Netgear Wall-Plugged Ethernet Bridge - AMAZING Performance!
Pros:
Extremely fast compared to WiFi wireless. Easy to install. Inexpensive.
Cons:
Need two units to hookup one computer.
The Bottom Line:
In my opinion this is a remarkable breakthrough for wireless networking and would highly recommend anyone with problems with their USB adapters give this a try.
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
Since there was only one review of this product I was sceptical about trying it. I was using a NegGear USB wireless adapter for my home network setup. One computer is 25 feet away and only one wall to go through with only a slight degration in signal. The other computer is 50 feet away but the signal has 4 walls to go through. The internet and file sharing was extremely slow when it was available. Most of the time I could not get a signal.
Then I tried the XE102. WOW! What a difference. It felt like I was sitting at my computer that the NetGear WGR614 was attached to. It took 30 sec. to download a 5Mb file and 1 min. for a 10 Mb file (I have a cable modem). Although my electrical system has three printers, a scanner, a label maker, computer, monitor, speakers with sub-woofer, telephone, television, calculator, and two lamps they don't seem to affect the speed of the transmission.
I haven't tried networking through the phonelines (HomePNA), so have no comparison. But I can assure you that the Powerline connection is much faster than the wireless USB adapter for about the same price (after you have purchased the unit for the router). Also, if you like to walk around the house with a laptop you would have to plug and unplug this unit in wherever you go. So, if you are getting decent reception with your current WiFi, this may not be the way to go.
Want to learn more about Powerline Networking try this article http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,3973,9262,00.asp. Although it is more than a year old it does an excellent job explaining how it works.
