TRENDnet TPL-406E2K 500Mbps Compact Powerline AV Adapter Kit

Pros: A great idea for those instances when stringing CAT 5/6 is impractical and WiFi is unworkable such as distance, interference, or obstructions. I really wanted this to work as it is the perfect solution to internet capable TVs and DVD/Blu-ray players that communicate with the internet or even a remotely located HTPC. I would only recommend this if you have absolutely no other options and connection speed is unimportant. You can forget about streaming video over such a connection as even YouTube videos were unwatchable at anything over the lowest quality settings. Cons: I guess the biggest “con” is that the item barely worked when I got it, and then did not work at all after a while. Prior to hearing back from tech support, I uninstalled the software and re-installed and I was finally able to get the devices to reappear. Device self-reports a connecting speed of 11 megabits per second, which is quite a bit under the advertised speed of 500 megabits per second. This is on two outlets that are right next to one another in the same room, but on different walls. That is better than nothing I guess, but much worse than you would get from even the worst WiFi available these days. This was tested in a condominium with modern electrical that was built in 1983. Overall Review: I do not recommend this device unless you have absolutely no other options. Helpdesk Ticket and replied to later that day, but no email notification that the ticket had been responded to. If you submit a help ticket, it is up to you to check back every-few-hours. Suggestions did help the devices to see each other for several hours, but they went offline again. The design could have been much better. As it stands you lose an outlet. Why not have a pass-through so you don’t lose an outlet? Also, why not move away from the wall wart concept altogether and just provide a short cord? A lot of things could have been done differently, and better, for just a few dollars more in materials.

Pros: Works Great Cons: Not a perfect solution Overall Review: I’m mainly writing this to clear some things up. Someone mentioned below that they had to re-arrange things on their power strip to get these to fit. These devices should NEVER be used on a power strip. It says right in the manual that they should always be connected directly to the wall outlet. Something in surge protectors interferes with the signal between the powerline network adapters and causes extremely poor performance.

Pros: These 500mb powerline adapters are very easy to setup. If you already have a router set up they are the definition of plug and play. Their transfer rate could be faster. I ran multiple tests transferring large files from my HTPC and the transfer rate averaged 7.5MB per second and was very steady. Distance doesn’t seem to effect the speed or consistency either. I tested these from 2 points in the same room, to having one 2 or 3 rooms away in the basement and saw no difference in speeds. Having two ethernet cables in the package was just icing on the cake. Cons: These adapters are rated a 500 megabit, but i was only able to get a consistent 60 megabit in my tests with bursts up to 80. It turns out that even though the adapters can talk at up to 500 megabit through the house wiring, the ethernet jacks that connect the adapters to your devices only talk at 100 megabit. Overall Review: I would recommend this adapter kit for anyone who wants the stability of an ethernet connection without having to run ethernet cabling to a far corner of their house. They are very easy and fast to set up and the speed is very consistent.

Pros: These things work great. I just plugged them in, hit sync on both of them and then plugged one into my router using Ethernet and the other into my PC. The speed is the same as my Wi-Fi was and far more reliable with lower ping. I got my set for $40 which was cheap at the time, but that seems to be what they cost now retail. So for the performance you get out of these, it’s a great deal if reliability and security is important to you. They’re small enough that you can share a an outlet with another device. They have LEDs on them indicating they’re status. Very nice. The LEDs aren’t too bright. The pack came with a set of Ethernet cables, which I intend to replace with a set of longer flat cables. Allows you to use Ethernet instead of wireless and avoid having to run ridiculously long cables. You can use a number of them together in a network. I’ve seen people use 8 of them on a single network. Cons: You could spend the same amount of money on a Wi-Fi router and connect more devices with higher bandwidth on the wireless and wired connections. So this is more of a specialty product that might not be ideal for everyone. It would be nice if the cables were longer. Only 500 Mb/sec max bandwidth in and out combined. Not the greatest product high bandwidth is important on your network. If you stream a lot of videos or games on your network you will probably want to a set with higher bandwidth. I personally wouldn’t even expect the 600 Mb set to suffice in that regard. A 100 Mb set would be ideal in that setting. Overall Review: I read that you should use them on a vacant outlet or it could degrade your signal. I have mine plugged into the same outlet as my PC, which is a serious power hog, as well as several other devices on that power strip with the powerline adapter plugged into the opposite outlet. It works just fine. Far more reliable than my wireless adapter was. The drivers for the Wi-Fi adapter I was using were constantly failing and driving me nuts. With this powerline kit, that isn’t an issue any more. For optimal efficiency, you should use them on a vacant socket. But it isn’t absolutely necessary. These power line kits are great for gaming. You get the low latency of an Ethernet connection. Using this adapter improved my ping significantly. I didn’t expect it to improve by that much. It lowered it by an average of 15 to 20. Which is awesome because my ping times really licked bad and I couldn’t figure out why. I assumed it’s because I live out in the middle of nowhere, but turns out it was my wireless network. I’ve been considering using these for all of my gaming consoles and PCs. I have Xbox One/360, PS3/4, Wii U, 2 laptops, 2 PCs, WD Live TV, 2 Ipads, 2 Ipods. So I have ample need for both wired and wireless connections. These things are perfect for me. I read that you shouldn’t use them on power strips, but I’ve seen people do it and they worked. Your best bet is to use multiple adapters on a single power strip with nothing else on it. I mean, If you have need for several in one area like I do next to my TV.