Customer Reviews

D-Link DHP-303 PowerLine HD Network Starter Kit

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Pros:

- Ease of Use.

I just had to plug the first one, plug the second, they recognized each other automatically... And that's it, off to the races

- Performance.

While the adapters does not reach the nominal throughput advertised on the box, no product ever comes close as mileage varies based on environment, I get 50MBps real throughput i.e. actual speed of my file transfer including network overhead which is 4 times better than by previous HomePlug 2.0 product.

Cons:

- None really.

I wish it had more than one ethernet port per adapter.

Overall, I am really glad I upgraded from my previous no brand HomePlug 2.0 product. I highly recommend the product.

I have owned this kit for almost a year now and when I first purchased it it worked great right out of the box. I recently moved from my new apartment to an older house and this kit would not work. I tried every outlet and everything I could think of until I was ready to give up. The units would not find each other.

Finally I remembered there was a utility disc that came with it that I never touched. Well it was worth a look. I installed the utility and reset both units to factory default settings and bingo they worked like a charm. The master unit is lightning fast but the slave unit is so-so for speed. I guess it depends on the lines its using as this house is quite old and my apartment was brand new. Still better speed that a USB wireless G option though.

Over all I recommend this unit but it can be a bit tricky to set up if you have no experience with networking and there will be rare situations where the units will simply not be able to find each other. If you ever move they store the security settings internally so you have to reset them using the software utility.

First, the box says DHP-303, which was what I ordered, but the units and documentation that were in the box say DHP-302. Not a big thing, I just needed 2 more connections to my existing homeplug network so I wasn't concerned with that. Neither unit would connect to my existing network nor would they even see each other when plugged in. The installation program kept insisting that there was a default password which was not included in the manual and 'tech support' had no idea what it could be. They said it was the same password as my wireless network which was REALLY confusing as they were in no way even connected to my wireless network. I don't think that even Google could find worse tech support than I encountered. The English was poor and even my kids have a greater level of technical literacy than these people do. I finally threw up my hands after over an hour and a half on the phone and am shipping them back. Dlink anything will never darken my door again, the support was so bad.

I was trying to feed audio to an Apple TV from a MacBook Pro over a wireless network. The network is fine for all computer type functions but suffered numerous dropouts transferring audio. Even though the two units are only bout 12' apart, they were both near the limit of the wireless network. The D-Link DHP-303 PowerLine HD Network Kit connected between my router and the Apple TV solved the problem. In fact, I am considering adding another unit to connect my computer to the router as well.

There is one problem. I play LPs on a turntable with a low output MC cartridge. This can now only be played if I disconnect the DHP-303 at the Apple TV end. Otherwise there is way to much hash in the air. I imagine the same problem would occur if I also connected my MBP this way.

Got a pair of DHP-302 modules and they are very easily to install and use with good throughput for internet use. They work fine right out of the box, even if you skip the setup steps. The utility disk is very easy to use and the manual is clear. D-Link even includes a couple of ethernet cables in the box - nice touch. The modules seem to run warmer than I would have expected, but no problems.

Trying to enjoy fast online-video via computer or HDTV? Painful, right? I bought a faster computer. I bought a faster wireless router. I did everything I could think of to avoid slow loading of YouTube and Hulu. Everything except run direct ethernet line (too far and blocked). I didn't consider this powerline option until industry guru Jim Louderback suggested it, and I bought it immediately (literally from his laptop at a bar). VERY pleased maybe because I did not expect it to work very well if at all. I just couldn't conceptually accept that an electric current could expedite an ethernet signal any better than a good wireless modem. But indeed my web-tv is streaming faster- no more cashing constantly or freezing. It kicked my 5 wireless routers in the ass. I may buy a few more of these puppies because it's SOOO much easier than running direct ethernet. And I've finally come to realize that wireless is not the magic bullet I'd expect. I used to laugh at people that wired their house with ethernet, and they've got the last laugh. But these puppies are a big help for incredibly easy install and low cost (relative to time/effort of running a dang cable through walls and basement.

The product was easy to set up once I understood about the security seting and naming of each unit. I bought the unit to help with "deadspots" in my home. They work and work well. The throughput I am sure is well short the claims on the box but...I am able to stream content from my laptop to the device connected to the D-Link at a very fast and mostly "hic-cup" free rate. I am able to watch NETFLIX HD movies, VUDU HDX movies and Amazon HD movies without any issues and can fast forward/fast reverse, pause, stop and pick-up the movie at what is to me a speed comparable to actually having it playing off a DVD player.

The unit needs to be on the same circuit board/panel as others have said but hey my house only has one circuit board/panel. The units will work poorly or not even work if plugged into a surge protector. I will say depending on the outlet you use the connection can drop to very low throughput but thankfully the rooms I am using the units in have a very good outlets where the connection is nothing sort of fantastic.

A solution for homes with dead spots even with a wireless router like my home.

I purchased the DHP 303 back in 2009.

We had recently constructed a house with a movie room (and room for the XBox) in the far upstairs corner of the house, with our wireless router downstairs on the opposite corner.

Since I had a wireless adapter for the XBox, I wasn't concerned (at first). However, I noticed a definite dead spot/out of range issue in the movie room, and the XBox would often lose signal (horrible if you're playing online or streaming a Netflix movie).

I picked this up on a recommendation from a friend. Although there were some questionable reviews on Amazon and the unit was rather pricy, I went ahead anyway.

It was a great move. Since acquiring this unit 2 years ago, I have had exactly ZERO problems with it. XBox/Netflix stream just fine, and my game playing/movie watching career has never been better!

Heartily recommended.

I bought this adapter to add an ethernet connection for my HDTV in the basement, since my router is in the main floor. Installing it couldn't be easier, essentially plug the modules into AC outlets and connect the cables. I'm using the connection to see streaming HD movies from Amazon, and the connection speed is consistently great. My only quibble is that the units are for a single connection. It would be great to have the output module with more than one outlet, which I now need to connect my Blu Ray player to the network. Otherwise, a well performing product that is obviously well built.

It's faster than Wi-Fi, and with our modem connection in one corner of the basement, there is no concern about "dead spots." It's also more secure. (See Consumer Reports.)