Keep the Home Wires Burning

The president of Tim Celeski Studios reviews PassPort Plug-in Network, a hardware product that allows users to network PCs and printers through standard electrical outlets.

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Techniques: Off the Shelf: Hardware

Use your AC wiring as the framework for your office local area network

When I first networked my business, I got spoiled by our use of Macs, which come with built-in, easy-to-understand networking. But when we switched to PCs, I found that networking was complex, expensive, and messy. Even my small setup--four computers that share files and a printer--requires me to deal with Ethernet adapters, hubs, and Cat 5 wiring. A local area network that calls for no special wiring may sound too good to be true, but that's exactly what the Intelogis PassPort Plug-in Network delivers.

The product is elegant--you simply attach the PassPort modules to the cables that connect to the parallel ports of your computers and printers. Plugging those modules--white plastic units about the size of small paperbacks--into standard electrical outlets allows your computers and printers to communicate over AC wiring. What's more, with only one modem, phone line, and Internet account, as many as 20 networked computers can browse the Web simultaneously at conventional speeds.

In addition to the software, the kit consists of two PassPort PC Plug-in adapters, two cables for connecting the adapters to your PCs, one PassPort Printer Plug-in adapter, and two line conditioners that resemble standard power-outlet strips and keep other electronic devices from interfering with the PassPort's signal. Additional PC and printer adapters cost $79.99 and $59.99, respectively.

When I discovered that one of the PassPort modules was faulty, I used the opportunity to test Intelogis's technical support. I phoned the company, and a rep quickly determined what was causing the problem. Within 24 hours I had received a replacement part, and my office network was running beautifully.

With help from the user's guide and the installation wizard, I easily installed the software on each computer, but product registration was clumsy. The serial numbers that must be typed in aren't visible when the devices are in use, so users should write down the numbers before they start.

The PassPort Administrator makes simple work of monitoring network connections, setting file- and printer-sharing options, and setting up password-protected network security. Password protection? In one's own home? You bet. As the documentation points out, under certain conditions it's possible for your AC-wired network to broadcast beyond your walls. So unless you're planning to host a neighborhood-wide Diablo tournament, take care.

Transmission speed is a critical consideration in evaluating any network. Ethernet networks, like the one in my office, run at speeds ranging from 10 Mbps to 100 Mbps; the PassPort system chugs along at only .35 Mbps. As a graphic designer, I work with image files that are as big as 50MB. I wouldn't even try to transfer such bulky files using the PassPort system. Small word-processing or spreadsheet files, however, present no problems. Intelogis recognizes the problem and assures me that faster modules are on their way to market.

To my mind, PCs have a long way to go before they're as easy to use as Macs, but PassPort is a simple and workable networking system for home offices in which wiring the walls for a dedicated network would be difficult and expensive.