Asoka USA, a developer of broadband-over-powerline equipment, this week is expected to unveil commercial-grade products that will be sold through service providers to hotels, office buildings and apartment complexes.
The company’s PlugLAN line of gateways, bridges and jacks can provision Ethernet connectivity over electrical wires at speeds of up to 85M bit/sec and distances of up to 1,000 feet. Powerline Ethernet products eliminate the need for additional dedicated data wiring, Asoka USA says.
PlugLAN can be integrated into Ethernet and Wi-Fi networks to extend connectivity into new or unwired locations, Asoka says. PlugLAN adheres to the HomePlug powerline industry standard, along with other industry standard protocols such as Ethernet virtual LAN (VLAN) and QoS, SNMP and Internet Group Management Protocol.
This lets PlugLAN products interoperate with other standard Ethernet products or billing management software, Asoka says.
The PlugLAN line consists of three components: Gateway 8950, SmartBridge and SmartJack. The gateway performs IP routing, firewall and content filtering, RADIUS authentication, and supports VLANs, QoS and multicasting.
The bridge is a portable adapter that connects Ethernet devices based on media access control layer addresses. The network jack lets a user replace a standard electrical outlet with one that enables powerline connectivity. It converts an Ethernet signal into a powerline signal, and vice versa.
BPL is designed as an alternative to DSL and cable modems, especially in rural areas where those services are not available.
The New Millennium Research Council estimates that more than 250,000 U.S. households can choose BPL service, and that it has the potential to serve 13 million in the next three to five years.
Asoka USA also is developing a powerline VoIP product line that will extend Ethernet/analog phone adapter functionality across power lines, Chan says. Asoka also plans to have a 200M bit/sec line of products out by early in 2006.
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