Customer Reviews

Actiontec HLE200AV0-01GK MegaPlug 200 Mbps Powerline HomePlug A/V Gaming Adapter Kit (White)

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Having been dealing with a weak wireless connection throughout our home, especially when we stream HD movies through our 360 and while gaming.... I jumped when I saw that this product was available.

I handed the box to my hubby LOL and he slowly began connecting everything. First he plugged one near our router which is located in a closet and the other one by our XBOX 360. A minute later the eternet cables were connected and VIOLA!!! That is it. It couldn't have been any easier... a monkey could have done it (sorry to my hubby). Instantly there was a difference while he tested it with the gaming applications. IT handled it effortlessly. The connection wasn't dropped as it would have been atleast twice a night beforehand. Then came the streaming of the HD content ( I AM SAM)... once again... it was quick and there wasn't any buffering like we had before when there was a lot of action in the scene. It works and it is a wonderful solution for hard-core gamers that can't handle the response that they receive from a sometimes sketchy wireless connection. If you NEED to be wired in many applications... not only one; and don't want to run a million wires all over your home; then this would be a sound investment. IT is a touch pricey, so that is why I say it should only be for a hard-core gamer.

Also, most do rent and they do not have the luxury of having their wires running hidden throughout their walls; hence the ugly black cords spider-weaving in many renters apartments in NY. This would be the solution to end that.

The downside... it is clunky and it takes up outlet space. Another pet peeve... you have to have outlets near the product you want it to "wire".

Highly recommend... at a price drop.

This is actually an interesting little product. The Actiontec HLE200AV0-01GK MegaPlug 200 Mbps Powerline HomePlug A/V Gaming Adapter Kit (mouthful, isn't it?) works as advertised. You plug one end into the wall near your router, and the other near the target PC or console (if the case may be), connect cables and voila, instant network connection. The only software that comes with the MegaPlug 200 is an application to change the "encryption settings," which is probably something you'll never need to do. It works out of the box, and it works well.

There are a couple of cons to report: 1. You cannot have it plugged into a power strip or backup unit, it either has to be directly in a wall or into a straight extension cord. 2. Actual speeds don't quite live up to the "200 Mbps" hype, although they are significantly better than any wireless solution (including n).

All-in-all, this is a very good product. It works right out of the box with very little hassle and definitely provides performance beyond what wireless networking currently offers (and without drops in the connection). If you've got a PC or console on the other side of the house and don't feel like going through the hassle of buying the equipment and setting up a wireless network, you could do worse than the MegaPlug 200.

I was only vaguely aware of this product but since I have several electronics items connected to the wireless network I was open to a new and better solution to home networking.

I was very impressed with the simplicity of this product. The installation is plug and play. Each adapter gets plugged into the wall, and then one ethernet cable gets plugged into your router and the other ethernet cable gets plugged into your computer/gaming system. Your router and connected device can be up to 300 meters of electrical wiring apart.

Unlike wireless connection methods, there is no need to install software, set up usernames and passwords, or keep track of wep or wpa codes. It truly is plug and play.

Before installing this, I was browsing online getting anywhere from 24Mbps to 54Mbps, but once this was installed my page load speed was remarkably faster. This can be very important to internet and live game system gamers who want to have a competitive edge.

Additionally, if your internet connection drops a lot when using your wireless network, this can provide a stable, secure connection using your homes electrical wiring.

I also have the Wilife DVS800I LukWerks Indoor Starter Kit, and although that also uses the powerlines to transmit images through the electrical wires I found no interference when using both.

This will not work if you have it plugged into a surge protector or power strip. Also included was a configuration CD for changing the encryption key for even more network security. This step is completely optional.

Two more important points: Actiontec claims this uses 128-bit AES security (vs. WEP or WPA), which up until recently was used to secure classified, top-secret government documents. Also, if you have a Wii, you are going to need to buy an adapter. I'm sure there are many choices, but I did find this one on Amazon: Wii Net Connect.

In my case, I found this option useful to connect to a system that received a slow and spotty wireless connection in my house. I connected it to my Xbox 360 which I stream HD movies to over my network. The 360 and my TV are in a room far from my wireless access point, through several walls. While it worked most of the time, streaming HD video to the 360 resulted in buffering a little more often than I'd like. I ended up using a 50' long ethernet cable, strung over, around and under rugs, carpets and furniture to connect to my router. It was ugly, but it worked.

When I received this item, I simply plugged one plug in near the router, and one near the 360, and connected short ethernet cables to each. Problem solved! No messy wires stretched through the house, no more video buffering over and over, and no dropped connections (which happened a lot while gaming or downloading content on the 360). They've worked flawlessly so far.

The price point may be the only issue. While I didn't pay for the item (Vine), I would be wary of spending this much when there are many networking options available. But if you live in a large apartment, where you can't open up walls to run cables or tear up carpet without giving up your security deposit, this might just be one of the best and simplest options on the market.

Networking through your home electrical outlets is not new, but I must admit it felt sort of "magical" as I set this up. I am not going to claim to understand how it works, but I will tell you it does work and it is oh so simple to set up.
SETUP: Here are the steps - plug in one adapter and connect via the included ethernet cable to (in my case) PlayStation 3. Plug in the other adapter and connect to router with the other included ethernet cable. DONE. That was it.
SPEED: I have not done extensive testing or hardcore gameplay over this, but as a quick test I downloaded an HD movie trailer to the PS3. It took about 3 minutes to download a 117MB file. Pretty quick. It's important to note that the box itself says the 200Mbps touted are "Theoretical data throughput numbers...Actual data throughput of up to 90 Mpps seen in laboratory testing". Also, your broadband speed and power line "noise" can impact speed. I think it was as fast as when I had it wired directly.
CONVENIENCE: I borrowed a friends wireless router to make sure everything worked before investing in wireless. It worked, but I wasn't impressed enough with the speed to "invest" so I bought a very long ethernet cable and drilled and fished in my walls. Not fun. This kit would have been welcome sooner! The plugs are sort of bulky, but easily disguised behind my TV stand. I guess if you have wireless dead spots you can overcome them by just finding the nearest plug.
SECURITY: I am not that familiar with wireless security concerns, but this claims to be more secure.
VALUE: If you have a PC or laptop with built in wireless, it would be cheaper to go with a wireless router. I would guess there are speed and security concessions that you would have to manage so the extra $$ for this setup might be worth it.

I docked this one star based on the price. With the ethernet cable I had to pay in terms of convenience - but the 25ft ethernet cable only cost $4! But with the A/V Adapter I can move to another room or TV in seconds if I ever need to.

Bottom line: it works and it's extremely convenient so it's probably worth the premium.

As most people know your AC power comes in on a 220V line that gets separated into two 110V lines at the breaker box. This product will only work on one side or the other. So if your router is on one side and the outlet you want to get access from is on the other it won't work. I believe the product uses phase modulation.

So keep this in mind if you are buying this product or any other AC outlet adapter system.

I am using to connect my DirecTV receiver and LG BluRay player remotely. The speed and quality of movies downloaded from Netflix is great. No problems - truly plug and play.

I'm using this to connect my xbox360 to live, and wow. These things are great, I had a slight problem when it wouldn't let me connect to live anymore. But that was because they were on different circuit breakers. All I did was relocate it to another outlet, and I haven't had a problem since. I used to use a linksys wireless networking adapter that I used to connect my pc wirelessly. Then I hook my xbox up with a ethernet cable to my pc. I used to get major lag spikes every 30-40 seconds or so. Then I bought these, and poof no more lag. I would recommend these to anyone, especially competetive gamers. Hooking your xbox directly to your modem would be your best option, but this is the next best thing! For the price you will get more than your moneys worth. I highly recommend them.

got a pair of them, used as upgraded backbone of main wireless AP
I already have 85Mbps HomgPlug setup, but this one DOES NOT work with 85Mbps one, but they can co-exist without any interference
the speed is about double as 85Mbps one
the problem is: the unit looks bulky, and runs hot (disassembled right after unplugged, see a heat sink on the top of 3 chips, and it kinda too hot to touch)
the setup application is kinda easy, you have to have 2 units plugged nearby, and input the key if you want, it is recommended to buy more than one pair to ensure all units are connected
this unit runs auto-volt, that you can use them in anywhere in the world, as long as you find plug adapter

since they can co-exist with 85Mbps adapters, that you can buy a pair for partial upgrade, and buy more later

this was a replacement purchased because one unit burned out. have been using this for over a year and it is as good as hard wired to a 10/100 router without any data corruption from going over the power lines. much better than wireless