Netgear XE102 Powerline Ethernet Adapter here
Netgear XE102 Powerline Ethernet Adapter hereLike pretty much everybody else reviewing the XE102, I’ve been very happy with this product. Ease of setup is unmatched, and the performance seems to be better (and more reliable) than 802.11b. With wireless, I frequently had to wait for the microwave to finish before my signal would return, and my wife was getting sick of my telling her to switch the channel on the 2.4Ghz phone.But ultimately, the powerline adapter became a necessity for me. Once a month, I handle technical support for my company’s software package. And support means accessing customer sites via VPN if problems arise. There are a half dozen different VPN packages that all conflict with one another, so we’ve had to use Virtual PC (formerly from Connectix, now from Microsoft) to keep everything separate. Unfortunately the required networking settings to make Virtual PC work with the VPN clients are NOT compatible with 802.11b. It has to do with a part of that standard that doesn’t let the adapter transmit packets with other MAC addresses.In any case, for about $140 for pair of these, I resolved the issue. And I saved a lot of money I would’ve spent to run Cat 5 or get a new phone jack installed so I could move my DSL router. I still use the wireless for my laptop, but my desktop machine stays hooked up with the XE102. I’m also planning on buying another one for my TiVo.
