Belkin 200 Mbps Powerline AV Adapter (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Encouraged by positive reviews, I tried using these to connect two Airport Extreme Base Stations (AEBS) separated by one floor and about 60 feet apart. The AEBSs were set up extend a 802.11n network wirelessly. Connecting them using these powerline adapters made the speed to drop considerably. I tested transferring a 200 MB file: with AEBSs connected wirelessly the transfer rate was about 13Mbs; with powerline adapters it dropped to 2-3Mbs.
I concluded that the wiring inside the house is not suitable for using this technology.
Otherwise, the product seems to be a polished product with easy setup.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Belkin 200 Mbps Powerline AV Adapter (Black)

If you need an ultra-high-speed network connection in the farthest reaches of your home, the Belkin Powerline AV Starter Kit is just what you've been looking for. This kit includes everything you need to create a reliable, high-speed home network providing data speeds of up to 200 Mbps using your house's existing electrical wiring.
The adapter can be plugged directly into the wall or placed on a desk. Streaming Video -- Even In Your Attic With the Belkin Powerline AV Starter Kit, you can send high-bandwidth content from the Internet to computers and network devices all over your home through the electrical wiring in your house. This kit lets you convert any electrical outlet in your home into a network connection.

For instance, if you have a computer in the attic or other room where a wireless signal is weak, the Powerline AV is the perfect solution. You don't need to drill holes to extend your Ethernet cable, and you won't have to worry about the slow data speeds and intermittent dropouts that weak wireless connections are plagued with. Additionally, unlike wireless connections, the Powerline AV network connection isn't affected by factors such as cordless telephones and other wireless interference.

There is no performance penalty that comes with the convenience of the Powerline AV; data speeds along at up to 200 Mbps, meaning it can handle even heavy Internet usage, such as downloading and streaming music and video files, playing online games, and making VoIP phone calls, all without any lag time or hiccups.

Enhanced Security Keeps Out Snoopers There is no need to worry about security either. With 128-bit DES link encryption, the Powerline AV ensures that your information is safe and secure from intruders. Since the information is all transferred with wires, hackers can't simply sniff your information out of the air, as they easily can with insecure wireless connections.

Simple Plug-and-Play Setup Setup is as simple as plugging one adapter into a wall outlet and connecting it into your router, and then plugging a second adapter into any outlet wherever you need a network connection. This kit includes two adapters, so you can create a network within minutes of opening the box. If you have need for another connection, just purchase another adapter.

The Belkin Powerline AV is HomePlug AV certified, can coexist with HomePlug 1.0, and is compliant with 802.3/802.3u standards. It is backed by a lifetime warranty.

What's in the Box Two Powerline Networking Adapters, two Ethernet cables, two power cords, two wall plug adapters, quick installation guide, and CD-ROM with installation software and user manual.



Belkin Powerline AV with Amazon Video on DemandWith Amazon Video on Demand, you can instantly watch thousands of movies and TV shows online. Now, instead of watching videos on your computer, you can stream it to your home theater for a premium viewing experience. To get the best streaming video quality, update your home theater and home network by adding Belkin Powerline AV to your Amazon Video on Demand. Belkin Powerline offers the best bandwidth and fastest speeds for the ultimate video experience in your home--even in HD. Belkin Powerline is simple to install and faster than any wireless connection--just plug it in and instantly connect to the Internet. Use Powerline to stream high quality video to cable boxes, TiVo, or gaming consoles and show Amazon Video on Demand programs in your home theater as well as any other TV or computer in your home.

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Innoband HomePlug AV Wireless N Starter Kit Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The Good: Bridges Ethernet devices and extends Wi-Fi coverage using *existing power lines*. Performance is exceptional.
The Bad: Setup is less than straightforward. Documentation is limited.
The Ugly: The 210P-I1 access point's antenna is poorly designed and fragile.
I purchased this product because Wi-Fi reception in my kitchen (which has a lot of stainless steel cabinets and is far away from our Linksys WRT54G Wireless-G Router) is poor.
Before setting up the Innoband HomePlug Kit, laptop reception in the kitchen was bad but tolerable. However, a Logitech Squeezebox Duet Wi-Fi Internet Radio we purchased recently was unusable. We had to walk out of the kitchen to use the Squeezebox Controller, and the Receiver in the kitchen simply couldn't keep up with the streaming audio. Synching with our older Squeezebox was impossible because both players would cut out for seconds at a time.
When I purchased the HomePlug Kit, I was worried that ethernet over power lines simply wouldn't work or would perform so poorly that it wouldn't be useful. I was also concerned that the 210P-I1 access point would be annoying to configure or incompatible with my 802.11g devices. Finally, I was taking a chance by buying an unreviewed product from a company that I didn't recognize.
But the HomePlug Kit does just what it is advertised to do. Namely, it bridges Ethernet devices and extends wireless coverage over existing power lines. And it does so with exceptional performance--better, it feels like, than my existing wireless network. In fact, after the 210P-I1 access point had been running for a few minutes, all 5 of the devices that had been using my router's Wi-Fi selected the 210P-I1--automatically.
My one major complaint about the HomePlug Kit is the 210P-I1 access point's fragile antenna, which I managed to snap within moments of removing the device from its packaging. The break is only cosmetic (the wiring is intact even though its housing was comepletely separated from the unit) so I decided to use some super glue rather than go through the hassle of a return. But I hope Innoband will address this design flaw in future revisions of the product.
My second, lesser complaint is that although Innoband effectively promises a plug-and-play configuration, the experience is in truth less straightforward. The main issue I found is that the 210P-I1 access point was not configured to work with my home network (it was using a different subnet and wireless network). Which isn't really that surprising, but I had to exercise some trial-and-error in order to get everything configured as desired.
In order to integrate the 210P-I1 with my home network, I had to:
1. Connect my laptop via the supplied Ethernet cable to the 210P-I1.
2. Configure my laptop for the same subnet as the 210P-I1:
IP Address: 192.168.1.1
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
Gateway: 192.168.1.210
3. Connect a web browser to http://192.168.1.210.
4. Reconfigure the 210P-I1 with an IP address on my home network.
A. Click "Lan Setting" [sic]
B. Enter an IP address from my home network (e.g., 192.168.0.NNN for addresses ranging from 192.168.0.0 to 192.168.0.255)*
C. Click "Apply"
* Your specific configuration may vary.
5. Reconfigure my laptop for my home network's subnet. Generally this just means using DHCP, but you can use a static configuration like:
IP Address: 192.168.0.NNN
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
Gateway: 192.168.0.XXX
6. Connect a web browser to http://192.168.0.NNN (i.e., the IP address configured in step #4).
7. Reconfigure the 210P-I1's SSID to match my router's existing SSID.
A. Click "Wireless Settings"
B. Change "Network Name(SSID)" [sic] from "innoband" to "mywifi".
C. Click "Apply"
8. Ensure that my router's wireless channel and the 210P-I1's do *not* overlap.
A. Channels 1, 6, and 11 do not overlap
B. The 210P-I1 access point is already configured to use channel 6
C. I reconfigured my router to use channel 11
9. Ensure that my router uses the same encryption and secret as the 210P-I1.
A. Click "Wireless Settings"
B. Click "Security"
C. Choose the "Security Mode" (WEP or WAP) that matches my router's
D. Enter the WEP key or WAP pass phrase that matches my router's
E. Click "Apply"
Admittedly that's a lot of configuration (and the documentation doesn't cover it adequately), but in the end the Innoband HomePlug Kit does exactly what I need it to do. Which is more than I can say for a lot of products I come across.
I plan on ordering another 200P-I1 (the wired device) to bridge more A/V devices like the Samsung BD-P1600 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player.
p.s., Innoband included a black knit watch cap with the HomePlug Kit they sent me. This was a nice gesture (and not a bad cap either).

Click Here to see more reviews about: Innoband HomePlug AV Wireless N Starter Kit

Compliant with the latest HomePlug AV standards, which support data speeds of up to 200Mbps, the HomePlug AV Wireless N Starter Kit can be used to bridge Ethernet devices such as modems, routers, PCs, set-top-boxes, and game consoles, allowing users to share network access via existing in-home power cabling. What's unique is that the device has an extra built-in 802.11n Access Point, enabling users to enjoy mobility, high-speed wireless connection and better coverage with no more dead zones. Just plug the Innoband HomePlug AV 200P-I1 into any wall power socket, connect a network cable, then plug the HomePlug AV 210P-I1(with antenna) into any wall power socket, and you can easily set up a secure wireless network by pressing the Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) button. Thus, the adapter can extend your wireless coverage through power lines for multimedia applications such as online games, IPTV and audio streaming from room to room.

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ZyXEL PLA-450 200 Mbps Powerline HomePlug AV 802.11g Wireless Access Point Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)We recently built out our basement and before I spent the time and money to cat5 my whole house or possibly add a second cable modem, I decided to give the PLA-450 + 1 PLA-401 a try. To my amazement, I saw no degradation of speed when connected to the PLA-450 wirelessly at a reasonable range than I did when connected directly to my cable modem. This powerline duo smokes. My cable modem is on the second floor and my primary DLink wireless router is connected to it. Needless to say, getting great coverage from the second floor to my basement was not possible on the DLink. So the PLA-450 acts as my second wireless router (called an access point) allowing me to plug it into any wall outlet in the house. You do have to have at least 1 PLA-401 (connected to the primary router) and then your powerline link is complete. The PLA-450 is a good wireless device permeating interior walls with ease and maintaining reasonably strong reception with my laptop - even with a floor in between. Accessing the PLA-450 device via a browser is a little tricky the first time. You have to temporarily change you IP address on your network connection. I called support and they were easy to get ahold of and nice and friendly. The instructions do tell you what is needed so a call is probably not necessary for most users. I am thrilled that I can get near cat5 performance without having to hard-wire my house. A great product that suits my need perfectly.

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ZyXEL NBG-318S 200 Mbps Powerline HomePlug AV 802.11g Wireless Router Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)UPDATE 1/2011
Both replacement units have failed in their HomePlugAV modules, so I have no HomePlug connectivity. In fact, scanning for Homeplug devices from the managment UI causes both units to crash. Downgrade to one star.
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UPDATE 7/2010
My 2nd unit has failed as well; it began spontaneously rebooting and wouldn't stay working for more than a few minutes at a time. However, I got pretty good service from ZyXel: they replaced BOTH units under warranty. Still working 11/2010.
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UPDATE 5/2010 :
I reduced the rating to 2 stars after one of my two units quit working after about a year. The Powerline connectivity evaporated after about 9 months and the wifi connectivity started to get intermittent after a year or so. Now the unit will only boot sporadically.
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I bought this unit to set up a Homeplug network connection to a home entertainment system that's poorly located for Wifi access, and after some fiddling I'm getting very good performance out of it, nearly 40Mb/sec in real-world circumstances.
When I ordered this router for thirty-nine bucks, it was much cheaper and more capable than the ZyXEL PLA-401 200 Mbps Powerline HomePlug AV Wall-plug Adapter that it's intended to be used with- so I bought two NBG-318S's instead, and configured the 2nd one as an access point. That gave me the benefit of having a 4-port switch as well as a Wifi extender in the access point - why buy the PLA-401? (It's still listed a comparable price.)
Wireless strength was comparable with the D-Link WBR-3210 that it replaced. The router's in the basement and I still have decent signal quality two floors up in our wood-framed house. Plus having the 2nd router configured as a Wifi access point using Zyxel's "roaming" mode (Wifi clients are seamlessly handed off between the two radios as they migrate around the house) has effectively extended our Wifi coverage.
Be forewarned: it takes some arcane BPL voodoo to achieve maximum Homeplug network bandwidth across your A/C circuits, even if it is brand-new shiny code-compliant wiring like at our house. I spent an afternoon juggling the topology of outlets and power strips amongst my appliances while running iperf() between my client and server to monitor the network throughput. I don't think there's any way around the trial and error approach if you want to get good performance out of these things. By some simple, free (but time-consuming) rearrangements of the router, access point and appliance connections the bandwidth at my desired location went from 1Mb/S to 40Mb/S. Here are some tips:
* Homeplug AV performance can be good, but don't believe the 200Mb numbers the vendors throw around; I couldn't even get that bandwidth when the router and access point were plugged into the same outlet next to each other and connected to gigabit Ethernet clients.
* New adopters should be aware that the router and its access points can be on different circuits but pretty much need to be on the same 110V leg of your 220V house service to work. You'll have to check your circuit breaker panel to figure this out for sure.
* The Homeplug network's signal quality (and hence the achievable bandwidth) is extremely sensitive to noisy appliances plugged into the same circuit. For instance, at one point my bandwidth went from 25Mb to 8Mb when I plugged Apple's spiky Powerbook A/C adapter into the same outlet as the access point, and I still take a 5Mb/S hit if someone turns on the dimmable incandescents in our office. I may try putting ferrite chokes on the supply lines of some flourescent fixtures that are still on the common circuits.
* Having the access point plugged into an outlet wired closer to the breaker panel didn't necessarily help. I'm getting the best performance with the access point plugged into a different outlet than the home entertainment appliances, but further in wiring distance from the router - go figure.
* I thought that using surge-protected RF/EMI-filtered power strips on my appliances would help keep noise off the power lines carrying the network signal, but if the noise-filtering power strips were plugged in too close to the access point they actually seemed to filter out the network signal and my bandwidth dropped. Also, some power strip's LED indicators actually put more noisy spikes BACK INTO the line and made the throughput worse; after I quieted them down by clipping out the LEDs, the noise filtering seemed to have some positive effect.
* The Homeplug modems appear to use adaptive signal processing to operate in noisy home environments - the bandwidth can take a big hit when noisy appliances are initially introduced onto the circuit, but then you will see it slowly improve over 30 sec to a minute. (In my experience it was best to reboot the access point in the presence of the noisiest possible signals.) So let your bandwidth measurements settle down before making an evaluation of the benefits of a change to your topology.
* Find a software utility that will allow you to accurately measure data throughput on your network while you are making changes. You'll be chasing your tail if you try to use subjective evaluations of, for instance, how long it seems to take to load a web page. (You'll typically be looking for better LAN performance than your WAN's internet bandwidth anyway.) I used the the iperf utility (Google for it) available for MacOS, Windows and Unix-type systems.
I got good - if not super-prompt - feedback from a customer service technician in response to my prepurchase questions when sent through ZyXel's web site, but haven't heard back from my latest query by regular email. I'm also giving only 4 out of 5 stars because the latest manual available from ZyXel STILL doesn't mention features that are clearly available in the router's standard web-based configuration interface (their Windoze-based configuration "wizard" never functioned properly for me under Parallels) and it took me an hour to figure out how to enable simple WEP wireless security (hint: make sure WPS is turned OFF.)

Click Here to see more reviews about: ZyXEL NBG-318S 200 Mbps Powerline HomePlug AV 802.11g Wireless Router

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