Berlin  - Networking PCs and other devices can be a tricky process. One false check in the automatic IP assignment settings or an outdated driver for a WLAN card and the whole system will refuse to function properly. Powerline adapters can provide an alternative path.

The companies behind the technology claim that it makes household networks simpler to set up. The idea of sending data over the electrical wiring already in your home has been around for decades. Powerline adapters have in fact been available for some time now. The new wrinkle: adapters are now capable of providing enough bandwidth to transmit HD films. They are also the first devices on the market with simple to use encryption, their makers report.

At least two adapters are required. These come equipped with a traditional wall power plug. Depending on the model, the other end of the adapter offers an Ethernet or a USB port to connect to the computer or another device to be added to the network. Powerline is an alternative to their WLAN or a cable-based Ethernet network.

Powerline is convenient because the user is freed, either partially or completely, from configuration work. In most cases, the user just plugs in the Powerline units and switches on the other devices - and the network is formed automatically. Until now the bandwidth supported through this technology has not been sufficient to stream videos smoothly.

The current generation of adapters, though, provides gross data transfer rates of up to 200 megabits per second (9MBit/s). The net value is around 90 Mbit/s, reports Christoph Roesseler from hardware maker Devolo. The actual transfer speeds vary from house to house.

Among the manufacturers marketing products that work with the technology are Allnet, Devolo, D-Link, Linksys, Netgear, and Siemens. Devolo has the dLAN 200 AVeasy in its catalog - consisting of two adapters. It harnesses the power mains for applications like Internet television in HD quality. It can reach up to 200 metres within an electric circuit.

Powerline is not without its issues. "It's not as simple as it looks at first glance," says Peter Knaak from the German consumer testing organisation Stiftung Warentest in Berlin. Aside from the fact that the house's wiring can have a powerful influence on the bandwidth of the powerline network, users must also clear up space to plug the adapter directly into the wall jack. Even manufacturers like Devolo advise against plugging the adapters into power strips because they will adversely affect transmission speeds.

It may also be possible under certain conditions for unauthorised third parties to hack the network using an identical adapter, or at least one that uses the same standard. For that reason, users should always encrypt their powerline data. The IT security for powerline products is generally based on each manufacturer's proprietary solutions, says Sebastian Frank from the German Federal Agency for Security in Information Technology (BSI) in Bonn. (dpa)