Actiontec MegaPlug AV Powerline Gaming Kit Review
Are you regretting neglecting wiring your house with Ethernet when you built it? Just don't want to deal with the hassle of cutting holes in your walls? Read on to find what may be the perfect solution for you.
When thinking of networking, most people think about a traditional hardwire and wireless connectivity. One reason for this is due to the lackluster performance of the original powerline adapters. While the original powerline technology was slow and unreliable, the Actiontec MegaPlug AV Powerline Gaming Kit crushes any preconceptions you may have of powerline Ethernet networking.
The MegaPlug AV works with a two unit system. First you plug a transmitter into your router, and then an open power outlet nearby. (Note, Actiontec recommends that this is not plugged into a surge protector to insure optimal performance, which may create problems for some power users' setups.) Next, the receiver unit is plugged in wherever you chose, and the Ethernet is plugged into your device nearby, and you are ready to be connected to the Internet, no complicated setup necessary. The connection is then routed using the preexisting powerline infrastructure in your house, which eliminates the need to route Ethernet wires through your walls, which can be expensive and very time consuming.
So you may be thinking, "This is great, but how well does it actually work?" In my tests, I found the difference between being hardwired into a router, and the MegaPlug AV adapter to be none at all. When using my Xbox 360 on the MegaPlug AV kit, I could not tell any latency or speed decrease from what I am used to with my standard wired setup.
While the MegaPlug AV is not marketed for this use, I have also tested this kit on a computer, and could not tell any difference. When running a speedtest from my computer, it returned a result that was exactly the same as my hardwire or WiFi setups. Also, transferring files over the Internet was fast, at around 100mbit, due to constrictions with my PC hardware, where as the adapter supports up to 200mbit. I even took the extreme of having 2 computers, and my 360 all connected at once using a switch, and I have seen no noticeable difference in surfing the Internet and other normal daily tasks.
At an average price of $150 online, it is more expensive than the Xbox 360 wireless adapter, but performs much better than it in my testing.
Pros
- Fast 200mbit speed.
- Easy setup.
- No need to run wires in wall.
Cons
- Price.
- Cannot be plugged into surge protector.
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My bedroom is located above the kitchen while the modem and router in one sits in the family room. When I want to surf the web, stream music and play games, my connection drops on me. After a storm had surged out the internet and had to be repaired the following day; I noticed that my connection had gone from bad to worse. No paper aluminum foil range extender would help me gain a boost anymore. I manage to get my sibling upset when I have to take the modem and router in one to my bed room just to download a 1GB file. While that was taking place I thought what could be a good way to get a strong signal? I started to default on my idea of buying an extender, but I don't think that would do much. Then I saw this product well something similar, went to Actiontec's website and found out they made this gadget and now wanting to see how it would run in my house so I could get up to 200mbps. It is indeed very expensive and I too do not like the fact it can not be used on a surge protector, but if it actually preforms as people make it out to be then I won't too upset.