Powerline Ethernet - How is the security?

[jkroeder]

Rather than googling and finding outdated info, can anyone describe what the security is like for powerline adapters nowadays?

I have a pair of Trendnet TPL-308E adapters which supports 128-bit AES encryption. Once you plug them in and allow them to sync, the connection between them should be encrypted. If I hit the sync button, it should allow me to re-sync and set a different encryption key IIRC.

Now I'm sure it gets more in depth than this but I've heard stories of being able to access neighboring networks that also use powerline adapters. Obviously, I would want to prevent anyone else from accessing my network.

How safe are these nowadays?

Thanks!

 

[Fardringle]

The only way your powerline equipment (or your neighbors') would be able to see each other is if multiple homes are on the same electrical circuit. That might be possible in a joined residence (like an apartment or duplex) but not in normal single family homes.

 

[JoeMcJoe]

Houses/buildings that share transformers allow the transmission of ethernet over powerlines between houses. I have seen it.

But the modules have security enabled, they're fine.

 

[jkroeder]

Thanks for the clarification!

I guess the only thing is that it can be hard to tell if security is enabled. It's not as if there's a seperate indicator light that tells you. For some powerline adapters, you can install software on a computer but other than that, you just have to assume it's enabled as far as I can tell.

 

[Engineer]

The only way your powerline equipment (or your neighbors') would be able to see each other is if multiple homes are on the same electrical circuit. That might be possible in a joined residence (like an apartment or duplex) but not in normal single family homes.

I've seen many homes with feed lines coming from the same pole transformer. I don't think this is as unusual as you would think, especially in groups of homes in rural areas.

 

[azazel1024]

I've seen many homes with feed lines coming from the same pole transformer. I don't think this is as unusual as you would think, especially in groups of homes in rural areas.

You also have a certain amount of coupling ACROSS the transformer, though it does do significant filtering and you'd probably need something on the scale of NSA level tech to pull data off even an unencrypted powerline network across the transformer.

I don't know that it uses the same standards as WPS to do the linking, but if so, about as secure as WPS...which is not very. I would think and assume after the link is done, it would be fairly secure.

I would think.

 

[mirageracerx]

use the encryption if you are worried about it.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

use the encryption if you are worried about it.

This. You can set up encryption keys and use multiple powerline networks in the same wiring, just like you can have multiple wireless networks in the same airspace.

The fact that I've never gotten a powerline network to work well or reliably is... well, yeah.