Data-Over-Mains: Netgear recalls 82,000 powerline Ethernet adaptors

A report on the Register Hardware website says that Netgear UK are recalling 82,000 of their Data-Over-Mains ethernet adaptors due to potential overheating issues.

Data-Over-Mains devices have raised serious concerns over the pollution they can cause to the HF Radio Spectrum, a precious natural resource.

Personal Computer World magazine has said: "Mains wiring acts as an aerial when passing radio-frequency data signals and, as we have reported before there are fears about the cummulative effect in cities if the technology gets taken up on the same scale as WiFi."

The following extract is from Tony Smiths report at http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/01/25/
netgear_recalls_powerline_adaptors/

Netgear UK has asked anyone who owns and uses its XE103 85Mb/s powerline Ethernet adaptor to send them back - all 82,000 of the ones that it's sold here and elsewhere in Europe.

The XE103 adaptor allows you to connect networked devices over mains power wiring rather than standard Ethernet cables. They're based on the HomePlug Turbo powerline standard.

All well and good, but Netgear this month admitted there's a possibility that one of the adaptor's chips can break down. That would not only stop the unit from working, which is bad enough, but could also cause it to overheat and, potentially, cause a fire.

That said, Netgear hasn't come across any instance where this has happened, and it described the recall as a precautionary measure.

Register Hardware website
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/

Data over mains in Personal Computer World magazine http://www.southgatearc.org/news/october2007/
data_over_mains.htm

NATO releases major report on effects of Power Line Communications http://www.southgatearc.org/news/september2007/
nato_bpl_report.htm

Netgear Press Release
http://www.netgear.com/upload/landing/recall_powerline/
recall_xe103_pressrelease.pdf