Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I have not been following powerline networking technology since the mid 1990's, when it was a relatively new technology and there were a bunch of proprietary, non-standard products from many different brands. I recently had a networking problem that required me to take another look, and I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the technology had matured beyond my expectations.
I have Cat5 network cabling installed in my house, but it does not extend to the garage. I had a fairly noisy file server that has to be on all the time, and I wanted to move it to the garage. After learning about the available HomePlug AV options, I bought this TRENDnet kit from Amazon since it was one of the most inexpensive options available.
These TRENDnet adapters seem to be built really well. They are fairly plain looking, but you probably don't care how a piece of hidden network equipment looks anyway. Installation was problem-free, I basically plugged one of the adapters to a wall outlet (these have to be directly connected to the outlet, surge protectors interfere with signaling) and connected it to one of the Ethernet jacks that are directly connected to my router. I then plugged the other adapter to an outlet in the garage; and connected my server to the Ethernet jack on the adapter. No drivers are needed.
As expected, the network performance is nothing to write home about. If you've read the reviews of this technology here on Amazon and elsewhere on the net, you probably know by now that the "200 Mb/s" mentioned on the boxing and marketing materials is sort of a theoretical limit and the actual performance is somewhat lower. I took some performance measurements using iperf (a fairly well-known network performance monitoring utility), and the network bandwidth between the two adapters seems to be varying between 46.1 Mbits/s(between a Linux machine connected to the router and another Linux machine connected to the TRENDnet adapter) and 22Mbits/s(between a Windows machine connected to the router and a Linux machine connected to the TRENDnet adapter). For reference purposes, I see a bandwidth of 45-50 Mbits/s between two hosts on my wired Ethernet network (which uses 100Mbps cards); which tells me that the performance of these HomePlug AV adapters is probably about half to sixty percent of that of a wired 100Mb/s Ethernet network. Definitely somewhat faster than a B/G Wi-Fi connection; and certainly more stable with less hassle.
I am fairly happy with the TRENDnet TPL-303E2K kit and HomePlug AV technology, and I strongly recommend it to anyone who needs a home networking solution for stationary devices (desktop computers, network-connected BluRay players etc.) that is more stable, practical and secure than Wi-Fi.
Update: Having been very satisfied with the performance of these TRENDnet adapters, I bought a Zyxel PLA-470 HomePlug AV switch to replace the wireless bridge I have been using with my home theater. I had some concerns about mixing different brands of HomePlug AV devices on my network, but my concerns turned out to be unfounded. The TRENDnet adapters and the Zyxel PLA-470 are working seamlessly together out of the box.
Click Here to see more reviews about: TRENDnet 200 Mbps Powerline AV Adapter Kit TPL-303E2K (White)
The 200Mbps Powerline AV Adapter Kit uses any electrical outlet to create a secure high speed building-wide network. Connect one adapter to your network and plug another adapter in to any outlet on your electrical system for instant high speed network access.
Connect adapters quickly using the convenient one-touch connect button. Use up to 8 adapters to network devices in different rooms without running new cabling.
Power Save mode reduces power consumption by up to 70%. LED displays convey device status for easy power management and troubleshooting. Quality of Service technology prioritizes video, audio, and online gaming. Advanced AES encryption secures your network. This adapter is ideal for use in buildings that interfere with wireless networking signals.
Key Features
High speed building-wide networking over an existing electrical system
Plug and Play support
Connect one 200Mbps* Powerline AV Adapter to the Internet and then plug in up to 7 additional adapters for instant building connectivity
One-touch connect button networks adapters quickly
Windows based configuration utility for a quick and simple installation
Share data intensive files, play games, download music, and more at ultra fast data transfer rates
Advanced encryption (AES) ensure total network security
Power Saving mode reduces electrical consumption by 70%
IPv4 and IPv6 network protocol support
Supports Wake-On-Link when in Standby mode
Neighbor network support for up to 4 overlapping networks
Network signal transmits up to 300 meters (984ft.)
Auto QoS support through traffic classification and multiple priority queuing
Configuration utility compatible with Windows 7, Vista, and XP operating systems
3-year limited warranty
*200Mbps is the maximum theoretical data rate. Actual throughput will vary depending on environment. * Networked Powerline devices need to be plugged into power outlets that are on the same electrical system.
What's in the Box 2x TPL-303E, Multi-Language Quick Installation Guide, CD-ROM (Utility & User's Guide), 2x Cat. 5 Ethernet cable (1.8m / 6ft)
Warranty 3-year limited warranty
Full Specifications
Click here for more information about TRENDnet 200 Mbps Powerline AV Adapter Kit TPL-303E2K (White)
No comments:
Post a Comment