Netgear Powerline USB Adapter (XA601)

We immediately thought of a wireless network. But, as we did our research, we saw repeated reports of the network "dropping off" unexpectedly. Neither of us liked the idea of being in the middle of a discussion with a co-worker, boss, or client while looking at information online and having that information disappear. We wanted reliability and simplicty.

The answer? Powerline networking. New technology had overcome some of the earlier electrical interference problems with powerline networking. We already had a Netgear router from our previous home network that had worked flawlessly for several years. So we purchased the Netgear powerline adapter.

The setup couldn't be much easier: connect the adapter to the router with a standard supplied network cable and plug it in; in the second work location plug in a second adapter, and connect it to your second computer, in our case, my work-supplied laptop.

We've been using this product for 18 months without any problems. On rare occasions my laptop won't "find" the connection. If I unplug the adapter for a minute or two and plug it in again, I'm re-connected. My connection has never dropped off once I'm connected.

The powerline solution isn't quite as "elegant" as a wireless network; you do have to be plugged in to a power outlet, so you don't have the same mobility that you get with wireless. But if you're a serious teleworker, you probably have a work space established, and papers spread out around you anyway. You need to be "at work" not roaming around the yard with your laptop. And if your going to be at work for 8 to 10 hours your laptop will also need to be plugged into an outlet.

If you're looking for a reliable, easy to setup home network system, I highly recommend this Netgear product.


great product   December 20, 2005
J. Fu (Birmingham, AL, USA)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

This is a great product, easy installation, fast and stable. Performance certainly beats wireless. Netgear has a new powerline wall-plugged adaptor XE102 that is smaller, but is under recall because it could cause fire. XA601 is well designed for desktop placement, I used it for 2 years never see it got overheated.


WOW   January 24, 2004
I have been using Netgear Powerline in my house for almost 10 months some of that time with 4 computers. Have "horse hair plaster walls" and many doors. No problem with using the product and not worried about security issues like with wireless


Beware the XA601!   March 4, 2005
P. Wai (California, CA)
5 out of 6 found this review helpful

I have tried Powerline products from various manufacturers, including the Belkin F5D4050 USB Adapter (don't bother, it's garbage), GigaFast PE902 Powerline Ethernet Bridge, the Netgear XE602 Ethernet bridge, the Netgear XA601 USB Adpater, and the Linksys PLUSB10 USB Adapter.

What can I say about the XA601? It is cheap (you can get one from eBay for $12 shipped) and when it works it works great.

The problem I have with the XA601 is when the unit is plugged into the electrical outlet for more than 24 hours the LAN connectivity stops. The only way to fix this is by unplugging the power cord, waiting a few minutes, and plugging it in again.

Maybe the XA601 has a problem with overheating - I don't know. I emailed their Tech Support over a week ago and so far, no response.

If you're looking for a Powerline USB Adpater I suggest the Linksys PLUSB10. The unit I have has been working flawlessly for over 2 months. But they are expensive and hard to find.