Someday, the Internet is going to be 100% wireless. It'll be everywhere, it'll be a robust signal, and every device out there will be designed to work with it. But until then, wired connectivity is a reality that isn't going away anytime soon, and we're experiencing a growing need to get our consumer electronics gear online. First it was Blu-ray players, assuming you wanted to tap into the benefits of BD-Live, and dedicated media streaming set top boxes, but now an entire generation of internet-ready TVs and other network-friendly components offer a world of entertainment options that can be delivered directly to the display in your living room or home theater. Even certain A/V receivers depend upon internet connections for the latest software upgrades or music streaming services such as Pandora, while some DVRs can also download their program guide information from dedicated servers, a more convenient alternative to dialing up over the phone lines.
Wi-Fi is dandy certainly, but the range and speed can sometimes be at issue, with wild cards such as noise and interference from electrical devices in the vicinity, too. Sure, running an Ethernet cable from the modem to the home theater is an option, if you don't mind looking at it, or are willing to go to the trouble and expense of snaking it behind the walls. While you're there, you'll probably notice the extensive electrical wiring system already in place throughout the home, and behold: It can be used to deliver the internet, not just AC power.
Ride the Copper
To perform this sought-after bit of electrical alchemy, we need a PLC (power line communication) product like the Monster Digital Life PowerNet 200. This kit consists of a pair of modules, one for each end of the link. The first plugs into the electrical outlet near the router (we can only assume that there is an electrical outlet not too far from the router, since it requires its own power), the other goes into the wall near the device that will be receiving the internet feed.
The Powernet 200 adapter is designed to completely cover a standard two-plug AC switchplate, taking over the entire thing, but in return it gives us a pair of filtered outlets, the noise-reduction benefits of which can come in handy when connecting sensitive high-definition video equipment. These outlets are turned 90 degrees to the left and right instead of pointing straight outward, for a lower profile that allows us to push furniture right up against it if need be. However, this can be tricky as now the outlets are flush up against the wall, so certain oversized or angled plugs (including that on a Monster power strip I'd been using) might not fit.
Next we run an Ethernet cable (included) from the router to the source PowerNet 200 module. Then another cable from the destination PowerNet 200 device to the Blu-ray player, TV, etc, and most likely, we're done. How can we tell? The devices feature an elaborate system of indicator lights on their face. I think it's fair to say that the most relevant information (Power/Security, Network Speed and Ethernet Link) are all on the left side, while the "bonuses" (Protection On, Clean Power On, Ground OK) are on the right.
Green Light: Go
To paraphrase Gordon Gekko, green is good: A solid green Ethernet Link indicator means that that the connection is established, blinking means that it is transmitting/receiving. This is also the color we want for Network Speed, telling us we have the best possible data rate, better than 100 megabits-per-second. Orange means 50-100 Mbps, and red is less than 50 Mbps.
According to Monster, poor network speed can actually be improved with the use of additional PowerNet 200s, which "clean" the power and thereby increase the efficiency of signal transfer. Plugging juice-intensive appliances like blow dryers into a PowerNet box should also prevent them from introducing excessive noise to the electrical lines, for a superior experience, touted by Monster as working up to 30 Mbps faster than the competition.
For a standardized performance assessment, I ran the Flash 8 plug-in-based Speed Test over at DSLReports.com. I conducted the tests separately for wired internet direct from the router, my usual Wi-Fi, and then the wired internet over the Monster PowerNet 200, three times each, and then tabulated the average. In each case, the PowerNet results landed between the Wi-Fi and direct-wired connectivity ratings: a download speed of 2,753 kilobits per second (versus 2,775 wired and 2,715 wireless) and 693 Kbps upload (compared to 698 wired and 683 wireless). So clearly I wasn't sacrificing performance for convenience, at least when it came to streaming from the internet. My cable provider may not offer blindingly fast download speeds, but at least the Monster PowerNet solution isn't throttling that bandwidth even further.
Protection, Clean Power and Ground should also be a constant green, ideally. The Dual Mode Plus surge protection automatically disconnects the devices and an audible alarm sounds in times of trouble, but thankfully I've never heard it in my time with the PowerNet products. What I did notice however was the hassle-free reliability.
I had back-to-back internet-streaming TVs on loan here at Rancho Chiarella for review, and neither one of them included a Wi-Fi adapter. PowerNet came to the rescue, which I installed weeks ago and have not since taken down. Why would I? It's not in anyone's way, and I never know when safe, reliable high-speed internet access might come in handy.
Over my power lines, I was streaming video clips at various resolutions directly from the worldwide web to the TV via services such as YouTube and Amazon Video on Demand, no source component needed. The only hiccups I encountered were at the highest resolution, such as VUDU's top-of-the-line "HDX" format, wherein the video would periodically cease, requiring a few seconds to re-buffer. To this day, though, I'm not sure if that problem was a result of an insufficient data rate afforded by the PowerNet 200, inadequate processing power of the TV or perhaps, due to the vagaries in connection speed offered by my ISP (a cable modem connection).
Streams Like Old Times (Only Newer)
After a stretch of non-use of both the TV and the PowerNet 200, communication was lost, so I tried the usual solutions. I unplugged and re-plugged the Ethernet cable on both ends, that didn't do the trick so I simply pulled the PowerNet 200 unit out of the wall, waited a few seconds and then put it back. Lo and behold, I was back in business, just like that.
Out of the box, all Monster PowerNet products have the same security key and will automatically link to all other PowerNet products connected to the same electrical lines. Before setting up a PowerNet network in a building where there might be other PLC devices on the same shared leg of power, we can reset the AES encryption key on the PowerNet devices.
Turn-Ons:
Turn-Offs:
Final Thoughts
When you come right down to it, this is wired internet, like the pioneers used, so perhaps it's not as sexy as the ever-expanding Wi-Fi standards. But what rightly got my juices flowing are the convenience, the quick, simple setup, and the welcome bonuses of insured surge protection and Monster's Clean Power filtration. Their PowerNet 200 kit did exactly what it promised, making it a most welcome accessory to the latest audio/video gear.
Features/Specifications of the Monster Digital Life PowerNet 200 Starter Kit (DX PLN 200-2 B):
Connectivity (each unit):
What's in the Box?
Warranty:
Additional Modules:
Manufacturer's Contact Information:
Monster Cable Products, Inc.455 Valley DriveBrisbane, CA 94005(877) 800-8989
Website: www.monstercable.com
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