D-Link P701AV Powerline AV2 2000 Kit Review

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It's hard to believe I reviewed my first Powerline adapter for TweakTown over two years ago and coming from that AV500 kit, Powerline technology has evolved into a rather popular consumer technology that now supports AV2 2000 performance.

The D-Link P701AV is my first AV2 2000 kit and the first powerline kit I have tested in a while. With this new technology, D-Link is pushing 2000 Mbps utilizing AV2 MIMO technology while additional features of this package include pass-through AC outlets with noise filters for cleaner transmission along with each adapter housing a gigabit Ethernet connection on the bottom. As far as I know, this kit is the first I have tested that uses MIMO which widens the data throughput highway so these adapters can support Ultra HD media streaming, online gaming, and quick file transfers.

The compatibility of these units requires a grounded outlet while offering plug and play functionality. The MSRP of the D-Link P701AV comes in at $159.99 with a one-year warranty.

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The packaging for the P701AV has an image of the adapters to the right with bits of marketing down below.

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The backside of the box houses a list of features on the left and a SISO vs. MIMO comparison to the right.

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The scope of delivery includes both adapters and their accompanying Ethernet cables.

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Up top, we have the pass-through AC outlet while below we see LEDs for power, connectivity, and security.

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On the outlet side, we have a grounded outlet and a sticker below with the model information.

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At the end of the adapter, each unit has a gigabit Ethernet port and security button to the right.

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Over the years, I have tested all kinds of Powerline solutions. These range from AV200 to now AV2000. When moving from AV1200 in the TP-Link and Netgear solutions to AV2000 with this D-Link 701AV, I didn't see much improvement in throughput. In fact, it rode along the same line as the previous two adapters.

I have been using this adapter on my network to connect my stereo receiver that I use to stream music during days like today when I'm writing reviews. I use a number of services to do this, and I have been rather pleased with the functionality and capabilities of this adapter. Of course, streaming music isn't very hard on a network, so I took it a bit further with my SteamLink and even though the device itself is limited to 100Mbps over wired Ethernet, the adapters were able to keep up remarkably well.

Build quality is perfectly acceptable for the P701AV. D-Link uses polycarbonate plastic for the enclosures for its durability along with its properties as an electrical insulator among others. Performance as a whole was good but did leave me wondering if I should purpose build a "jig" for testing these devices, as I was only able to hit near 500 Mbps instead of the ~950 or so I should have been able to reach.

Overall, Powerline is a great technology that gives us freedom from wires and the D-Link P701AV while being a solid device itself just wasn't able to perform any better than past AV1200 solutions in my home.

Tyler's Test System Specifications

• Motherboard: ASUS Z170 Premium - Buy from Amazon
• CPU: Intel Core i5 6500 - Buy from Amazon
• Cooler: Noctua NH-U12S - Buy from Amazon / Read our review
• Memory: Klevv CRAS 16GB (4x4) DDR4 3000 - Read our review
• Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 - Buy from Amazon / Read our review
• OS Storage: Intel 730 480GB SSD - Buy from Amazon / Read our review
• Secondary Storage: Intel 750 400GB U.2 SSD - Buy from Amazon / Read our review
• Case: Thermaltake P5 - Buy from Amazon / Read our review
• Power Supply: Thermaltake Toughpower Grand 1200 - Buy from Amazon
• OS: Microsoft Windows 10 - Buy from Amazon