Comments on: Netgear Powerline AV Ethernet Adapter Review http://the-gadgeteer.com/2009/03/20/netgear-powerline-av-ethernet-adapter-review/ Gadget reviews and news by Julie Strietelmeier and friends since 1997 Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:50:51 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: KevinA http://the-gadgeteer.com/2009/03/20/netgear-powerline-av-ethernet-adapter-review/comment-page-1/#comment-60738 KevinA Sat, 17 Apr 2010 16:22:09 +0000 http://the-gadgeteer.com/?p=13325#comment-60738 I have a similar problem to that discussed...a need for in-home connectivity where wireless and running an ethernet cable are not viable solutions. I am considering the Netgear Powerline AV Ethernet solution. My concern is I know that my router and the DVR device I would like to connect are on different power circuits (to Jackie's comment, I have a one power panel home). Can anyone confirm that this product will work across the two circuits? Thanks! I have a similar problem to that discussed…a need for in-home connectivity where wireless and running an ethernet cable are not viable solutions. I am considering the Netgear Powerline AV Ethernet solution. My concern is I know that my router and the DVR device I would like to connect are on different power circuits (to Jackie’s comment, I have a one power panel home). Can anyone confirm that this product will work across the two circuits? Thanks!

]]> By: PLC-Geek http://the-gadgeteer.com/2009/03/20/netgear-powerline-av-ethernet-adapter-review/comment-page-1/#comment-50925 PLC-Geek Wed, 09 Dec 2009 06:59:41 +0000 http://the-gadgeteer.com/?p=13325#comment-50925 Based on the commonly advertised throughputs of most PLC adapters, they mentioned that the PLC adapters can goes up to 200Mbps (throughput), but in reality (put into real usage) the throughput could hardly reach 1/2 the theoretical limits of 200Mbps. This is due to the technology or innovation of PLC is not perfected yet, until recently Cal-Lab may have found the answers to his decade long issues on most PLC performance throughput. With the Cal-Lab innovation i.e. add-on to the existing plc adapters, it acts as a booster to boost up the throughput to 150Mbps! We have tested it in actual usage (not lab test, actual testing done in the normal office environment). Even though with noises induced into the powerline, appliances like hair drier, vacuum cleaner, power drill, hand phone charger turn on at the same time; the throughput would remains quite constant at around 150Mbps! This add on to the existing powerline adapter will also act as a lightning isolator (indirect surges from the lightning), where many said is not possible. Check it out, this innovation may one day flourish the PLC adapters usage worldwide. Cheers & Merry Christmas to all! Based on the commonly advertised throughputs of most PLC adapters, they mentioned that the PLC adapters can goes up to 200Mbps (throughput), but in reality (put into real usage) the throughput could hardly reach 1/2 the theoretical limits of 200Mbps. This is due to the technology or innovation of PLC is not perfected yet, until recently Cal-Lab may have found the answers to his decade long issues on most PLC performance throughput. With the Cal-Lab innovation i.e. add-on to the existing plc adapters, it acts as a booster to boost up the throughput to 150Mbps! We have tested it in actual usage (not lab test, actual testing done in the normal office environment). Even though with noises induced into the powerline, appliances like hair drier, vacuum cleaner, power drill, hand phone charger turn on at the same time; the throughput would remains quite constant at around 150Mbps! This add on to the existing powerline adapter will also act as a lightning isolator (indirect surges from the lightning), where many said is not possible. Check it out, this innovation may one day flourish the PLC adapters usage worldwide.

Cheers & Merry Christmas to all!

]]> By: Kevin K. http://the-gadgeteer.com/2009/03/20/netgear-powerline-av-ethernet-adapter-review/comment-page-1/#comment-38283 Kevin K. Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:29:44 +0000 http://the-gadgeteer.com/?p=13325#comment-38283 I just bought this kit and it works out of the box in my house though I've only placed them on the second floor so far. The throughput was easily comparable to what I'd expect from a CAT-5 cable directly strung down the hall and a lot better than what we have been getting on Wi-Fi. A couple of issues though: 1) The RF interference from the one in my office (the one that's connected to my router) is pretty bad especially on AM and shortwave. Renders my shortwave receivers almost useless such that I'll have to use them in a different room from now on. 2) An additional unit can't simply be plugged into the wall and connect. I had to have an actual device plugged in before it would even turn on. I used a laptop. I was hoping I could plug it in, connect it to the network via the security button on the unit or via the configuration utility but the additional units were not seen at all until I ALSO plugged a device into them. 3) The set up for additional units was not completely plug and play as the "push the button on one for two seconds and the button on the other one for two seconds within 2 minutes" did not work for one unit after two or three tries. It finally connected on the 4th try. After that, the throughput was fine with no drop outs. Other than these issues, I've got two computers, one XBox and one DirecTV receiver hooked up just fine. I just bought this kit and it works out of the box in my house though I’ve only placed them on the second floor so far. The throughput was easily comparable to what I’d expect from a CAT-5 cable directly strung down the hall and a lot better than what we have been getting on Wi-Fi.

A couple of issues though:

1) The RF interference from the one in my office (the one that’s connected to my router) is pretty bad especially on AM and shortwave. Renders my shortwave receivers almost useless such that I’ll have to use them in a different room from now on.

2) An additional unit can’t simply be plugged into the wall and connect. I had to have an actual device plugged in before it would even turn on. I used a laptop. I was hoping I could plug it in, connect it to the network via the security button on the unit or via the configuration utility but the additional units were not seen at all until I ALSO plugged a device into them.

3) The set up for additional units was not completely plug and play as the “push the button on one for two seconds and the button on the other one for two seconds within 2 minutes” did not work for one unit after two or three tries. It finally connected on the 4th try. After that, the throughput was fine with no drop outs.

Other than these issues, I’ve got two computers, one XBox and one DirecTV receiver hooked up just fine.

]]> By: wivenhoe http://the-gadgeteer.com/2009/03/20/netgear-powerline-av-ethernet-adapter-review/comment-page-1/#comment-32230 wivenhoe Wed, 25 Mar 2009 00:47:50 +0000 http://the-gadgeteer.com/?p=13325#comment-32230 Shkermaker I suppose nothing is ever straightforward, I stream 720p H264 encoded films from my nas downstairs via a netgear plug to another netgear plug upstairs connected to a d-link media player etc. I must admit that 1080p does start to stutter, but in my case I don't think that I can get the data out fast enough from the nas. Also the state of wiring in my house may well be different (house is 10yrs old), the netgear config tool shows above 114Mbs as the lowest value on the 4 devices I have, but has shown lower values when other devices are using the electrical circuits, especially washing machine? In my situation they seem to work, so I'll touch some wood and not complain about the 1080p issue. Shkermaker

I suppose nothing is ever straightforward, I stream 720p H264 encoded films from my nas downstairs via a netgear plug to another netgear plug upstairs connected to a d-link media player etc.

I must admit that 1080p does start to stutter, but in my case I don’t think that I can get the data out fast enough from the nas.

Also the state of wiring in my house may well be different (house is 10yrs old), the netgear config tool shows above 114Mbs as the lowest value on the 4 devices I have, but has shown lower values when other devices are using the electrical circuits, especially washing machine?

In my situation they seem to work, so I’ll touch some wood and not complain about the 1080p issue.

]]> By: Shkermaker http://the-gadgeteer.com/2009/03/20/netgear-powerline-av-ethernet-adapter-review/comment-page-1/#comment-32214 Shkermaker Tue, 24 Mar 2009 17:03:05 +0000 http://the-gadgeteer.com/?p=13325#comment-32214 @Bill, Yeah, the linksys ones i had were but they just wouldnt give me the speed necessary to stream HD movies from my Mac upstairs to my Apple TV downstairs. I ended up just getting a mac mini :-) @Bill,

Yeah, the linksys ones i had were but they just wouldnt give me the speed necessary to stream HD movies from my Mac upstairs to my Apple TV downstairs. I ended up just getting a mac mini :-)

]]> By: Bill http://the-gadgeteer.com/2009/03/20/netgear-powerline-av-ethernet-adapter-review/comment-page-1/#comment-32184 Bill Tue, 24 Mar 2009 01:44:45 +0000 http://the-gadgeteer.com/?p=13325#comment-32184 Shkermaker, Are your units Homeplug AV compatible, as the units I reviewed? Theoretically, max throughput is 200Mbps. However, if your units are Homeplug 1 or 2 compatible units the throughput is much lower. Also, there are several non-standard powerline adapters that have varying throughput rates. Panasonic comes to mind. Shkermaker,

Are your units Homeplug AV compatible, as the units I reviewed? Theoretically, max throughput is 200Mbps. However, if your units are Homeplug 1 or 2 compatible units the throughput is much lower. Also, there are several non-standard powerline adapters that have varying throughput rates. Panasonic comes to mind.

]]> By: Shkermaker http://the-gadgeteer.com/2009/03/20/netgear-powerline-av-ethernet-adapter-review/comment-page-1/#comment-32174 Shkermaker Mon, 23 Mar 2009 21:37:13 +0000 http://the-gadgeteer.com/?p=13325#comment-32174 @wivenhoe Didnt say they dont work at all, just not very good. Got them off amazon and tried 3 different manufacturers (Linksys, Netgear and Poweline(?) ) but they run at lower speeds if they are on different levels. If i used them on the same level, they worked excellent but they are absolutely useless for streaming as they only work at max 4mbps. For normal internet usage, this is ok since most ISPs (bar Virgin) in the UK dont offer much higher than this speed and it would not be noticeable. So, if you only want them for Internet browsing or gaming - would seriously consider them, but they are very poor for streaming music or video @wivenhoe

Didnt say they dont work at all, just not very good. Got them off amazon and tried 3 different manufacturers (Linksys, Netgear and Poweline(?) ) but they run at lower speeds if they are on different levels. If i used them on the same level, they worked excellent but they are absolutely useless for streaming as they only work at max 4mbps. For normal internet usage, this is ok since most ISPs (bar Virgin) in the UK dont offer much higher than this speed and it would not be noticeable.

So, if you only want them for Internet browsing or gaming – would seriously consider them, but they are very poor for streaming music or video

]]> By: wivenhoe http://the-gadgeteer.com/2009/03/20/netgear-powerline-av-ethernet-adapter-review/comment-page-1/#comment-32156 wivenhoe Mon, 23 Mar 2009 09:29:50 +0000 http://the-gadgeteer.com/?p=13325#comment-32156 Strange, I live in the uk and have these devices upstairs and down (separate ring mains) and never had a problem. Signal should simply pass upto the consumer unit (main fuse box) and effectively pass onto the other ring mains. This has been such a good solution for me, that family and friends also use these devices and yes they work across both floors for them as well. Strange, I live in the uk and have these devices upstairs and down (separate ring mains) and never had a problem.

Signal should simply pass upto the consumer unit (main fuse box) and effectively pass onto the other ring mains.

This has been such a good solution for me, that family and friends also use these devices and yes they work across both floors for them as well.

]]> By: Shkermaker http://the-gadgeteer.com/2009/03/20/netgear-powerline-av-ethernet-adapter-review/comment-page-1/#comment-32112 Shkermaker Sun, 22 Mar 2009 14:25:35 +0000 http://the-gadgeteer.com/?p=13325#comment-32112 I have tried these before - they dont work if the circuits are different levels of the house. Dont know if this is the same situation for the US but its a killer in the UK where upstairs and downstairs are on a different ring main I have tried these before – they dont work if the circuits are different levels of the house. Dont know if this is the same situation for the US but its a killer in the UK where upstairs and downstairs are on a different ring main

]]> By: Jackie http://the-gadgeteer.com/2009/03/20/netgear-powerline-av-ethernet-adapter-review/comment-page-1/#comment-32074 Jackie Sat, 21 Mar 2009 17:24:58 +0000 http://the-gadgeteer.com/?p=13325#comment-32074 @ Bruce: Remember to plug it directly into the wall outlet. DO NOT plug into a surge protector or UPS because those will degrade the signal. And the UPS will try to filter out the "noise" aka the data stream. @ Bruce:

Remember to plug it directly into the wall outlet. DO NOT plug into a surge protector or UPS because those will degrade the signal. And the UPS will try to filter out the “noise” aka the data stream.

]]> By: Bill http://the-gadgeteer.com/2009/03/20/netgear-powerline-av-ethernet-adapter-review/comment-page-1/#comment-32066 Bill Sat, 21 Mar 2009 15:04:48 +0000 http://the-gadgeteer.com/?p=13325#comment-32066 Bruce, I have a 2,800 sq ft home built in 1974 and as you can see from the screen shot, I'm getting very good throughput. Have you tried using different outlets? It is curious. Bruce,

I have a 2,800 sq ft home built in 1974 and as you can see from the screen shot, I’m getting very good throughput. Have you tried using different outlets? It is curious.

]]> By: Steve http://the-gadgeteer.com/2009/03/20/netgear-powerline-av-ethernet-adapter-review/comment-page-1/#comment-32064 Steve Sat, 21 Mar 2009 09:25:21 +0000 http://the-gadgeteer.com/?p=13325#comment-32064 Bill, Great. Off to the shops I go. Steve Bill,

Great. Off to the shops I go.

Steve

]]> By: Bruce http://the-gadgeteer.com/2009/03/20/netgear-powerline-av-ethernet-adapter-review/comment-page-1/#comment-32053 Bruce Sat, 21 Mar 2009 05:24:41 +0000 http://the-gadgeteer.com/?p=13325#comment-32053 I have 4 of them. They don't stream very well for me and I live in an 1,800 sq ft home built in 2006. They certainly don't stream HD video. Mine don't get more than 38 Mbps. I have 4 of them. They don’t stream very well for me and I live in an 1,800 sq ft home built in 2006. They certainly don’t stream HD video. Mine don’t get more than 38 Mbps.

]]> By: Bill http://the-gadgeteer.com/2009/03/20/netgear-powerline-av-ethernet-adapter-review/comment-page-1/#comment-32048 Bill Sat, 21 Mar 2009 03:44:33 +0000 http://the-gadgeteer.com/?p=13325#comment-32048 Steve, It is hooked up to my wireless router via one of the 4 ethernet ports. I also was a little skeptical. That's why I bought it at a store with a good return policy. I'm very happy with the results and the choppy video is history. Just watched a recorded episode of HOUSE. Not a stumble or dropped pixel. Steve,

It is hooked up to my wireless router via one of the 4 ethernet ports. I also was a little skeptical. That’s why I bought it at a store with a good return policy. I’m very happy with the results and the choppy video is history. Just watched a recorded episode of HOUSE. Not a stumble or dropped pixel.

]]> By: Jackie http://the-gadgeteer.com/2009/03/20/netgear-powerline-av-ethernet-adapter-review/comment-page-1/#comment-32043 Jackie Sat, 21 Mar 2009 03:07:36 +0000 http://the-gadgeteer.com/?p=13325#comment-32043 @ Bri@n: No problems with it between XP and OSX. The only thing I suggest is that these powerline units works best if both ends (router side and pc side) are on the same circuit breaker panel. If you have a huge house with multiple panels then it might not work since the signal always have a hard time jumping the panels. That's the only issue we found with our customers that has a multi-panel house. We also sell the Logitech / wilife powerline security camera system which works just the same as these units. Powerline technology is a nice step forward for people with older houses that aren't wired in every room. I'm sure they will improve on the speed and compression of the data stream in the future. @ Bri@n:

No problems with it between XP and OSX. The only thing I suggest is that these powerline units works best if both ends (router side and pc side) are on the same circuit breaker panel. If you have a huge house with multiple panels then it might not work since the signal always have a hard time jumping the panels. That’s the only issue we found with our customers that has a multi-panel house.

We also sell the Logitech / wilife powerline security camera system which works just the same as these units.

Powerline technology is a nice step forward for people with older houses that aren’t wired in every room. I’m sure they will improve on the speed and compression of the data stream in the future.

]]> By: Bill http://the-gadgeteer.com/2009/03/20/netgear-powerline-av-ethernet-adapter-review/comment-page-1/#comment-32041 Bill Sat, 21 Mar 2009 00:16:06 +0000 http://the-gadgeteer.com/?p=13325#comment-32041 I don't have a MAC, but it shouldn't be an issue. It just replaces your cable. Come to think of it, my media center extender runs linux and it is the reason I bought the powerline kit. Remember, the configuration utility is Windows only. You don't need it though. Bill I don’t have a MAC, but it shouldn’t be an issue. It just replaces your cable. Come to think of it, my media center extender runs linux and it is the reason I bought the powerline kit.

Remember, the configuration utility is Windows only. You don’t need it though.

Bill

]]> By: Bri@n http://the-gadgeteer.com/2009/03/20/netgear-powerline-av-ethernet-adapter-review/comment-page-1/#comment-32040 Bri@n Fri, 20 Mar 2009 23:54:50 +0000 http://the-gadgeteer.com/?p=13325#comment-32040 @ Jackie: Any issues with compatibility across platforms? XP-->OSX? @ Jackie:

Any issues with compatibility across platforms? XP–>OSX?

]]> By: Jackie http://the-gadgeteer.com/2009/03/20/netgear-powerline-av-ethernet-adapter-review/comment-page-1/#comment-32037 Jackie Fri, 20 Mar 2009 22:42:22 +0000 http://the-gadgeteer.com/?p=13325#comment-32037 hehe..cool...I carry those in my store. Works great with all the customers I recommend them to. hehe..cool…I carry those in my store. Works great with all the customers I recommend them to.

]]> By: Steve http://the-gadgeteer.com/2009/03/20/netgear-powerline-av-ethernet-adapter-review/comment-page-1/#comment-32036 Steve Fri, 20 Mar 2009 22:24:08 +0000 http://the-gadgeteer.com/?p=13325#comment-32036 Bill, I have run into exactly the same issue as you having just purchased a linksys extender that provides at best choppy video over my wireless connection. I was looking into this tech too (I don't remember which product), but didn't buy it in the end because the box didn't specify how it could attach to a switcher or router. How does this play with network switches and/or routers with internal ethernet switches? Bill,
I have run into exactly the same issue as you having just purchased a linksys extender that provides at best choppy video over my wireless connection. I was looking into this tech too (I don’t remember which product), but didn’t buy it in the end because the box didn’t specify how it could attach to a switcher or router. How does this play with network switches and/or routers with internal ethernet switches?

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