ZyXel AV2000 HomePlug AV2 (model PLA5456) powerline adapter review: Speedy hardware; dodgy marketing

ZyXEL’s newest and fastest powerline adapter kit, the HD Powerline Adapter 2000 (ZyXEL’s model number PLA5456), delivers the same super-speedy performance we’ve come to expect from HomePlug AV2 MIMO gear based on Broadcom’s chips. It also offers such useful extras as a pass-through electrical outlet (so you don’t lose use of the wall outlet you plug the adapter into) and dual ethernet ports (so you can use a single adapter to hardwire two devices to your network).

Buyers should be aware, however, that the PLA5456 is not certified by the HomePlug Alliance, despite the prominently displayed HomePlug AV2 MIMO label on its packaging. ZyXEL has not submitted this adapter for interoperability testing with other HomePlug Alliance-certified products, and that label does not come from the HomePlug Alliance.

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