By Clark Wood, LBLnet Services Group

You already have a house full of power wires. Why not use them as part of your home network?

HomePlug technology is an easy-to-use, inexpensive alternative to traditional Ethernet wiring and 802.11 wireless. HomePlug makes use of your existing AC power lines to transmit data.

Our tests suggest that the industry got it right this time. We found that units from three different manufacturers interoperate, and can even be configured with each other's software. Data throughput is exactly the same as with a traditional 10 Megabit Ethernet hub.

HomePlug adapters are about the size of a large bar of soap and cost $70-90 each. They plug into wall outlets, and connect to your computer (or home router, or broadband modem) using standard Ethernet patch cables. Two or more HomePlug adapters in a home will automatically form a bridge and connect the attached devices together. No configuration is needed; they work right out of the box, regardless of your operating system.

Data packets are multiplexed over the existing AC power lines, stopping only when they meet a PG&E distribution transformer (typically shared by eight to 14 homes) or a lowly surge suppresser (like the one your computer is probably plugged into). HomePlug adapters have surge-suppression built-in, and will not work if they are plugged into surge suppressers. (They work fine plugged into GFCI-protected outlets, so kitchen, bathroom, and outdoor computing are all possible.)

The only configuration possible is setting a password. This is optional, but highly recommended. HomePlug devices which share the same password can "see" and exchange data with each other, and in this sense the password defines the logical network. HomePlug vendors provide a Widows-based configuration program for changing passwords; in fact, you can change passwords on all your HomePlug devices at once this way. Fortunately, HomePlug traffic is encrypted with 56-bit DES, so snooping and sniffing won't compromise your data (unless, of course, your neighbor shares the same PG&E distribution transformer, and has access to your HomePlug password).