BobY777
09-25-2004, 05:37 PM
Is HomePlug Powerline a low security way to transmit converted ethernet over ac powerlines?
This is also known as BPL (Broadband over power lines) or PLC (Power Line communications).
Ethernet is encoded and put on the powerlines of a hotel.
Then in the hotel rooms a device is used to get the encoded signal off the powerline and converted back to ethernet again.
Yes this is a wired delivery system, which might make it seem safe. BUT...It is also wireless.
This signal is a signal that radiates from the "antenna" power lines. VDSL or CAT 5 are also wired, but they don't also radiate a signal.
Both VDSL and HomePlug Powerline are two different ways to get ethernet to a hotel room.
But I'm suspicious about the security of the HomePlug powerline.
It uses frequencies from around 4 MHz to around 10 Mhz? I might be off some on those frequencies. But they radiate.
As such someone could pick them up on a shortwave receiver and maybe decode them...Not what federal workers want.
So while they might be a low cost way to get ethernet to a hotel room, it sure seems very low security to me (even if encrypted), since it also is wireless at the same time. The AC power wires act like a big antenna.
There is some special encryption going on, but it still can be received, recorded and decoded later. Thats bad if federal workers are at the hotel using PLC.
Thanks
This is also known as BPL (Broadband over power lines) or PLC (Power Line communications).
Ethernet is encoded and put on the powerlines of a hotel.
Then in the hotel rooms a device is used to get the encoded signal off the powerline and converted back to ethernet again.
Yes this is a wired delivery system, which might make it seem safe. BUT...It is also wireless.
This signal is a signal that radiates from the "antenna" power lines. VDSL or CAT 5 are also wired, but they don't also radiate a signal.
Both VDSL and HomePlug Powerline are two different ways to get ethernet to a hotel room.
But I'm suspicious about the security of the HomePlug powerline.
It uses frequencies from around 4 MHz to around 10 Mhz? I might be off some on those frequencies. But they radiate.
As such someone could pick them up on a shortwave receiver and maybe decode them...Not what federal workers want.
So while they might be a low cost way to get ethernet to a hotel room, it sure seems very low security to me (even if encrypted), since it also is wireless at the same time. The AC power wires act like a big antenna.
There is some special encryption going on, but it still can be received, recorded and decoded later. Thats bad if federal workers are at the hotel using PLC.
Thanks