ZyXEL PLA470 200 Mbps Powerline HomePlug AV Desktop Adapter with Built-In 4-Port 10/100 Fast Ethernet Switch

by ZyXEL

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 10 x 2.5 x 6 inches ; 10.7 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B000VY8VMO
• Item model number: PLA470
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: May 26, 2006

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

ZyXEL's PLA470 is an access extension solution to network the home using existing power lines. Thanks to advanced HomePlug AV technology, the PLA470 lets you stream high-definition video to other rooms in the house while allowing access to the Internet at the same time.

200Mbps Powerline HomePlug 4 Port Switch

Power Up Your Network

Data Transmission Rates of Up to 200Mbps
ZyXEL's PLA470 v2 is an access extension solution for your house to be completely networked with existing power lines. Thanks to the advanced HomePlug AV Technology, the PLA470 v2 is capable of transmitting data at up to 200Mbps. It allows you to share network resources and enjoy Internet access through secure high-speed data connection over the house power lines you already have.

High Speed and QoS for High Definition Video Streams
The inherited advanced QoS features make HomePlug AV Series ideal access tools for service providers to deliver "triple play" multimedia services such as high-quality digital video streams, high-speed Internet access and voice services.

4-port 10/100Mbps Ethernet Uplink/downlink

The 4-port ZyXEL desktop powerline Eethernet switch is designed increase the flexibility and cost efficiency of your powerline network. The PLA470 v2 allows more applications to take advantage of the poweline network simultaneously, and its plug-and-play compatibility makes installation and management easier and faster than ever.

Power Up Your Network

• Data transmission rates of up to 200 Mbps over powerline
• 4-port 10/100 Mbps Ethernet uplink/downlink
• Advanced 128-bit AES security network protection
• HomePlug instant Encrypt button to secure your powerline network
• Multi-colored LED to indicate data transmission rates over powerline

What’s in the Box
PLA470 - HomePlug AV Powerline Switch
Quick Start Guide
Support CD with User Guide and Driver/Utility
Ethernet Cable
Power cord
Wireless Antenna

Buy This Product and Related Accessories
PLA401KIT
PLA400
PLA491

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars May require firmware upgrade, December 8, 2007

By 

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

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: ZyXEL PLA470 200 Mbps Powerline HomePlug AV Desktop Adapter with Built-In 4-Port 10/100 Fast Ethernet Switch (Personal Computers)

It's true that HomePlug AV nodes cannot intercommunicate with HomePlug 1.0 nodes. ZyXEL and most, if not all, other HomePlug AV hardware manufacturers are derelict in not pointing out that fact. As an engineer who works with HomePlug almost full-time, I know that AV kicks 1.0's tail in terms of bitrate versus SNR. That doesn't excuse ZyXEL's dereliction, but it gives you cause to ponder retiring your HomePlug 1.0 hardware and replacing it with HomePlug AV hardware. Even if you think you won't benefit sufficiently from HomePlug AV's nominal 14x bitrate improvement, you might need AV's ability to reach more electrical outlets in your building with a bitrate that is usable for your application.

There's another compatibility matter to be aware of. When I examined a new PLA-470 the other day, I was disappointed, but not surprised, to find that the version of firmware installed in the HomePlug AV chipset is an old, pre-standard version, 1.4.5, that is not truly HomePlug-AV compliant and, more importantly, that cannot intercommunicate with subsequent firmware versions. I have not checked to see whether ZyXEL provides the means to upgrade the firmware of the HomePlug-AV chipset. The newest version is 3.0.5. For more detail on the topic of HomePlug-AV-chipset firmware, see my review of the Linksys PLE200.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Works like it should, February 6, 2008

By 

A. Chu (San Jose, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

I share a house with a roommate and live on the second floor. My room is big enough for my 46" HDTV but the problem is when I try to connect my Xbox to the Internet, I can't get a clear signal from the Linksys router downstairs that connects to the cable modem. And my roommate who owns the modem and the router likes to change the wireless set up like every two weeks. So I don't have a stable Internet connection.

So I bought a Zyxel Pla400 and a Pla470 powerline adapter and switch. I plugged the Pla400 adapter to the cable modem and used the pla470 switch in my room on the second floor to connect my xbox, desktop and external storage. That's it - I did not have to do any additional setup. The whole process took 5 minutes. Now my xbox and desktop are connected to the cable modem over electrical lines. The connection is very fast and stable.

So now it doesn't matter how many times my roommate changes the settings on her wireless router, I just play my Xbox any time I want in my room with the big TV.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Works better than I could have imagined, August 12, 2009

By 

Scott French "The Rum Trader" (Columbia, SC United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: ZyXEL PLA470 200 Mbps Powerline HomePlug AV Desktop Adapter with Built-In 4-Port 10/100 Fast Ethernet Switch (Personal Computers)

I bought a PLA401Kit, a PLA470 4-port, and a DMA1100 for my home setup. Hooking up the PLA401 near my broadband router was a cinch. To test the system, I ran into the other room and plugged in the 2nd PLA401...five seconds later my ethernet connection was recognized...WOW!

I bought the PLA470 for my media room downstairs. The media room is the farthest spot away from my wireless router and neither my netbook nor my ROKU box (streaming Netflix) could pick up any signal in the room. I hoped the ZyXel system could get me online. This system works so well it literally brought a grin to my face. I chose the PLA470 because of it's 4-port connection. I plan to wire lines for my families notebook connections (yes we're online while watching movies). This setup allows all of us to be online at once downstairs.

I also installed the DMA1100 media server into the media room. This took a little longer to connect because I had to configure Windows Media Server but after about one hour I was listening to my MP3 collection, watching my digital moview and running a digital photo slide-show on my 111" projection screen all from my home office computer upstairs. I am also streaming HiDef movies over my broadband through the powerlines in my house; the whole thing is cooler than I ever could have imagined.

I cannot recommend this system enough. It's so easy to set-up and use and it runs faster than I could have imagined.