CompareComparing...
Best Value

Powerline Adapters Are a Game Changer

Now Reading
Powerline Adapters Are a Game Changer

Positives

Easy to Setup
Compact
Fast Speeds for the Device
Ability to Allocate bandwidth to certain applications through QOS
Outlet is built in so you don't sacrifice one.

Negatives

A little "clunky"

Adding a new outlet to support ethernet in different rooms of your home can get costly. Typically, you would have a wire technician come to the home to run cable to where you plan on having your devices sit to the modem or router. The benefit to having this is that the wires are “hidden” behind the wall and you only have to plug into an RJ-45 connector plate (The ends found on ethernet cables). Since most homes these days are being built with rooms that have these functionality, many older style homes do not carry these jacks so a trained professional would have to come and install these wires for you.

 

Netgear Powerline Adapter

Netgear has released a device that simplifies this concept and allows easy DIY applications to any room and they typically are plug and play. While many homes are going wireless, certain devices such as or gaming consoles run more efficiently and stable through a wired connection. Netgear allows you to plug an adapter into an existing power outlet and lets data run through an electrical connection. Simply plug one near your router and connect the ethernet cable while the corresponding device plugs where you would like an ethernet port.

 

Netgear Powerline Adapter in Wall

The Netgear Powerline adapters work with switches and hubs as well so you can plug multiple devices with a wired connection to a single powerline adapter. Speeds vary per model but the ones we tested with run to 500Mbps which can clock down depending on what you plug into. Typically, many homes and devices support the gigabit (1Gpbs) standard so it can slow down to half the speed but if that is the case, their other models support the faster speeds. We hooked up these devices in our shop so we would not have to drill into stucco to run new wire. We also prefer wired over wireless for better performance so these adapters were a very nice addition to our wiring set up. We took these devices and spaced them about 100 feet from our router and within five minutes we were up and running. Netgear has taken it one step further and added a security lock to the device that gives you an encryption key in case you want to give permissions to people who want access to your network.

 

All in all, we were pleased with these devices. Set-up was simple and quick with the system and eliminated the cost of running new wires to different outlets. Although we are capable of running the new jacks and outlets, this took a lot of time and effort out of the equation and runs cheaper. The great thing about the adapters is that they still give you the power outlet as a plug in. You won’t have to sacrifice using an outlet to add these to your network because they are built into the devices.
The software that is included is for Windows based computers and is fairly easy to use. The Netgear Powerline Utility allows for adding passwords, changing the name of the devices and you gives you the ability to allocate bandwidth to certain applications through QOS(Quality of Service). Getting optimal speeds does depend on the condition of the home or business wiring but in most cases, should give you good speeds in the locations that you plug these devices into. If you realize slower speeds, at this point I would recommend a cable/wiring technician to run new lines but at a cheaper cost, these are a good first thought.

What's your reaction?
Love It
100%
Like It
0%
Want It
0%
Had It
0%
Hated It
0%
About The Author
CyndrTec
Comments
Leave a response

Leave a Response