NETGEAR 85 Mbps Wall-Plugged Ethernet Switch

[Chris Gohlke]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.ehomeupgrade.com/entry/1650/netgear_intros_powerline' target='_blank'>http://www.ehomeupgrade.com/entry/1650/netgear_intros_powerline</a><br /><br /></div><i>"NETGEAR today announced the launch of its next-generation, high-speed powerline product family. The industry first NETGEAR 85 Mbps Wall-Plugged Ethernet Switch (XE104) offers up to six times more throughput than existing HomePlug® 1.0-only powerline products along with 4 built-in ports for connecting multiple networked devices simultaneously. This stylish wall-plugged unit makes a high-quality, high-speed broadband connection available anywhere in the home without running any cabling between rooms, even in areas where a wireless network may not be accessible. By turning any electrical outlet into a 4-port Fast Ethernet (10/100 Mbps) connection, the 85 Mbps Wall-Plugged Ethernet Switch enables consumers to quickly and easily set up a networking solution with the speeds and ports needed to support the increasing number of networked devices in the digital home."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/xe104_new.jpg" /><br /><br />It is nice to see that they have gotten powerline networking up to usable speeds. I tried this way back when it was only 1 Mbps and it was painful. Of course now that I have gone wireless, it would be pretty hard to go back to any wired solution, no matter what the speed.

[karthur]

Does anyone know if the retail product has one or two devices in it? It appears you need two, but the limited literature says only one is provided. Seems like it is a $200 solution, then, eh?

[Pony99CA]

It is nice to see that they have gotten powerline networking up to usable speeds. I tried this way back when it was only 1 Mbps and it was painful. Of course now that I have gone wireless, it would be pretty hard to go back to any wired solution, no matter what the speed.
This would be good for things you don't plan to move around much, like game consoles, DVRs and whatever. I have my PS2 and Replay TVs hooked up to wireless bridges now, but the bridges stand out like sore thumbs.

This could also have several advantages over WiFi (at least 802.11g).

Faster speeds, if you get 85 Mbps everywhere. Remember that very few WiFi connections actually get to 54 Mbps, and the farther you get away from the access point, the slower the speeds you'll get.

Possibly less chance of interference. Powerline signals are subject to interference (as I remember from my X-10 days), but maybe not as much as with wireless.

Possibly more secure. It would be harder to tap into your network as a freeloader/hacker would have to actually get on your property and plug one of these into an outside socket. However, again from my X-10 days, I remember that the signal really only stopped at a transformer on the power pole, so it was occasionally possible for neighbors to get your X-10 signal. Maybe the same thing could happen with this.

Better looking than having WiFi bridges sticking up everywhere.

As for cost, these aren't that much more expensive than many of the 802.11g WiFi bridges. You'd obviously need one hooked up to your main router, though, which would increase the cost, but maybe the above advantages would make it worthwhile.

The one downside for me is that this box looks like it might hog both outlets on a two-outlet box.

http://www.netgear.com/images/diagrams/xe104.jpg

Why couldn't they add two power outlets on the face of this thing? :roll:

Steve

[Crocuta]

If this had been available when I set up my 802.11g network, I'd have probably combined the two. Although just saying 'wireless' sounds great, the reality was that in a large home with multiple levels, you either need to wire to several access points or bridge through the wireless, which severely degrades the speed. My Tivo, for example, runs over the wireless, but is constantly showing around a 15% - 20% signal. That's enough for program guide info, but could become limiting now that Tivo is starting to provide actual content via Internet.

If I were starting today (assuming this really works reliably at 85 mbps), then I'd use this to network our three stable devices (two desktops and the Tivo) and then have a single wireless access point in the main living area for those times when I wanted to sit in my easy chair and surf. It would be a faster, more reliable solution than what I currently have, but not enough faster or more reliable to justify scrapping my current investment to go that way.