Netgear XE103 Powerline Ethernet Adapter - XE103-100NAS
Netgear Powerline 85 MBPS Wall Plugged Ethernet Adapter Kit- XE103

I have this connected to my router, and an XE104 connected to my HTPC. They are on different electrical circuits, so they are running through circuit breakers (very new house and wiring). It seems to download large files faster than my other computers that are connected directly to the router. It's pricey, but well worth it to keep the wife from yelling at you for poking holes in her walls.
 
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I have 3 of these devices now, and they work great... much faster than G or B wireless for key systems (like my 360 for online gaming). Occasionally need to "reboot" one of them (unplug & plug back in), but otherwise work flawlessly. Still a little pricey, but worth it.
 
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All I can say is just plug it in.
 
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Even I could plug it up!
 
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I wanted a quick, easy solution for home-networking two Macs of varying ages and one PC. It had to be a simple solution because I am not a computer geek. The XE104 and two XE103s that I purchased (one for each of the three computers) worked perfectly. I installed each one and had the network up and running (of course, I already had a router installed) in under 10 minutes per computer. A week later the network is working flawlessly. The three computers are all on different floors, yet all work fine off my FIOS hookup. This may not be the cheapest solution for a home network, but for me it is the perfect solution.
 
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Yup. It works out of the box, just as advertised. There may have been a couple cheaper alternatives, but I'm glad I went with the Netgear. We'd finally had it with touch and go wireless. I'd tried other outlet networking adapters (for phone) in the past with disastrous results. No problem here. Don't think twice.
 
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I was looking for an alternative to a wireless set up for a remotely located computer in my home. I tried Wireless 'B' at 11 mb and wireless 'G' at 55 mb, but they didn't seem fast enough. I thought I would try the Netgear powerline units rated at 85 mb to see if they could achieve improvement in speed. I was not disappointed. The units simply plug into the wall where you want to use them. One to my router, the other to the remote computer. Without any other installation of hardware or software, the units operated instantly. The bit rate shown on the computer still read 100 mb just as though I were connected directly to the router and with performance to match. The software is there to allow separation of units into logical groups in case you are trying to connect multiple computers. Additionally it can encrypt communication, which as I understand it, is primarily for residents of apartments and condominiums where data could be retrieved by neighbors. I have not used these features, but assume they would work as advertised. The only downside is that you need to buy two of these units to connect one computer to a network. That's almost twice as expensive as buying a wireless setup. I guess the added speed is worth the added cost in my opinion.
 
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I'm now running 4 Netgear Powerline adaptors & they are as simple to use as plugging them into an AC wall outlet. The performance is better than RF without limitation on where they can be used in the house. Very easy and reasonably priced network expansion. Be careful to follow the instructions about plugging directly into a wall outlet. Do not use extention cords or power strips. It will degrade performance considerably.
 
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This is a very easy-to-setup alternative to wireless networking, but in my tests the best performance I got was 2 MBps, using outlets very close to each other. The farther apart the outlets are, the worse my performance was. For my desired setup, I only got about 0.5 MBps. I'm sure the quality of the electrical wiring in my house has an impact, but the house is only 19 years old, so I was hoping for something much closer to the advertised 85 MBps.
 
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This is literally a plug and play device. Once I became familiar with the setup of a network, I realized that this was truly a plug an play device. I would highly recommend this to the non-techno savvy as the perfect way to "wire" the house.
 
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This product just works, right out of the box. You will need to purchase two of these XE103 devices. One to go next to the router or cable modem. The other for your remote computer. I did not need to use the instruction manual, or open the included software. I have tested in most rooms of my 15 year old house, and it works in all those electrical outlets. I have tested with a Windows XP computer, and with a Sony PS2 game console. The XE103 works in both cases. The included software allows you to encrypt the connection between the XE103 devices, so that nosy neighbors cannot connect to your computer equipment (although I have not tried this yet).
 
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Networking > Wired Networking > HomePlug/Powerline Category