Why I Switched to Ethernet Over Power

Posted on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 by Tim Fehlman

I recently switched my home wireless access over to ethernet over power (EOP). Some of my geek friends thought that it was rather foolish of me because it means that I have really limited myself to where I can work and do my thing. While they may have a valid point, I still think the pros outweigh the cons. So, here is why I now have several PowerLine HD Network Starter Kit (DHP-301) units in my house.

Better Speed

While the ethernet over power units brag a 200 MBPS transfer rate, I find that a 100 MBPS full duplex is more reasonable. This is better than the projected 108 MBPS that my wireless N network was providing for me.

Better Security

I find that the security model seems to be better, at least for the time being. If you want to hack into my WiFi connection, all you need to do is connect to my wireless signal and get cracking. It may take you some time but anyone who is proficient at wardriving could get into my home WiFi network with little effort.

With EOP, not only is there no way for someone to know that I am running a network like a WiFi connection, they would need to be physically connected to my home wiring via an external power plug and a EOP module that is configured for my home. Not only would I notice someone with a computer plugged into my home, I control the power to my external plugs from a switch inside my house that is always off.

Hacking my network has just become significantly more difficult.

Reduced Hardware and Increased Flexibility

I have also been able to cut down on some of my hardware. I can use the EOP devices to work like a patch cable (one to one) or a switch (many to many) so I have eliminated a number of the switches that are available on the network. I can also use them to segment my network so that I can give a “guest” not to visitors so that they can surf the Internet but they can’t access my home network.

More Info

If you are interested, here is some more info from the D-Link website:

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15 Responses to “Why I Switched to Ethernet Over Power”

Michael Says:
September 17th, 2008 at 10:57 pm
Tim - Just so you’re aware, it’s quite possible that someone could “see” your powerline network traffic without actually being plugged in inside your home. Powerline signals often travel quite well across into any other home attached to the same transformer that your home’s electric service is tied to (in fact, under the right circumstances and with certain types of transformers, the signals can even “jump” across to other transformer-fed circuits). I’ve done quite a bit of testing with HomePlug v1.0 gear (you’re using v2.0, but it’s similar technology), and seen many instances where plugging into another house or building near the “networked” home gives one full access to the EOP traffic. Just make sure the HomePlug encryption is enabled, and you should be fine — but don’t assume that someone outside your home can’t “listen in” to unencrypted EOP traffic. Those signals do some crazy things under the right conditions.
Jason Says:
September 18th, 2008 at 6:23 am
I had heard about this some time ago but never knew anyone to actually use them. I like the idea and can see a use for it but it isn’t exactly cost friendly. At $149.99 USD for two units it is significantly more expensive then my Linksys Wireless Router and I have a very strong signal throughout my house and outside.
Tim Fehlman Says:
September 18th, 2008 at 7:30 am
@Michael,
What you say is very true because all these devices are really doing is putting a low power wireless radio signal over the power line. I did some testing with an oscilloscope and I was unable to detect a signal beyond a few inches of any of the power wiring in my house. And I was using a very large antenna which caught the attention of a number of my neighbors. Not exactly hacker approved stealthiness.

Thanks for the good points, though, Michael.

Tim
Stormadvisor Says:
September 18th, 2008 at 11:12 pm

The key here is that it IS a radio signal. Not only is it possible to receive signals radiating from your home, and the lines connected to it, that same signal can RECEIVE signals as well. You are using UN-shielded wiring as the radiator/antenna. Since the signal cannot travel through a transformer, it is a wireless (similar to 802.11x) signal that you are tapped into. That wireless signal is able to be hacked.

The frequencies of these networks are in the High Frequency, HF, region of the radio spectrum. Many many people are talking around the world (yes around the world) on milliwatts. Right now it may not be the best because of the low sunspots. Just wait till the sunspot cycle peaks!

The FCC has been taken to court about hiding facts that show how poor this type of a system is. This was by the Amateur Radio Relay League, ARRL.
Itionis Guy Says:
September 19th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
Yeah I had a low tech version of the the same type of hardware in the 80’s my big problem with it was that even though there is claims of security anyone plugged into the landline on the same side of the transformer as you can hijack your signal. My boss “assured” me that he was promised that all of the signal was lost going through the meter. So I went over to the attorneys office down the way and quietly hacked his network from the “impossible” location. Is it more secure that wireless, it depends on how your wireless is configured, your lot or apartment, and the power grid your on.

PS I love this solution for End Users who are not terribly concerned about security and who want connectivity without running cat5e everywhere.
Kim Jalun Says:
September 22nd, 2008 at 7:27 am
If one of your requirements is mobility which I assume is why most people set up wireless in their home, EOP is simply not satisfying it. You have removed the beautiful flexibility of being able to use your laptop while sitting on a lawn chair in your backyard. What about when you are in the middle of transferring data across the wire and you want to pick up your laptop and walk from one room to the next, without interrupting your file transfer. What about the numerous other devices that can only use wireless access (PDAs, gaming systems, etc.).

I get the argument that this security model is possibly better. But given the other advice you provide elsewhere in your blog on simple effective things to make your wireless network more secure, you haven’t convinced me with this post of how reducing the flexibility to use wireless devices anywhere in your house or your yard is sufficiently compensated for.
Anonymous Says:
September 23rd, 2008 at 2:40 am
As long as you DON’T use WEP (just WPA or WPA2) and a good, 8+ not in a dictionary password, wifi is pretty much safe.
Bill Says:
October 9th, 2008 at 5:42 pm
The email address info@dailycupoftech.com doesnt work.

Could you email me using the email address I used for this form please?
Brent Says:
October 18th, 2008 at 2:20 pm
If you want to hack into my WiFi connection, all you need to do is connect to my wireless signal and get cracking. It may take you some time but anyone who is proficient at wardriving could get into my home WiFi network with little effort.

So are you telling me that the computational power to crack a 63-character cryptographically random WPA2 PSK not only exists but requires “little effort” to crack? Sorry but your statement is based on some fundamentally wrong assumptions about the way wireless encryption works.
TJ Downes Says:
November 15th, 2008 at 11:59 am
In my opinion, as a long term user, EoP sucks.

Overall if you have a circuit in your house that only has low voltage devices or nothing at all plugged into it you will be fine. However, higer power gear such as vaccuums, dryers, refrigerators, irons, servers, etc can cause severe interference. Basically, if someone is vacuuming your house, you are offline.

It’s an “adequate” solution at best.
Russel Says:
November 16th, 2008 at 9:25 am
Tim,

What’s your experience after about a month? Still linking it? Found any new ‘wrinkles’?

Thanks in advance.

Russel
Jason Says:
January 27th, 2009 at 12:25 am
I am an IT consultant and I have often looked at these but up until 6 months ago when I asked about these my three suppliers all gave the same answer. Slow and unreliable being the main reasons they see 80% of them returned. This is also the reason why at least up in Canada you don’t find them for sale very often. I really would like to hear what your long term experience has been with them. Are you still using them?
foo Says:
April 7th, 2009 at 3:25 am
@Brent

A few thousand dollars worth of video cards would make light work of it with the right software. (1-2 weeks)
Jason Says:
June 22nd, 2009 at 12:26 pm
If you think your wireless signal is easily hackable, you must not be using the security features correctly.

For the average joe on the street, turning off SSID Broadcast and enabling WEP (which is the least secure of the wireless security protocols) will keep them out. If that doesn’t work, enable MAC Address Filtering and you’ll knock another 75% of would-be signal thieves away. Turn on WPA or WPA2 and your limiting your wireless thieves to highly determined and well-equipped enthusiasts.

The lack of portability of EOP is enough to make me say “No Way”. Nevermind the fact that it is WAY more expensive than wireless. One $50 router/access point and I can connect every device I own from anywhere in my house and some of my yard. At a slightly slower speed, yes…

But if speed was my major motivator, wired would be the way to go. Most folks only really need speed at the 100 Mbps and up range for static devices like multimedia servers for their home entertainment or file servers for a home business. Unless you’re using your own personal T1 connection, you probably don’t have more than a 2-5 MBps download speed on your internet connection anyway, so what’s the point of getting the data to the modem at 100 MBps only to have it sit there and wait for an available time slot to get out. For those who do have major data to push on their intranet, go wired. For around the same price as a couple of these EOP units, you could have a Gigabit intranet over a wired connection.

Bottom Line: EOP is not for me.
Lincoln Says:
August 24th, 2009 at 6:11 am
In Europe, most buildings have very thick brick or concrete walls and floors. Unlike most of the American homes which are made of plywood. So the wireless solution is sometimes unfeasible for a big brick home (2000+ square feet per floor, multiple floors). At our home, we use a mix of solutions, wired ethernet for three locations, and run wireless access points from those locations to other rooms. However, even with the latest 802.11n access point and 10db boost antenna, some spots are still hard to reach. Hence we are using EoP for one of the rooms that cannot be reached by cable or wireless. It solves the problem and delivers a steady high speed connection to the internet.

Yes the price is higher, but the weakness of most consumer level wireless access point is apparent when dealing with solid and well constructed homes.

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