April 6, 2007 -- Adding to its family of HomePlug-compatible products, SMC has introduced its EZ Connect 200Mbps Powerline AV Hybrid Ethernet Adapter (SMCHPAVH-ETH).
Intended for building or extending home networks optimized for applications such as video, VoIP, and broadband access sharing, the adapter can transmit signals over ordinary AC electrical cabling using existing electrical outlets, as well as over coaxial cabling that's in place for cable service applications.
Compatible with the HomePlug AV/1.0 and 1.1 specifications, as well as with existing SMC HomePlug Turbo and 14 Mbit/sec devices, the adapter supports as many as 16 Powerline devices on a single network, while employing auto-sensing and rate-adaptive technology to ensure that connections maintain the highest possible performance.
According to SMC, with 200 Mbit/sec data rates at the physical layer and an average throughput of 70 - 100 Mbit/sec over power lines, and even higher over coaxial network cabling, the devices feature built-in encryption and are suitable for video transfer, IPTV and high data rate broadband sharing applications. Customers simply plug one SMCHPAVH-ETH into an AC outlet near a router or a broadband device, and plug other SMCHPAVH-ETH adapters into outlets near any other devices the customer wants to network.
Available in May 2007, the adapter carries an MSRP of $99.