

For this reason Powerline adapters may not work in large apartment complexes or office buildings. Try to use an outlet that does not have power hungry appliances plugged into it, such as a washer, dryer, or refrigerator, and make sure that the outlets to be used are on the same circuit and use the same breaker box, otherwise they will not be able to communicate with each other. Always plug the adapter directly into the electrical socket do not use extension cords, power strips, or surge protectors. Installation Powerline AV 500 installation is as easy as it gets as long as you follow a few simple rules of thumb. Despite the vented casing designed to prevent the adapter from overheating while plugged in and running, the adapter was still quite warm to the touch after 15 minutes of use. On the bottom of the adapter is a single Ethernet port. The security button makes it easy to set a private encryption key that can be used across your entire Powerline network, and the reset button returns the adapter to its original factory defaults. On the right side of the adapter are a security button and a recessed factory reset button. A green light means the link rate is better than 80 Mbps, amber means less than 80 Mbps but greater than 50 Mbps, and a red light means less than 50 Mbps. This indicator also tells you how strong the link rate is for each electrical outlet. It remains unlit if a compatible adapter with the same encryption key cannot be found, or if the adapter has been disabled via the Powerline Utility.

The Powerline indicator is solid green when a connection is made to the network, and it blinks when the adapter is receiving and sending data. An amber light indicates that the adapter has gone into power saving mode, which happens when the port is not linked for more than ten minutes. At the top are three LED indicators the power indicator glows a solid green when electrical power is on and blinks green when the adapter is starting up and running through the security setup process. The front of the housing has a glossy white finish and has the Netgear logo etched into the center and a blue Powerline AV 500 label at the bottom. However, the odds of that happening are slim to none as Powerline technology is the epitome of plug and play.Įach adapter measures 3.3 by 2.5 by 1.5 inches (HWD) and weighs a little less than half a pound (0.4 pounds).
#Powerline av500 network kit manual#
Unfortunately, the disc does not include a user manual instead, it provides a link to an online manual, which may be inconvenient if you’re having trouble getting the adapters to work for some reason. While that's less than a wired connection, it's just fine for streaming movies and transferring large data files and folders.įeatures and Design The AV 500 kit consists of two XAV5001 Powerline adapters, two 6.5 foot Ethernet cables, and a Resource CD containing a Powerline Utility and an Installation Guide. In my testing, the AV 500 delivered almost ten times the transfer speed of my Wi-Fi router. Enter Netgear’s Powerline AV 500 Powerline Adapter Kit ($159.99 list), an incredibly easy to use solution that turns every power outlet in your home into a Gigabit wired Ethernet port. Unfortunately, wiring your home with CAT-5 cabling can get expensive and messy if you don’t know what you’re doing. It’s hard to beat the convenience of a home Wi-Fi network but it can’t touch wired connectivity when it comes to throughput speed.
#Powerline av500 network kit software#
