For a truly simple way to bring the Internet to any room in your home, look no further than NETGEAR's Wall-Plugged Ethernet Bridge. It plugs into an electrical outlet and uses your existing electrical wiring to give your entire household access to your Cable/DSL connection. With no expensive new wiring or cabling to install, your family can surf the Web, participate in online gaming, send and receive e-mail, and share files and printers, all from different rooms at the same time. Uncomplicated and very quick to install, it plugs right into a wall outlet, reducing clutter and saving valuable desk space. Designed for ease of use, it has new, easy-to-read icon LEDs, and protects your network communications from eavesdroppers and hackers, while not increasing your electricity bill.Networks your PCs and shares a Cable/DSL Internet connection using existing 110V electrical outlets in your home. Automatic rate adaption chooses the best data rate depending on the level of interference caused by other electrical appliances. Compatible with 10 Mbps or 10/100 Mbps Ethernet products, and it also works seamlessly with NETGEAR Cable/DSL routers.Boasts Ethernet-like data rates of up to 14 Mbps. Works across multiple phases and circuit breakers to provide complete coverage in your home. Ensures privacy and security over the Powerline network with 56-Bit Data Encryption Standard (DES).Saves both time and money, since there's no expensive new wiring to install or modify. Plugs directly into your wall outlets, preserving valuable desk space, and works with two and three-prong standard 110 volt electrical outlets. Allows you to remotely connect popular gaming consoles to your cable/DSL Internet connection, and features distinctive status LEDs.
1 Discontinued.
Netgear actually is recalling this particular product. Think it is kind of obvious why, "What happened when you try to plug a low voltage wire into a High voltage wire?" it starts on fire. The recall is on this product because they can be a fire hazard. That aside the issue with these items is that they have to be on the same circuit in the building. If the two rooms that you are trying to network are on different circuits these will not work. Other than it being a brilliant invention I would not use these in my house. I suggest using two wireless network card "Wireless B" and set them up for "AD-HOC" mode so they connect to each other.
2 Not a good customer experience
For whatever reason this set-up did not work. As others have noted, phone support is non-existent. Even at 4 am they won't take your call. Email to support was also fruitless. I got one email back asking "what are your settings?". I replied, sent a tracer but never heard back. I see they have discontinued this product. Technical issues aside, Netgear has a ways to go to provide basic customer support.
3 Slick Last Resort Networking Solution!
I bought this because I have a shed next to my garage that my WiFi doesn't quite reach. This was definatly the easiest solution to networking into my shop so I could have internet and play Mp3s off my network.
I plugged one into my router, and the other into my 150mhz laptop I used in the shed (a glorified Mp3 player at this rate, but still does that and surfs the net well!)
Turned on the laptop... I was on my network at a little over 8Mbps. Sweet!
Streamed Mp3s, tested the internet... super fast. Worked great. Perfect solution. Couldn't be happier...
The only downfall was that the encryption software (not that I need it) says W98 is required. But, it actuality it requires W98SE or higher. So, I couldn't install the software (I installed in on my XP laptop to test the speed with their tools).
Kinda sucks SE is required... but, I can live with it now that I have internet and can share MP3s in my shop!
4 It didn't work for me
I tried using it to connect two medium sized rooms that were right next to each other. It only worked reasonably well for a little while after I plugged both of them in (or unplugged them both and re-plugged them in). It might have worked for non-internet networking, but I just wanted to have net access and that wasn't happening except for a brief period after resetting the power as I mentioned. It seems to have gotten a lot of good reviews, so maybe it was just my place that was the problem, but for what it's worth, it wasn't the magic it sounded like it was.
5 Disappointing Results
I looked forward to excellent performance from these devices as an alternative to running additional cable in my home, based on the generally good reviews on this site. The devices seemed to work well, right out of the box, for distances of two rooms away. However, they would lose connection whenever the computer was turned off and then turned back on later. The only way to restore ethernet input to my computer was to unplug and plug in again the nearest XE102. This is not the unsatisfactory reliability my wife and I desire from our internet connection. Even when the two adaptors were plugged into AC receptacles in the same room (as a best-case test), they would not continue to provide ethernet input to my computer if it was turned off and then on again later. My attempt at telephone support from Netgear was fruitless ("call back later"). When I used their online service center, I initially received a general list of possible problems back, but nothing that addressed this specific problem. When I asked for more specific help, after five days I finally received a response which said the problem I reported was "a limitation of the devices." In other words, this was the best performance I could expect.
6 Sets up in minutes. Works like a charm
I was up and running in 5 minutes. No software to install.
I favor the powerline networking over wireless for the following reasons:
1) easier to setup. No settings to config.
2) more secure. No need to worry about broadcasting a signal over the air
3) faster than wireless. I would typically get weak signal and poor speeds, even though I was not located far from my Wireless A/P. The powerline adapter blows away my wireless setup any day.
Sure the novelty of being wireless is cool, but I prefer the speed, reliability and security that the powerline provides.
When I want to work from another room, or my patio outside, I take the powerline adapter with me and plug it into the nearest outlet.
Great product.
7 Works well, but beware of the iPod AC charger!
This is a 'comment' rather than a full review -
I use this device to connect my Vonage box to the house router. Works great - no programming required, just 'magically' extends the port of the router through the house wiring to a convenient local outlet.
BUT (and this is very odd) the network shut down / I lost my phone connection etc when my girlfriend plugged her IPod with AC charger into the house power. Suddenly, the Netgear link was dead. VERY VERY weird. I suspect the iPod was trying to detect a network through it's AC power supply, and these pings or whatever were causing problems with the Netgear. Be advised.
8 One of the best products I have ever bought...
Home networking technologies are advancing so quickly that it is not easy to even keep up with the innovations. These XE102 Wall-Plugged Ethernet Bridges are amazing - you just plug in one to your BB modem and another into your PC and you are done - no need for a long cable across your house. No chance of trippingover a cable to messing up your home decor. You do need 2 of these for it to work, though, so keep that in mind.
These work for a PS2 or XBox as well, and is better for online gaming than wireless is. Check them out - you won't regret it.
9 Good Product
I have a home network using a Netgear wireless router. Two computers are wired, and the desktop in my den is wireless using a Netgear MA101 USB Adapter. The computer in my den often suffered signal drop-out, and I would lose my network connection. I decided to try the Netgear XE102 Powerline Ethernet Adapter, based in part on the reviews. I have had the devices connected for 3 days now, and no more signal drop-outs. The device works as advertised. So far, I am very satisfied with the product, and I would recommend it for easy home network set-up.
10 TOTALLY BLOWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
When it decides to bless you with actually working it's fine. Mine goes out at 6 PM every night, on weekend afternoons, and right now (10:30 am on a friday) I've had to keep a dial up service too! How hard does that blow?
11 It worked great right out of the box
I've been using wireless networking for a couple of years with good, but variable, results. When it works, speeds are fine and I have no complaints. Depending on which room of the house I'm in, however, the signal is spotty and sometimes drops out altogether. I'll reach behind my computer and move the antenna a little and everything works again, but it's annoying, especially if it happens in the middle of a big download.
I bought three Netgear XE102 Adapters from amazon and plugged them in last night. They worked on the first try. I didn't even take the manuals out of the shrink wrap. These were truly plug-n-play. Performance was excellent in every room. I did have to use the Windows XP network wizard to reconfigure things -- this took about 30 seconds and worked flawlessly -- but that was the only setup required.
I tested download speeds from the Internet and they were the same as with my wireless setup (75 kbytes on a DSL connection), but the connection was rock-solid, which resulted in a much better surfing experience. Also, the room-to-room connections were MUCH better, making file transfer, etc. much faster.
By the way, in one room I'm plugged in via a 3-in-1 plug. In another I'm connected through a surge protector. In the third room the adapter is plugged into an extension cord. None of these things hampered the performance.
If you're dissatisfied with spotty wireless performance, give these a try. They worked for me.
12 When it works it's great, when it fails it's impossible
These things look like a great deal. You plug them in and off they go. The problem is when something goes wrong - there is no way to troubleshoot or resolve issues. Unplugging and plugging back in is your only option. Netgear support does not exist.
My area is prone to power spikes and very brief failures (less than a second) due to area construction, these events kill the network. Sometimes unplugging and plugging back in works, sometimes it does not and then you have no recourse but to leave them unplugged and hope someday they will decide to work again.
For me, these things are better than nothing but only marginally so ...
13 Simple and fault free
I have had my two Netgear XE102's for about an hour now. They are connecting my laptop to an ethernet hub that my dial-out PC is connected to. My detached home office is 50 feet and 2 circuit breaker boxes away from my house so I first I tried having both adapters plugged in near each other on the office - they worked perfectly, I could barely tell both computers weren't still plugged into the hub! Then I moved the laptop to the other end of my place - an outlet on the front porch. Not only did it still work but the connection times between the two computers was identical. This is far far better than the two 802.11b systems I've tried - I've got thick plaster walls, tin roofs and a bunch of metal appliances blocking access to most remote places I'd like to work.
14 VPN connection problem solver
After constant problems dropping my VPN connection back to the office with 802.11b, then g, I decided to give the XE102 a try. Not a single drop since installation. This product may be slower than wireless on paper, but if you're looking for real world performance instead of hype, give it a try. I have read the XE102 may not work well if the wiring in your house is "bad", but if you're having problems with dropped VPN connections over wireless, this may be your answer. Easy to install, easy to use, and reliable.
15 Great product . . . and solves an 802.11b issue
Like pretty much everybody else reviewing the XE102, I've been very happy with this product. Ease of setup is unmatched, and the performance seems to be better (and more reliable) than 802.11b. With wireless, I frequently had to wait for the microwave to finish before my signal would return, and my wife was getting sick of my telling her to switch the channel on the 2.4Ghz phone.
But ultimately, the powerline adapter became a necessity for me. Once a month, I handle technical support for my company's software package. And support means accessing customer sites via VPN if problems arise. There are a half dozen different VPN packages that all conflict with one another, so we've had to use Virtual PC (formerly from Connectix, now from Microsoft) to keep everything separate. Unfortunately the required networking settings to make Virtual PC work with the VPN clients are NOT compatible with 802.11b. It has to do with a part of that standard that doesn't let the adapter transmit packets with other MAC addresses.
In any case, for about $140 for pair of these, I resolved the issue. And I saved a lot of money I would've spent to run Cat 5 or get a new phone jack installed so I could move my DSL router. I still use the wireless for my laptop, but my desktop machine stays hooked up with the XE102. I'm also planning on buying another one for my TiVo.
16 Give enough distance between wall outlets
The wall outlet you use for the Adapter should be far away from the wall outlet you use for the power strip (where you connect to computer, monitor, printer, scanner, etc.) Otherwise, you may have trouble. I had no connection when the Adapter used the same multiple wall outlets with the power strp. I continued to have problems when they were 3 yd apart. Now they are 6 yd apart the it seems to work well.
17 Powerline Networking Rocks!!
My wife wanted a computer on the kitchen counter with Internet access (connected to my cable modem). My WiFi access point didn't have the range to make it clear across my house to the kitchen. Bought two of these Netgear powerline adapters and it worked like a charm. Took more time to unwrap the package than it did to get this to work. Just plug one on each end, and you're done. I don't know why more people haven't discovered powerline networking.
18 Awesome, and then some.
Plug it in and you are done. No joke. It is the easiest thing to set up - it couldn't get any easier. It truly is that simple - use 3, 4, or even 5 units in your home. The CD is needed only when you want to, at your leisure, put in a password.
At 14 Mbps, it is faster than most wireless networks, and the signal is more reliable.
Also, this is perfect for GAMING - the signal will be more consistent than those with wireless.
19 Relief from spotty wireless speed is finally here
I have been a huge fan of wireless for a few years now. The flexibility of going anywhere with my laptop and still being connected was great. However, I have been performing a lot of remote work which requires heavy duty two-way processing of X-window and Java traffic. I stared to notice severe bottlenecks in the throughput. I tried expanding my wireless network by getting better antennas and enhancers with no luck. I tried to have a WEBEX demonstration and the results were not good.
I then started looking at the cost of having someone wire my entire house. The expense of this was staggering. Finally, I stumbled onto what I now consider the best option that you can have for a true HOME network. The XE102 Powerline Ethernet Adapter from Netgear is my answer. It turns any electrical outlet in your home into a access point into your network and grants you access to the Internet through your cable modem, dsl or dial up.
This device is ten times faster than wireless in my observations. It requires a minimum of two devices (one plugged into a wall outlet by your internet access point and one anyplace in you house where you want to connect). I was so pleased with the speed of this that I even tried the WEBEX demonstration again, IT WORKED GREAT.
20 Works Great
I needed to extend my wireless network into my basement and couldn't find a decent wireless solution, so I bought two of these devices, plugged one into my DSL router on the second floor and plugged the other into an outlet in the basement. Then I plugged a wireless access point into this powerline converter, and voila, it worked great. Really easy install!
21 Pleasantly surprised.
here's what you want to know:
i connected a netgear cable/dsl router into the XE102, and then
connected 4 more XE102 adapters across my house to share the
internet connection on laptops i have.
my house is about 40 years old. the electrical wiring has never
been changed (or repaired).
all the devices connected at 10mbps, short of the 14mpbs
promised, but still very good considering.
in a sustained transfer of a 533MB file from my server to my
laptops, each laptop pulled it in anywhere from 500K-550K/sec,
or 5 to 5.5mbps. it would take roughly 15 minutes per machine
to receive the whole file.
internet transfers showed no signs of a slow connection. i
played 'savage' (an online first person shooting game) with no
lag. i downloaded the demo from download.com at about 195k/sec,
which is nothing to laugh at.
setup was easy for my comcast connection. it took more time to
get the router to talk to comcast's dhcp server than anything.
the XE102's are truly plug and play, but make sure you enable
encryption when you're done setting up.
i give the product 4/5 only because there is no doubt room for
an improvement in sustained transfer speeds, although, again, i
am more than happy with 5 - 5.5mbps , especially since most of
the files being transfered in my home are 3mb or so MP3s from
the server to my laptops, which would take approximately 3
seconds to move. not bad for 40 year old wiring!
if cabling cat5 is impractical, and wireless has too much
interference or too much open space, i'd definitely recommend
the XE102 for a reliable wire-based connection.
22 Secure and Easy to Set up
I got two of these adapters to extend my broadband internet connection to another room in the house. Wireless encryption was too much trouble to set up and I worried about security issues without it. Using the XE102's encryption software was easy and now I don't have to worry about people "sniffing" around my house for a wireless connection.
Since I don't have phone jacks in the room where I needed the network connection, I couldn't use a phone line network adapter. The XE102 is perfect because I have lots of AC outlets in every room. Not only that, I don't have to deal with reception dead spots like with a wireless system.
With my XE102s about as far apart as I can get them in my house (~50 ft) I get a 12 - 14Mbps connection speed. I'm very happy with this system.
23 Reliable alternative to wireless
I moved from an apartment with all hardwired Ethernet to a townhouse with computers on every floor. I tried wireless but it didn't work well in the basement and was not reliable or consistent. I looked into HPNA but couldn't find any kits to purchase. I decided to give Netgear's xe102 a try. First, as others have stated - you CAN literally just plug it in and go BUT I wouldn't advise that. It's very important to set up the encryption software and change the network password. One simple step that can help protect your network but so many people don't do it. This is more important for users that live in multi-dwelling homes like apartments/condos/townhouses.
Super Ease of use - This device is very easy to set up: plug it in, run the cd, change the password on each device and poof you are networked. The manual that comes with the device has step by step directions with screenshots too.
Reliable - I have never once had a problem with connectivity to my LAN using these devices. I not only have my Ethernet over power lines but I also use extended phone jacks that work through the power lines too. Even using those jacks at the same time as being on the network - nada - no degradation at all.
Great Support - Netgear is a fantastic company that puts out some darn good products. I haven't ever had to call regarding this device, but I have contacted them in the past for support on their routers and they were very helpful. When deciding on this product or other homeplug networking products, I chose Netgear because of my positive experiences with them. I have tried many other networking products by other companies and it's hard to find good service out there. When you find it, stick with it.
24 Simple extension to Wi-FI
I've got a large old house, with a Wi-Fi router in the basement. It provides fine coverage in the basement office and throughout the ground floor, but there's no way to reach another home office in the attic. Moreover, there was no viable way to pull ethernet cable vertically since the walls are solid plaster.
These Powerline adapters from Netgear were just what the doc ordered! They were remarkably easy to install, and allowed me to extend my broadband to an attic office where there's a Mac (the rest of the house is Windows-based). Unfortunately, Netgear's software doesn't provide security for the Mac, but the broadband connection via powerline is remarkably strong -- and has no noticeable effect on the rest of the WLAN.
25 It was "plug in & go," no joke
These babies worked right out of the box with xp. Plugged one into a laptop, and the other into a switch, and it immediately worked. Is it fast? Well, I'm used to 100baseT & 1000baseT, so no, I don't think it's fast per se, but it's a lot easier than stringing wires from room to room in a house where all the walls are closed up (or hoping wireless maintains connection over a long period of time).
I did experience one caveat: If my laptop entered suspend mode, sometimes the connection would seize upon restart...not always, just sometimes. Who knows what the laptop's ethernet port is doing during suspend restart, but it isn't something these network devices always like. Minor issue imho - just leave the laptop up.
26 Not as good as HPNA
I've had a phoneline network running for a couple of years with no problems, but Linux support for HPNA NICs is difficult so I needed a second bridge to link Cat-5 hubs. Two of these powerline bridges were cheaper than another HPNA 2.0 so I tried converting over. ... Our big house must have even worse power wiring than our screwy phonelines, because the bridges couldn't maintain a connection more than a few rooms apart. They worked about as well as HPNA 1.0 did, which isn't good enough.
27 Not as good as HPNA
I've had a phoneline (HPNA 2.0) network running fine for a couple of years but need to go to two bridges because Linux support for the HPNA NICs is difficult. Two powerline bridges was cheaper than one more HPNA bridge, so they were worth a try, especially since the phone wiring in this house is pretty screwy. I guess the power wiring is worse, because these two bridges couldn't maintain a connection over more than a few rooms' distance. They were about as good as HPNA 1.0, which isn't very good in a big house. I found another Linksys HPB 200 on EBay and expect that should work.
28 It's the Bee's Knees!
Wow! I thought I was cutting-edge with my Wi-Fi home network, but these little silver gizmos are so George Jetson! Plug one into your wall, connect it to your router or directly to your DSL or Cable Modem and then take another Silver Gizmo (yes you need at least two of these babies) and plug it into any electrical outlet in your home and connect it to the ethernet port of a computer. Presto! Instant Network! Who needs Wi-Fi? Now I've got new super-charged POWERLINE with Frammistan!
29 Works as advertised
Another great netgear product. The powerline adaptor work just as advertised. I'm using it as a bridge from my Netgear router to run Xbox Live. So far it works like a charm and is a no brainer to hook up.
30 Wow, I love these Powerline products!
I have been using wireless products for the past year but was having problems with my network everytime my wife would get a phone call on our 2.4 GHz cordless. To make matters worse the microwave seems to interfere with it as well.
I had heard of these powerline products that communicate over the house wires so I bought two Netgear XE102 ethernet bridges. I must say I am pleased because I just plugged them in and they worked. Now I just bring one of the XE102 with me thougtout the house and I can get Internet access without the interference of wireless. Next I am going to buy a powerline router.
31 It Works Like a Charm
Great! Simple. Simpliest network-related device I have used. This product worked out of the box - no extra parts and no hassle. I plugged in one XE102 and then went downstairs and plugged in the other XE102. It worked without a hitch and provided network and high-speed internet access to my laptop ( via the connected Ethernet RJ45 cable).
Then I set the password to encrypt communications between the two XE102 units. No problems and no slowdown.
While they are not super fast they are faster than the high-speed cable modem used to provide intenet access and plenty good for home network use. The best part is the ability to pull a unit out of one electrical wall outlet, go to another room and plug it in, after which, your back on the network.
My earlier experiences with an attempt to use a wireless network (which took many days and involved several different wireless units) and the associated unpredictable or lost encryption settings left me cold and frustrated. By sharp contrast, this product was instant gratification. I really like this product and plan to buy another unit.
32 It works!
It bridges two point. Never drops signal like WiFi. Near theoretical speed 13.4M. No brainer. Just get it if you need to run CAT5 cable at home.
