TrendNet Launches The Smallest 500 Mbps Powerline Networking Adapter

[btarunr]

TrendNet, a best-in-class wired and wireless networking hardware brand, announces today from 2012 International CES in Las Vegas, Nevada, the 500 Mbps Compact Powerline AV Adapter, model TPL-406E, and the 500 Mbps Compact Powerline AV Adapter Kit, model TPL-406E2K, which comes with two TPL-406E adapters. These high performance 500 Mbps adapters come in the smallest form factor to date.

New media center devices such as Internet televisions, network video recorders (NVRs), receivers, and game consoles are now network ready-meaning they are capable of streaming large HD files directly from the Internet. TRENDnet's ground breaking 500 Mbps Compact Powerline AV Adapters connect media center devices and computers to the Internet using existing electrical lines.



Network one adapter to a router and plug another adapter into any outlet on the same electrical system for instant high speed network access. Different TRENDnet adapters automatically connect to each other over a secure encrypted signal with no CD installation required. For additional security, press the Sync button to change existing encryption keys. Embedded power saving technology lowers power consumption by up to 70% in standby mode-resulting in measurable power savings, given that the adapters are always plugged in.

"Consumers are looking for solutions to help connect their TVs to the Internet and TRENDnet Powerline products couldn't be easier-with no complicated CD installation required," stated Sonny Su, technology director for TRENDnet. "The TPL-406E defines a new category of ultra-compact high performance 500 Mbps Powerline adapters."

The 500 Mbps Compact Powerline AV Adapter, model TPL-406E, comes with a three year limited warranty and will be available from TRENDnet's online and retail partners this coming April. The MSRP for the TPL-406E is US $59.99 The 500 Mbps Compact Powerline AV Adapter Kit, model TPL-406E2K, comes with a three year limited warranty and will be available from TRENDnet's online and retail partners this coming April.

The MSRP for the TPL-406E2K is US $99.99.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[Deleted member 3]

It's a shame powerline offers horrible performance though. I doubt it gets anywhere near 500Mbit.

 

[aahzmandius]

It's a shame powerline offers horrible performance though. I doubt it gets anywhere near 500Mbit.

I'm currently using Powerline Ethernet in my home to connect devices upstairs to the main system downstairs. My house has three main circuit breakers, and I'm crossing from one to another to get to the downstairs power grid. I'm using the Zyxel PLA407 model to do all of this. It's rated at 200Mbps. I consistently get 30MBps in speed tests to SpeakEasy's speed test site (that's 240Mbps, for those of you who don't know the difference between MBps and Mbps). The computers on the downstairs network (which are connected via gigabit to each other and the router) get 50-60MBps in spikes. This leads me to believe that I'm maxing out the bandwidth of the PLA network, because I'm not seeing more than 250KBps difference between tests, and downstairs is seeing upwards of 10MBps difference between tests.

This is a newer house (20 years old), with rock-solid power cabling inside, so that may be helping my situation, also.

PLA *used* to be very flaky and had trouble dealing with crossing breaker panels to get to other parts of the home power network....it does not any longer.
--Aahzmandius

 

[Mussels]

it has the same flaw as wifi, where it claims its speeds in full duplex - so this would be more like 250Mb each direction.


still, its bloody useful for situations where wifi doesnt work, or cant be used.

 

[newtekie1]

Damn, I just got the big versions for X-Mas. Now I wish I had waited and got the small versions, because the big ones block the outlet next to them.

It's a shame powerline offers horrible performance though. I doubt it gets anywhere near 500Mbit.

It depends on the situation, if they are on the same breaker then yes it is very close to 500Mbps. On different breakers the performance suffers.

In my situation the house is wired with ethernet cables. However, the jack in the living room is on the wall opposite where the TV is(the TV used to be on the wall with the jack before we got new furnature). So just running from one side of the room to the other gives very close to 500Mbps. Which is way better than wireless n since the router is in the basement.

it has the same flaw as wifi, where it claims its speeds in full duplex - so this would be more like 250Mb each direction.


still, its bloody useful for situations where wifi doesnt work, or cant be used.

Yeah, true, but if you are doing file transfers in one direction then you get pretty much the full transfer speed. And in my experience powerline gives a way faster connection than Wireless G and a little faster connection than Wireless N but a much more stable connection with lower average pings and less dropout.

 

[Mussels]

i was going to mention before and forgot, this is also a good method to get faster speeds to consoles, my PS3 and its sucky wifi G hates HD media, yet over wifi N (via a wireless bridge) or powerline, works fien.

 

[newtekie1]

i was going to mention before and forgot, this is also a good method to get faster speeds to consoles, my PS3 and its sucky wifi G hates HD media, yet over wifi N (via a wireless bridge) or powerline, works fien.

Yeah, the wifi in my launch PS3 totally sucks. Even streaming SD media sometimes skips when using it, but no such problem with the powerline.

 

[FreedomEclipse]

It's a shame powerline offers horrible performance though. I doubt it gets anywhere near 500Mbit.

Guru3D reviewed a 500mb model just recently. I think the review said it was hardly worth the effort switching up from the 200mbs as there wasnt a huge amount of difference

 

[WarraWarra]

No wifi on this ?

If only they took the Airlive N.Mini $36 + shipping and added the powerline feature to it then it would be worth the price.

Nice effort and size.

 

[FreedomEclipse]

No wifi on this ?

If only they took the Airlive N.Mini $36 + shipping and added the powerline feature to it then it would be worth the price.

Nice effort and size.

then what would be the point of getting powerline if youre just going to go wifi anyway?? you might as well save the money and get a cheap USB wifi dongle or something.

Powerline uses the electric cables in your house as a network instead of having to use or lay your own network cables.

If your wifi reception is bad there are cheap ways to fix it such moving the router to a spot with better reception or getting a more powerful antenna for it. 8-10dB indoor antennas are ludicrously cheap.

 

[stefanels]

I have a question about this products (Powerline network adapters)....
If i want to share my internet connection with a friend, but he lives like 5 houses away from me, this still works? or just works in my house?

 

[FreedomEclipse]

I have a question about this products (Powerline network adapters)....
If i want to share my internet connection with a friend, but he lives like 5 houses away from me, this still works? or just works in my house?

It only works in your house, otherwise youd have to go knocking on everyones doors down the street and asking them if they got one cuz once people start plugging in everyone would start using each others internets for free and it would cause a lot of conflicts if people use different ISPs

 

[stefanels]

I thought that tis adapter uses a WEP or other security protocol... So this doesn't work this way

 

[FreedomEclipse]

I thought that tis adapter uses a WEP or other security protocol... So this doesn't work this way

WEP is a WIRELESS encription security algorithm. not useable on WIRED networks

 

[Mussels]

I thought that tis adapter uses a WEP or other security protocol... So this doesn't work this way

its enrypted, so that if you used this in an office, someone cant buy a device plug it in, and free internet.

 

[1freedude]

Stefanels, technically your friend might be able to get the signal. The signal dies at any transformer.

 

[Easy Rhino]

I have the similiar larger 500Mbps model by Trendnet. I average about 30Mbps. Enough to max out my net connection, but not quite fast enough for those really big HD movies. It should be noted that the advertised 500Mbps is on the physical layer. The MAC layer, where CSMA/CA resides pretty much cuts that number in half. So really on the absolute best of conditions you will get 300Mbps with all of your electric utilities unplugged.

 

[Mussels]

rhino: 30Mb or MB/s ?

 

[Easy Rhino]

rhino: 30Mb or MB/s ?

30 megabits per second. i sometimes have better luck if i unplug one of the units before i use it. it seems to reinitialize the connection and send a stronger signal. because these units, like wifi, have carrier sense they sort of learn which channels they should use the most to be the most reliable. my house is 50 years old and im on two different breakers so that is why i only get 30mbps. that is still more reliable for me though over wireless g and occasionally wireless n. i know a lot of other people have had a lot better luck with wireless n than using these units.

edit: i just ran a quick test with the house quiet (nobody is using any electrical stuff) and i reinitialized the units and got 100mbps. that was short lived however.