Rim Semiconductor Company (fka RSMI)

[iOwnSomeNVEI]

Plugging Into Ordinary Outlets to Share Broadband Access
By MICHEL MARRIOTT


With broadband Internet access, familiarity can breed contempt when there is only one speedy ramp to the Web. What if the computer needs to be moved to another room, or someone else under the same roof wants to share access?

Phonex Broadband, a company based in Midvale, Utah, has a simple solution: a plug-and-play networking device called NeverWire 14. A pair of the devices, which are a bit larger than computer speakers, act as a bridge between a broadband connection and any other computer in a home or small office.

The devices require no software or additional cables. Using a networking standard called Powerline, NeverWire 14 uses a building's electrical wiring to power its devices as well as piggyback broadband signals.

One device is connected to a cable or D.S.L. modem and plugged into an electrical outlet. A second is connected to a computer and then plugged into any other outlet, creating a network. As many as 16 NeverWire devices can be used on a single Powerline network.

NeverWire 14 devices, scheduled to reach stores this week, cost $129 each and can be used with Macintosh and Windows-based personal computers.

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/25/technology/circuits/25GEE3.html?ex=1028260800&en=d27cb7ae4493c....