NetStumbler.org Forums - View Single Post - Home Plug ethernet extension for hotel WiFi?

hotelwifi · 09-26-2004

Gee. I originally posted all my questions about Home Plug. But from my research I found some good info researching on the Internet using Google.

I kind of answered some of my own questions. But I'm posting all this here to help other people who may have questions about Home Plug...aka BPL, etc.

I'm educating myself on thie BPL stuff, since I have 3 hotels I have to do proposals for and I know that one of my competitors is offering BPL. The hotel owner doesn't know about all this radiation and interference from BPL.

I found this very interesting link on the ARRL web site regarding interference from Powerline Ethernet...aka HomePlug...and also BPL (Broadband Over Power Line). I think BPL may be the better technological name.

»www.arrl.org/tis/info/HTML/plc/aud-vid..

I knew there was interference and it radiated so it could be picked up on a radio receiver, but I didn't realize it was this bad.

This video shows BPL outdoors. But the BPL in hotels looks to be the same technology.

Pick the link at the top.

Also from my analysis, it looks like BPL can be more expensive when it feeds access points that are properly hidden up in drop ceilings, since AC power must be put there to deliver the ethernet to each AP.

All that BPL cost (for hotels that want wireless, will be much more expensive then just deploying CAT 5 cable. Plus there is no radiation interference from CAT 5 cable as there is with BPL.

Who is to say what a hacker can do with a BPL signal once he receives it on his HF or VHF radio? So is it really secure?

09-26-2004	#7 (permalink)
hotelwifi Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: NE Posts: 37	Gee. I originally posted all my questions about Home Plug. But from my research I found some good info researching on the Internet using Google. I kind of answered some of my own questions. But I'm posting all this here to help other people who may have questions about Home Plug...aka BPL, etc. I'm educating myself on thie BPL stuff, since I have 3 hotels I have to do proposals for and I know that one of my competitors is offering BPL. The hotel owner doesn't know about all this radiation and interference from BPL. I found this very interesting link on the ARRL web site regarding interference from Powerline Ethernet...aka HomePlug...and also BPL (Broadband Over Power Line). I think BPL may be the better technological name. »www.arrl.org/tis/info/HTML/plc/aud-vid.. I knew there was interference and it radiated so it could be picked up on a radio receiver, but I didn't realize it was this bad. This video shows BPL outdoors. But the BPL in hotels looks to be the same technology. Pick the link at the top. Also from my analysis, it looks like BPL can be more expensive when it feeds access points that are properly hidden up in drop ceilings, since AC power must be put there to deliver the ethernet to each AP. All that BPL cost (for hotels that want wireless, will be much more expensive then just deploying CAT 5 cable. Plus there is no radiation interference from CAT 5 cable as there is with BPL. Who is to say what a hacker can do with a BPL signal once he receives it on his HF or VHF radio? So is it really secure?