reviews Tes Ted. Reviewed. veRdic Tized
96 MAXIMUMPC october 2006
W
e’ve been pretty hard on pow-
erline networking products in
the past. The deadly combina-
tion of pathetic throughput, worse-than-
Wi-Fi range, and an utter inability to
pass UPNP packets has so far rendered
powerline technology useless to anyone.
This month, we’re going to pit two differ-
ently spec’d powerline adapters against
each other—Zyxel’s “85Mb/s” PL-100 vs.
Netgear’s new “200Mb/s” HDX-B101. Will
either live up to its performance claims?
More importantly, does either deliver
enough bandwidth to reliably stream high-
definition content?
—Will SmithZyxel Pl-100
The Zyxel PL-100 uses the same Intellon
INT 5500CS chipset that Netgear’s XE104
uses (reviewed May 2006) and the results
are predictable. In our bandwidth tests,
we managed a mere 1.2Mb/s—slower
than our DSL line. Surprisingly, the PL-
100 wouldn’t even work in some of the
rooms where the XE104 connected easily.
We were unable to connect two adapt-
ers if they weren’t plugged into the same
electrical circuit in our test home—a
recently remodeled flat in San Francisco.
Shockingly, the software that comes with
the adapters reported our performance as
an astounding 85Mb/s.
To add insult to injury, the PL-100 had
the exact same problem passing Universal
Plug and Play packets that the XE104
had. Because it won’t pass the UPNP
packets, this device is virtually useless for
streaming video or even audio from one
room to another. The lesson is to just stay
away from any hardware using the Intellon
INT 5500CS chipset.Netgear
hDx-B101
Brace yourself for
this one, folks: The
HDX-B101 powerline
networking hardware
actually delivers
on its performance
claims. Take a
moment to breathe.
The bottom
line is that the
HDX-B101 is fast
enough to stream
video—even high-
definition video—
from your media
server to your living
room. We success-
fully streamed video
content—includ-
ing 1080i WMV movies—across the
powerline network. UPNP packets
even cross the powerline segment
flawlessly—our UPNP-dependent
streaming boxes worked without a
hitch. Even the bandwidth hungry
Media Center Extender and Xbox
360 worked with nary a hiccup or
dropped frame.
If you’re interested in the actual
performance numbers, the HDX-
B101 compares favorably to 100Mbit
Ethernet—with an average through-
put of 15Mb/s. It’s certainly not
Gigabit Ethernet speed, but it’s fast
enough for video.
Even with the improved hardware,
powerline networking isn’t totally bozo-
proof. In order to get HD-capable through-
put, we had to experiment with several
different outlets in our computer room and
our living room—and using a surge sup-
pressor borked the signal completely. For
best results, you’ll need to plug this direct-
ly into the wall. After a little experimenta-
tion, though, we managed to find outlets in
every room that delivered top-tier perfor-
mance. We do, however, miss the conve-
nience of the integrated four-port Ethernet
switch, which Netgear’s XE104 included.
The box for the HDX-B101 tells an
interesting story. Instead of listing a wildly
inflated theoretical maximum bandwidth,
Netgear makes one simple promise:“Stream HD video over Powerline,” and it
delivers with the first HD-streaming solu-
tion that doesn’t require running Ethernet.
Bravo, Netgear.Powerline Power Play
Two adapters enter, one adapter leaves
Netgear’s hDx-B101 actually delivers enough speed to stream
hDtV over your powerlines. Well done!$110, http://www.zyxel.comzyxel pl-100leaD Weight
Neither man nor computer
was harmed during testing.leaD Pai Nt
1Couldn’t connect in many
rooms; pathetically slow when
it worked.Zyxel Pl-100 sucks every bit as much as the
other powerline networking gear we’ve tested.$230 for two, http://www.netgear.comnetgear hdx-b101hD t V
It works. It really works.
And you can even stream
HD.
hD o Ptical DiScS^9
Where’s the integrated
Ethernet switch? Twitchy at
maximum speed. MAXIM
UMPCKICKASS