PLN3-ethernet

Hands On: Plaster Networks PLN3 Powerline AV Ethernet Adapter

By on December 26, 2009 in Hardware, Networking, News, Reviews

Conclusions and Cost

In an effort to differentiate itself from the competition, Plaster Networks labels the PLN3 powerline adapters as intelligent devices.  I do like features such as auto-update.  While the remaining admin applications are nice to have, how useful they are can be debatable.

Just as important, in my opinion, is the fact that each adapter has 2 Ethernet ports, not just 1 port for this style of powerline adapter.

Is it better than the Linksys adapter?  Both send/receive data equally well.  The Linksys has more Ethernet ports, the Plaster Networks has more intelligent features.  The Linksys requires a surface upon which to set both adapters, while the Plaster Networks PLN3 does not.  The manufacturers website price (MSRP) for each product is identical.  I bought the Linksys kit, so I am prejudiced for it.  Mainly because it has the 4-port switch feature, which is the reason I bought it over others I was looking at.

However…

If you are looking for a powerline adapter, the Plaster Networks PLN3 is one kit you should check out closely against the competition.

Cost: $96.95 for one adapter
           $149.95 for a set of 2 adapters

The Plaster Networks PLN3 is currently available only in the US.  It is my understanding that the company plans on expanding its market to areas outside the US in the future.

More Info: Plaster Networks Website

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About Jim Clark

Hello. I’m from the heartland of the U.S. Lots of corn and beans, although Iowa is a lot more than just farmland. It also has a few computer enthusiasts (no, not me!). I’ve been around PCs since I got my 1st PC XT aloooong time ago. WGS is one of the first sites I found centered around WHS. And the best. Every once in awhile, I do get away from the KB and enjoy time with and my wife and our 4 kids. And I do have a day job.
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  • Brandon

    Hi. I believe that the reason you saw 100 on your NIC is that although these adapters claim 200 mbits, they only have 10/100 ports on them. So…. They only interface with the rest of your network at speeds of 100.

  • David Carey

    I suspect that they say 200Mbs because the ports are 100 Mbs "full duplex". Ethernet is 10Meg, 100Meg, or 1000Meg (aka 1Gig).

    dc

  • Eric K

    FYI…..Every circuit in your house is connected to the breaker pannel…..you would have no power a circuit that did not connect to it. I'm not familiar with how the powerline adaptors work but the panel uses two seperate phases from the transformer comming into the house so you might have a problem if one computer was plugged into one phase and the other computer was on the second phase similar to X10 devices. They make a signal bridge (repeater) for X10 devices that fixes the problem. That being said, seems like it worked fine. Thanks for the review!

  • Ian

    I have struggled with Homeplug assorted in my 10 year old house for years. I have spent hundreds of dollars on devices from Iogear, Actiontec, Zyxel, Netgear and Linksys. All suffered from constant link breakdowns and were unable to reestablish without being reset (power cycled!). Many outlets would never work at all. I bought 4 PNA3′s. They have worked flawlessly for over a week. Excellent data rates and no drops or disconnects. I even tested with the old devices in the same double outlet. They still do not work, but the PNA3 do. I had given up on Homeplug and used Actiontech coax assorted, which are reliable. But I don’t have coax all over my house. Plaster Networks has a product that just works out of the box, and they have fantastic support ( evening answering my tough questions on competing products long before I made a purchase). They have restored my faith in what has previously been a flaky and undeniable technology. I give the the highest recommendation!