Cisco-Linksys PLK300 PowerLine AV Ethernet Adapter Kit

by Cisco

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 2.5 x 10.6 x 9.5 inches ; 2.5 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 6.8 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B001J2ZSL4
• Item model number: PLK300
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (212 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
  • #67 in Electronics > Computers & Add-Ons > Networking Products > Network Adapters > Powerline Network Adapters
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 14, 2004

Product Description

Powerline AV Ethernet Adapter

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

141 of 143 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars works fine - here's the trick with the security, February 1, 2009

By 

a reader (california) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Cisco-Linksys PLK300 PowerLine AV Ethernet Adapter Kit (Personal Computers)

These units work as documented. You should not expect all pairs of devices to achieve the full nominal bandwidth (200Mbps) in all locations, and you should expect the bandwidth actually available to the user to be considerably less than the nominal bandwidth. (The same statements are true of WiFi as well - you don't really get 54Mbps out of 802.11g.) Still, PowerLine AV is LOT faster than previous generations of powerline Ethernet.

If you live in an apartment and don't want to share your network with neighbors (unlikely but possible), you probably want to turn on the secure (encrypted) mode. Many people report problems with this. Contrary to what some have suggested, you don't need new firmware or additional administration software. It should work out of the box.

(1) As with any powerline Ethernet system, you should first find two power sockets through which you can first establish and test a good connection WITHOUT security/encryption. Don't take shortcuts here - do this test. Start with two sockets that are close to each other so you can see both units at the same time. Not all pairs of sockets in your house will necessarily be wired to talk to each other, and sockets on surge-protectors will not work. (GFCI sockets should not be a problem.)

(2) Verify that the units will work on the sockets you actually want to connect (which are presumably not close to each other). If this fails, return the kit to the store as this solution apparently isn't going to solve your problem...

(3) Bring the units back to your test location (where you can have them physically close). Now, just follow the instructions to turn on security. Seriously. Put both units into "security" mode by holding the button on each AT LEAST 10 seconds. Put one unit into "sharing password" mode by holding the button for EXACTLY 2 seconds and quickly releasing the button. And then immediately put the other unit into "sharing password" mode by holding the button for EXACTLY 2 seconds and quickly releasing the button. This is just what the instructions tell you to do (I've skipped describing some of the steps here), but they don't emphasize how finicky the "2 seconds" part is. I can't tell you how many times I failed to enter the "sharing password" mode because I figured it was "at least" 2 seconds and wasn't releasing the button fast enough - now I can do it quite consistently, just counting "one thousand one one thousand two."

(4) Now you can return the units to the desired final locations.

Really, Linksys should have just used two buttons instead of creating this usability problem with the button timing. But there it is. And once it's set up, you don't have to think about it again.

55 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Alternative for hard to reach wireless spots...., December 18, 2008

By 

Gil Ortiz "Just your average consumer" (Huntington Beach, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Cisco-Linksys PLK300 PowerLine AV Ethernet Adapter Kit (Personal Computers)

To begin with I want to say that I did some serious researching before purchasing this product. I actually thought about it for about 2-weeks before making my decision. Since I have relied heavily on so many different customer product reviews, I decided it was time that I contributed by writing about this product.

My situation:

I've had a wireless network for a while now. The problem was that the Wireless Router was located upstairs and my PS3 was located downstairs. For some odd reason, my laptops seemed to work fine all over the house but the PS3 was hit and miss. It worked OK but when I attempted to play games that required more bandwidth, it would always drop the connection. So I needed an alternative to wireless. In addition, I have a DirecTV DVR connected to the same TV as the PS3. DirecTV now offers OnDemand programming but it requires an internet connection via an Ethernet wire. I needed a solution for both systems and chose the PLK300.

I now have my PS3 and DirecTV connected to the PLK300. They both work great! My PS3 no longer drops the internet connection when playing games that require a great amount of bandwidth such as Resistance 2 (in two player online mode). My DirecTV on Demand downloads programs very fast. I hit the download button, wait about 2-mins and then begin viewing my programing. I even tested it with a High Definition download and it worked flawlessly.

I highly recommend this product!

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This works great!, November 6, 2008

By 

Der Doktor (Münster, Westfalen) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Cisco-Linksys PLK300 PowerLine AV Ethernet Adapter Kit (Personal Computers)

I had problems getting decent download speeds using a wireless network here. So instead i installed this powerline-kit and i am very happy with it.

Pros: Speed is great, very easy to install, the units don't need to sit directly on the outlet (like the others) but they come with powercables. One side has 1 ethernet-port (which goes into your router or cable-modem) and the other side has 4 ethernet-ports for your computers. It bridges the network between the two units.

Cons: When i tried to setup security on it, it took me 4 tries until i succeeded. The problem could have been that the units need some time to 'see' each other after they are plugged in. And funny: if you reverse the polarity of the AC-plug (!) it takes about 10 seconds before they see each other again.