Western Digital WD Livewire Powerline AV Network Kit

 

 

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I installed the WD Livewire PowerlineAV Network Kit in my condo so I could stream Netflix movies from a Sony Playstation 3 to my plasma tv, via a high speed broadband internet connection I had in another room. Initially I relied on a wifi n router but could not get sustained throughput. The PS3 estimated a download speed of 5Mbps over wifi but I suspect that it was not steady and found that after 2 min to 60 min of Standard Definition movie viewing, playback would start to stutter or pause temporarily to cache and then continue. Playback would resume for a minute or two then pause again until I stopped the movie or it ended. High Definition movies would takes up to 4 min to start playing and would continue playing for less than a minute before pausing again for several minutes. - That was Wifi but the WD Livewire Powerline kit was far better!!

The WD Livewire PowerlineAV Network Kit took about 5 minutes to install and involved just plugging it all together. I was surprised at how simple it was and expected to be fiddling with settings but there were none to adjust. - no configuration needed and really just as simple as plugging in a lamp as the WD marketing claims.

I have a Mac and Windows 7 computers along with the router (connected to the internet service) on one WD adapter in one room and in my living room I have my PS3 and Xbox plugged into the other WD adapter. The PS3 estimated internet download speed at 14.1Mbps on the WD Livewire Powerline, which is very close to my maximum download speed for my internet service (16Mbps) and 3x the estimate for wifi. Upload speed was estimated by the PS3 at 1.3Mbps which is also at the maximum for my internet service (1.5Mbps upstream). Also streaming of Netflix movies through the WD Livewire Powerline adapter had no interruptions (either SD or HD) and movies started quickly (within seconds vs minutes on wifi) after selection.

The utility included with the WD Livewire Powerline runs only on a Windows computer but it is not required if you don't plan to do firmware upgrades on the adapters (as of the date of this review there are no firmware updates to install) and there is nothing to configure. It does provide stats on the speed of the connection between the devices. Here is what I noted in a 1000sqft condo:
- 171Mbps connection between adaptors plugged directly into the wall sockets in two different rooms. I was surprised it was so close to the rated maximum of 200Mbps and I assume this will vary based on the design of the electrical wiring in your dwelling.
- 84 Mbps connection between adapters where one adapter was plugged into a powerbar and the other connected directly to a wall socket in another room.
- in my condo there was no variation in connection speed from one socket to another (no difference in the speed whether the adapters were connected to sockets in the same room or in separate rooms). The estimated speed of course will vary with your electrical wiring.
- the documentation recommends not using power bars or surge suppressors and I found that for simple powerbars, the adapters can still create a connection although the speed is reduced as noted above.

The only downside I could note is that the explanations about security in the manual were vague and although the product forms a 128bit encrypted connection between adapters if you push a button on the side (button is very stiff) of each device within a 2 min period, I wish the utility would show encryption status more clearly. Not a big deal for anyone in a house but would be more useful for those in apt buildings.

A great product, that requires no technical expertise to setup and so far it just works.

Plug it into the power points, connect via the software and you're done! That easy.

Originally wasted my money on a range extender for wifi which worked but gave crappy speeds for streaming media. So did some research and found you can use your power line to transmit data. Chose the WD Livewire as it has 4 Ethernet ports. This allows me to connect my WDTV Live to stream video stored on my pc to my TV in the bedroom and plugged in a router to extend the wifi across the whole house (2 stories).

In use for 1 month and no connectivity issues, it just works.

I've been using the Livewire for 1 month now and the product has performed well once I found the right combination of outlets.

My first Livewire unit sits on the second floor and the other sits in the basement where I use to use wireless. I initially had problems with low speeds and disconnections. The Livewire would connect but would lose its connection after 2-3 days. This became a problem since I had several devices connected such as the PS3 and a desktop computer. I eventually tried changing the electrical outlet of the Livewire unit upstairs and plugged it into a different one which improved the connection instantly.

I am now able to stream 1080p HD content on my PC downstairs and also perform internet updates on my home theater receiver that I wasn't able to perform before.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Good but...
Extremely easy to install. Plug it here and there et voilà! The only concern I have is that while it's been more reliable than my wireless G network I do not get a better... Read more

Published 1 month ago by Spaceoddity

4.0 out of 5 stars Needs longer power cords
I picked the Western Digital Livewire Powerline kit, over the D-Link one, because it had 4 ports, instead of 1, and I thought I could make use of the extra ports. Read more

Published 1 month ago by Dad2BandM

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Good
Highly recommend if you need good stable connection( work at home etc)
Set up is easy as 1,2,3
up to 4 devices could be connected and speed is good

Published 1 month ago by Ilia Bushuev

5.0 out of 5 stars Works like a charm
Arrived on time and easy to set up. Just plugged it into electrical outlets and then connected the ethernet. That was all. Connection is 55 to 60Mbps.

Published 1 month ago by PeterS

5.0 out of 5 stars No more wireless!
I wanted to reduce the wireless signals in my home. Although there are probably about 6 other signals from neighbors still going through my place, at least it's 1 less... Read more

Published 2 months ago by webtarget

5.0 out of 5 stars Ethernet Over Powerlines
I had tried other cheap POE devices but this one works. It seems as fast as my Wireless N. I believe I am getting 200 mbs and it serves the purpose that I need. Read more

Published 2 months ago by Poweirduser

5.0 out of 5 stars WD lantastic
By far the easiest product I have ever used. Just plug it in, connect your devices, sync the boxes and presto instant high speed network.

Published 2 months ago by Caribkid

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent if no CAT 5 cable within reach
Very simple installation. My AppleTV could not stream HD over the wireless N network, and now it streams HD over the electricity lines no problem. Read more

Published 2 months ago by Philip S

4.0 out of 5 stars Great product
Bought it to try it with my Apple computer, as there is no information whether it's both PC and MAC compatible.
I plugged it in, done! Read more

Published 3 months ago by ...

5.0 out of 5 stars Speeds Up Network
I had a wireless network setup that worked well for web browsing and e-mails but was somewhat slow for downloading larger files. Read more

Published 4 months ago by Artulo

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