From Issue #4 , Page #56

Which way is the best when it comes to technology? A look at wired versus wireless technologies.

Options are never a bad thing. And when it comes to home technology, we certainly have a lot of them.

Terms like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Z-Wave, Category 5, and much more are running rampant in the world of technology, but what does it all mean? And does one really crush the powers of another? Let's cut the confusion (and in some cases, the cords), and see when wired or wireless—or both—might make the most sense.

The Hardwired Truth

Getting broadband into the various computers in the home has been the impetus for many homeowners to set up their own networks. For the better part of the '90s, that meant cutting holes in walls and snaking long runs of high-speed wiring, known as Cat 5. This was an expensive retrofit solution, especially if you didn't have the handyman knowledge to attempt the job on your own.

But don't let a little hard work and possible cash flow situation persuade you; hardwired technology is actually well worth the expense. In fact, for some, it really is the only way to get connected. "It's not a question of one or the other," says Ian Hendler, director of business development for Leviton's Integrated Networks division. "The analogy that I like to use is that almost everybody these days has a cordless phone—but in almost all cases, they also have a hardwired phone."

Surely this makes sense: the entire telephone network in you house is hardwired; the cordless phones are actually just an extension of that hardwired network. "Wireless is definitely a benefit," Hendler adds. "I'd recommend it to a lot of people with a few caveats. The role of wireless networking technologies will vary, depending on whether you are retrofitting [installing in an existing home] or doing new construction. The key difference will be what forms the ‘backbone' of the home's network." Of course, wireless may be the only option for some people, but Hendler thinks that it's best used as an "extension" of a wired network.

More new homes are being built with Cat 5E inside (and even Cat 6, see sidebar). Hendler says that one of the biggest benefits of a hardwired computer network is speed. "In the wired realm, the top speed today in most homes using Cat 5 technology is 100 Mbps, also known as ‘fast Ethernet'," he says. Newer systems that are being installed today, where Cat 5E is being used, are capable of 1,000 Mbps, which is known as "Gigabit Ethernet."

It's hard to slow down, when speed is a major factor in multimedia these days. That's right; your home entertainment could be at stake! Both Replay and TiVo digital video recording players have networking capabilities. Other bandwidth-intensive devices are on the way, and will need that speed to survive in today's tech home.

If it's difficult to run Cat 5E everywhere in the home, Hendler suggests a compromise: "At least install a couple of runs of Cat 5E to the fringes in the house and to the middle; then just plug in access points," he suggests. "You'll get great coverage, and you'll have the infrastructure for wireless."

Wireless World

Everyone would love to live in a wired home, but for some, that may never be an option. However, five little numbers have opened the door for everyone to have technology in the home: 802.11 (Wi-Fi).

There are many Wi-Fi skeptics out there. After all, the advertised speed of 802.11 is now up to 54 Mbps. That's a big improvement over its original incarnation (11 Mbps), but in the real world, that speed drops precipitously for several reasons. Advertised speeds are "theoretical maximums." Real world speeds can be quite a bit slower, and will only be as good as the equipment you are using.

The Bluetooth Blues

There are many wireless standards, and believe it or not, Bluetooth has been around since the late '90s. It's basically a short-range method of sending data wirelessly, with a maximum distance of about 30 feet. It's also on the slow side, at about 1 Mbps. As such, it's often seemed like a product in search of a solution.

But uses for Bluetooth are increasingly emerging: like wireless printing, audio, and other small appliances. But for now, it has yet to establish a foothold as a primary component of the typical smart home.

"Bluetooth might not be revolutionizing the world the way everyone thought it would in the short term," says Thomas Morgan, CTO at Worthington Distribution. "But maybe long term it has some real benefits and opportunities."

Good Old X10

Despite all of the newcomers, X10 still leads the pack in powerline control (PLC) technology. But even X10 comes in a variety of flavors. There's the entry-level products sold at places like X10.com and even retail chains like RadioShack. But then there is a slew of professional-grade components that use X10 technology to communicate. The advantage is that those professional-grade products, such as those made by Leviton or Smarthome, are more reliable—but they're more expensive too.

Entry-level X10 has one distinct advantage over other control methods. Because it's built on plug-in modules and radio-frequency-based wireless controllers, it's possible for homeowners to get their feet wet before switching off the circuit breakers and unscrewing electrical wallplates. But once people dip their toes into the X10 pool, they usually are ready to swim the whole channel. "Then you step up to the professional-grade PLC, and a lot of the benefits still hold true," Morgan says. "For one, it's a technology that we know everything about. Any dealer who has spent any time with the technology can very easily look at a home and know whether or not it's going to be a reliable application."

Of course, one reason why we know so much about X10 is because it's about 30 years old. Love it or hate it, it has its fans. But recently, there have been a slew of viable alternatives released.

The Next X10?

One of the most intriguing new technologies is Universal Powerline Bus (UPB), which was developed by Powerline Control Systems. "The beta test was spectacular," Morgan says. "But to me, you can have all the beta test results you want—until I hear paying customers out in the field raving, that to me is really where the rubber meets the road." Morgan says he is waiting for additional applications and for software developers to start discovering UPB. Things may be going slowly, but surely. "I've had absolutely zero support calls to service UPB," he adds. "It's just working."

There is also Z-Wave, which excites a lot of professionals, like Morgan. Unfortunately, there aren't many professional-grade components available yet. However, like the early days of X10, there are plenty of do-it-yourself Z-Wave products popping up on shelves. [For more information on Z-Wave, check out the "Unplugged" section on page 80 in the May/June issue of TechLiving.]

UPB and Z-Wave can coexist in the same home with X10 (and with each other), but Morgan says to the best of his knowledge, there are no bridges available for them to talk to each other. However, there are rumors that some manufacturers will eventually introduce them.

An intriguing new replacement for X10 is debuting in 2005. Smarthome's Insteon has been engineered to be backward-compatible with X10, but capable of doing far more than that venerable technology can do. Anybody who has worked with X10 knows that there have been times where it takes a few tries to get a light to turn on In contrast, Joe Dada, CEO of Smarthome, claims that Insteon will be "highly-reliable, like 99.7 percent or better."

One of the claims that Dada makes is that Insteon allows for sending much more complex data over powerlines than the simple on/off/dim commands of the typical X10 setup. For example, he says that if an Insteon-equipped TV is turned on, it could automatically turn on an A/V receiver and switch it to Dolby surround sound.

All things considered, X10 has served us well for the past three decades. And while numerous competitors have emerged, X10 remains the champ if only because it is is ubiquitous, both in stores and in homes.

Today's HomePlug 1.0 standard isn't quite fast enough for DVD or HD-quality video, but it can handle broadband speeds with aplomb. Not to worry—HomePlug A/V is already on the drawing board. "That's what I think is going to be the next big thing in the no-new-wires realm," Hendler says. And why shouldn't it be—with projected speeds of 100 Mbps over electrical wires.

More Powerline Promises

Aside from Wi-Fi and X10, the HomePlug standard has made transferring data through powerlines very possible. This standard operates at 14.4 Mbps; products vary from manufacturer, making speeds range from .5 Mbps to 14.4 Mbps. When HomePlug AV is introduced next year, expect those speeds to increase.

The patented technology of Intellon forms the basis for HomePlug 1.0 specifications. HomePlug products from companies like Netgear, Belkin, Linksys, D-Link, and SMC Networks are available now through most major electronics retailers. They're very easy to install: just plug it into an outlet, load some software, and you're in the networking business.

The frequencies that these types of products use can seamlessly "pass right through the breaker boxes, ensuring connectivity in greater than 99 percent of all outlet-to-outlet combinations in the home," says Cameron McCaskill, Intellon's VP of sales and business development. "And while powerlines can be very harsh environments from a noise perspective, HomePlug products are able to dance around the noise in the network to ensure connectivity is always on."

Today's HomePlug 1.0 standard isn't quite fast enough for DVD or HD-quality video, but it can handle broadband speeds with aplomb. Not to worry—HomePlug AV is already on the drawing board. "That's what I think is going to be the next big thing in the no-new-wires realm," Hendler says. And why shouldn't it be—with projected speeds of 100 Mbps over electrical wires.

Is Fiber in Your Diet?

Fiber optic cables are used for short runs between digital audio from devices like CD and DVD players and A/V receivers. But it's tough to find a home technology professional who sees a pressing inter-room application for it. Increasingly, twisted-pair wiring, such as Cat 5E, is proving to do just about anything fiber could do.

If you're installing structured wiring, you can purchase a spool of bundled cable that includes a couple of runs of fiber for pretty cheap. If your home currently lacks fiber optic runs, don't sweat it—you'll likely not be missing much for a very long time, if ever.

While wired may still rule the control and networking realms for most consumers and industry pros, there is no denying that wireless is gaining at a rapid pace. The argument of wireless versus wired may never be solved, but there's no denying that there is a connection out there for everyone—regardless of budget, style, size, and your tech capabilities. - Edward B. Driscoll, Jr.

Cat 5e or 6?

Cable manufacturers have been promoting Category 6 wiring as the de facto new standard for data wiring.

But what if you just got Cat 5e or even Cat 5?

Cat 5e has a distinct advantage over Cat 5. The extra "E" stands for enhanced. This version of the high-speed wiring is designed to work with the now-standard 100 Mbps Ethernet, and the newer gigabit Ethernet speeds. And increasingly gigabit Ethernet components are becoming more and more affordable to homeowners. The distance is limited, however, and the throughput may not exceed 400 Mbps.

But with broadband from cable and DSL rarely faster than 3 Mbps, why is gigabit Ethernet starting to take off? "What’s really driving it today is the multimedia content," says Ian Hendler, director of business development for Leviton’s Integrated Networks division. "What a lot of people are doing these days is streaming in the home. For example, you download your music to your main computer, and then you want to stream it around the home. The same with video content."

HDTV-quality video can be streamed over LANs at speeds of starting at about 20 Mbps. That’s faster than most 802.11 wireless networks can handle without significant drag on performance, but well within the range of Cat 5E. So a home that’s equipped with a gigabit Ethernet could easily bounce a variety of HDTV signals around, and still have room to spare for other data.

And while Cat 6’s speed sounds nice in theory, it’s about 50 percent more expensive, and requires special Cat 6-rated jacks. However, Cat 6 will start to filter into more home applications because of its speed potential. The newest Ethernet standard that’s being proposed is 10 GB Ethernet over Cat 6, Hendler says. But for now, it’s just for the commercial market. Speeds like that are still a ways off for the average Joe’s home. So for the foreseeable future, Cat 5E is plenty fast enough to get the job done-and then some.