Netgear and DS2's 200Mbps Powerline HD solution gets real

Close on the heels of XAVi's announcement earlier this month, the HD Powerline collaboration we told you about a few months ago from Netgear and DS2 (sorry HomePlug) has officially hit store shelves. The new HD ethernet adapter (HDX101) and networking kit (HDXB101), which are selling for $129.99 and $249.99 respectively, allow for data to be transferred at high speed through a building's existing electrical wiring. The step up in bandwidth and the video quality of service technology allow for real-time streaming of HD video and gaming content by prioritizing that data over everything else. It's good to finally see a networking solution with its priorities in line with our own. Now all we have to do is hope these can actually live up to the bandwidth hype, unlike some other Powerline devices we've seen in the past.

[Via WiFi Net News]

[Keith L. Dick @ Jun 27th 2006 2:35AM]

Why is it that most do not see this as just more ways to take Your Money from Your pockets???...

If you don't need it don't bother, it's very simple...

What you have work for you now???, then leave well enough alone...

[GhostDoggy @ Jun 27th 2006 6:52AM]

This is a silly-solution for those with more money and less brains. This 'solution' cannot transport uncompressed HD video. As such, its transmitting compressed HD video, which is more than capable my tranditional networking means and ways.

[nial @ Jun 27th 2006 8:04AM]

$5 says that 200Mbps is 100Mbps full duplex.

[Dignan17 @ Jun 27th 2006 8:18AM]

As usual, commenters are making assumptions and not thinking about other people.

This isn't intended to replace a good wireless network. It's not for people who have run CAT5 through their walls. It's for people like me, who have a MIMO router yet for some reason still can't get signal in all areas of their house. My main computer setup is also in my basement, along with two other networkable home theater devices. If I wanted to get all three on my network, I'd have to get wireless networking adapters for each one. And because they aren't PCs, I'd have to get something like a wireless bridge, and have you seen how much those cost? I'd need one of those and a small switch or hub to connect to all my devices. This also creates a mess of wires behind my home theater.

I have the 85Mbps Netgear powerline devices. I have one plugged into the outlet, and merely have network cables running from it to the two home theater devices and my PC. It's an elegant solution, takes about two minutes to set up (plug one by your router, plug one by the device far away from the router, you're done), and more importantly it's reliable. It's also more secure than wireless.

So just because YOU don't have a use for it, doesn't mean it's a "silly-solution* for those with more money and less brains." [*unnecessary hyphen] Like I said, this solution cost me less than it would have if I went wireless.

Oh, and Engadget: no, there's no way that this will perform as they say it will. These devices will not get 200Mbps, just as the last version didn't get 85Mbps, and the version before didn't even get the 14Mbps it advertised. That's okay, you just have to take a pessimist's point of view. If you don't expect great speeds out of these things, then you won't be disappointed. For those like me, who already have need of such devices, a new version is still much faster in relative terms :)

[Doug @ Jun 27th 2006 8:53AM]

I agree with Dignan17 and have a similar use for the devices. I have a 1U server in my apartment shoved into the laundry room to keep the noise level down and currently having to use a Wireless Bridge since no one makes a hi-speed (108 or 125M) wireless adapter that works with 64-bit Windows Server 2003. Since I'm in an apartment, running cable in a discreet manner isn't a viable option, especially considering that I expect to be moving (again) in about 8 months.

I have been waiting for these devices to come to market so I can replace the semi-flakey wireless to my server. Too bad I can't seem to find them on "store shelves" yet....

[Dignan17 @ Jun 27th 2006 9:08AM]

To the writer: another issue with your story is that you say it's "hit store shelves." Sadly, Netgear is one of the most frustrating companies I've ever dealt with. The 85Mbps devices weren't available to purchase until MONTHS after they released a similar press announcement. They announce the product is ready, keep the web page up with no mention that it isn't actually in stores, and refuse to answer any questions about it. I had a pretty regular routine of emailing them every 3-4 weeks to ask if their product was available yet.

So, if anyone can actually show me a store that's carrying these things today, I might be out a bit of cash.

[GhostDoggy @ Jun 27th 2006 9:10AM]

Dignan, so what you are saying, really, is it doesn't matter who it is targeted for since it will not perform the way it is marketed. All the more reason to not advertise it here, right? :)

[badbob @ Jun 27th 2006 9:17AM]

I need to get a video stream between two apartments on opposite sides of a condominium building. Wireless was too weak and required arkward placement of the access points. I got some 11Mbps homeplugs and amazingly I got a connection... but I just needed more bandwidth. I have been waiting for these new Netgear babies for a long time. I don't need 200Mbps... actual throughput of maybe 15Mbps would be fine for me. Netgear, please don't let me down!

[Dignan17 @ Jun 27th 2006 10:01AM]

Sure, that's what I'm saying. I'm also saying that if I absolutely need this particular networking method, it's still good for me if this new product is faster. As long as I don't delude myself into thinking that I'm going to get 200Mbps, I'll be happy.

As far as I've seen, these products usually have about half their advertised speed. So 100Mbps will be much better than teh 45Mbps I get now. Why wouldn't I want to know about this product?

Oh, and remember all those stories a while back on how networking products have all been marketed with faster-than-real-life speeds? It's not just these things.

I just find it funny how every time there's a story on these devices, there's always a host of people waiting to hate on them. I don't really get that. It's a freaking networking device, people. There are folks who need them and want to know about them.

[Oddmanout @ Jun 27th 2006 11:25AM]

"Dignan17" I comiserate with yee.


It's funny how some people react with FUD to anything that doesn't jive with and/or afirm whatever they're doing, isn't it ? I mean if THEY don't have a practical use for something, who POSSIBLY could ?!?!?

The sad part is that that is often how some very good technologies/products go under and don't end up getting to the people who need'em.

I personaly went with HPNA 2.0 a few years ago. Not because it's faster then cat5e (it's not) and not because it's as convenient as ubiquitous wifi (it's not). I chose it because installing cat5e on both floors of my house was beyond my skill level at the time, and because wifi wouldn't reach my room (I was living with my folks at the time and the DSL modem was in dads' office). ie, neither of those 'better' technologies would have worked at all. And you know what ? The average 5 - 7 mbps that I got of the 10mbps advertised was plenty enough to share the 1.5mbps of DSL speed of the past, and the ~3mbps of cable modem speed of the present.

How much of marketing hype can you ever really believe anyway ? The big 3 have been saying for years that their cars, tier for tier, are in every way equal or superior to Japanese and German vehicles. Does anyone really believe that (outside of the american cars that are simply rebadged Japanese or German cars anyway...)? And yet a Ford focus will get you from A to B (for a few years anyway). It may not be everyone's first choice but if you have a commute and a limited budget, it beats walking...

How often in real world situations does 802.11g gear actually transmit at 54/108mbps ? ALMOST NEVER! How often can you expect house wiring to be ideal ? ALMOST NEVER ! The wiring itself could be up to nearly 100 years old in some places, not to mention that all kinds of current could be running over it and fluctuating at any given time.

Consider also that a Homplug/Powerline/HPNA/WIFI environment is basically 'HUB' like in nature, with the wiring or the air acting as a hub. Based on that alone you can't expect to get the full bandwidth because it's SHARED.

Of course, everyone would like fiber optic cabling to every machine their house, but if you can't have that you settle for cat5e and gigabit switches. If you can't afford the switches you go for cat5e with 100mbps switches. If wires aren't feasible you go with 802.11g. If you can't afford that you can go for older/cheaper 802.11b devices. And if that doesn't work you can give HPNA 2.0 or Homeplug/Powerline a shot and make do with being a little more tethered and/or a little slower than all of the above.

No ones implying that this tech is better than conventional networking media, but if you CAN'T do that for some reason it's nice to have alternatives...

And at that, if you get an average 45mbps out of this new tech that's a nearly 10 fold increase over the average 5mbps of Homeplug/Powerline of the past. Not bad considering the electrical wiring was never intended as a data transmission medium.

I recently bought 2 Powerline bridges as a hedge against the eventual failure of my HPNA bridge, but I might look into these new ones as soon as some reviews come out.

Ahhhh...a nice long rant. That was more refreshing than a bran muffin followed by a newspaper and a sunday morning on the throne...

[MrBenji @ Jun 28th 2006 6:08PM]

Am I the only one wondering why "badbob" needs to get a video stream between two apartments on opposite sides of a condominium building? Little voyeurism going on, badbob?

[Keith @ Jul 12th 2006 5:16PM]

Amazon is the only place even admitting it exists so far. They say that the release date is July 15th. Of course after ordering it Amazon tells me they won't be shipping it until Sept 11th.

[Lee @ Aug 26th 2006 1:12PM]

Well all here is the link on where to purchase these.

"http://netgear.pricegrabber.com/search_getprod.php/vcode=NGI/partnum=HDXB101/"

Just remember no quotes. There are a lot of reasons to use these, one major one is 2 Xbox 360's and a Media Center. Sometimes WiFi just won't cut what you need and with Vaulted ceilings with hardwood floors, this is the only way to go. (I'm a certified cisco WiFi engineer.)