Powerline Ethernet Adapter for MediaMVP Recommendations

[LewE]

I have a situation where I can't use wired ethernet between the PC and the MEdiaMVP (I live in an apartment). I will probably be adding a Popcorn Hour unit for use with another television set once there is GBPVR support for it. I don't think that wireless would give the reliable throughput I need for this use.

The best solution seems to be to use powerline ethernet adapters. They seem to come in two categories: those promising up to 85 Mbps throughput and those promising up to 200Mbps.

Some of the brands I've found are: Linksys, IOGear (Homeplug), Netgear, D-Link, and ZyXEL.

I assume that I should go for the newer 200 units to try to get the best throughput. Other than that I can not find reliable third party reviews of these units.

Does anyone have any experience with powerline ethernet for use with MediaMVP.

[dazzyb2k3]

I've been using a pair of the Solwise 85MB with my MVP for a couple of years now. It goes from the downstairs living room to the furthest bedroom at the top of the house and works like a dream and throughput seems sufficient. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them.

The only advise i would give is to try and get a router somewhere in the loop to take care of the DHCP as the MVP can be a real pain to setup otherwise but thats applies if you're powerlined or not.

[LewE]

The only advise i would give is to try and get a router somewhere in the loop to take care of the DHCP as the MVP can be a real pain to setup otherwise but thats applies if you're powerlined or not.

Thanks for your experiences. I will add Solwise to those I look into.

I currently use a wired connection to my MediaMVP. It is on a separate (100Mbps) LAN card from the one I use to connect to the Internet. For the DHCP, I use a freeware (for non-commercial use) DHCP server called Alax.Info (http://alax.info/blog/dhcp-server )

[hasso]

I've been using a pair of the Solwise 85MB with my MVP for a couple of years now.

Same here. One did have some problems in losing connectivity, but Solwise replaced it fast no questions asked. No dropouts/losss of connectivity since. IMHO a much better, dependable way than wireless when I looked at this two years ago. As you are probably aware, all these devices do not work well through surge protectors, so better to plug directly into a wall outlet, and your mileage may vary from outlet to outlet.

[LewE]

IMHO a much better, dependable way than wireless when I looked at this two years ago.

Do you know what actual data rates you are getting. Currently my wired MVP is pulling data at more than 10Mbps. I want to make sure I have enough throughput so I can handle high definition in the future.

Also, do you notice any additional latency time because of the Solwise units?

[hasso]

No, sorry. Never bothered to find out since I just plugged them in and they worked. The app that comes with the units does say it's getting the full 85 Mb's. Latency? Don't know what you mean, but can't find any fault re: response to remote commands or playback.

[RangerBob]

I've been running a MVP setup using Netgear HDX101 200Mbps units without too much hassle.

I did have some issues to begin with, which involved the need for a network switch between the MVP and the HDX101 units, otherwise there were unexplained dropouts. However this issue seems to have sorted itself out somewhere between MVP and HDX101 updates.

Running the configuration utility shows TX & RX values of somewhere between 120 & 150 Mbps real throughput (my house is 6 years old so pretty good wiring).

I haven't bothered to set any QoS prioritisation or any other tricks like that. I can run my 3 MVPs simultaneously with no appreciable lag or dropouts. The MVPs are all on the HDX101's and the GBPVR box is also connected by HDX101 to the rest of the network.

The price difference to me between the 85 Mbps & the 200 Mbps units was so small (at the time, now I think its even smaller) that I considered the future proofing worth the extra. YMMV.

[LewE]

The price difference to me between the 85 Mbps & the 200 Mbps units was so small (at the time, now I think its even smaller) that I considered the future proofing worth the extra. YMMV.

Thanks for your experience with powerline networking.

I, too, have pretty much decided to go with the 200Mbps units.

[LewE]

I decided and went and ordered a ZyXEL NBG318SKIT. ZyXEL currently has a $45 rebate on this (good for purchases until the end of this month). That made its price very attractive ($110 after rebate from NewEgg.com).

It is to the Homeplug AV standard (200 Mbps) and combines a router/switch with WiFi and Powerline ethernet in the one unit plus it includes a PLA401 powerline ethernet-only unit.