Linksys Powerline AV Wireless Network Extender (PLWK400)

UPDATED ON MARCH 3, 2014: I recently bumped up my internet speed and began running some speed tests to verify this. I was surprised to find out that the throughput over these powerline adapters had dropped by over 50% since I originally reviewed them. I've tried resetting them and reinstalling the firmware, but the problem remains. The only thing that may have changed was the fact that I accidentally pressed the "encryption" button on one of the adapters a few days ago (around the time I increased my internet speed with Comcast), but resetting the adapter should have cleared that. The adapters still push around 90Mbps in the same room, but this number drops significantly as I move the adapters away from each other. Where I was originally getting over 90Mbps with the adapters on different floors, now I'm getting around 40Mbps with the adapters in the same position. Since I now have a 50Mbps internet connection, I'm a bit disappointed in that these adapters are now the bottleneck. I'll look into the issue some more and may contact support, but I won't knock off any stars off my original review until I find a cause. ORIGINAL REVIEW FROM NOVEMBER 19, 2013: This review is for the 4-port Linksys Adapters, and not the wireless extender. Not sure why my review is tagged that way. Just some quick background info that may help some users: There are basically two ratings for powerline adapters: 200Mbps and 500Mbps (a few other speed ratings may be found, but 200 and 500 are the standards). I've used a few different powerline adapters over the years, and believe that currently, the 200Mbps-rated adapters are simply a better purchase than most the 500Mbps-rated adapters. Most of the higher rated adapters are pretty much a gimmick, in that while they are designed to meet the specifications for 500Mbps over the powerline, the adapters are often equipped with 10/100 ethernet ports. This basically means that while they could potentially push data at 500Mbps over the powerline, the bottleneck is the actual ethernet port on the adapter, which is limited to a measly 100 Mbps. I don't know if this is a cost-saving measure or a technical issue, but it looks like most manufacturers design, and market, their powerline adapters this way. I've also found that the 500Mbps adapters are more sensitive to more power-hungry devices on the same circuit. For example, if you have a power hog like a home elevator or a gym-quality treadmill, the 500Mbps may be more sensitive to that when in use. If speed over the powerline is truly what you're after, by all means spend the money and get a 500Mbps+ adapter, but make sure it has gigabit ports (and definitely use Cat 5e or 6 ethernet cables), or else you're just wasting your money. Along with the Linksys, I also considered the TP-LINK TL-PA4010KIT AV500 Nano Powerline Adapter Starter Kit, up to 500Mbps . It has great reviews, an attractive price, and can be purchased with a gigabit port. Unfortunately, TP-Link doesn't sell this model with a 4-port switch as Linksys does, which is why I went with the Linksys. If I only needed a single port, I would have gone with the TP-Link. Now onto the Linksys: I ended up purchasing the 4-port adapter kit. As is usually the case with powerline adapters from most of the big manufacturers, the setup was quick and simple--literally plug and play. As for real-world speed, I ran some iperf tests on my network (two Macs and an Asus RT-N16 router running Tomato firmware)... here are the results: - Both clients wired into the same 4-port powerline adapter (other adapter not used): 93.3 Mbps (my theoretical max) - Both clients wired into different adapters in same room, different outlets: 90.6 Mbps And with the adapters on different floors - Both clients wired, no router: 90.2 Mbps - Both clients wired, with router: 90.0 Mbps The speeds were very consistent in my tests--far more consistent than pushing data over wireless. After reading reviews of some 500Mbps adapters on the market, my test results showed that my speeds usually exceeded the ones reported by reviewers of many 500Mbps adapters. And a side note: don't pay attention to reviews using results from SpeedTest.net or other internet-based speed test service as a good measure of network adapters. Internet speeds have nothing to do with your home network speeds. Overall I'm very happy with the speeds, setup and consistency of these adapters. It's too early to tell if the adapters will keep up this performance over time, but so far it's very promising.

I have been dealing with networking in our household for years, and I think this is the very FIRST product that simply worked right out of the box--no configuration necessary. I had considered getting a wireless network extender (Linksys RE1000), but decided against it, given the uneven user reviews it received. Since I really only needed to get better network connectivity in one small area, this alternative made sense. I connected the one piece of the PLSK400 to my Linksys E4200 at one corner of our house and plugged the other piece into an electrical receptacle at the opposite corner on a different floor. My son's Xbox connection is now much improved, even better than the wireless connection he experienced playing it in the same room as the router. Now he can keep his Xbox with the big screen TV and get great performance. And since I bought the model that has four ports, I can also connect the Wii and the Blu-Ray player as well, with one more port left for something else in the future. I don't usually review stuff, but felt compelled to submit a positive review for a product that made it so easy to extend my network to the furthest corner of our house. EDIT: I built a new computer, and wanted to put it down in our family room, where I also had placed the 4-port portion of the kit. Unfortunately, the desk is in a part of the room where I can't connect to the 4-port powerline adapter I'm using to connect the Xbox. I searched for information on whether buying another kit would extend the powerline network using the same unit that was hooked up to my router. After not finding anything, I finally just decided to go ahead and purchase the Linksys Powerline AV 1-Port Network Adapter Kit (PLEK400), which is the same as this kit but with only 1 port in each of the two units. I couldn't find any source where I could simply buy one unit alone. After receiving the PLEK400 kit, I plugged one of the units (they seem to be identical) into an outlet near my new computer, hooked up the computer, and it connected to my existing unit next to my router with no problem. Since the kit came with 2 1-port units, I use the other 1-port unit to connect my laptop from a different area, when I don't feel like using the wireless network. All worked flawlessly together, again with no configuration necessary! Now that I have owned both the PLSK400 and the PLEK400 kits for several months, I can again affirm that these have worked beautifully for our family. However, I have found that every once in a while (maybe every 2 weeks or so?), I need to unplug them and replug them to "reboot" the powerline network. The powerline network seems to slow way down or quit working altogether if it hasn't been restarted for a while. Instead of waiting for that to happen, though, I usually simply restart it (by unplugging and replugging all units) when I find it necessary to restart our router and cable modem. The router or the cable modem need to be restarted more often than the powerline units, so the slowdown that sometimes had occurred never happens anymore. Because this is easy to do when the rest of the network needs to be restarted anyway, I don't feel this should detract from my initial 5-star rating.

After my old set of powerline adapters broke, I checked a few different powerline adapters before settling on this one. I have a linksys router and I've been happy with it so I figured I'd go with this one since it also has good reviews. My setup: I have the base plugged in to the modem in the master bedroom and the other end is in one of the bedrooms to connect my Xbox (they are on the same floor, but different circuits). I have a pretty good router, so my WiFi speeds are good, but they are a bit unreliable for online gaming. Even though this transmits the connection slower than my WiFi network (still good enough for online gaming), it is more reliable than my WiFi. For this reason it works brilliantly for when I'm on Xbox Live. Setup was super easy and went exactly as the instructions said. I plugged in the base (the one with only one ethernet port) directly into a wall outlet in the master bedroom and used the supplied ethernet cable to connect it to my modem. I then plugged the other one (the one with four ports) directly into the wall outlet of the room where my Xbox is. The adapters made a connection pretty quickly (in maybe less than a minute). I then used the other supplied ethernet cable to connect the four port adapter to my Xbox. I fired up my Xbox, chose the wired connection and I was set. I also use one of the other ports to connect my laptop for bigger downloads. I took off one star for these two reasons: as stated earlier, the connection is much slower than I expected them to be (though they are still fast enough for Xbox Live, which is why I bought them). The adapters I had before were faster even though they were quoted for a slower speed than this one says it'll go. And the second reason is I still sometimes experience weird drops in speeds for a couple of minutes. This will happen even if no other devices are connected to the network at the time. I'm not sure if it's my internet or the adapters, but I am leaning toward the adapters since it didn't happen before. Again, this isn't a big deal as it only lasts for a minute or two before going away and it doesn't happen regularly. Overall, these are pretty decent. If you have a good router then the speeds from this will be slower than what your WiFi gives you. But the connection is pretty reliable and the installation was a breeze. So for that I would recommend this powerline adapter.

The entertainment devices in my living room all have wireless capability, but none of them can get stable and reliable wireless connection at their location. I needed to hard wired all of them, but my house doesn't have network patches like in the office. And so of course, network powerline kits are what I turn to. I helped a couple of clients setup with powerline kits, so I have already done my research in the past on which kit works best. However, most of the network powerline kits have only one ethernet port. Sure, I can use a switch with it, but that is just additional cost that I want to avoid. I came across this Linksys powerline kit after doing a bit of research to see if kits with more than one port exist, and it turns out they do exist. This Linksys powerline kit has 4 ethernet ports. The only downside is they are 10/100 ports, not gigabit. But then again, I haven't seen any powerline kit with true gigabit yet, and all my living room devices have 10/100 ports anyways. Most of the powerline kits need to be paired by having the transmitter and the receiver plugged into the same wall outlets in order for them to connect properly. However, this Linksys kit doesn't require you to do so. I simply plug the transmitter in the outlet of the room where my router is located and the receiver in the living room wall outlet, where I can plug my Apple TV, Android TV box, security camera, etc... into it. The setup was like less than 5 minutes to plug everything in place, and after a few more minutes, all my devices are connected to the internet without problems. I had it for over a year now, and it is still up and running. It does have occasional hiccups once a month or so, but that's because I have 4 devices plugged into it and two of which (my 2 security cameras) constantly draws bandwidth. I am putting it under heavy workload and stressing it near to its full potential, so hiccups are to be expected. This kit has done wonders to my home network, and also cost effective considering its affordable price and capabilities. I get great decent download speed, and streaming HD on Netflix is very smooth. My Apple TV runs smoothly when using AirPlay, with no drops or lag. Streaming movies from my computer with my Android TV box is also smooth with no lag. I'm very happy using this powerline kit for my living room entertainment setup. Also, this is the powerline kit that you can plug the adapter on the bottom outlet, and still have the top outlet accessible for plugging in other things (most powerline kits are too big, and block the top outlet, rendering the top outlet useless); I used the top outlet for my 12 plug surge protector for plugging in all my devices. For anyone looking to hard wire your devices, but just don't want to run long cables, I recommend this Linksys powerline kit. It is the simplest powerline kit for those who are not too tech savvy. A simple plug-n-play setup. Just make sure you plug both adapters directly to the wall outlet, it should not be plug into a surge protector or an extension cord cable. Even if you are lucky enough to get them paired, the data speed will be significantly limited when you plug them into anything other than the wall outlet. Also, this is the only powerline kit with a 4 port switch available as of this review. And you think 4 ports are an overkill for you, a one port kit is also available. P.S. In case you are wondering about the 200Mbps speed that this kit is advertise to have, basically, you will need a smart switch with port trunking (link aggregation, LACP 802.3ad) setup to achieve that. How else would a 10/100 get 200 right? LOL Most people will never need it. And those who need link trunking, we mostly will never use it on 10/100, because gigabit has already been invented.

I wanted a wired solution to various points in my house to get the full bandwidth of my cable modem, which can get > 50 Mbps download speed with a direct Ethernet cable connection to my router. The initial reviews I read about these devices sounded fairly good, so I purchased a few of them. My initial tests were ok. I could get 20-30 Mbps download speed, which was not the full bandwidth of my cable modem, but still slightly better than my WiFi connection speed. However, after using these powerline adapters for a period of a few weeks, I would notice that I would regularly (couple of times per hour) lose my Internet connection for 10-15 seconds while using Skype voice calls. I would also sometimes lose my connection while streaming Amazon video to my TV. I knew that these devices were the problem, because this never happened with WiFi. I called Cisco/Linksys to try to troubleshoot the problem. Their only solution was to propose to send me a new device. But I had already purchased 6 of these and could reproduce the problem with any of them, so getting yet another device from Cisco was not going to solve my problem. Luckily, I did some more research and found the Actiontec Ethernet to Coax adapters on Amazon. These devices work great. I can get a full 50 Mbps download speed (same as a direct connection to my router), and I never lose my Internet connection. Perhaps the Linksys powerline adapters are as good as it gets for powerline technology, but the Ethernet to Coax adapter is just a better solution (much faster speeds and more reliable connection). I have returned all of the powerline adapters to Amazon and am now very happy with the Actiontec adapters.

I debated for quite a while what stars to give this product, but ultimately gave it a 3-star, and will give written justification. If you have a part of your home that is not capable of getting physical cable runs (for whatever reason), and/or wireless is just crap whatever you do, this is a way to get something to that area - and yes it is far more stable than wireless. Possible Role 1: Home Theatre --> 5-star This is the targeted focus of this product, regardless of how lucky you are with the electrical setup, etc. For simply giving network capability to the equipment in your home theater, this product is absolutely great! I have a HTPC connected, PS3, Marantz Pre/Pro, and Oppo BD Player. Everything works even when on simultaneously, playing simultaneously, using the network, etc, with no hiccups at all. This product does work, its doesn't stutter, and is STABLE. I can mount an ISO ripped from a full BluRay disc, and stream it across without fail, with the other devices involved with network duties simultaneously. This was a significant test for this product, from a home theater perspective. Test: pass. Possible Role 2: LAN for computing, with the need for speed --> 1-star This is NOT the targeted focus of this product. Why? The speed is horrible if you need something other than simple browsing and/or email horsepower. If you need to actually transfer files or binaries, YOU WILL BE WAITING. If the connected computer is a home workstation and you bring your work home with you, this will also be a bummer; again, slow speed. Generally speaking, since I get on average 4.5MB/sec, I presume the average consumer will get between .1 and 8MB/Sec max. That range would be based on the overall outcome based on your setup, which happens to include quite a bit of variables. It's a roll of the dice for every single person who tries powerline tech. In summary: In my case, the LAN infrastructure is upstairs, and due to layout of house, cannot physically snake cat6 cables to living room downstairs on literally opposite side of house. 11n networking got me up to 12MB/sec but as usual, isn't the most stable, and is wireless/weird (sometimes) for home theater. They need another ten years to get that crap worked out. I have a home theater setup with units that need simple, not-huge bandwidth to do their job. This product is provides extremely stable bandwidth and has so far not even hiccuped during heavy use. To get your home theater connected, avoid the crap of a media bridge (two AP's having fun together), and go this route. It will likely be fine. If you have a different requirement and need to copy binaries of almost ANY size, this product should be avoided completely, you will wait and wait and wait.... For those needs, you will have to settle for 11n and/or simply get those cables snaked! ...because this just will not be good enough; unless you love staring at progress indicators for extended periods. This product should be called: "Home Theater Network Media Streaming Adapter Kit" OR "I'm Waitin', I'm Waitin', I'm Totally Always Waitin' !!" Cheers

Several years ago, I bought a Netgear 85Mbps Powerline Network Adapter Kit - XETB1001, mostly so my son could set up his Rock Band in a room where my neighbor's wireless network overwhelmed my own WiFi. Anyway, I learned to love Powerline Ethernet. I tested the speed, and I got 7.19 MBPS download and 5.03 MBPS upload. But, when I upgraded to HD TV, the Netgear wasn't fast enough, so I bought a set of the Linksys Powerline adapters. It's unbelievably easy to set up. You plug in one adapter as the base station in an electric outlet near your router and connect your router to to the adapter with an Ethernet cable. Then, you plug in the 4 port network adapter where you need Ethernet ports. In my case, I placed it near my entertainment system. You wait a few seconds for the lights to start flashing, and then you can run an Ethernet cable to your TV, Blu-Ray, Roku, internet radio, etc. You instantly have Ethernet for your device. I have another unit (you don't need a second base station) that I've connected a Wireless Access Point to (enabled me to move my WiFi from the end of my house right to the center of my house), and I use another one for my work laptop and VOIP phone. All this works perfectly and completely transparently to my devices. It completely appears that I've run Cat5 throughout my whole house, with only the cost of the Linksys Powerline adapter. I've seen reviews from people saying they can't get it to work in their home. My house was built in 1987, and my entertainment system is in an addition I had built last year. Obviously, the addition has it's own circuits and circuit breakers. I can see no difference in performance in the house or in the addition. I have TimeWarner's Ultimate 30 MBPS cable service. On my PC, next to the cable modem, I get 31.05 MBPS download and 5.04 MBPS upload speed, or slightly better than I'm paying for. (I used Speedtest.net to get these numbers.) On my Powerline system in the center of my house, I got 30.49 DL / 5.06 UL speeds--statistically I get the identical speed using the Powerline system as I get directly from the cable modem! As noted above, I connected a Wireless Access Point in the center of my house. On the same PC using WiFi through the WAP (connected over powerline), I get 30.65 download and 5.05 upload speeds. Again, statistically identical to the cable modem. Finally, I have a PC in the kid's room, literally as far from the cable modem as you can get in my house. It's an older (slower) PC, but I tested the connection there too. Performance was slower but still acceptable, 20.71 DL and 3.58 UL. Still 3X faster than my old Netgear Powerline system. By the way, the old Netgear adapters do NOT work now that I'm running on the Linksys powerline network in my house. I didn't expect that they would work, but I did test them to find out for sure. This is a great, relatively inexpensive way to solve the issue of getting network access to all of your devices. No more WiFi dropouts, interference, etc. Well worth the investment.

I was excited to get this - we get a lot of rebuffering while streaming Netflix through one of our WiFi BluRay players due to poor signal strength, so, after reading the great reviews, I thought this would be the perfect solution. It solved the problem, but not without frustration. The device itself works fine and I have a great WiFi signal strength (5 out of 5 bars) on the Blu Ray player, where before I only had 1 or 2 bars. Same with my phone and tablet - 4 out of 4 bars, where before I only had one. The connection will work either wired or wireless (the unit that plugs into the remote location can be wired to the WiFi device with the included ethernet cable). I had trouble getting Netflix up at first, but after unplugging everything, including the modem and BluRay player, and reconnecting, everything works perfectly. This device actually sets up its own wireless network, my advice is to give it a different name than your home network, so you can identify which one you're connected to on your devices. I didn't understand this, I thought it was going to splice into the existing network, so at first I named it the same as my home network, which really confused things. My router is Linksys, so I specifically bought a Linksys brand powerline adapter thinking it would interface smoothly with the router. In retrospect, I don't think it matters BUT the reason it did not get 5 stars and I had considered giving only 3 stars, was for the difficulty installing and setting up the units. I'm not a computer geek, nor am I a computer dummie, I'm somewhere in the middle. I followed the incredibly sparse instructions in the box, inserted the installation CD into my computer and got some useless screens that did nothing. I tried to figure it out myself, tried going to the Linksys web site to download the user manual, and found a manual that was about 140 pages, starting in Dutch, moving on to German, then Russian... Rather than scroll through 20 languages to find one I could read well enough to install my product, I called tech support. I was on the phone with the tech for nearly an hour and a half getting the devices installed! That is JUST insane! I told the tech that I couldn't believe what a pain this was to install and I have never had a hardware installation that required this much time and effort. She said it's because I must have strong security and firewall on my computer. Whatever... it's installed and the tech was very nice. She had offered, initially, to remotely access my computer and take over the install from her end, for a ten dollar charge, but that didn't sound secure to me, so I declined. Bottom line, I'm glad I bought this device, it definitely gives me WiFi in a corner of the house that was previously almost nonexistent but the installation process took way too long for me.