Simple Data Transfer at Home with Powerline

October 1, 2007

Siemens is now offering a Powerline adapter for fast transmission of DSL data around the home. The Gigaset HomePlug AV 200 makes setting up a home network a simple task, even for adults without any technical knowledge.

Remote PCs can be networked with the DSL router or various units between one another via the existing mains power network and without additional cabling. The data transmission speed is 200 megabits per second , which is sufficient for two HDTV signals plus additional downloads from the Internet. The unit will be available from October.

Installation involves the user connecting an adapter to the DSL router via a network cable and plugging the adapter into a power socket. The DSL data is now accessible at any other mains socket by plugging in a second adaptor. PCs, laptops, printers or set-top boxes can also be connected to one another in this way.

The user doesn’t need to do anything else after plugging the units in — all settings such as synchronization and encoding take place automatically. Other solutions sometimes require the user to configure them on the PC using special software and enter keys. Adding further adapters to the home network simply requires pushing a button for registration or disconnection. One unique feature is the optical bandwidth display. LEDs not only provide information on the power supply and LAN connection, they also use colored signals to indicate the quality of the connection. What’s more, speech and video signals receive priority over other data traffic, ensuring high quality for these applications, which are dependent on real-time transmission.

Another advantage of the adapter from Siemens Home and Office Communications is its low power consumption of just three watts. It is certified according to CE Class B, which guarantees low electromagnetic emissions; as a result, there is virtually no interference with other units. At present, around 90 percent of the Powerline units available on the market are rated as belonging to the inferior Class A.

Source: Siemens