Phonex NeverWire 14 (TwinPack)

Reviews: Networking

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Kurtis Kronk
Brian
Phonex
Jun. 12, 2003

The Box

When I got the box from Fedex, it was on fire... Okay, it wasn't on fire, but it was from Fedex. Anyways, I opened the box and found inside the NeverWire 14 TwinPack wrapped in plastic and surrounded by peanuts. When I took the TwinPack out of the box, I realized how attractive the box was, and saw that Phonex put some thought into the box as well. The box contains tons of information including package contents, specifications, a tech-support #, features, and an explanation of how the NeverWire 14 works (which I have included in the next section). When you open the packages you will find a NeverWire 14 unit, ethernet cable, power cable, user quide, quick start guide, and registration card inside each. The NeverWire 14 is a stylish looking product, but the design is a bit strange. The LED indicators and the cables should be on opposite sides of the device, but instead they did something else that didnt work too well... It still works, but it looks a little funny having the LED indicators on the top. I personally think it would look a lot better if the LEDs were in the front along with the Diag. and Sec. buttons.

Sorry for so many pics at once... they didn't really fit anywhere else.

How Does Powerline Work? (info courtesy of Phonex)

Because most data communication is electrical in nature, data communication can also be sent via standard electrical wiring. Powerline technology takes advantage of the unused bandwidth of the electrical wiring in the home. The NeverWire 14 power cord plugs into the electrical outlet and draws power for the device. At the same time, it sends data signals down the same power cord. A second NeverWire 14 device can then be placed on any electrical outlet in the home to receive the signal. Now any Ethernet device (internet cable / DSL modem or another computer) can connect to the NeverWire 14 Ethernet port and create a home network!

So what does all that mean? Basically, before Powerline technology evolved, you were required to either use extremely long ethernet cables to connect computers to a network, or you could connect using wireless technology as I do. These methods work, but they have their faults. Long ethernet cables connectiong computers to a network is the fastest and cheapest way to set up a network, but wires can be messy. Wireless has its faults as well. In some areas of your home you may have little to no connection using wireless, similar to the way cell phones can't get a signal in some areas. Wireless usually is a good solution, but it is also much slower than wired connections. With the NeverWire 14, you can connect without cluttering wires with less of a speed loss than with wireless solutions. The downside to the NeverWire 14 is that it can get expensive fast if you are setting up a network between multiple computers. This is because in many cases, such as mine, your ISP limits the number of computers that can be connected to the cable / DSL without the use of a router. You may have to buy a router with as many connections as you need, and then you will have to get several NeverWire 14 units depending on how many computers you want to connect. Powerline technology is great, but since it is new it is still quite expensive. Some competitors offer similar products with built in routers so that you don't have to make a separate purchase. I would like to see a new version of this product that eliminates the need for purchasing a router. Anyhow, time to put this product to the test!

Using the NeverWire 14

To test the NeverWire 14, I tried hooking it up as shown in the user quide, but that didn't work because my ISP limits the number of connections to the cable modem. To bypass this I had to use my Linksys Router which happens to be wireless. You do not need a wireless router to hook up several computers to the network using NeverWire 14, but you will probably need a plain one. I suggest a Linksys 4-port router like the one here if you need 4 computers or less to be networked. If you need more than that I suggest an 8-port Linksys router which can be found here. Both Brian and I tested the NeverWire 14 (He has DSL, I have Cable), and we both needed a router to hook up multiple computers via the NeverWire 14. To get a better idea of a few setup options, check out the diagram below, courtesy of Phonex (with a little touch-up by me).

If you can't get yours working, I recommend looking at the extensive user guide included with the NeverWire 14. Some common user errors that may give you a little trouble when installing are... Make sure before you connect the NeverWire 14 that you turn off everything including the computer, cable modem, router, etc... Also make sure that you have the HUB <-> PC switch on the right setting. Before switching between HUB and PC, make sure to turn off everything again, or you will freeze your computer up and potentially lose unsaved data. Another mistake you may make is plugging the NeverWire into a power strip. You must plug the NeverWire directly into the wall, it will not work if you plug it into a power strip.

There are also feature such as diagnostics and security that the user guide can help you figure out. Using these features requires holding down X button for Y amount of seconds, etc. so you will want to hold on to the user guide, don't lose it. If you get to a point where you are just frustrated and can't figure out how to get your NeverWire 14 up and working, you can call toll-free tech support @ (800) 257-0601. On to the testing!

Testing

I compared my 802.11b Wireless connection with the NeverWire 14 Powerline connection in 4 different areas in my house using my ISPs speed test (http://www.satx.rr.com/support/speedtest/da.html) and of course, clearing my cache after each test. First off, I tested my desktop when connected directly to my cable modem, and got a max of 3838.2 Kbps (Kilobits / second). This means that if either the wireless of powerline connection is 100%, it should test at 3838.2 Kbps. The NeverWire 14 can go up to 14 Mbps (Megabits / second) and my WAP can go up to 10 Mbps. However, due to the fact that there is a cap on my upstream and downstream, it will never exceed ~3838.2 Kbps. Anyways, now that we know the max speed in my situation, I went ahead and tested the wireless and Powerline connections in 4 locations inside my house, indicated by the letters A, B, C, and D. The First location, A, is in the same room as my WAP and NeverWire 'hub'. B is directly accross my house. C is directly downstairs from the router / NeverWire 'hub'. D is downstairs and across the house, directly under test location B. As you will see in the chart, the results are a bit random, but that is just the nature of Wireless and Powerline connections. Enough talking, the results speak for themselves...

Conclusion

Overall this is a great networking solution, but it is a shame that most people will need a router to setup multiple computers. The price is fair for this product, but the fact that you have to invest in a router as well as the NeverWire units makes it not as affordable as other solutions such as wireless. All in all, if you are looking for a wire-free solution with great transfer speeds, I recommend the NeverWire 14, specifically the TwinPack, priced at ~$190.00 + cost of a router if needed.

Pros

Innovative product utilizing existing powerline technology
Better speeds than wireless
Up to 14 Mbits / second
Very helpful user guide & quick start guide
Free tech support 24/7

Cons

Not most affordable solution
No integrated hub
Physical design could be better

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7 User Comments

1 - Posted by handrail on June 12, 2003 - 9:15 am

yes, but can it mince badgers?

cool idea. luckily our apartment is about 6 feet wide so networking isn't a big problem.

nice bit of testing there. i especially like the graph of connection speeds from various places in your house. no tests from the bathroom though :( .

2 - Posted by Kurtis on June 12, 2003 - 9:38 am

lolol bathroom. Who needs a comp there :P

3 - Posted by Brian on June 12, 2003 - 2:03 pm

Did we already forget the wired portapotty?

4 - Posted by Kurtis on June 12, 2003 - 2:24 pm

hehehe. i wanna review one of those ;)

5 - Posted by knucks on June 12, 2003 - 8:16 pm

ofcourse you need a pc in the bathroom..what were you thinkin! haha

6 - Posted by handrail on June 13, 2003 - 10:53 am

i think the best thing about a pc in the wc would be that you can IM your friends while pooping. or surf the web while pooping. or..well, doing anything while pooping would be prettycool.

7 - Posted by knucks on June 13, 2003 - 12:37 pm

or erm..yeh you know what im hinting at. *wink wink nudge nudge*

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