Netgear PLP2000 Powerline Extender: Setup and softwareĪfter plugging both Netgear extender units in, it took a few seconds for the data to start flowing through the PLP2000 pair. That translates into an estimated annual electricity bill of about $5.70, good but not in the same class as the stingy D-Link DHP-601AV. The sender and receiver units used 3.7-watts each when moving data and 1.3-watts at idle. The PLP2000 got a little warm during use and hit a peak temperature of 108-degrees Fahrenheit. The Netgear PLP2000 was also way ahead of the D-Link DHP-601AV’s 525-foot range. The ability of the PLP2000 pair to stay online with 775 feet of cable between them was second best to the TP-Link TL-PA9020P’s 1,075 feet. The excellent speeds we saw at 100 feet stayed consistently high, but the category-leading performance only continued until about the 600-foot mark, where the TP-Link TL-PA9020P’s extended range took over the lead. With a maximum range of 775 feet, the Netgear PLP2000 supplied 24.3Mbps to my previously unconnected garage, filling it with HD videos, online games and Web site journeys. By the 100-foot mark its throughput dropped to 81.9Mbps, still overwhelmingly the leader. In many cases, the Netgear's throughput was more than twice any of its competitors, putting it in a class by itself. This makes it the powerline kit to get for those who crave lots of data. The Netgear extender led the way in terms of performance with the ability to move a maximum of 101.0Mbps out of my home’s 200Mbps connection. Like many of its peers, the PLP2000 is built around Broadcom’s BCM60500 chipset. Netgear PLP2000 Powerline Extender: Performance It tops out with a 2Gbps spec and can work with up to 16 powerline devices on a network, according to Netgear.
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To that the PLP2000 adds a noise filter on its AC outlet that allows you to plug an appliance into its AC outlet without worrying about interference interrupting the data flow. Nano-class adapters are made to avoid this.The Netgear PLP2000 uses the HomePlug AV2 standard and supports Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) transfers so that many members of the family can be using it at once. The Powerline LED indicator shines green for link rates above 80 Mb/s, amber for rates in excess of 50 Mb/s but less than 80 Mb/s, and red if the link rate drops below 50 Mb/s.Īccording to a 2011 press release, Netgear began manufacturing nano-class adapters after recognizing other powerline adapters at the time were large to the point of blocking two outlets. Pick-A-Plug is touted as a way to plug the adapters into different ports for the purpose of determining the best transmission rate. It takes 10 minutes of idle time before the mode is triggered, so you don't have to worry about flip-flopping between active transmitting and standby. When the Power LED shines amber, it is in power-saving mode.
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Netgear also includes a power-saving mode that cuts the XAV5101's consumption to less than half of one watt.
#Netgear powerline utility software download#
If you want more granular control over the powerline network membership, you can download Netgear's Powerline Configuration Utility.
![netgear powerline utility software netgear powerline utility software](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61++G0ZzPML._AC_SL1500_.jpg)
Pressing the button on one of the adapters starts a syncing process, during which you have to press the button on the kit's other adapter so it will sync appropriately within five minutes. Communications over the powerline network are then protected via 128-bit AES encryption, which includes key management. On the side panel, there's a "Push-and-Secure button" that sets the powerline network password. Netgear's XAV5101 includes an energy savings mode, a Pick-A-Plug feature as well as a number of security options. Through its gigabit Ethernet port, the Netgear XAV5101 enables interoperability with other devices that adhere to the IEEE 802.3 standards.