Wireless Networking--Without Wi-Fi

Want to network your home office or business? Wireless is definitely an option; and if you have the courage, you can crawl under the floor and drag wires from room to room, or pull a cable through the ceiling.

There's a third alternative: Use your electrical wiring. With HomePlug AV, you use power lines to move anything you'd transfer through a regular network--data, movies, TV signals, and so on. Learn more about it at the HomePlug Powerline Alliance site.

The advantage over Ethernet cabling is, of course, that HomePlug AV is easier to install, and at 200 megabits per second is faster than Ethernet's 100 mbps. And with HomePlug AV you avoid Wi-Fi dead zones and range issues.

I recently tried HomePlug AV hardware from Actiontec, and I'll tell you about it this week. But first, a public service announcement...

News Flash: Seagate May Owe You Ten Bucks

I just heard that Seagate has settled a class-action lawsuit claiming they mislead the public about the capacity of their hard drives.

The suit involves the long-standing confusion concerning the number of bytes in a gigabyte. According to the lawsuit, Seagate stated its customers would receive more storage capacity than they did. Seagate used the decimal definition of the term gigabyte (1 billion bytes) and that mislead consumers because operating systems report hard drive capacity using the binary definition (1,073,741,824 bytes)--a size difference of about 7 percent.

I think the lawsuit is bogus. Consumers get 5 percent of the net amount they paid for the drive (I'm guessing about $10 or $15). The attorneys, bless their hearts, will pick up a little under $2 million.

Go to the settlement Web site for details, and to fill out a claims form.

Dig This: OfficeMax has set up cool sites where you can dress yourself up as an elf or, if the cane fits, Scrooge. Here's me as Scrooge and an elf (with Lindsey and Paris, my elfette assistants).

Dig This, Too: I don't know about you, but I enjoy a good ham sandwich for Chanukah.

What's Cool About HomePlug AV

I tried Actiontec's MegaPlug AV 200 Mbps Ethernet Adapter Kit (about $130). Each device you're planning to network needs an adapter, and you can add up to 16 devices. The kit comes with two MegaPlug Ethernet adapters, two Ethernet cables, and CDs with drivers.

You can add an adapter to any wired or wireless broadband router on a system using Microsoft Windows 2000, XP, or Vista. (By the way, the HomePlug AV standard has a 128-bit AES security to prevent neighbors from plugging into your bandwidth.)

I wondered if the MegaPlug gear would work in my office, loaded with uninterruptible power supplies and filtered power strips. Maybe these devices--or any device emitting an RF signal--would affect the MegaPlug units. No need to worry; nothing bothered the MegaPlug device.

According to Actiontec engineers, it's best if the MegaPlug devices are connected to wall outlets. Nonetheless, they can be plugged into a heavy-duty extension cord that's connected to the wall outlet; they'll work everywhere except in isolated, filtered, or suppressed outlets.

Overall, I was able to add two MegaPlug adapters to my existing wired network in about 20 minutes and it worked as expected.

If you're not sure about the technology, I have two articles that'll bring you up to speed First, try "Powerline Adapters: Home Networking Without Rewiring" and then follow up with "Home Networking Technologies Vie for Position."

Dig This: Every year I put together a word puzzle for our holiday dinner. I figure if I have to have a bunch of relatives over, they need to work for it. One of the tools I use is Holiday Word Search. It's a freebie that lets me print word-search puzzles with built-in holiday word lists.

Networking Basics

If you're just starting out with networking, I've got help. You'll want to read "How to Buy Home Networking Products," then look at "How to Set Up a Wi-Fi Network."

Need a wireless router? Be sure to read our reviews. One product that disappointed our networking expert was Belkin's N1 Vision Wireless Router. At the same time, she was dazzled by Ruckus's ZoneFlex, a high-end Wi-Fi rig designed for small businesses.

If you know the secret, you can give your wireless router a kick in the pants. Read how in "Optimize Wi-Fi for VoIP, Video, and Gaming." and "How to Improve Your Wi-Fi Network's Performance."

Gadgets--cameras, cell phones, Web radios--can be difficult to connect to a wireless network. Read "Wi-Fi Extends to Gadgets" for some helpful ideas. If you want to print wirelessly, scroll to "Liberate Your Printer." And if you're curious about what's coming in Wi-Fi in 2008, read "The Technology Coming to a Gadget Near You."

You might already have a network and need utilities for your tool kit. Read "Techie Tools for the Internet and for Home Networks" for ideas.

Troubleshooting Resources

Trouble with your network? Your first stop's got to be "Never Call Tech Support Again!" It's a thorough article that tackles some of the common networking hassles.

I have another gem: Carey Holzman, a crackerjack network consultant and co-host of the Computer America radio show, pieced together a guide that'll help you fix a troubled network.

In fact, Carey's working on a new networking book and is looking for networking annoyances. For the cost of an e-mail, Carey will work with you on any networking program you're struggling with. Go to his Web site for details.

Dig This: The Jetsons have nothing on Jet-Man. No, really--he straps on a jet, jumps out of a plane, and flies.

Steve Bass writes PC World's monthly "Hassle-Free PC" column and is the author of PC Annoyances, 2nd Edition: How to Fix the Most Annoying Things About Your Personal Computer, available from O'Reilly. He also writes PC World's daily Tips & Tweaks blog. Sign up to have Steve's newsletter e-mailed to you each week. Comments or questions? Send Steve e-mail.