* Linksys by Cisco adapters use electrical outlets for communication
For those who want to use the electrical power lines in their houses as lines of communication, Cisco this week introduced a line of Powerline products.
Under its “Linksys by Cisco” brand, the company unveiled the adapters, which can essentially turn electrical outlets into network jacks. The new adapters improve on previous designs by saving space and allowing users to continue to use the second port of a power outlet for, well, power.
The company is also introducing an adapter with a four-port switch integrated into it, so that multiple devices can be connected at once.
The adapters conform to the standards set forth by the HomePlug Powerline Alliance. The idea behind the technology is that you plug an adapter into an electrical outlet near your end device and a second adapter near your Internet access device. The devices connect to the adapters through standard Ethernet, and the adapters communicate with one another over the electrical wiring.
In many cases, this would seem unnecessary, given the wide availability of products that use Wi-Fi to communicate over the airwaves instead of the electrical infrastructure. Cisco says Powerline is “a complementary technology to Wi-Fi and is a great solution for homes with heavy steel constructions or other radio signal blocking objects.”
The “Linksys by Cisco” Powerline products will be available in Turbo and AV versions; Turbo is actually the slower mode, while AV is designed for high-definition video streaming or gaming. The single- and four-port adapters will be available at both speeds. The products are scheduled to ship next month.
