Cisco-Linksys PLE200 PowerLine AV Ethernet Adapter

by Cisco

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 4 x 2 inches ; 4.8 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B000LJ99Y8
• Item model number: PLE200
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: August 9, 2006

Product Description

From the manufacturer

The PowerLine AV Ethernet Adapter lets you turn the existing powerlines in your home or office into a high-speed network. Now you don't have to drill through the walls and climb through the attic or cellar to install network cables -- just use the wires that already run through the building! The PowerLine AV Adapter interfaces Ethernet devices to the HomePlug AV PowerLine network standard. Just plug the PowerLine AV Adapter into the wall, and connect your Ethernet-equipped device to the Adapter using the included network cable, and you've turned your whole house into network infrastructure!

Attach more computers to the network by simply plugging them into the wall anywhere in the house, using more PowerLine AV Adapters. Once your computers are connected to the network, they can share resources like printers and storage space, and all kinds of files -- music, digital pictures, and documents. With up to 100Mbps data rates, you can play lag-free head-to-head network computer games, and run media-centric applications like streaming video and Voice over IP telephony. And if you use a PowerLine AV Ethernet Adapter to interface one of the famous Linksys Broadband Routers from your cable or DSL Internet connection to your PowerLine AV network, you'll be able to get to the Internet from any computer in the house. The Linksys PowerLine AV Ethernet Adapter Kit is the perfect solution for high-speed, "no new wires", home or office networking.

Product Description

The PowerLine AV Ethernet Adapter lets you turn the existing powerlines in your home or office into a high-speed network. Now you do not have to drill through the walls and climb through the attic or cellar to install network cables -- just use the wires that already run through the building! The PowerLine AV Adapter interfaces Ethernet devices to the HomePlug AV PowerLine network standard. Just plug the PowerLine AV Adapter into the wall, and connect your Ethernet-equipped device to the Adapter using the included network cable, and you have turned your whole house into network infrastructure! Attach more computers to the network by simply plugging them into the wall anywhere in the house, using more PowerLine AV Adapters.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Hardware but Obsolete Firmware, December 1, 2007

By 

Robert S. Parnell (San Jose, CA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cisco-Linksys PLE200 PowerLine AV Ethernet Adapter (Personal Computers)

See also the Linksys PLK200 Powerline AV Ethernet Adapter Kit, which is more economical.

This product is based on a "HomePlug-AV" chipset than runs a specialized type of sofware known as "firmware". Linksys does not design, manufacture, or maintain this chipset or its firmware. An unaffiliated company does that, and Linksys is just one of dozens of that company's customers.

I've purchased about 20 (twenty) PLE200s over the past year--from Amazon and other sellers--and all of them have shipped with firmware version 1.4.5 installed. The primary purpose of my 'review' here is to caution you that hardware running firmware version 1.4.5 cannot communicate with hardware running newer firmware versions. I hope this caution reaches people who have already purchased the PLE200 as well as those who are contemplating doing it.

Version 2.0 implemented a change that was required to achieve compliance with the HomePlug-AV standard. That change unfortunately rendered 1.4.5 unable to intercommunicate with versions thereafter. Fortunately, no subsequent firmware change will have such a devastating side-effect.

"HomePlug-AV" products currently coming off various manufacturers' production lines are likely shipping with 2.0 or later firmware installed. Be advised that if you wish to build unified network consisting of PLE200s and these other products, you'll have to upgrade the firmware in your PLE200s; otherwise, the PLE200s and the other products won't even "see" each other. Not only that, but they'll probably also step on each other's transmissions because of inability to coordinate their usage of the powerline medium.

The PLE200 ostensibly is compliant with the HomePlug-AV standard, but it actually is NOT compliant with the HomePlug-AV standard until its firmware is upgraded from version 1.4.5 to version 2.0 or newer. As of this writing, 3.0.5 is the newest version.

Linksys ought to provide a binary image of the firmware for download on their web site, but I don't see it. The Windows GUI application that Linksys ships on CD with the PLE200--it has a mechanism for programming a new firmware image into a PLE200, but I've never used it and am not certain it is able to perform the 1.4.5-to-later upgrade even if it were given the appropriate binary image.

Being an engineer who is doing development work in the HomePlug-AV space, I have the means to do the upgrade, but it requires my using some software that is not available to the general public. To the general public who already own PLE200's, I would suggest pestering either Linksys or the chipset manufacturer about the firmware. To everyone else--maybe you can find a HomePlug-AV adapter under a different brand name that comes with firmware version 2.0 or later pre-installed.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars They're not junk, October 26, 2007

By 

Tim Bevill "tbevill" (Mebane, NC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cisco-Linksys PLE200 PowerLine AV Ethernet Adapter (Personal Computers)

Not sure what may have caused Mark's problem, but I own 2 of these units already and they work perfectly for me. In fact, I'm thinking of purchasing 2 more. If you're considering other powerline adapters similar to these, make sure you pay attention to the data rates. Some of the other popular powerline adapters don't provide the data rate that these units have - up to 100Mbps.

There's no configuration required at all. Just plug one in to an outlet close to your router and another one in to an outlet anywhere you need another network connection, connect the Ethernet cables, and you're in business. I definitely recommend them.

This listing is for the PLE200, which is a single unit. This is what you might need if you are expanding your existing powerline network. If you're just starting out with powerline adapters, you'll need at least 2 adapters. So you might consider the PLK200, which is a kit containing 2 units.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Beware the firmware upgrade, February 6, 2009

By 

originalsnuffy (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cisco-Linksys PLE200 PowerLine AV Ethernet Adapter (Personal Computers)

I'll keep this short and sweet. There were a few posts about the benefits upgrading the firmware, to make these units compatible with the current homeplug av stnndards.

I tried updating three units. Two upgraded just fine. The third bricked.

Dead as the parrot in the Monty Python sketch. And unlike the routers, there is no reset option.

The unit is out of warranty. So Linksys said "Sorry Charlie". Even though their software and firmware update killed the machine.

So if you buy these new or used, beware. There is much truth to the firmware upgrade warnings posted here on Amazon.