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Forum Discussion
Pangear
May 23, 2020Aspirant
XAV1601v2 with Netgear Powerline Utility 3.1.0.4
There was discussed in past a lot about Netgear's Powerline Utility 3.1.0.4, the utility does not allow to detect powerline adapters and was recommended to use instead either Netgear Genie or ZyXel...
michaelkenward
May 24, 2020Guru - Experienced User
Pangear wrote:
Has been there any response from Netgear's support engineering the actual reasoning for this utility to fail ?
No.
Pangear wrote:
I do not think that Netgear's Genie 2.2.27.1 allows to twick QoS parameter in powerline adapter configuration.
Probably because there is nothing to tweak. Powerline is just a "cable". It does no signal processing and therefore you cannot use it to control QoS.
By the way, you have posted your message in the section of this community given over to the Nighthawk App. (This is easily done, given Netgear's impenetrable community structure.)
If you need more help, you might get better and quicker replies, and find other answers, over in the appropriate section for your device. That's probably here:
Powerline Networking - NETGEAR Communities
Pangear
May 24, 2020Aspirant
I guess, you are familiar with "XAV1601 Powerline AV+200-nano User Manual". Please read the chapter 2 about available tweaking parameters on this device using Netgear Powerline Utility before responding.
Thanks
- michaelkenwardMay 24, 2020Guru - Experienced User
That is a seriously old (2011) AV200 plug. I am surprised that there are any still in use.
Netgear has not produced a Powerline utility for any recent plugs. Nor do newer plugs support QoS.
If you want to use that AV200 plug, then either get the original utility or see if the ZyXel alternative works. That supports features that Netgear's "newest" utility does not handle. For example, it can disable Standby mode. It also suppports something called "Priority".
- PangearMay 24, 2020Aspirant
Who cares that it is an old device - it works ! You sound like a dealer who pushes for new models. On Netgear's support site there are two Windows Powerline Utilities version 3.1.0.4 and older 2.0.0.14, they do not discover powerline devices.
I am not familiar with XyZel utility. Would you suggest its version and whether it works with Netgear's devices.
- michaelkenwardMay 24, 2020Guru - Experienced User
Pangear wrote:
Who cares that it is an old device - it works !
Yes, but the speeds are dire. I have 2.4 GHz wifi hardware that does 300 Mbps, but I won't be using it any time soon.
The AV200 network connection, max 80 Mbps, works out at around half that of even the slowest Internet speeds these days, let alone local networks. The LAN ports are also 100 Mbps, slower than most hardware made on the past decade.New plugs have Gbps Ethernet.
With more and more people turning up here with Gb Internet, I can't see many takers for 40 Mbps local speeds. (That's what one Powerline users reported getting with old plugs last week.)
I don't go for newest and fastest except when it matters. No point with DSL Internet. I happily stream TV over AV 500 plugs – that's all the task needs – but for a network feeding an array of local kit it makes sense to go for Gbps LAN. The choice is yours.
Pangear wrote:
On Netgear's support site there are two Windows Powerline Utilities version 3.1.0.4 and older 2.0.0.14, they do not discover powerline devices.
The 3.1.0.4 version happily detects powerline devices here.
Netgear Powerline Utility
As you can see, it has a hard time recognising models, probably because they are too "new" for this ancient utility. (I have PL1000 on this network.) But it works with the limited features that Netgear provides. Essentially security.
Maybe you have some other problem that stops it from working.
Pangear wrote:
I am not familiar with XyZel utility. Would you suggest its version and whether it works with Netgear's devices.
It does for me. That's why ZyXel gets mentioned here whenever anyone asks for an alternative to Netgear' obsolete junk. (I would not have mentioned it otherwise.) But I am not using something out of the ark.
Note that its is ZyXel not XyZel. Could be important if you decide to search for it.