7. Wrap Up

I've felt for some time that one Access Point was marginal for the typical residential wireless network and certainly inadequate for small office installations. The problem has been, however, that the cost and hassle of adding a second (or third) AP was more than most casual networkers were willing to deal with. So most either adjusted to their wireless LAN's actual, more limited range, or gave up in frustration and returned the equipment.

The booming Wi-Fi market has reduced the price of an AP to the point where a second one won't break the bank, but the hassle factor of determining where to put it and running the cable to it hasn't budged much... until now.

The 2521 truly takes the hassle out of wireless LAN extension and does it in a package that's so inobtrusive that even the most I-don't-want-my-home-looking-like-mission-control spouse will find it hard to object to. AP placement becomes a no-brainer, because you just move the 2521 to another outlet if its present location isn't getting the job done. It also makes setting up a temporary WLAN as simple as finding outlets to plug the 2521s into. And just think of the possibilities in dorm, frat-house, and small apartment unit settings!

Despite all these positives, there are some issues that may hold some folks back:

Lack of a normal Ethernet connection - Since the Intellon chip includes USB, Ethernet PHY, and microcontroller interfaces, the lack of an Ethernet port looks like more of a marketing / pricing decision vs. a technical one. Although you shouldn't need it, having one might provide a nice "security blanket" that would make potential HomePlug networkers less hesitant to take the plunge. Maybe we'll see this in the next round of designs?

Powerline / Ethernet bridge requirement - Since the 2521's wired interface is HomePlug only, most 2521 customers will need to also add a Powerline / Ethernet bridge to their shopping cart. Although only one is needed, this (presently) $75 - $80 cost might be seen as a HomePlug "tax" by some networkers, giving the cost advantage to Ethernet-based APs.

Building the HomePlug interface right into a router would be one way to minimize the incremental cost - a strategy that Siemens appears to be taking. The HomePlug.org website lists the 2510 Powerline wired and 2524 Powerline Wireless routers, which will probably be announced during next week's CES 2003 show.

Cost - Although most on-line retailers are showing a going rate of about $130, at least one has the 2521 for $98. This is about the same range as Ethernet-based APs. So if you shop carefully, you shouldn't end up paying a premium.

Features - The Ethernet APs presently definitely have the advantage, providing wireless bridging, MAC Address Association controls, and the ability to attach higher-gain antennas, depending on the product. But I'd expect to see more AP features added as Intellon / Siemens comes up the wireless learning curve, closing, or at least narrowing the gap.

So what's my bottom line? I think the 2521's wireless portion performs surprisingly well for such a small AP (with single printed-circuit antenna). Although the powerline interface will limit throughput in typical residential installations, you probably won't notice it unless you have multiple wireless users doing large file transfers to LAN-based clients.

But let me put it another way. I was excited about the product when I first heard about it, and am still enthusiastic after putting it through its paces. I think it will change the way that small wireless networks are built and be the "killer app" that brings HomePlug technology into widespread use. How's that for a prediction to kick off 2003?