NETGEAR PowerLINE 1200 Mbps 1 Gigabit Port (PL1200)

Pros: I had the Trendnet AV2 adapters which gave me an average transfer rate of 4.8 to 5.2 megaBYTES per second from a TIVO to a computer. TIVO is on the 1st floor computer on the 2nd floor. This is also the worst wiring section of the house. The new Netgear P1200 is averaging 7.8 to 8.2 megaBYTES per second from TIVO to computer. That is more than a 50% increase in speed. The best wiring area in the house can support 10 megaBYTES per second computer to computer using the Lan Speed test. I wish the TIVO could do that. I would have given 5 stars but they do not deliver the advertised 1200 Mbps in my 1900 sq foot house. Cons: The only CON is the size of the unit with the Pass-Thru. Without a special adapter on the wall socket it is the only thing that fits on a 2 outlet socket. I found adapters that will allow the use of both sockets. So a little extra dough and you’re set. Overall Review: Last but not least setup is easy. I just plugged them in and they all talked to each other. I have four units in total. A TIVO, Wireless Access Point and a 720P Camera all hooked into the central unit near the master router. They all worked.

Pros: Significant bump from several years old 200 Mbps adapters Covers only one outlet, leaving top one available Smaller than the old AV (200) adapters Gigabit LAN port Runs fairly cool Cons: No power passthrough Powerline networking may or may not work in your house, depending on how/when/where it was constructed, the condition of the wiring, and other variables; the only way to know for sure is to try it. If it works, only a direct wired network cable beats it. I see dumb people reviewing Powerline network gear without reasonable expectations or even a clear understanding of how the tech works Overall Review: Quick and dirty speed stats on the performance of the Netgear PL12000 vs an older AV(200) adapter: Read speeds: 52 Mbps vs 133 Mbps; Write Speeds: 45 Mbps vs 104 Mbps There’s a lot of factors that go into how Powerline network adapters work (or don’t work) in any given house (wiring condition/composition, when/where it was built, the makeup of your breaker box, etc… any one of these variables can bork the whole thing). Just because it doesn’t work in YOUR house doesn’t mean it doesn’t work, and it’s not an indictment of the product; it’s just happens sometimes, and you probably weren’t one of the lucky ones. If you’re lucky and it works, it’s an excellent alternative over sketchy and often unreliable wireless signals. Nothing beats running a Cat6 network cable between points, but if that’s no practical then this is an excellent solution. Take another look at the new AV 1200 or AV 2000 adapters if you’ve sworn off Powerline in the past, it’s gotten much better. Note this new generation uses the 3 prong outlets, so your house and outlets must be properly grounded for this to work properly. Biggest gripe about Powerline (not an invalid one either) is that, just like their wireless cousins, the claimed speeds are inflated and theoretical, and nobody will ever come close to achieving them. Not saying it’s right, just that it is, so know that going in. As long as you jump in with a proper expectation and understanding of how they work, their best application and their limitations, you’ll be fine. Clearing up some nonsense, yes it’s a gigabit LAN port, and it isn’t anything sinister. You’re going to need gigabit LAN to get speeds greater than 100 Mbps no matter what, otherwise you’d always be capped at the fast ethernet speed limit of 100 Mbps. But the presence of a gigabit port with this technology doesn’t translate into you should be expecting gigabit speeds as a result. TIPS: NEVER plug Powerline network adapters into a power strip or extension cord, they degrade your signal substantially or don’t work at all. Worse case scenario if you really have to, get one of those extra thick gauge, short 1 ft. heavy duty extension cords for window air conditioners or refrigerators (plugged directly into the wall). Your speed will take a slight hit but still be relatively quick. If you have older generation (AV 200 or newer) Powerline adapters, these are supposed to exist in harmony with them, but you’re better off replacing with new ones. The new ones will suffer a performance hit otherwise. These items are rated at megabits per second (Mbps), NOT megabytes per second (MBps). If you want to know the difference, the number you need to know today boys and girls is “8”. If I’m getting 133 Mbps (megabits per second) read speed, I would divide by 8 to get 16.625 MBps (megabytes per second). So naturally you would multiply by 8 to convert Mbps to MBps. Google “Smallnetbuilder Powerline FAQ 2015” for lots more helpful inf

Pros: + Works as expected out of the box + Provides feedback on the quality of your ‘line’ (ie. some electrical wiring is ‘noiser’ than others, this device tells you which speed works best for your wiring). Cons: + No ‘offset’ of the body from the plug. Depending on what else you may have plugged into the outlet, and what type of plug it is, you may find that you can only plug only this device into your wall outlet). An ‘offset’ from the body allows other plugs that may interfere with it to plug in as well. For example, plugs that plug flat against the wall will not work with this adapter, because they can’t be plugged on top of it. (I’m not sure, I’m explaining this well, but just be aware of the outlet you will be plugging it into). Since this is a three plug connection, you can not flip it to allow for other plugs in the outlet. This will plug in best in the bottom outlet, allowing other plugs to work on the top. At worst this will take up an outlet all by itself, if other plugs will not fit. Overall Review: Great product, it’s a plus that it tests the line to ensure what speed it can run at. If your house wiring is not the best you will not be able to achieve Gigabit speed.

Pros: Easy to setup (unless you have to go a distance away to reach the plugs when setting up the devices) The speed rating is pretty fair considering the age of my household and the distance it’s going from point a to point b. Cons: Timing to sync the two adapters is a little shorter than I feel it should be. Overall Review: Maybe incorporate a remote way to tell the adapter to sync with a IR remote or a app to initiate from a smartphone or tablet.