| Manufacturer: Linksys | Model: PLTK300 Powerline Networking Kit |
| Price: $149.99/£99.99 | Website: http://www.linksys.com |
One of the great things about having Windows Home Server at the heart of your home network is that it opens up the possibility of distributing content stored on the server around your home, as well as the potential to access the home server directly from anywhere in the house.
Devices can connect to the home server using a wireless network or, if you’ve laid Ethernet cables and sockets around the house, you can use a high-speed, wired connection to hook up. Whilst a wireless network (802.11g/n in particular) is fine for streaming audio and compressed video, the latter is the preferred option, particularly for streaming media such as high definition video which requires higher bandwidth.
Increasingly, digital media receivers are coming equipped with integrated wireless network connections, but for the best experience, a wired connection is required. So if you haven’t wired up your home, what are you going to do?
The answer may be to try a Powerline Network Kit, such as the Linksys PLTK300 or it’s faster equivalent, the PLK300 Powerline AV Network Kit, both of which allow you to use your internal electrical power sockets as network connections to carry data.
Sounds like witchcraft, huh? Data over electricity cables? Let’s take a look at the Linksys PLTK300 Powerline Networking Kit and we’ll show you how it can solve your networking headaches.
What’s in the Box?
Open up the box, and you find the following contents:
- Powerline Network Adaptor
- Powerline 4 Port Network Adaptor
- 2 x Ethernet Cables
- 2 x Power Cables
- 2 x Stands
- Powerline Utility and User Guide CD-Rom
First Looks
The two powerline network adaptors look like mini-routers or hubs – a slightly different form factor to other powerline kits you’ll find from Netgear and others which integrate all of the required components into an oversized plug which attaches straight into the wall. The Linksys kit utilises a standard electrical plug and cable which on the one hand seems a little less neat – however, if space is limited around your power sockets, it’ll fit much more easily and of course, you can then position the adaptors where you wish on your desk, wall or floor.
Adaptor 1
Adaptor 2
As you can see from the shots above, the two adaptors look pretty similar – there are two main differences – most importantly, the second adaptor acts as a 4 port network hub, allowing you to attach 4 devices via Ethernet connections to your router using the powerline network. As a result, the front panel is display is also slightly different, allowing you to see at a glance which port is occupied.
The integration of the 4 port hub is a pretty cool feature – network hubs can cost a fair amount, so you get a lot more flexibility with this kit, in terms of the number of devices you can attach to it simultaneously (e.g. desktop computer, network printer and notebook), whilst saving money.
Installation
Installing the kit is really straightforward. The adaptor with the single Ethernet port should be plugged into a power socket near your router. Once done, connect the adaptor to the router with one of the supplied Ethernet cables.
(Welcome to We Got Served’s secret server cupboard under the stairs, complete with retro 80’s carpet)
The second adaptor should be plugged into a power socket in whichever room you wish to hook up to your network, and positioned in a location within reach of the devices you wish to connect up. Simply connect those devices to the ports on the rear of the adaptor with Ethernet cables.
The Linksys kit comes complete with stands, so depending on available space, you can place the adaptors vertically or horizontally. Both adaptors also have rear screw holes for wall mounting.
Using the Linksys Powerline Networking Kit
That’s pretty much it as far as installation goes. Simply plug both adaptors in, connect up the devices and look for the little blue “home” signal which let’s you know a successful network connection has been made. You’re then good to go.
We set up the Linksys kit with HP’s MediaSmart Connect digital media receiver. The PLTK300’s maximum network speed is stated at 85 Mbps whereas it’s big brother, confusingly named the PLK300 Powerline AV kit is faster, rated at 100Mbps maximum. Real world speeds are always slower than the manufacturer’s stated speeds, and you actual network speed will vary dependent on the quality of your electrical cabling. That said, I found the standard PLTK300 kit to work fine streaming both audio and XVID compressed video from my home server to the TV via the HP MediaSmart Connect.
My recommendation would generally be to spend the money on as fast a connection as you can achieve, particularly if you want to stream large high definition files around the home. So if you’re media mad, invest in Linksys’ PLK 300 Powerline AV solution, but if you’re on a budget, or you simply want to connect printers and computers to the network for day to day use, the Linksys PLTK300 is a very neat networking solution for the home server owner to really get the most of their home network.
More Info: Linksys | PLTK300 (Standard Powerline Kit) | PLK300 (Powerline AV Kit)
