Digital Home Thoughts: Atheros Offers One Router To Connect Them All

"There are many different power-line kits on the market, such as the Plaster Networks PLN3, the Linksys PLK300, or the Western Digital Livewire. All of them work well but share a few common attributes: you'll need two adapters to make up one power-line connection, and each solution has its own esoteric way for you to set it up and manage it."

When one type of network connection is not enough, and two connections are too slow, Atheros has come to the rescue with a three-media router! While Ethernet and WiFi based routers are common, Powerline is like the forgotten child that never gets invited to parties. Ethernet is fast and reliable, but in an existing home, it can be costly, or impractical to run cable all over. Wireless is really convenient, but data transfer speeds can vary a lot, security might be an issue, and if you are in a densely populated area, you might not get a steady signal at all. Powerline removes the need to lay cable, but depending on your electrical wiring, it might not offer ideal transfer speeds, or see other adapters at all. It does sound like none of these connection types are perfect, and indeed they are not, however, with the option of being able to use all three of them depending on the situation, you increase your chances of getting a satisfactory network.