How Phone-line Networking Works

How Phone-line Networking Works

Phone-line networking is one of several ways to connect the computers in your home. If your computers are in different rooms, then phone-line networking could be a good solution for you.

Be sure to read How Home Networking Works, which provides information about configuring your computers, routers and firewalls, Ethernet networking and sharing an Internet connection. There are also articles about power-line networking and wireless networking. By the time you finish this series of articles, you'll be able to choose a network technology that suits your needs and then configure the whole thing!

HomePNA Technology

HomePNA uses a method known as frequency-division multiplexing (FDM). FDM puts computer data on separate frequencies from the voice signals being carried by the phone line. FDM separates the extra signal space on a typical phone line into distinct data channels by splitting it into uniform chunks of bandwidth. To better understand FDM, think of radio stations -- each station sends its signal at a different frequency within the available band.

In HomePNA, voice and data travel on the same wires without interfering with each other. In fact, a standard phone line has enough room to support voice, a high-speed DSL modem and a home phone-line network.

How to Install HomePNA

If you decide that HomePNA is best for you, here are the basic steps:

• Buy a kit, making sure you have a HomePNA card or external adapter for each computer in your home.
• Install the hardware (internal card or external adapter).
• Plug the included cable into the hardware and into the phone jack.
• Install the software.

There are a few things you should keep in mind when you set up a HomePNA network. First, most analog communication devices, such as telephones and fax machines, create signal noise. Think of signal noise as debris on a major highway. A little debris probably won't affect traffic, but a lot of it could slow down or even stop traffic in one or more lanes. If you install a HomePNA network and your computers have trouble communicating, try inserting a low-pass filter between any phones or fax machines and their respective jacks. The low-pass filter will block noise without impeding the performance of your fax or phone. You can find these filters at most electronics stores.