Linksys PLE200 PowerLine AV Ethernet Adapter

Manufacturer: Linksys Inc. Part number: PLE200

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CNET Editor rating:
3.5 stars Very good
Average user rating: 2.5 stars out of 4 reviews

More product information:: Editors' review; User reviews; Specifications; Product series; Manufacturer info

Bottom Line:: The Linksys PLK200 Powerline AV Ethernet Adapter Kit is one of the easiest ways to set up and maintain a home network that's fast enough to stream HD video content, but it's a bit of a strain on the pocketbook.

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CNET editors' review

Linksys PLE200 PowerLine AV Ethernet Adapter

price range: $53.61 - $79.99

Reviewed by: Felisa Yang
Edited by: Matthew Elliott
Reviewed on: 03/08/2007
Released on: 01/20/2007

The good: Easy to set up and maintain; fast throughput; 128-bit encryption; 24-7 phone support.

The bad: Pricy compared to setting up a wireless network; adapters are a bit bulky and may block adjacent outlets.

The bottom line: The Linksys PLK200 Powerline AV Ethernet Adapter Kit is one of the easiest ways to set up and maintain a home network that's fast enough to stream HD video content, but it's a bit of a strain on the pocketbook.

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Linksys--not one to sit out a networking category--has released its contender in the HomePlug A/V power line arena: the PLK200 Powerline AV Ethernet Adapter Kit. Power line technology lets you use your home's electrical system to transmit data signals, so if you're tired of dealing with wireless networks but don't want to have Ethernet cables professionally installed, a power line network is a compelling option. The PLK200 is the faster of the two HomePlug A/V-based adapters we've reviewed, the other being the Zyxel PLA-400 adapter, but the PLK200 is a little slower than the Netgear Powerline HD Ethernet Adapter, which is based on the HomePlug 1.0 standard. The adapters are priced on par with Zyxel's--about $100 per adapter, or $200 for the PLK200 kit. It's a potentially expensive network, especially if you put one adapter in each room of your house, but it's also far easier to install and maintain than a wireless network. Of the power line products we've reviewed recently, we like the Linksys offering the best for its combination of fast speed, large network potential, and generous support.

Power line networks use the electrical system as a network, with each electrical outlet serving as a node. Any Ethernet-equipped device (PCs, TiVos, and digital media adapters, among others) that's connected to a power line adapter is part of the power line network. The PLK200 adapters are based on the HomePlug A/V specification, which specifically addresses the quality of service (QoS) issues and higher throughput needs of HDTV and high-definition video streaming. The HomePlug A/V products are not interoperable with older HomePlug 1.0 (such as the Netgear Powerline HD adapters) or HomePlug 1.1 products, but they can share the same electrical network and run separate LANs. You'll need at least two adapters to start a power line network, and the PLK200 provides those. You can purchase additional adapters individually as well (model PLE200).

The Linksys adapters are 4 inches wide, 5.5 inches tall, and 2 inches thick. Three blue LEDs adorn the front, and a single Ethernet port sits on the bottom. The back of the adapter houses only the electrical prongs. Although the adapter is reasonably compact, it's too wide to use in a side-by-side outlet without blocking adjacent ports (as with outlet expanders that convert a single outlet to three or more). You may need to dig out an extension cord if you don't have enough space for the adapter. It'd be nice if Linksys provided a short extension cord for the adapters. (Zyxel's adapter uses a power cable, which makes space a nonissue, but Netgear uses the same form as Linksys and also fails to provide an extension cord.)

Installing the adapters is a fairly simple task. Linksys includes an installation disc that walks you through the process. You can simply plug in the adapters and connect your networked devices to them, but to change the network password, you'll need to use the disc. You'll have to run the installation for each adapter on your network (while it's connected to a PC) before connecting the target appliance to the adapter. Once you have all your devices connected, you have a LAN network. The maximum number of adapters on the Linksys HomePlug A/V network is 256, and you can connect a switch to each adapter to support even more products. It's safe to say that most homes fall well within this range. Zyxel currently supports 16 adapters on its HomePlug A/V-based power line networks, but they will expand that to 64 adapters soon. If you want to provide Internet access to your network, make sure your router is connected to an adapter as well. On each PC you've used to set up an adapter, you can view the configuration utility. This shows you each device on the network, the device's MAC address, and the throughput. You can manually insert information about each device's location so that you can easily track them down later.

The configuration utility lets you change your network password for increased security. The adapters use 128-bit AES encryption, but changing the password prevents others from accidentally (or purposely) invading your network, which may occur in older apartment buildings where an electrical network may be shared by more than one unit. Changing the password also lets you set up multiple networks of your own, as only the adapters that share the same password will communicate with one another.

The theoretical maximum throughput of HomePlug A/V power line products is 200Mbps, but real-world performance is closer to 100Mbps. On a typical 802.11g wireless network, you'll be in the 35Mbps to 54Mbps neighborhood. In CNET Labs' throughput tests, the Linksys Powerline AV Ethernet adapter scored 48.5Mbps, ahead of the Zyxel PLA-400 adapters but still behind Netgear's Powerline HD Ethernet Adapters. For streaming HD video, however, 48.5Mbps is more than enough. According to CNET Editor David Katzmaier, HDTV peaks at 28Mbps.

Maximum throughput test
(Longer bars indicate better performance)

In Mbps

Netgear Powerline HD Ethernet Adapter

52.7

Linksys PLK200 Powerline AV Ethernet Adapter

48.5

Zyxel PLA-400 HomePlug AV Powerline Ethernet Adapter

35.6

Linksys backs its Powerline AV Ethernet Adapters with a one-year warranty. Toll-free phone support is available 24-7, as is online chat with a support representative. Linksys's Web site includes downloadable software and drivers as well as an FAQ section.

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User reviews

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Average user rating: 2.5 stars out of 4 reviews
My rating: 0 stars

Showing opinion 1 to 4 out of 4

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3 stars

Not supported under Vista

by cadogan on July 30, 2007

Pros: No comment

Cons: Not supported under Vista

Summary: Not only not supported but they have no interest in supporting it.

Summary: Not only not supported but they have no interest in supporting it.

2 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
3 stars

Terribly Inconsistent

by audiowize on July 22, 2007

Pros: Fast... when they work

Cons: Very poor reliability

Summary: I've tried this kit and a Netgear kit, and both kits will work fine for about 2 weeks, then the connection is severed, and I get to spend 5 ...

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Summary: I've tried this kit and a Netgear kit, and both kits will work fine for about 2 weeks, then the connection is severed, and I get to spend 5 hours making it reset. Any lighting or electronics with a switching power supply (quartz lights) will totally kill the signal on these, and they do not automatically reset. Even when I tried to write this review the firs time, I had a 20mb connection, then by the time I hit submit, nothing!

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1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 stars

PC not required!

by itsasony on December 27, 2007

Pros: Fast setup, plug in!

Cons: wall-wart (hogs wall space on the electric socket) its as wide as the wall trim plate.

Summary: Out of the box, i plugged one into my router and another in the kitchen on the other end of the house where I plugged in a Mac iBook. No ...

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Summary: Out of the box, i plugged one into my router and another in the kitchen on the other end of the house where I plugged in a Mac iBook. No configuration or software install was required. It just worked. Probably helps to have access to a PC to setup any features such as encryption, but it wasn't required to get it working.

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8 stars

Where Wireless Just Won't Work

by Terry155 on May 7, 2007

Pros: Easy to set up; great Linksys name & support; smooths out the "peaks & valleys".

Cons: A bit pricey. Ethernet cables included were too short.

Summary: Living in a large 2-storey house, I just could not get a consistant wireless signal for my Dell laptop. I tried changing locations of the router; tried different routers; tried ...

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Summary: Living in a large 2-storey house, I just could not get a consistant wireless signal for my Dell laptop. I tried changing locations of the router; tried different routers; tried boosters, etc. Signal strength would be fine, then would start dropping the signal or reduce the strength so low, it was useless.

Then I heard about homeplug devices and that Linksys was re-introducing their Powerline product. After researching the different other various homeplug devices, I settled on Linksys for two reasons...first, the Linksys reputation and the fact that I've never had a problem with any Linksys product. Second, from reading various reviews, Linksys seemed to be the only supplier that provided free tech support.

I ordered the PLK200 kit (2 units) and an additional PLE200. Set up was fast and extremely easy and I say this as a complete newbie when it comes to doing anything like this. The set up wizard took about 2 minutes per unit and you instantly had a "wired" network using the house wiring.

I have used the Powerline adapter now throughout the weekend, trying it in every area of our large house and signal strength and availability has been constant throughtout. These products have really solved my problem and I would recommend them to anyone.

Terry155

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Specifications

Manufacturer: Linksys Inc.
Part number: PLE200
Description: The PowerLine AV Ethernet Adapter PLE200 lets you turn the existing power lines in your home or office into a high-speed network. Now you don't have to drill through the walls and climb through the attic or cellar to install network cables - just use the wires that already run through the building! The PowerLine AV Adapter interfaces Ethernet devices to the HomePlug AV PowerLine network standard. Just plug the PowerLine AV Adapter into the wall, and connect your Ethernet-equipped device to the Adapter using the included network cable, and you've turned your whole house into network infrastructure! Attach more computers to the network by simply plugging them into the wall anywhere in the house, using more PowerLine AV Adapters. Once your computers are connected to the network, they can share resources like printers and storage space, and all kinds of files - music, digital pictures, and documents. With up to 100Mbps data rates, you can play lag-free head-to-head network computer games, and run media-centric applications like streaming video and Voice over IP telephony. And if you use a PowerLine AV Ethernet Adapter to interface one of the famous Linksys Broadband Routers from your cable or DSL Internet connection to your PowerLine AV network, you'll be able to get to the Internet from any computer in the house. The Linksys PowerLine AV Ethernet Adapter is the perfect solution for high-speed, "no new wires", home or office networking.

General
Device Type Bridge
Form Factor External
Width 5.5 in
Depth 4 in
Height 2 in
Weight 4.8 oz
Networking
Connectivity Technology Wired
Data Transfer Rate 100 Mbps
Data Link Protocol Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, HomePlug AV (HPAV)
Status Indicators Power, Port status
Compliant Standards IEEE 802.3, IEEE 802.3u
Communications
Type None
Expansion / Connectivity
Expansion Slots Total (Free) None
Interfaces 1 x Network - Ethernet 10Base-T/100Base-TX - RJ-45, 1 x Network / power
Compatible Slots None

Miscellaneous
Compliant Standards CE, FCC Class B certified
Power
Power Device Power supply - Internal
Software / System Requirements
Software Included Drivers & Utilities
OS Required Microsoft Windows 2000 / XP
Peripheral / Interface Devices CD-ROM
Environmental Parameters
Min Operating Temperature 32 ?F
Max Operating Temperature 104 ?F
Humidity Range Operating 10 - 85%

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Product series

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Manufacturer info

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