Linksys Powerline AV Adapter

I tried this technology a few years ago and did not have much luck with it.  It was a D-Link Powerline system that converted your standard power outlet into instant network cabling.  It just didn’t work and was unreliable.

A little while ago, we added a Powerline-based security-IP camera to our network from Logitech.  Its a really cool system and easy to setup.  Web cam plugs in outside directly into an outlet.  Then you plug another box right beside your PC/Server (one side into an outlet directly and the other into a USB port) and blamo, you got a direct network connection from the security camera right to your PC/Server.

I figure i’d try Linksys’ second generation Powerline systems to connect my Windows Home Server 2003 to our network.  It was working over a Wireless N Network well, but was chewing up valuable Wireless bandwidth, plus, the Linksys Wireless N USB Adaptor would give up about once every two weeks under load requiring the server to be reboot (yuck).

I swapped out the Linksys Wireless N USB card on the server with a Powerline AV Adapter Kit HD (PLK300) and its been working great for a few months now.

This diagram shows how it uses your power plugs as a network.