Netgear Powerline network technology
Netgear Powerline Adapter
Introduction :
To recall the signal badly deteriorating until it is lost when we were upstairs. Besides take an Ethernet cable throughout the house the only alternative is the use of a kit CPL. They use the power grid to transfer the data. The CPL is a viable alternative when you can not have WiFi? and whether they allow the flow file transfer and playback of high definition video.
Characteristics : (What is CPL)
PLC for powerline, it is actually using your grid for data transfer. Namely it is a signal that the highest frequency of 50Hz electrical signal that can be decoded by any Powerline adapter available on the grid. Unlike WIFi CPL is not a standard. There are standards such as HomePlug but they are not interoperable. In summary, the PLC products must meet any criteria set by an independent body which means that we can sell you a bit of everything and anything. Be careful to pay close attention to the words used by brands to sell their product. In our case we tested the Netgear Powerline HD adapters. The HD implies high definition and thus higher throughput. The box refers 200Mbits. But again this is raw data which you should remove the various protocols used and especially the quality of your grid.
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Characteristics of Powerline HD (HDX101)
- Connecting to the Ethernet port RJ-45
- Interface with 200Mbps Ethernet 10/100
- Operating Temperature: 0 ° C to 40 ° C
- Average coverage: Housing up to 1500sqm
- NETGEAR Warranty 2 years
The HDX101 adapters are provided with an Ethernet cable 1 5m, an installation guide and a CD containing the various resources. We noted with amusement that the Ethernet port on this adapter is the standard 10/100.
Installation and Configuration : (Plug & Play)
Installing adapters, CPL is a childlike simplicity. They are Plug and Play which means that you have nothing to configure. You connect them to the wall socket, you connect via Ethernet cable adapter to the router and then you connect a second adapter in a room of your home you connect a computer with the Ethernet cable and you're done.
There is no software to install or configuration to do. That is a very significant when one considers that it is not so for other types of products. However, the HDX101 comes with a CD-ROM that contains a configuration utility. This utility lists the various adapters on your network and tells you the speed of synchronization. You can also specify an ID Network to create home networks more distinct. Finally the QoS tab gives access to advanced configuration allows you to indicate the priority protocols. Netgear recommends UDP priority for multimedia applications.
About compatibility :
This is the major problem of these facilities, they are not all mutually compatible. For example, the HDX101 can co-exist with some devices from the same brand but this is not the case for all models. It is preferable to equip themselves with the same model throughout the habitat.
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Performance :
The facility had been conducted such that one can more easily use it, we can now focus on measuring the performance of these adapters CPL. To do this we measured the flow at three different points. The first is located in the adjoining room, the second point is located on the upper floor and the last measurement was made on the top floor is two levels above the first adapter itself connected via Ethernet to the router Netgear. Computer network cards are cards 100Mbit / s as interface adapters CPL.
Case 1: Adapters placed in the room
Case 2: Adapters placed on the upper floor
Case 3: Adapters placed two floors above
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What can we conclude from the above :
- Its most obvious thing is the difference between the flow and announced the actual flow. We got the best throughput of 4.5 Mb / s when the adapter was located in the adjoining room. Then if the distance is significant, it seems that the past few meters attenuation is minimal. In fact we have scored without much difference whether we were in first or second floor. Finally, as for most WiFi receiver is close to the receiver the better the flow.
- We also tested the video playback high definition. And contrary to what is announced by the manufacturer this is possible depending on the location. In Case 1 HD playback is possible but not in cases 2 and 3 in 1080p. The flow is actually sufficient if it is based on an average video bitrate but it is not constant, an action scene with a higher rate than a fixed stage, we can end up with a few dropped frames sometimes.
- The third lesson we can draw is to put these figures in connection with the draft n WiFi tested recently. WiFi is faster at short distance but the CPL can equip a home with sufficient bandwidth for web browsing, email and also music playback and DivX.
Conclusion
You will understand by reading this, the CPL is not ready to replace an Ethernet link. The rates are lower than the draft and WiFi and do not move on to play high definition video. One may wonder why the manufacturers have different models with emphasis on points that are problematic precisely. The reality is that the CPL is an alternative to WiFi when it sees its flow dropped sharply when the obstacles are too numerous. The HDX101 adapters for connecting a device to your network in any room of your home that does not WiFi. The speed never dropped below 1MB / s, which already allows many applications: Internet, messaging, online games, play MP3, DivX. Finally, we appreciate the true value of the design of these adapters that quickly melt into different parts.
