Phonex Neverwire USB - Articles / Reviews

Reviews: Networking

Phonex Neverwire USB

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Richard Poelling
Kurtis
Phonex
Apr. 17, 2004

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Final Analysis

After all these results have been tabulated and graphed, the question still remains as to how well the NeverWire USB actually performs. Obviously, the best way to find out is to use it on a daily basis, so that is what I did. I used the USB to do all my daily tasks; these included standard web browsing, checking email, and online games. I had no problem doing anything, and never really noticed any difference between the NeverWire USB and my standard 100Mb connection. This really is not a surprise, since most of these tasks require the use of my Internet connection which is, of course, the slowest link. To determine how slow, I ran several speed tests that were readily available on the Internet. These included CNET, one from bandwidthplace.com, and MaxSpeed. I obviously received different information from each of these tests, but they all fell within the range of 1.5 to 3.0 Mbps. Therefore, a transfer rate of 5 Mbps for the Phonex will never show a lag with my connection.

The only problem I had with the NeverWire USB speed was transferring large amounts of data to another machine. This difference was noticeable. For approximately 400 MB of data, the USB connection took approximately 44 minutes. The 100Mb FastEthernet connection only took 10 minutes.

The Neverwire line of products also includes use of encryption methods to secure your data back and forth. Unlike a standard Cat5 network, the Powerline network extends out to a great many more places. It would therefore be possible to snoop someone's network from next door, similar to war driving with a wireless card. The encryption is 56-bit DES and is activated by default on the NeverWire 14. The USB portion utilizes the installed software to set the password. Changing passwords is easy and straightforward, like any good security measure should be.

Conclusion

I will admit that I am a bit of a network snob. If it isn't 100Mb, why bother! But after using the NeverWire, I have changed my opinion of "other" networking options. For the 1% of users that transfer large files from machine to machine, the NeverWire may be too slow. To the other 99% of people out there who just use their Internet connection and maybe print over a network, then the NeverWire will solve your cabling woes. The price on the USB unit alone is $80 and with the addition of the Neverwire 14 at $109, this type of solution can get pricey. But, if you are looking into wireless, or having a contractor do Cat5 wiring, then this solution does fall well into those price ranges.

Pros

No extra wiring needed
Straightforward installation
Software and USB device were very stable
Frees up your networking possibilities
56-bit DES Encryption

Cons

Not best choice for transferring large files
Can't use a surge suppressor
Expensive
Requires a router to share internet connection

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Page 4 of 4

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Page 1: Introduction
Page 2: Opening the Box, Initial Setup & Network Setup
Page 3: Testing
Page 4: Final Analysis & Conclusion

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3 User Comments

1 - Posted by A Person on April 17, 2004 - 11:51 pm

I decided to try this technology out back in December so I bought the Gigafast Homeplug products. Well, after I bought the stuff I realized that the software doesn't support windoze 98, and considering that I have 2 win98 boxes this was a big disapointment. After setting up the rest of the computers I was informed by the Gigafast software that my power lines were poor quality and I was only going to be able to get 1Mb/s max. So I returned the stuff and went with 802.11g.

I have a feeling, based on my experience with Gigafast in the past, that my house (built in the 80's) does not have that bad of power lines. Hopefully anyone who uses Phonex has a better experience with them than I did with Gigafast.

Eventhough I sound bitter, am really happy I ended up going with wireless; the bandwidth is higher than my ISP can ever provide me and my few wireless devices work everywhere in my house.

2 - Posted by Kurtis on April 18, 2004 - 12:24 am

i have an 802.11b wireless network in my house and i love it. no regrets. i'd upgrade to 802.11g, but i don't really need to so I'll save myself the $ for now heh

3 - Posted by Rich on April 18, 2004 - 4:33 pm

I was worried that I might have problems with the wiring in my house. The house (and wiring) is circa 1968. I have fuses, not the circuit breakers that are found in most modern construction, and only 100 Amp service instead of 200 Amp. Why I haven't blown more fuses than I have is still beyond me. Amazingly, when you look at the graphs in the review, you can see that entire house has no problems. I am still looking at implementing a wireless solution in my home, yet have not settled on one yet. The biggest problem with the Phonex was finding a free plug to plug into. For some reason most of my wall outlets are full already. :P

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