Pros: Literature generally is good

Cons: Was torn between the TPL-420E2K 1200 Mbps and the TPL-408E2K 600 Mbps. Was unable to determine if either would work with my ungrounded house outlets. The first apparently not, but the later (408) I can't find an answer for. Have submitted a ticket to Trendnet Tech support and am awaiting an answer, hopefully within the 1-2 days they say. Will update review at that time.

Have been very pleased with my 303E2k since installation in Dec 2011, but would like a bit more speed.

Other Thoughts: Note: Will update after Tech support response

Pros: - If it works i guess it's good.

Cons: - Worked for 6 days until it didn't and even during those 6 days, it kept disconnecting every few hours.
- Trendnet won't pay for shipping (unlike Logitech, Asus and probably many others).
- They will ask you to send it to California even though you're in canada (greater cost for shipping).
- Don't bother, try another brend.

Manufacturer Response:

Hello,

We are sorry to hear that you are having an issue with the Powerline adapters. You can try different outlets and disconnecting electronics around the units to see if you can identify a device that may be causing interference and then relocate the unit or the device. Please also ensure you disconnect chargers that aren’t actively charging devices as they can cause interference on Powerline networks. Also avoid using GFI outlets and outlets on AFCI breakers as they can also impact your Powerline network. If you require assistance please email adrian@trendnet.com and we will have a support representative help you. Please include a link to this review.



Regards,

Adrian
TRENDnet Support
http://www.trendnet.com/support

Pros: Simple set up, Fast speeds

Cons: No power pass through, only one port

Other Thoughts: We live in a large condo that is longer than it is wide, by far. Currently have a Linksys AC1900 but due to lots of walls and 3 large concrete columns the wifi signal was poor in our home office, at best. I was concerned when buying this that we would have issues since we live in a large condo building but the set up was a breeze and we are now getting our max speeds in our home office, which is at the front of the condo and our router is at the back. We you have multiple device to connect in one area so now that I know this works I am going to buy a switch and we should be all good. Highly recommend.

Pros: -Reasonably sized modules
-Everything needed for use is included
-Nice build quality
-Simple setup (Plug and Play)
-Consistent network speeds

Cons: -Minor Con: The LEDS are quite bright and light up my son’s room at night (it doesn’t bother him)
-Minor Con: This option matches mid-level (802.11n) wireless speeds but at a much higher cost, so they are the best value when used for specific circumstances (See the end of my review)

Other Thoughts: I have been using TRENDnet devices off and on for many years now and they have generally built a decent product e.g. I have had two of their 5-port Gigabit switches in place for close to 10 years now. Setup was a breeze as I had a plug and LAN jack next to each other at one end of a bedroom and needed Internet access at the other end, so I first plugged in what I will call Module A.. I plugged in Module B on the other side of the room and they found each other without any further need for synchronization. I will note that the included setup guide was straight-forward, had I needed to do synchronize them. As I typically do with all of my network connections, I test the actual throughput speeds using the excellent third-party utility LAN Speed Test (v3.5) with LAN Speed Server running on a main server across a robust Gigabit-802.11ac network. As a point of reference, I average 800Mbps Write/Upload & 800Mbps Read/Download (hereafter referred to as 800/800) on my network testing from PCs that have Gigabit Network adapters and (90/145) testing over Wireless AC speeds on the 5GHz band. Setup was a breeze and there wasn’t much to do testing wise with this pair of devices. Module B was connected to a HTPC that has a Gigabit network adapter and then I simply ran LAN Speed Test from that PC. I averaged 40/40 and this is in a typically-wired, single-family home. If this was an HTPC where I was using DVR functionality, this wouldn’t have been sufficient because I use HDHomeRun and they recommend 100Mbps for each tuner being used. Fortunately, this HTPC is just for my son to watch videos accessed on the central Media Server and it has been enough in the month since I have had it installed. My main router with Wireless AC is 15 feet away and I could definitely get faster speeds using an AC wireless adapter, but this will do. I initially considered rating these at 4 eggs because I do not see them as a great value compared to wireless. As I thought about it more, I decided to briefly speak to the title of this review… For a variety of reasons, there are situations where wireless simply won’t work and network cable cannot be pulled/accessed. This device would meet that need reasonably well. Add to that settings that do not have wireless infrastructure and the value becomes greater when you consider the cost of a wireless router/AP and an adapter compared to these. 5 out of 5 eggs because these are made for specific needs and seem to meet them well.

Pros: synced in 2 seconds in same room, moved upstairs to office computer, was pulling 12-mbps , same speed as hardwired to a router port, very impressed.

Cons: none yet, will post later if any trouble

Other Thoughts: just bought another set

Pros: Highly Efficient
More than enough bandwidth
Very easy setup

Cons: None

Other Thoughts: This is my third set of power lines, and probably the best set I have got the pleasure of using. By the nature of how these devices work, it is extremely simple to setup. Basically plug both into the wall, connect one to the router, one to the PC, and push the button on each. Done. It is really that easy.

After you have it set up, the performance is way faster that what Wi-Fi does. You don't have to worry about the distance from the router, or going through walls, or any other issues at all.

I use the powerline to connect to a switch, and then provider Internet to a full range of devices and it is capable of providing Internet to all of these devices at the same time without any slow down.

You can also expand the number of these buy buying a few more, or a compatible TRENDnet product and then have more systems if you need it, but just these two do a great job for me.

If you are just needing to network a computer in one location, don't want a wire running through your building ,or have issues with Wi-Fi it is a great option.

Pros: Setup is easy. Just [a] cable one of the adapters into your existing home network Router or Switch; [b] cable the other adapter into the device you want to connect via power line; [c] plug both adapters into into electrical wall power outlet, [d] press (for three seconds) and release the button on both adapters; [e] wait for the adapters to sync, and you are done.

I really like the three Status LEDs: [a] Power, [b] Power Line (Unit-to-Unit Connection Speed), [c] Wired Ethernet (to your PC). Each of the three LEDs has three states (On / Off / Blinking).
The Power LED blinking indicates synchronization in progress. Ethernet LED blinking indicates Data Transmission.
My favorite is the Power Line LED which has three colors (Green, Amber, Red) indicating the Connection Speed. Red means Good; Amber means Better; Green means Best (i.e. Slow, Medium, Fast).

The kit contains two five foot Ethernet cables. It also includes a paper installation guide, and full size CD.

I only had two adapters, but the installation guide shows you how to add additional adapters (again just by pushing buttons on the adapters).

No software is required for basic configuration of the adapters (though software is required to "zone" separate networks).

Cons: I tired plugging the adapters into several wall outlet pairs, but they always "synced" at the slowest connection speed (Red).
The Red connection speed is okay for web browsing, email, and light video streaming, but is painfully slow for transferring large files between PCs (especially if you are used to Wired Gigabit speeds).
Obviously you should not expect Wired Gigabit Ethernet speeds, but I was disappointed the power line speed was slower then 2.4 GHz WiFi.

Data transfer speed is poor on the Red connection speed. I measured four file transfer scenarios. PC #1 was connected to my Router via Gigabit Wired. PC #2 was connected to the adapter. From PC#1, I pushed and pulled files to/from PC#2. From PC#2, I then pushed and pulled files to/from PC#1.
On the first pair of wall outlets, I measured 4-5 MB/sec (~40 Mbps) transferring large files. On the second pair of wall outlets, I measured 7-8 MB/sec (~65 Mbps). This is a third to half the speed I see using 2.4 GHz WiFi.
Pushing files was slightly faster (~0.5 MB/sec) than pulling files.

Just as an experiment, I plugged both adapters (side by side) into the same extension cord. The good news was, the adapters "synced" at the highest connection speed (Green). I then repeated the large file transfer push/pull experiments and measured ~32 MB/sec (280 Mbps). This is slightly under one third speed of my Wired Gigabit Ethernet.

Other Thoughts: The TRENDnet TPL-407E2K provides a built in power outlet. Unclear why the TPL-408E2K does not.

The Green Status and Power LEDs look Yellow when the Power Line LED is Red (indicating the slowest speed Unit-to-Unit). I assume this is due to "bleed through" since the LEDs are close together.

If you have a situation where WiFi can not be the solution, and you are unable to run a Ethernet Cable, the TPL-408E2K may be your best solution (if you can live with the performance degradation).

Pros: - Setup on of the adapters is incredibly straightforward if you're running a simple network at home (see cons). I plugged the adapters into electrical outlets in adjoining rooms on the same electrical circuit and sync'ed them up following the instructions in the box.
- After running for roughly half an hour, I checked to see if the plug would be getting warm or hot, but it was cool to the touch.
- Besides, the box includes two 5-foot network cables, just the right length for the purposes I intend to test, but might be frustrating if you want a longer cable.

Cons: - Success with the devices is sometimes out of your hands, you will be at the mercy of the wiring in your home.
- A complex home network makes using the Powerline 500 a bit more challenging. I found that with custom network names and DNS settings, the Powerline 500 took more time to set up than I'd like. I was getting frustrated until I realized that I'd spent years getting my network set up "just so" and that adding different gear might be a bit more complicated.

Other Thoughts: I tested the Powerline 500 AV2 kit at two houses: mine and at a relative's house where the house wiring is much more organized. This change in testing location also gave me opportunity to test the connection over a longer distance to see how it performed.

Standard ping-rate testing was set aside for a more real-world, human-relatable test: children. My kids have really gotten into watching video content posted by their coaches and teachers, and I hear about it every time the video is buffering. EVERY TIME. For those without kids, you may run into the same challenges with roommates who may or may not have contributed any funds toward the internet access or network gear at your place, but the behavior is likely the same: AWWWW MAN! The internet is SO SLOW! Why is it buffering, this is probably the best part of the show and its buffering! BUFFERING!

Here's where the real testing starts. I called the kids into the room, opened up YouTube, and let them search for whatever thing they had been watching a few days before. I was pleasantly surprised that the video did not initially buffer and the kids seemed fine until it started to slow down. Now, this could have been a network slowdown in the neighborhood or solar flares or gremlins, so we just jumped to another video and everything was running fine for the remaining 10 minutes of the test.

With test number two, I went to a relative's house and asked to test the PowerLine 500 adapter there. I wanted to see if the electrical connection from the house to the garage would prove to be problematic, but knowing that the line was dedicated to run just from the house to the garage with no other appliances or rooms on the circuit, I had high hopes.

With the same testing scenario, same laptop, and same videos, I set up the adapters on separate plugs in the garage, synchronized them in place, then took one into the house and hooked it up the DSL modem. Once back in the garage, I fired up one of the videos. Buffering. BUFFERING. Oh, there it goes. Perhaps the adapters needed more time to sync if they've been unplugged? Stopped the video, pushed the SYNC button again, ran into the house and pushed the other sync button and waited a few minutes.
Out to the garage again and restart the video. Hmm, not too bad. A bit of buffering, but let's stop the video and check email. No problems. Email sync is reasonably fast. A quick check on that auction site and back to a video. OK, this is not too bad. Certainly much easier than setting up an Ethernet connection out here or getting another Wi-Fi router nearby.

All things considered, the Powerline 500 does what it sets out to do and offers good features. Although there are some small issues, I believe most users will find it an easy product to set up and use. I can say that when operating on the same electrical circuit (20 or 40 amp alike) best performance was achieved when on the same circuit.

Pros: The TRENDnet TPL-408E2K Powerline AV2 AV600 Adapter Kit contains two adapters. Connection is as simple as plugging each into a wall socket and connected the included 5 ft ethernet cables from the adapters to the router/switch and computer. It automatically establishes a connection and there is no need to download/install drivers. The plug only takes one outlet slot, leaving the one above open, and the entire adapter is only 2.2 by 3.4 by 2 inches. The white plastic color does not stand out against a common outlet.

The power consumption during use is about 4 Watts per adapter and confirmed with a Kill-a-watt, hibernation is lower. The units do get somewhat warm and there are ventilation holes on the plastic case. The product is well supported and the warranty is listed as three years. The connection is gigabit and is possible to get up to 500 Mbps. The actual transfer rates depend on quality of wiring, length of connection, noise, etc. In my use, I found in use transfer rates of about 7 MB/s (megabytes per second). During testing, I added additional extension cords, power strip adapters, and as expected the transfer rates decreased. Although the transfer rates are not as fast as a direct wired connection, this is sufficient for my uses and easily streams HD media files. The connection has been highly reliable over a period of several weeks and did not need resetting or any other intervention.

Cons: It gets warmer than I expected and perhaps could benefit from a larger heat sink for cooling, but the 3 year warranty indicates the heat should not be a concern.

Pros: Easy set-up. Take them out of box, connect to router, plug into AC plug, and up and running. Nice LED lights keep you posted on status. Enclosed CD has full manuals, install help, etc.
I plugged a Trendnet 8 port gigabyte switch into the receiving unit, and have 7 ports available to power up all devices in my remote "man cave". Wife is happy. No more wires running thru house.

Cons: None.

Other Thoughts: I have used dozens of powerline kits. This one, so far, works great.
I have used Trendnet now about 15 times for various gear, and I like this company a lot. Good prices, good value.