Introduction 5
Powerline Adapter PL500D N150
1
Introduction
This chapter gives an overview of the Powerline technology and briefly intro-
duces the adapter. Practical examples are listed at the end of the chapter.
1.1
What does “Inhouse Powerline” stand for?
HomePlug (“Inhouse Powerline”, PLC) is an intelligent, secure technology
that lets you set up a home network easily, quickly and economically via your
electrical wiring, without the need for complex and expensive dedicated
cabling. The available performance and effort required for the installation also
compares favourably to traditional methods—Powerline technology now
attains speeds you would expect from other LAN technologies.
1.2
What is WLAN?
WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) refers to the use of radio technology to
network computers and other devices. While it is possible to wirelessly con-
nect computers in pairs (peer-to-peer, p2p), a central access point is required
to set up a network of multiple devices. Such access points are frequently
combined in a single device with modems for Internet access and routers to
manage network traffic.
The wireless network established by an access point using a specific channel
(from 1 to 13) and name (SSID) has a limited range. The range of the access
point, which is also known as a "radio cell", is impeded by building walls. In
some cases, stable connections are often only possible between WLAN
devices within a single room.
As it is not possible to rely on hardware such as network cables (in a LAN) or
household wiring (in Powerline) to control access to a WLAN, wireless net-
working naturally presents special security challenges. WLANs therefore use
a number of security measures, such as a concealed network name, data
encryption and access control via the MAC addresses of the network adapt-
ers.
1.2.1
Wi-Fi or WLAN?
Wi-Fi is an invented brand name of the Wi-Fi Alliance, a consortium that cer-
tifies devices with wireless interfaces. In many countries, Wi-Fi is also used
