NETGEAR XE104 85 Mbps Powerline Ethernet Adapter
NETGEAR XE104 85 Mbps Powerline Ethernet Adapter Price comparison
NETGEAR XE104 85 Mbps Powerline Ethernet Adapter Price History
NETGEAR XE104 85 Mbps Powerline Ethernet Adapter Description
NETGEAR XE104 85 Mbps Powerline Ethernet Adapter
The NETGEAR XE104 85 Mbps Powerline Ethernet Adapter seamlessly extends your home network through existing electrical wiring. Say goodbye to Wi-Fi dead zones and enjoy fast, reliable internet connectivity throughout your home. This adapter is perfect for streaming, gaming, and other bandwidth-intensive activities, making it a great choice for modern households.
Key Features of the NETGEAR XE104
- Fast Data Transfer Speeds: With speeds of up to 85 Mbps, this adapter provides a stable and speedy connection, ideal for online gaming and HD video streaming.
- Easy Setup: Simply plug in the adapter into a wall outlet and connect your devices with an Ethernet cable. No complicated installation needed.
- Powerline Technology: Utilizes your home’s existing electrical wiring to transmit data, eliminating the need for long cable runs or additional routers.
- Secure Communication: Built-in encryption ensures that your data is secure, keeping your network safe from potential threats.
- Compact Design: At just 9 x 6.75 x 4 inches, this adapter won’t take up much space, allowing for convenient placement anywhere in your home.
- Lightweight: Weighing only 13.6 ounces, it’s easy to transport if you need to relocate it within your home or take it while traveling.
Price Comparison Across Suppliers
When comparing prices for the NETGEAR XE104, you’ll find competitive offers from various suppliers. Prices generally range from $39.99 to $59.99, depending on the retailer. Our comprehensive price comparison tool helps you find the best deal in real-time. Why pay more when you can find a great price?
6-Month Price History Trends
Examining the 6-month price history chart, we see notable fluctuations, with a significant decrease during promotional seasons. Historically, the NETGEAR XE104 has shown an average price drop of 20% during holiday sales. Keep an eye on these trends to make a savvy purchase.
Customer Reviews Summary
Customers have shared their experiences regarding the NETGEAR XE104 Powerline Ethernet Adapter, highlighting both positive feedback and areas for improvement.
- Positive Feedback: Users have praised the simplicity of installation and the reliable connection quality. Many users enjoy the increased speed and connectivity stability for streaming and gaming purposes.
- Noted Drawbacks: Some users mentioned that performance could vary based on the quality of the home’s electrical wiring, with occasional connectivity drops reported in older homes.
Unboxing and Reviews on YouTube
If you want to see the NETGEAR XE104 in action, check out several YouTube review and unboxing videos. These videos provide an excellent visual guide on installation and real-world performance, giving you a clearer understanding of its capabilities.
Conclusion
Whether you’re looking to enhance your gaming experience or simply need stable internet throughout your home, the NETGEAR XE104 85 Mbps Powerline Ethernet Adapter is a wise investment. With its high-speed capabilities, easy setup, and low price comparisons, it stands out as a top choice among powerline adapters.
Don’t miss out on the opportunity for enhanced connectivity. Compare prices now!
NETGEAR XE104 85 Mbps Powerline Ethernet Adapter Specification
Specification: NETGEAR XE104 85 Mbps Powerline Ethernet Adapter
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NETGEAR XE104 85 Mbps Powerline Ethernet Adapter Reviews (4)
4 reviews for NETGEAR XE104 85 Mbps Powerline Ethernet Adapter
Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review.
FPGA –
PROS:
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* Works very well!
* Easy to install and to use
* Built-in 4-port router in each module!
* Reliable 30 Mbps connection, but speed will likely depend on your specific location.
* Includes all the required pieces to install one end point (module, Ethernet cable, software, manual). You need a minimum of two such modules.
* Reasonably good documentation on CD-ROM.
* Bright blue HomePlug network LED is extremely bright–a free nightlight!
CONS:
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* Never saw 85 Mbps but did reliably see 30 Mbps+.
* You need a minimum of two of these units. No manufacturer seems to make this clear on their web site.
* Optional but highly recommended encryption utility isn’t obvious or convenient (you need to record the password printed in small print on the back side of the module). Also, it seemed like I was always setting up the module at the opposite end of the connection.
I purchased two of the Netgear XE104 units (one for the cable gateway, one for the remote destination). While the Linksys WCG200 cable gateway has an 802.11G wireless connection, the power isn’t sufficient to reliably reach all locations in my old house (what’s in those walls anyway?). I was hoping that the XE104s would reliably deliver > 6 Mbps (Comcast HSI speed) to any point in the house, which it does. Using the Netgear-supplied utility, I’m seeing 30 Mpbs+, which is more than sufficient for my needs.
The unit was easy to install and use. The HomePlug connection established itself within seconds. I connected one unit to the router on the cable gateway via a Cat5 Ethernet cable. This unit connected to a nearby wall-plug (no surge protectors allowed).
I then plugged a second unit upstairs to another wall-plug. The HomePlug light lit up almost immediately. I then plugged this unit into my laptop’s Ethernet port and had connectivity within about 30 seconds. At this point, the Netgear reporting utility showed about 45 Mbps (again, nowhere near 85 Mbps but then again, I really didn’t expect it either).
The default connection isn’t encrypted. Netgear highly recommends encrypting the connection, which I image would be requisite if you live an appartment or condo. The encryption utility isn’t obvious. You need to write down the password data written in small print on the back-side of each module. The encryption utility asks for this information. In my case, the utility could only “see” the module at the opposite end of the connection, which made the installation a little more confusing. With a little fiddling, it all worked fabulously.
Each of the modules includes a built-in 4-port hub. Consequently, up to four computers or equipment can share an endpoint.
I’m happy enough that I plan to purchase an additional module.
JohnE Gledhill –
Bottom Line: NOT WORTH ANY $$$ or $170 ($85 * 2)
Since no one has reviewed this device I had to be a pioneer. I am trying to find a solution to stream HDTV to my xbox 360 without running cat 5e wires.
So it appears that Netgear has taken the same position on throughput as they have with WiFi; Lie about it. I read no where that it is a theoritical 85Mbps but that is most certainly the case. I live in a 3 story town home. I am trying to link the 1st floor to the 3rd. The XE104 won’t even connect!!! In truth I get a connection every other minute only be dropped. The two outlets are probably 60 wired feet apart.
Test 1: Same floor with outlets 4ft apart: 14Mbps! 🙁
Test 2: 1st floor to 2nd floor, outlets 30 wired feet apart: .5Mps
Test 3: 1st floor to 3rd floor, constant dropped connections: 0Mbps
Test Setup:
The tests were run with a laptop at each end. One laptop had a ftp server. Throughput was given from the file transer of a 4GB movie file.
Credibility:
BTW, I have a masters of computer science with 15 years experience.
Mike –
I couldn’t get a reliable wireless connection from one end of the house to the other, so I decided to try this product. It definitely works better than the wireless did. I have no problems with dropouts and the speed is definitely improved. I agree with another reviewer that said 85 megs is a fallacy. I only get about 15 megs, but that’s still good enough for streaming Netflix movies to the PS3 while surfing the Internet on a computer.
selmermk6 –
Bought two. Plugged in one in my home office with a Cat5 coming from my WRT54G router.
Plugged the other one in on the opposite side of my ranch townhome. Got the blue light sync indicator within 5 seconds. Plugged in my laptop and got an IP from the Linksys five seconds after that..
Works perfectly. No drops. Just like an ethernet cable would be. Since it has four ports, plugged in the Tivo via the USB/Ethernet I already had. That also grabbed an IP and worked perfectly.
Consistent speed of copying WinXP SP2 off my PC in my home office to my laptop in the living room using the two 104s is about 15 Mbps or so as measured by Netstat on my laptop. Is it equal to Cat5? Is it ANYWHERE NEAR 85 Mbps as Netgear advertises? NOT A CHANCE. Connecting the laptop to my LAN by directly connecting into the WRT54G resulted in the same file being moved from the same PC at just over 75 Mbps. So, the 15 Mbps speed of the 104s is about 20% of the LAN’s speed moving the same file.
The Netgear software says the two are connected at just about 40 Mbps. So, figure less than half that in real speed.
But overall, it does work. It’s more than enough speed for me to avoid the hassles and drops of wireless, not to mention having to use WEP since my Tivo can’t currently support WPA.
Clearly, this is a YMMV product. Buy it and take the shot. You might get enough speed. Or you may not even have it sync up. That’s why I bought it from Amazon so I could return it if I had too. Could have gotten it a bit cheaper elsewhere, but why risk it?
If I was streaming HD files, it wouldn’t work. But for not having to deal with cutting through 19 (!) wireless networks that my 802.XX Site Monitor can see, and fighting the inevitable XP wireless drops, it works fine for me. I was going to go for the Slinglink first but figured I might as well try for faster speeds. I’m glad I spent the extra $$$$ over it and the older Netgear 102s.
5 stars for ease of use. 1 star for the laughable real speed versus Netgear’s advertising. Thus, an average of 3 stars.
EDIT TO ORIGINAL REVIEW: I have `SBC/ATT/Whatever they are today’ DSL. I tweaked my RCP Receive Window (RWIN) from blank (whoopps) to 17,424 (as well as other settings) per DSLReports.com’s suggestion in order to accommodate the new 6.0/764 RT based speed profile I recently received. In doing do, the speed of file transfers referenced above via the 104 dropped from about 15 megs to less than 10. When I removed the RWIN setting restoring it to its state before messing with it, the speed returned to the 15 megs.
So, if you’ve tweaked your registry settings for maximum broadband download speed and are not getting great results with the 104, you might want to do a little tweaking trade off between the two to get the speeds you’re seeking on both the 104 and your broadband access. My results of both speeds is still in ‘messing around with’ mode and I haven’t yet found that perfect blend.
EDIT TO ORIGINAL REVIEW #2 – 06/11/2006: Still working fine. Speeds are consistent with what I originally posted. It’s never failed once to work the way it’s intended. I’ve never dropped an IP and I’ve never plugged in the laptop and not had it work within a few seconds. A good product in my specific enviornment. I’ll buy another one so I can plug in the laptop anywhere in my place, even the deck outside and not have to fight wireless drops. Now if they’d only release the 1.6 firmware….