D-Link 10 MBps Phoneline
Network
I was quite surprised by the
variety of comments I received after the Sohoware
11 MBps wireless network review. While everyone agreed they liked the
conveince they were shocked by the price and the relatively short range. A
much less expensive alternative that would work very well in the home and
small business market is the PNA network. PNA (phoneline network) actually
has been on the market for quite some time. Boasting 10 MBps it is on good
footing to compare to other 10, 11, and 12 MBps networking solutions. Early
PNA networks were crippled by their 1 MBps speed. D-Link not only sent their
DHN-920 USB PNA kit but also sent their Ethernet to HomePNA Bridge so that
I could test the equipment on my broadband connection.
|
Features |
The
Board |
- HomePNA 2.0 Compliant
- USB Specification
version 1.0/1.1 Compliant
- Range determined
by phonelines
- Support up to
128 PC's
- USB connections
to computers
- Win , 98, Me,
, 2000
|
|
First
Impressions
I was immediately struck by the
small size of the PNA adapters. Each is approximately the same size as a pager.
The connections on it are clearly labeled - 2 phone connections and one USB
connection. D-Link includes the two USB cables and the two phone cables. You
provide the phone jacks in the rooms you will be networking and the computers
(with USB ports) and you are in business.
In our search for network components
we've seen 10 MBps hubs and NICs, 10/100 hubs, routers, and switches, 12 MBps
USB ethernet adapters,11 MBps, and now we round up our reviews with 10 MBps
PNA. For $169 you get all the components necesary to network 2 computers together.
You'd have to shell out considerably more for wireless networking. The price
advantage and ease of installation of PNA networking should be very appealing
to people who don't want to run ethernet wiring in their home/office but do
need at least 10 MBps for their network.
