Question 1

Hi,  This is a new install.  Extend the network from the router (downstairs) to upstairs.  Do I need to buy 1 unit or 2?

Accepted Answer

Jeff,

You will need the two units that come in the one package if you want to have a wired connection to the upstairs for one computer there.  Is that what you want?  If you are just wanting to boost your wi-fi, then you should investigate wi-fi boosters/extenders.  The D-Link alone will not extend your wi-fi, it will only provide that wired connection to whatever computer you choose to connect near to the plug where you put the second D-Link device upstairs.  (The first one connects to a plug near your router downstairs.) If you have more than one computer or other smart device upstairs and that you want to have connected via your electrical wiring, you will need enough D-Links to have one unit at your router downstairs and one at each device upstairs that will be connected.  Unfortunately, they only come in pairs, so you have to buy 2, 4, 6, etc., even if you only need an odd number.

Question 2

Could I use a wireless router on the receiving end to have a separate network at the other end of the house?

Accepted Answer

My house is 4600 sqft . I have a router on the 1st floor which connects to the powerline box which links to the 2nd box on the 2nd floor. The powerline box on the second floor IS connected to a 2nd router. Depending where I am in the house, one network may be stronger than the other.   In short, yes you can use a router on the receiving end.

Question 3

Do I understand that both units must be plugged into the electricity controlled through only one circuit on my circuit board?

Accepted Answer

Hello, Dansk. In general, it is said that Powerline adapters provide the highest speed connection when on the same circuit, and speed will drop off, especially if you go through a circuit breaker. I have found that Powerline works much the same as Wifi, at least in my house. The closer the outlets, the higher the speed. If you move farther away, speed drops.

I have a 60 Mbps service from Comcast. I bought the DHP-701AV kit hoping to establish a high speed link from one end to the opposite end of my house. It didn't quite work out for that. In the rooms near my main router, both upstairs and downstairs, I could get full speed. At the farthest end, I could get only about 30 Mbps. In the middle, I got 45-50 Mbps. There were also two outlets where connection could not be established, and the Powerline LED glowed red. The LED will turn red, yellow, or green depending on the quality of the connection, but speeds may drop even with a green link.

Interestingly, I also have the D-Link DHP-309AV kit, which is a Powerline AV500 kit rated at 500 Mbps maximum. Overall, I found the DHP-701AV only provided about 10% faster speeds. The units all interconnected without any difficulty, and plug and play worked smoothly for all the units. So, I'm not sure if the DHP-701AV is worth the money, but it may be useful if you have a higher speed Internet connection.

Question 4

I currently have a 900MHz 1W link (900KBs) between my house and shed.

Shed is about 200ft from the house.  I have power from the house to the shed.  Will this product work?  h

Accepted Answer

Yes, it should work. BUT you will almost certainly not get a full 2Gb performance. The limit is the quality of the signal path which is already compromised by not being coax or twisted pair. These are clever devices but the most limiting factors are if your signal passed through a thermal/magnetic breaker. The "magnetic" part of that breaker is a coil which confounds the signal transmission. (An old time fuse -- screw in or cartridge would be better.) I have one leg of my network that passes through the breaker panel and, while the network functions, I only see ~7Mb throughput on that section. Still, that's not bad for the ease of installation.

If I had your situation I'd use a 802.11/xxxx wireless extender. I have used these in commercial installations when temporarily connecting to a nearby building which was under construction. I was able to get very good performance over 500 ft.  If you are worried about  security the downside is no worse than the power line solution.  :)

Question 5

can I add an additional unit to connect 2 different computers from one unit feeding from the router?

Accepted Answer

Yes.  This is what they claim on the product datasheet:

EXTEND YOUR WIRED NETWORK

"Extend your Powerline network by adding up to 16 adapters in total. Backward compatible with PowerLine AV, AV+."

Question 6

Is anyone using this with a GFCI outlet, and if so how well does it work in this configuration?

Accepted Answer

Actually, these units use the newest HPVA2 standard, which enables a MiMo mode to get higher bitrates. For MiMo to work, it needs the ground return also. Earlier units only used line and neutral. It's not recommended to use on GFCI outlets since the circuitry will attenuate the signal. It works, but might not work well.

Question 7

Can I add a third unit?

Accepted Answer

yes, i am running 5 as network nodes in my house right now with 1 as the uplink. They do work really well. I will probably buy more soon.

Question 8

Are these compatible with AV500 powerline adapters?

Accepted Answer

Any HomePlug AV2 certified adapter will work with any previous AV certified adapter. The pairing between different manufacturers will vary a little, so it might take a few times fiddling around. The link speeds on the AV500 won't be any better. Make sure to put one of the AV2-MiMo's on the main WAN gateway/router end, since all internal net traffic will have to pass through it. Certification directly shows this model is there. Just check to see if your AV500's are also. Google homeplug alliance certification directory and you'll see it. Can't post links on newegg.

Question 9

I have a media center with multiple game consoles, HDTV and other connections.  Am I able to attach an Ethernet Switch to one of these to allow multiple devices to have internet access via the Powerline connection?

Accepted Answer

Yes, but the bandwidth would be split between each active device like a normal Ethernet jack would. Just have the powerline adapter plugged directly into the wall outlet, not into a surge protector or similar power strip; doing so will degrade performance.

Question 10

Can these be placed behind a UPS for spike/surge protection and still function properly or must they be directly connected to an unfiltered outlet?

Accepted Answer

You should plug this directly into the wall. UPS and Surger Protectors can interfere with the data throughput.

Questions & Answers