Digging into Phoneline Networking and HomePNA 2.0

Linksys HPRO200

Specifications

The final item on the menu for today is the Linksys HPRO200. Although this is physically larger than the Compex router, it is noticeably smaller than the 2wire 100w. It is immediately recognizable as a Linksys with its distinct blue color and classic shape. This is also the only device we have this time around to offer a 100 Mbps Ethernet interface, however; it is only available on the LAN segment of the network. Like the 100w, the HPRO200 offers a single Ethernet LAN port, and a 10 Mbps Ethernet WAN port. Unlike the 100w, it does feature dual RJ-11 phone jacks, but it does not offer a USB interface.

Management

Not much hasn’t been said about what we look for in a console. The conclusion is subjective and no one interface is perfect. Linksys has done a good job with a self explanatory interface that offers all the advanced features we come to expect from a quality router. NAT, static routing, DHCP and IP addresses can all be manually configured or disabled where applicable. The interface, like the others, allows for password protection and can provide logging features for many events. The differences between the consoles of the Linksys and Compex routers were slight at best and were mainly in the layout.

We did find the HTTP server in the linksys was somewhat picky about sending the graphic for the main menu. Often, even refreshing the page wouldn’t load the graphic and we were forced to right-click and choose “show picture” to force it to download and display. This may have been an isolated incident, but in any case, it was minor since it only occurred sometimes and only on some computers.

Cost

This router can be found for under $135. While this is noticeably more expensive than the budget-conscious Compex TH102A, the HPRO200 does have many qualities that make it stand out. Primarily, some users of the TH102A may miss having the 10/100 Mbps auto sensing LAN port that is included on the HPRO200. Also, lacking a USB interface, it comes in slightly less expensive than the 2wire 100 router and is noticeably smaller.