Extollo Communications LANSocket 1500 review: Top speed and a power-passthrough, too

One of the newest HomePlug AV2 MIMO powerline networking products to hit the market is also the fastest we’ve seen. With average throughput of 363 megabits per second in our JPerf tests, the Extollo LANSocket 1500 kit beat our previous speed champ, the D-Link Powerline AV2 2000 (DHP-701AV) by almost 14Mbps.

The results weren’t particularly surprising given that both products are based on the same Broadcom chips designed to increase speed by supporting the maximum frequency range (2- to 85MHz) of the HomePlug AV2 MIMO spec. D-Link’s adapters averaged a bit less than 350Mbps—which is still a good deal faster than the rates for adapters based on AV2 MIMO chips that only operate in the 2- to 68MHz range.

The Extollo LANSocket 1500 also delivers something the D-Link doesn’t: a pass-through electrical port so you don’t lose use of the outlet completely. (As with the D-Link, the bulky LANSocket module pretty much precludes any use of the second port in a typical two-port wall outlet.) Also, the LANSocket 1500 at $90 for the two-adapter kit costs a bit less than the D-Link, which at this writing runs about $100.

The big caveat is that you will only see the super-fast performance for network connections between the same adapters. When we tested the LANSocket with other AV2 MIMO adapters, speeds dropped dramatically—and in one case, we couldn’t even complete testing because of dropped connections. In short, these adapters don’t play very well with others—something we’ve noticed with pretty much all the AV2 MIMO products we’ve tested.

Another minor quibble: The provided ethernet cables are a rather skimpy five feet in length, so if you’re networking something further away from the outlet, you’ll have to provide a longer cable.

That said, the Extollo LANSocket kit can get your HomePlug AV2 MIMO network off to a speedy start, and its modest price makes it a very good deal indeed.

This story, "Extollo Communications LANSocket 1500 review: Top speed and a power-passthrough, too" was originally published by TechHive.