Cisco-Linksys PLK300 PowerLine AV Ethernet Adapter Kit

I bought this unit and the additional receiver unit so that I could network both floors.I was having trouble with weak connections in the two computers upstairs (Mac and PC) because the wireless connection has to travel through a stone fireplace diagonally. It was really bothering the kids, so I needed to do something and I didn't think buying a different wireless system was going to be the answer.I also had added significantly to my downstairs entertainment system and wanted the benefit of internet connection there as well. Downstairs I have an Xbox 360, Panasonic Blue ray with Viera cast and a Dish Network HD receiver.Seriously, your aunt Ethel could hook this baby up. You plug in the Ethernet cable to the router and the PLK300, and then you plug in the power cord. That's it for the transmitter.Now for the receiver. Actually, I just did the same thing. No software, no configuration - nothing. Plug it in and it works. Upstairs I had instantly fast connection - rock solid.Downstairs, I plugged in the second receiver and then connected the Blueray, Dish and Xbox. The Dish connects to allow remote programming. If I remember a show I want to record while away, I can log into the Dish site with my laptop or Droid and tell the DVR to record the show. Very nice.I was also very impressed with the connection and the Viera cast feature of the Bluray. This feature allows me to watch YouTube videos on my big screen at full screen size. It also allows the immediate purchase of movies on demand from Amazon which gives me way more flexibility than the handful of choices I get with Dish. Prices are reasonable and the picture quality is excellent. There were no stutters or pauses as the movies played, and the started playing almost instantly.I have to confess that I was worried before I connected the system because I have two different electrical panels, and this signal is going through both of them. I had used X10 systems before that were not reliable through both panels, so this was a big win for the PLK300.Overall, I am extremely happy. SO happy, I bothered to spend my time writing this review to help others trying to decide if it can really be this easy and work so well. YUP.Jeff

I bought these hoping to link my entertainment center (PS3, Mac Mini, DVR) to my NAS upstairs on the second floor at a rate fast enough to stream home 1080p videos. If they would of achieved anywhere close to the advertised 200Mbps, or even half, they would have been keepers. Unfortunately, the best they could do was maybe 48Mbps (when plugged into the same power socket) in real world testing. I tested by downloading the same 1GB video file from my NAS to my MacBook via Ethernet (100 and 1000Mbps), wireless N and these Powerline AV devices. Ethernet 100 came very close to 100Mbps, Ethernet 1000 a little over half, wireless N about 80Mbps and Powerline AV about 32Mbps.The Good: They are very easy to install and have very low network latency ideal for playing games online.The Bad: Much slower than any other solution in my house. Do not come anywhere close to 200Mbps in real world testing. Not good for streaming 1080p videos. My house is about 12 years old and all tested sockets are on the same circuit.

The Linksys didn't work with my wiring. I had to send it back. It was easy to set up and use but the signal wouldn't reach the location I needed.My house is built in 1977 and has copper wiring, all the outlets are grounded. All the wiring goes through a single main service panel. The power is not particularly noisy or problematic. I was guessing that if powerline networking worked anywhere there was no reason it wouldn't work here.I tested it on two plugs on the same circuit. Worked fine, speed might not have been up to advertised level but would handle the speed of my Broadband service without noticable loss (about 8 Megabits per second). Tested where I wanted to use it. No connection. Tested again with a plug on the same circuit, worked fine. Tested with a plug nearer to the originating plug but on a different circuit, connected but slow speed (2 megabits per second). Again tested where I wanted to use it, no connection.My conclusion was it just wouldn't work in my house. [...] Make sure you will be able to return a powerline networking product before you buy it. It might not work with your wiring.

I have all Cisco products for wireless routers, switches and 4 Cisco Homeplug AV devices. I bought Cisco/Linksys and paid a premium price because I wanted big company quality. My experience with dLink support drove me that way. I have had the system for 2 years. The powerline products set up easily and worked great for a time. But, two things have happened that is causing me to switch brands. I am sold on Homeplug AV because it works in my home. I must have clean enough power in my home even across breakers, which includes a large solar array.The first reason to not use Cisco products is that two of the devices have failed within 2 years. The devices simply go dead with none of the leds illuminated. Cisco has great tech support, but only a 90 day replacement policy. Thus, I have had a 50% failure rate within a short period of time and they will not replace the units.The second reason is that this part of Cisco's business seems unstable. They do not make replacements. I went to eBay to buy a used unit which is working OK for now. I guess Cisco is just too big to keep a stable business going on such a small part of their product line. I am wary of trying to use different brands in powerline applications, so, I will be switching all of my powerline devices at once.I will be eliminating all Cisco/Linksys as components fail. I plan to use Homeplug AV and other components from the smaller company with the best warranty period. I do not plan to evaluate tech service, because these products either work or don't and they seem to do OK in my home. Anyone wanting to try powerline should by a starter set and just return it is it does not work. Forget about wasting time with tech support.