Save the Plaster, Thanks to Plaster's Powerline Networking Gear
Living in San Francisco, our building wasn’t exactly constructed to be wireless-friendly. How could they know in the early 20th century what the future would hold or how bottomless our lives would be without Assassin’s Creed or Hulu?
For those who don’t want to string ethernet cables around and don’t have the luxury of in-wall wiring, we have a solution. Sure, wireless is simple, but is a bit insecure, and might not work if your house is too large or across multiple floors. Powerline internet is one of the best solutions to this problem, and one of the latest products is Plaster Nework’s PLN3 Poweline Ethernet Adapter.
This a trusty alternative to wifi as it can accommodate various network devices with a minimum of fuss, supporting up to 64 adapters on a LAN. Features include two built-in Ethernet ports on each adapter, so that you can use your 360 and PS3 at the same time through a single device. There is also a one-button reset function, and an 128-bit AES encryption security.
We were able to watch our Netflix movies without any hassle and enjoyed the lack of buffering pauses, which meant repeatedly watching the trailer of the upcoming summer film Inception. It’s nice to be living in one of the greatest cities in the world without feeling secluded in the dark ages of obsolete connectivity. Plaster’s devices will be a welcome treat for those of you who take part in online gaming and much like most other networking equipment, Linux and Mac users will be able to embrace the PLN3. You’ll need a pair of the devices, at least, to make things work- one to connect to your router most likely, and another to the devices you’d like to have internet access. There isn’t any setup required; after a few moments, the lights on both ends such indicate a connection, and you’re all set.
They offer some handy tools to help monitor your network as well, going above and beyond other powerline adapters we’ve tried. Plaster suggests that a typical broadband connection will require at least 24Mbps to support high definition video and 15Mbps for standard definition video (for instance, when streaming video from a NAS or other computer). In many cases, 6Mbps or higher will be sufficient for e-mail and web browsing. We installed the adapters into several different setups, including an optimal case and other real-world example where there was noise on the line (from other devices being plugged in) as well as distance. Generally, our throughput varied from 35-43 Mbps, but we did see some drops below that value- still, plenty fast enough for almost any scenario. Also, we should note that it’s important that you never place the adapter behind a surge protector; best results definitely come from plugging the unit into the wall. They are a bit too large for our taste, but are easily hidden.
For access to the more sophisticated tools, you have to create an account on their site, and it will register your devices and link them to your account. Sign up was simple; despite mentions in the manual of a 12-month subscription, we weren’t asked for billing or credit card information. You can also opt to examine the devices directly, simply by typing into your browser PLNXXXXXX.local (where XXXXXX is the unique identifier printer on the individual adapters). Firmware updates happen automatically, without prompting, during overnight hours- ours happened invisibly. We should note that “ping” tests revealed a small discrepancy, to be expected when you add an extra piece of networking equipment in between the server and you. In our case, average pings to Google over multiple attempts when directly connected through our router typically average around 21 ms; with the adapters in place, we were closer to 26 ms. That’s not a big difference, but might be noticeable for the hardcore gamers out there.
Along with our PLN3, we were able to enjoy a tirelessly reliable connectivity by reducing interference and electrical noise with the IX2 Isolator. It greatly reduces the interference caused by anything from cell phones to noisy household appliances. You can use with any powerline network adapter as well.
We were able to install easily and this cut down on interruptions from online gaming as well as any other intruding sound deficiency. It accommodates -60dB attenuation over 2-30MHz band. We were able to find one for around $25 on Amazon and found this to be a welcome addition to our PLN3, though you should look into getting one generally only if you already are worried about noise on your grid, or if you have trouble with the adapters. And the adapters are a bit expensive at $90 a piece online but can also be purchased directly from the manufacturer in a pair to save some money.
Currently, when ordering two adapters on Amazon, there is also a promotional discount. It shows up during ordering/checkout process.
— dianna · May 4, 02:53 PM · #