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Great design indeed.My only complain is that software is a bit flaky, seems to freeze and I couldn't change the password to anything but default. And the 4-port switch is sweet- no extra power supplies, no wires. I plugged the units in and they worked. I have to say I'm very pleased with the product. I have two units connected on 2 different circuits and the performance is great- 50-60Mbps.My building does have new electric wiring so perhaps it helps too.The heat issue doesn't exist- the units feel barely lukewarm to the touch. But the software is really not necessary anyway- it is a hardware solution.
I have a new home so the wiring is good and I only got about 11% of my original speed by putting the second device about 20'+ from my office to the great room. I found that if you place this device in a diferent room from the router the performance drops considerably. I called Netgear CR and this is a common experience.
The RF connection was spotty, weak, and undependable, despite trying various brands and configurations of RF routers. Yay. I used this product to replace troublesome RF-based wireless connection between my cable modem in my office and my wife's computer in the kitchen. The Netgear 104G was simple, and produced an uninterrupted, steady, strong, and fast internet connection.
Allot easier than running CAT5. I used this when the wireless had a huge dead spot. Plus it gives you flexibility to move.
This product is trivially easy to use. The Appletalk file sharing seemed especially sensitive to the wireless flakiness, and is now rock solid. (It does have some encryption capability that I didn't use -- that should only be needed in apartments with shared electrical systems). When moved across the house, this drops to 10BT rates (0.5-1 MB/s). I also extend the wireless (for the laptop only).
When I plug the two units into the same outlet, I get great, near 100BT rates (5-8MB/s). A sensible (if expensive) alternative to wireless for desktop computers. No software; it works just like a wire. using an old Netgear 614 router. As most people have found with powerline ethernet, performance will depend a lot on house wiring.
However, unlike wireless (802.11g), these rates are very consistent and reliable. For those who care, my setup is a cable modem connected to a Netgear 624SC wireless router, and a network of 4 desktop Macs (iMacs G5 and Core2, two beige G3s) and an old white iBook.
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