Question 1

Is the listed price for a pair of adapters or only a single?

Accepted Answer

This is a "starter" kit - thus there are two units.  One unit by itself is useless unless you have a starter kit to add to (that's why they do sell singles).  I have a system with four units (although the 500 Mbps).  I also have a pair of 1000 Mbps from ZyXEL that were not compatible with the slower units (this ad says that these units are).  Choose the speed that meets your needs.  For example I can run three separate streaming videos simultaneously from a HDhomerun Prime on my local net with the 500 Mbps without issue.

Question 2

Is it okay to plug in a surge protector to this with my desktop and two monitors plugged into the protector? Or is this a bad idea.

Accepted Answer

The included pass-through shouldn't be a problem to attach a surge protector to it. It has built-in tolerance over the Ground Wire to provide excellent signal even with high wattage devices such as Desktops/Consoles are plugged in. Never plug any Powerline Network adapters into the surge protector as they filter current out from the wall, effectively making it less reliable. Always plug the adapters directly into the wall. Mileage varies even depending on the outlet, wiring standards and circuit breaker quality.

Question 3

how far can you place the 2 adapters apart with no transfer effects? - I want to have them about 400' apart. Place between 2 cabins.

Accepted Answer

Not sure on that.  I know they say it has to be on the same circuit, but that isn't necessarily true.  It might help with throughput, but not a necessity.

One guy mentions theoretical range being 300 meters, which you'll hardly ever see theoretical ranges reached.

Here is some information on powerline adapters, also.  It is several years old, but a lot of it should still apply.  They say 200-300 meters.

Brand	ZyXEL
Model	PLA5256KIT

Standards	Compliant with HomePlug AV2 IEEE 1901 and HomePlug AV standard
Encryption	128-bit AES encryption
LEDs	Power on / off Powerline network quality Green: Best Amber: Better Red: Good Ethernet link / activity
Powerline Speeds	Transmit: up to 1000 Mbps Receive: up to 1000 Mbps
Connection Type	Two 10/100/1000 Mbps RJ-45 connectors with auto MDI / MDIX support
Kit Type	Double
Frequency Band	2 MHz ~ 86 MHz
Power Supply	Power rating: 100 to 240V AC, 50 / 60 Hz Power consumption Full operation: 5.5 watts max.
System Requirement	Operating system independent: Ethernet: RJ-45 Utility software OS support: Microsoft Windows XP / Vista / 7 / 8

Temperature	Operating Temperature: 0 degree C to 40 degree C (32 degree F to 104 degree F) Storage Temperature: -30 degree C to 70 degree C (-22 degree F to 158 degree F)
Humidity	Operating Humidity: 10% to 90% (Non-condensing) Storage Humidity: 10% to 95% (Non-condensing)

Dimensions	1.65" x 4.92" x 2.56"
Weight	0.46 lb.

ZyXEL PLA5256KIT HomePlug AV2 SISO AV1000 Powerline Pass-Thru 2-Port Gigabit Ethernet Adapter Kit, Up to 1000 Mbps

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Item#: N82E16833181529