not the only reason – the NetComm HomePlug has 56-bit DES encryption with key management; it also operates on a large number of channels over its 4.3–20.9MHz operating band. Netcomm’s marketing is directed at people who (a) cannot or do not want to install a wired network – such as flat dwellers, renters, etc; and/or (b) want Internet access from various rooms as simply as possible. The system is highly suited to both these groups – as it is to small businesses, conferences, consultants – in fact, anyone who needs to set up a network quickly and easily. Recommended price of the NetComm NP210 HomePlug system is around $199, although we have seen it advertised up to $45 cheaper! For more information, including online suppliers, visit www.netcomm. com.au/Networking/eop.php SC It really is as simple as 1-2-3: (1) Connect a HomePlug to your ADSL or cable modem using the supplied cable; (2) Plug that HomePlug into a convenient power socket and the other HomePlug into a socket close by your PC (or game console); and (3) Connect the other PC to the HomePlug. OK, there is are 4 – All you need to do now is run the driver software contained on the CD supplied with the kit – and that’s pretty much it! (Graphic courtesy NetComm) siliconchip.com.au NP210 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS PROTOCOL/STANDARDS • HomePlug 1.0 specification, IEEE 802.3 10 Base-T Ethernet (10Mbps) compliant • 10Mbps AutoMDI/MDIx Support • 14 Mbps HomePlug 1.0 compatible • CSMA/CA MAC Control MODULATION SUPPORT • OFDM, DQPSK, DBPSK, ROBO Carrier Modulation Support FREQUENCY BAND • 4.3MHz ~ 20.9MHz QUALITY OF SERVICE • Forward Error Correction (FEC) support • Channel Adaptation ensures that signal integrity is maintained even under harsh noise environment • CSMA/CA with prioritisation and Automatic Repeat Request (ARQ) for reliable delivery of Ethernet packets via Packet Encapsulation • Four Level prioritised random access method • Segment bursting and contention-free access ensures high throughput while maintaining low latency response and jitter performance SECURITY SUPPORT • 56-bit DES Encryption with key management for secure powerline communications (Use Windows platform to enable encryption) PLATFORM SUPPORT • Windows 98SE, Me, 2000 or XP POWER SUPPLY • Integrated 240V AC supply via power socket EXTERNAL CONNECTORS • 1x electrical power socket • 1x RJ45 for 10 Base-T ethernet (Auto MDI/MDIx) APPROVALS • C-Tick • Energy Authority Approval - Q050207 SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: • Windows operating systems with Ethernet connection, Pentium II 300MHz MMXCompatible PC or greater, minimum 64MB hard disk space and memory, CD-ROM drive • Maximum of 15 devices connected to power line network • All HomePlugs must be on the same power circuit PACKAGE CONTENTS • 2 x NP210 HomePlug Adaptors • 2 x RJ45 10/100 ethernet cables • 1 x configuration/manual CD • 1 x Quick Start Guide October 2005  15