Dummies, Wireless

Chapter 3: Bluetooth and Other Wireless Networks
equipment provided to customers by phone companies in Europe, but
in North America, D-Link (www.dlink.com) offers a set of powerline
Ethernet adapters that are built around DS2’s chips. Unlike the NET-
GEAR system, mentioned in the preceding paragraph, which has an
802.11g AP built into the adapter, the D-Link system simply extends your
Ethernet network to the remote location. You’ll need to add an additional
access point to make this a wireless solution.
The most common application for powerline networking is as an Ethernet
bridge. These devices look and act much like the external USB Wi-Fi NICs that
we discuss in Chapter 2. You need two of them: one to connect to an Ethernet
port on your router (or any LAN jack in your home) and another to plug into
the wall outlet wherever you need LAN access.
The bridge typically has a power cord on one side of the box and an Ethernet
or USB connector on the other. Plug the power cord into any wall outlet and
plug the Ethernet or USB into the computer or other networked devices, and
you have a connection. Figure 3-4 shows a typical use of HomePlug bridges.
Some manufacturers, such as NETGEAR, offer powerline networking adapters
with a built-in Wi-Fi access point. Plug one of these into your wall, along with
a stand-alone powerline Ethernet bridge back at your main router location,
and you have an instant remote AP!
Using your TV cables to extend your Wi-Fi network
An interesting approach to expanding your
802.11b or g wireless network’s reach has
recently been launched by AuraOne Systems.
The AuraGrid Wireless Extension system (which
costs $89 for a four-room kit) uses your home’s
coaxial cable wiring — the wires used to connect
your TVs to the cable TV network — as an
antenna extension system that brings your wireless
network signal to all the nooks and crannies
in your home.
To use the system, you simply need to install the
AuraGrid duplexer in your garage (or wherever
your cable TV lines enter the house), and then
simply connect antenna devices to each outlet
where you want to improve your wireless
signal. Finally, connect the antenna port on your
access point to an AuraGrid splitter. That’s it! If
you can hook up your DVD and TV, you can
handle this process. The AuraGrid works only
with cable TV systems and interferes with a
satellite TV signal, so if you have DirecTV or
DISH Network, you can’t use those wires for
this purpose.
It’s important to note that the AuraGrid system
won’t work with 802.11n systems, but for most
folks that’s not an issue, simply because
802.11n’s greater range makes the system
unnecessary.
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