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Linksys Powerline Network Kit [New] - $59.99 + $5 shipping

1 * Linksys PLTK300 Powerline Network Kit

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$120.33 at Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/Linksys-PLTK300-PowerLine-Network-Kit/dp/B001FB5TZ4

83/100 on Alatest.

http://alatest.com/reviews/firewall-broadband-router-reviews/linksys-pltk300-de/po3-64477581,72/

FYI: If your home has separate wiring systems for different parts of the house(like an addition or some older houses), this won't work.

A review
http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid=643

Does this run dd-wrt?

i wonder how well this works in old houses

85 Mbit isn't so bad, but 56-bit encryption? Can't you crack that with a graphics card in about 30 seconds?

CNet

Here's the product details/support page...

http://www.linksysbycisco.com/US/en/products/PLTK300

Anybody know the speed throughput of this thing? Any chance of streaming 1080p video across it?

So why are there 2 of them? Can I give 1 to my mom?

Edit: In response to my own question, one goes by the modem, the other goes by the things you want to internetize.

EDIT - I'm confused. The top says PLTK300, but the description says PLTE200.

i believe the must be plugged directly into the wall, with out a surge protector!

edit: =[ thought I had a quality guess not! arg oh well, beat them too it also!

3.5/5.0 ratings on Amazon

Froogleeeeeeee

I used to have something like this (It used HomePlug 1.0), but every time I used the microwave oven, the network connection was lost. (The microwave was plugged into a socket on the reverse wall)

Beware of surge protectors and/or multi-plug adapter outlets . Only run one of these through a single outlet to single outlet. Also beware that appliance "noise" can effect this type of network. Other than that, they work great!

I don't have a surge protector, so I'll be prone to surges.

Why do you do this, woot? Why do you dangle something I've wanted for months in front of me, when I have no money!?

kevinafoster wrote:So why are there 2 of them? Can I give 1 to my mom?

You're not going to try to network one computer with itself, are you?

Apart from interference issues with cordless telephones that run on the 5.8GHz frequency, what exactly is the benefit of this kind of setup versus a standard wireless router?

Is there some sort of distinct advantage, or is this for networking novices?

FROOGLED

56 bits of encryption might keep your data safe from the electric company, but only if they don't also own the water works.

this is the best purchase I ever made. Too bad I made it for about $160 on newegg.

It makes it so you can virtually have a wired 100Mbit connection anywhere in your home or business.

You can get a nice standard wireless N router that can go about the same speed for around the same price. I find these things that run "over your power lines" too obscure. I'd rather utilize a widely-used standard.

beefstick wrote:Anybody know the speed throughput of this thing? Any chance of streaming 1080p video across it?

The description says "Up to 85 Mbps" -- almost as fast as a wired Ethernet, and many times as fast as the fastest Internet connections.

Edit: I meant connections to homes in the U.S. Other countries and some businesses can be faster. It is correct that it's not nearly enough to stream uncompressed 1080p. And, yes, Virginia, if you bought all your PCs and switch/router within the past year or 2 (or Macs within 3), and have Cat 6 cabling, you might have Gigabit Ethernet, which is 10x faster. Sheesh.

pazhman wrote:I don't have a surge protector, so I'll be prone to surges.

Do you have $10? If so, go get a pair of surge protectors from Wal-Mart.

Dman27 wrote:i believe the must be plugged directly into the wall, with out a serge protector!

But a corduroy detector will work fine...

equazcion wrote:You can get a nice standard wireless N router for around the same price. I find these things that run "over your power lines" too obscure. I'd rather utilize a widely-used standard.

Would you mind giving us a review of your experience with these devices? No? What do you mean, you've never used them?

beefstick wrote:Anybody know the speed throughput of this thing? Any chance of streaming 1080p video across it?

You can't stream 1080p even on Gigabit ethernet (which is more than 11x faster than 85 Mbps).

kevinafoster wrote:So why are there 2 of them? Can I give 1 to my mom?

"can I give one to my mom"
Only if you live with her.
You need one at each end. You plug one into your DSL router and into a socket, then to complete the connection, you plug another one into another socket (on the same wiring schematic) in another part of the house.

You need 2 to make this work.

Don't forget you can't run these things through a power strip, their design often destroys the signal that the powerline kits generate.

These are bad... very bad. All BPL (Broadband Power Line) networking devices use a very large amount of RF/Radio spectrum (constantly, whether data is passing or not) to pass the data for the network....

What does this do? Pollute the airwaves of people that need the frequencies from about 2-30MHz... Why do I care? Well it just happens that people like Red Cross, Marine HF, Shortwave radio, Amateur Radion, and other entities that need these frequencies during a disaster will be potentially impacted/interfered with by these devices.

Cool idea, just crappy implementation. Stick to the wireless stuff, at least it is FCC tested and doesn't waste.

feralparakeet wrote:Apart from interference issues with cordless telephones that run on the 5.8GHz frequency, what exactly is the benefit of this kind of setup versus a standard wireless router?

Is there some sort of distinct advantage, or is this for networking novices?

Wireless can have positional issues depending on the layout and structure of one's home, and as far as I know is about half the speed.

That said, I don't believe there's any real reason to go powerline networking if all your network appliances are in one room.

how do these work

feralparakeet wrote:Apart from interference issues with cordless telephones that run on the 5.8GHz frequency, what exactly is the benefit of this kind of setup versus a standard wireless router?

Is there some sort of distinct advantage, or is this for networking novices?

The advantage is that it isn't wireless. Therefore, it's not prone to interference or loss of signal. My 802.11 G wireless router with an 8dB gain antenna still can't throw a signal through my entire 3,400 sq/ft house.

Here's a review
http://reviews.cnet.com/bridges/linksys-plk200-powerline-av/4505-3304_7-32313519.html?tag=rnav

roadhunter wrote:Would you mind giving us a review of your experience with these devices? No? What do you mean, you've never used them?

I use something similar. I use it to connect my dish network receiver to my network. Keep in mind, you need two of these.. one at each end..