Netgear XE102 14Mbps Powerline Ethernet Adapter

Out with the old and in with the new!
I recently moved house to an old Victorian house and didn't really think much about what problems it would create with the PC network. Well, you wouldn't... would you? As soon as we'd got settled and everything was up and running (yeah, the PCs took priority of course!) I immediately noticed a BIG problem with the WiFi signal.

In the last place, the max download speed was 2mbit/sec and this new place allowed for 8mbit/sec so I was really looking forward to trying out this new found speed. Unfortunately, the WiFi connection rarely stayed active for more than a few minutes, cutting off completely for 5-10 minutes at a time. I thought I could live with it and just try to be patient, but it started happening more frequently and with much longer periods of disconnection.

I considered getting someone in to hard wire the house but really didn't want the expense or the hassle that came along with it. I'd heard of the ethernet extenders before and was told that they...
Mostly good, but with reservations
I started using these in 2006. They are now obsolete in terms of speed; the XE102 is rated at 14mbs, but the current 'standard' for domestic powerline adaptors is now 200mbs (as is the case for most network devices, this is purely a theoretical optimum speed which is seldom, if ever, achieved under real world conditions). However if you are not in the habit of running massive downloads with highspeed broadband, but simply want convenient network access around the home and for web browsing, email, file access within the LAN, etc. then these may well still prove perfectly satisfactory---and now very cheap!

There are some gotchas though:

1. you MUST buy at least two (one for the router/modem end of things, and one for each PC, or other device, that you intend to connect);

2. houses with old or idiosyncratic wiring setups may prove problematic, but as someone who has used these in three houses (from old to new), I can't say I have encountered any...
Excellent Gadget
This is an excellent device. The router is upstairs and the Internet radio is downstairs in a wifi deadspot. This device lets me connect the radio to the network by way of the radios onboard LAN card and the house electrics. The radio streams perfectly so the throughput is sufficient for audio media streaming. I can't comment on video streaming as haven't tried. The device works between floors (my house is 10 years old so relatively new) and also the device is working via a 4 way gang socket which it's not supposed to do according to the manual. Brilliant !

Don't forget you need to buy 2. One to connect to the router, the other to connect to the device.

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