Netgear WGXB102

Netgear’s WGXB102 is a set of wireless network extenders that are designed to turn a household’s electrical system into a network connection. The WGXB102 includes a “Powerline Network Bridge” to connect to an existing router, plus a “Wireless Range Extender” to provide the extended wireless signal via a household electrical socket.

While Netgear claims speeds of up to 54 Mbps, reviews indicate 5-6 Mbps is more realistic. The Netgear WGXB102 is compatible with 802.11b/g wireless devices, and supports VPN (IP-Sec and PPTP) passthrough for users needing to remotely connect to a device on the network. This device can be secured by either WPA or 64/128 WEP encryption, however WPA2 is not supported. These settings can be configured with its web-based user interface. Users looking for a relatively straightforward way of extending a wireless-b/g network should find the Netgear WGXB102 more than acceptable.