D-Link DHP501-AV Powerline AV 500 Adapter Starter Kit

Powerline networking, which uses your home?s electrical wiring to send and receive data, has been around for years, but until recently it has been held back by slow throughput speeds, interference from other electrical appliances, and the emergence of Wi-Fi as the preferred home networking technology. However, the latest crop of powerline devices now offer ?theoretical? throughput speeds of 500 Mbps and are impervious to interference from all but the most power hungry appliances. And when it comes to transferring large chunks of data, powerline is exponentially faster than Wi-Fi. D-Link?s DHP501-AV Powerline AV 500 Adapter Starter Kit ($159.99 list) has everything you need to add powerline technology to your network. It offers speedy transfer rates and installs in minutes, but the adapters are bulky and can be easily disconnected from their outlet.

Features and Design
Like Netgear?s Powerline AV 500 Adapter Kit?($159, 4 stars)?the D-Link DHP501-AV Kit comes with two adapters, two Ethernet cables, and a CD containing a quick installation guide and a Management utility. ?The disc also includes a user manual, a feature missing from the Netgear kit. Measuring 3.9 x 2.7 x1.8-inches (HWD) the DHP501-AV adapters are taller and wider than the Netgear AV 500 adapters but are identical in weight (0.4 pounds). However, the D-Link adapter?s electrical contacts are mounted on a block that juts out 3/8 of an inch from the back of the housing, preventing the adapter to sit flush with the wall. As a result, the adapter can be easily knocked out of the outlet. In fact, I had to tape one adapter to the wall to keep it from falling out of an older outlet in my house. The adapter?s height also makes it difficult to use the second outlet; I was able to use a two-pronged plug above the adapter but a three-pronged plug, such as those used for most PCs, doesn?t fit.

The DHP501-AV?s housing is done up in a high-gloss white finish and sports rounded edges and a small D-Link logo on the front. There are also three LED indicators on the front that keep you abreast of what?s going on. The Power LED maintains a solid green glow when the adapter is powered up and blinks when it enters power saving mode or when security settings are being changed. The Powerline LED is green when connected to a network and blinks when transmitting data. The light is off if no compatible powerline device are found. A green light indicates a link rate greater than 80 Mbps, while an amber light means the link rate is somewhere between 50-80 Mbps. Red means a rate of less than 50 Mbps. The Ethernet port is positioned on the right side of the adapter, as are a security button and a reset switch that returns the adapter to its factory settings. Setting up the 128-bit AES security is painless; simply press the security button on one adapter until the Power LED blinks (about two seconds). That generates a random encryption key that will be used by all compatible HomePlug AV adapters on the network. Next, press the security button on the second adapter, but make sure you do it within two minutes of pressing the first button, otherwise it will not share the key. For more than two adapters, repeat the process.

Setup and Installation
In order to use the D-Link Powerline Management Utility you first have to install the WinPcap packet capturing software. The utility console lists all powerline devices installed and running on your network and displays the name, MAC address, location (local or remote), connection quality, link rate, and firmware version of each device. From this console you can upgrade the firmware for each device, change encryption key settings, and rename the adapters. However, you can?t assign QoS (Quality of Service) priorities to each adapter like you can with the Netgear Powerline Utility. Instead, the DHP501-AV uses a proprietary QoS technology that looks for data that typically requires high bandwidth, such as gaming and video files, and automatically gives it a high priority. ?

Installation is a snap. Plug one adapter into an outlet close to your router and connect it to the router with one of the Ethernet cables. Avoid using power strips, surge protectors, or extension cords as they may reduce performance. Also, try to use an outlet that isn?t servicing a device that draws a lot of power. Plug the second adapter into any outlet in the house (as long as it shares the same circuit breaker box), and you?ve got wired Ethernet connectivity.

Performance
The DHP501-AV performed quite well on my transfer tests. Copying a 100MB folder from my desktop PC to my laptop (in another room) took 14 seconds, while a 500MB folder took 1 minute and 14 seconds. Both times were slightly faster than the Netgear Powerline AV 500 Adapter Kit, which needed 15 seconds for the 100MB transfer and 1 minute and 20 seconds for the 500MB transfer. In comparison, my Wi-Fi connection needed 1 minute and 18 seconds to transfer the 100MB folder and 9 minutes and 25 seconds to transfer the larger 500MB folder.

The Management utility recorded a 500 Mbps connection from the adapter to the router and 158 Mbps from point to point. The Netgear kit also gave me 500 Mbps to the router but came in at a slightly higher point to point connection rate of 185 Mbps. The DHP501-AV provides more than enough bandwidth for streaming video; The Blues Brothers on Netflix (via my PS3) played smoothly with no stutter and was perfectly in sync. ?

If you want wired Ethernet connectivity throughout your house but want to avoid running cable, the D-Link DHP501-AV Powerline AV 500 Adapter Starter Kit will get the job done. Its bulky adapters may be an issue when it comes to sharing an outlet, however, and it doesn?t allow you to prioritize network traffic. If either issue is a deal breaker, consider the Netgear Powerline AV 500 Adapter Kit instead. ??

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