Want to network your home office or business? Your first thought is wireless, and it's definitely an option. On the other hand, if you have the courage, you can crawl under the floorboards and drag wires from room to room, or pull the cable through the ceiling.

There's a third alternative: Use your electrical wiring. The idea, known as HomePlug AV, is that you use power lines to move anything you'd normally transfer through a network -- data files, movies, TV and HDTV, music -- whatever. (You can learn about networks over power lines at the HomePlug Powerline Alliance.)

Actiontec's MegaPlug AV 200 Ethernet

What's Cool About HomePlug AV
The advantage over traditional Ethernet cabling is, of course, that HomePlug AV is easier to install (well, duh), and with a throughput speed of the 200 Mega bits per second, faster than Ethernet's 100 Mbps. The other problems you can avoid are the inherent WiFi hassles of range and dead spots.

I tried Actiontec's recently released MegaPlug AV 200 Mbps Ethernet Adapter Kit. Each PC, notebook, or other device you're planning to network needs a single adapter. The adapter is 2.25 inches wide, 3.25 inches tall, and about 2 inches thick. You can add up to 16 devices, way more than I'd ever need at Bass World headquarters. The kit comes with two MegaPlug Ethernet adapters, two Ethernet cables, and CDs with drivers. It costs a little over $130 on PC World's Product Finder.

The adapters plug right into an electric outlet

I Have a Concern
The first thing I worried about was if it'd work with my existing network. The answer is yes -- you can add an adapter to any wired or wireless broadband router on a system using Windows 2000, XP, or Vista. By the way, the HomePlug standard has a 128-bit AES security to prevent neighbors (not you, Harry) from plugging into your bandwidth.

The other concern I had was how the MegaPlug gear would work in my office that's loaded with uninterruptible power supplies and filtered power strips. I worried that these devices -- or any device emitting an RF signal -- would have an impact on the MegaPlug units. It turns out that nothing seemed to bother the MegaPlug device. However, according to the Actiontec engineers, it's best if the MegaPlug devices are connected to wall outlets. Nonetheless, they can be plugged into a heavy-duty extension cord that's connected to the wall outlet; essentially, they'll work everywhere except in isolated, filtered, or suppressed outlets.

Overall, I was able to add two MegaPlug adapters to my existing wired network in about 20 minutes and it worked as expected. Talkback
I'm curious -- if you don't already have a network, would you consider a HomePlug device -- or add one to a wired or wireless setup?