Netgear Powerline Music Extender XAUB2511 Review

1. Introduction2. Netgear Powerline Music Extender3. Configuration & Performance4. Closing Thoughts5. View All Pages

The Netgear Powerline Music Extender kit is an innovative product that has the ability to solve a number of everyday connection problems in one convenient package.

The number of possible usage scenarios for Netgear's Powerline Music Extender kit is large. When throwing a house party, transferring hundreds of songs to disc or a different device can be inconvenient. With Netgear's XAUB2511 kit, you can simply transfer the songs from your smartphone or PC without hassle.

And when you aren't using the kit for music extender duties, the connection to a printer or USB storage drive can be shared with great ease. Of course, let's not forget the circa-50Mb/s (household dependant) internet transmission that is provided by the XAUB2511 kit's powerline ability. A convenient usage scenario would be transmitting internet signal to your smart TV, while also outputting audio through your home cinema (or TV) speakers when required.

Perhaps the Netgear Powerline Music Extender's biggest competition comes from its somewhat constricted target audience. Many modern audio systems feature a USB port or some form of wireless connectivity. This makes them easy to connect to smartphones and other readily-available devices. That said, there is still a great quantity of cheaper or older audio systems which only feature support for direct cable connections.

Priced at £91.77 from Amazon, the Netgear Powerline Music Extender kit isn't cheap when compared to a standard powerline set, but that's because it isn't one. Although faster powerline adapters are available for less, the USB connectivity and audio transmission possibilities allow Netgear's XAUB2511 to justify its price tag.

If you're in need of a device which has the ability to share the function of your printer or USB storage drive, can transmit audio through your network when required, and also acts as a standard powerline kit, Netgear's Powerline Music Extender kit is a great choice.

Pros:

• USB 2.0 connection.
• Pass-through electrical plug socket with 13A fuse.
• Concise and clear installation guide.
• Good software support.
• Necessary cables supplied.

Cons:

• Not the fastest powerline adapters on the market.
• Design of the XAV1601 could cause interference issues with low plug sockets.

KitGuru says: A great product which solves a number of issues in one easy-to-use package.

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