您(Did)是否曾经使用过电力线适配器套件(powerline adapter kit)来扩展您的网络覆盖范围？你有没有考虑过这个想法？就个人而言，在测试了各种网络设备之后，我更喜欢功能强大的电力线适配器套件(powerline adapter kit)而不是范围扩展器(range extender)。它更优雅，而且效果更好。而我们今天正在审查的套件 ( ASUS PL-AC56 ) 让我对这个概念非常满意：“忘掉范围扩展器(range extender)吧！电力线适配器(Powerline adapter)套件就是这样！” 阅读这篇评论并了解我们为什么会这样想：
拆箱ASUS PL-AC56 1200Mbps AV2 1200 Wi-Fi 电力线(Wi-Fi powerline) 适配器套件(adapter kit)
华硕(ASUS)为PL-AC56电源线(PL-AC56 powerline) 适配器套件(adapter kit)使用的包装遵循其所有网络设备的线条：它是一个简单的黑匣子，正面有设备图片，以及最重要的规格列表。
在盒子的背面，您将找到有关此设备如何工作以及如何设置的信息。打开包装后，您会发现以下物品：组成电力线套件(powerline kit)的两个设备（华硕 PL-E56P 适配器(ASUS PL-E56P adapter)和PL-AC56 扩展器(PL-AC56 extender)）、两条以太网线、(Ethernet)华硕 PL-AC56 扩展器(ASUS PL-AC56 extender)的外部天线，快速入门指南(start guide)，保修和其他传单。
既然您了解了拆箱体验，那么让我们来看看该套件在规格和设计方面必须提供什么。
硬件规格和设计
不幸的是，华硕(ASUS)为此套件提供的规格不是很详细。首先(First)，我们有两个组成套件的设备：华硕 PL-E56P 适配器(ASUS PL-E56P adapter)和PL-AC56 扩展器(PL-AC56 extender)。
ASUS PL-E56P 适配器(ASUS PL-E56P adapter)是您连接到无线路由器(wireless router)然后插入电力线的设备。它的工作是在路由器和华硕 PL-AC56 扩展器之间进行(ASUS PL-AC56 extender)网络连接(network connection)。在华硕 PL-E56P 适配器(ASUS PL-E56P adapter)上，您会发现三个LED(LEDs)（用于电源(Power)、以太网(Ethernet)和电力线连接(Powerline connection)）、用于将其连接到路由器的以太网端口、(Ethernet port)重置按钮(Reset button)和配对按钮(Pair button)。
ASUS PL-AC56 扩展器(ASUS PL-AC56 extender)有两个外部天线，您必须连接到它才能广播其无线信号。在其正面，您会发现五个LED(LEDs)（一个用于广播的每个无线网络(wireless network)，一个用于电力线连接(Powerline connection)，一个用于以太网连接(Ethernet connection)，一个用于电源(Power)）和克隆按钮(Clone button)，您可以使用该按钮将其连接到使用WPS的路由器并让它克隆您的路由器的无线设置。在此设备的侧面，您还可以找到三个以太网(Ethernet)端口，您可以使用它们最多连接三个设备、重置按钮(Reset button)、电源开关(Power switch)和配对按钮(Pair button)。
在尺寸方面，这两款设备都相当大而且很重：华硕 PL-E56P 适配器(ASUS PL-E56P adapter)的尺寸为 4.7 x 2.3 x 1.5 英寸（12 x 6 x 4 厘米）长x 宽(x width) x 高(x height)，重 0.9 磅或 423克，而华硕 PL-AC56 扩展器(ASUS PL-AC56 extender)的尺寸为 5.9 x 3.14 x 1.69 英寸（15 x 8 x 4.3 厘米），重量为 1.73 磅或 787 克，上面安装了两个天线。
华硕 PL-AC56 扩展器(ASUS PL-AC56 extender)是双频设备，这意味着它广播两个无线网络：一个使用 2.4 GHz 频率(GHz frequency)，一个使用 5 GHz 频率(GHz frequency)。最大总理论带宽为 1200 Mps，拆分如下：2.4 GHz 频率上为 300 (GHz frequency)Mbps，5 GHz 频率(GHz frequency)上为867 Mbps（如果您进行数学计算，总共为 1167 Mbps）。ASUS PL-AC56 套件(ASUS PL-AC56 kit)支持现代无线网络(wireless networking)标准：802.11n 和 802.11ac。它还提供对所有现代无线加密的支持(wireless encryption)标准，包括WPA2。
您可以在此处找到其官方规格：ASUS PL-AC56 套件 - 规格(ASUS PL-AC56 Kit - Specifications)。
设置和使用ASUS PL-AC56 电力线(ASUS PL-AC56 powerline) 适配器套件(adapter kit)
设置ASUS PL-AC56 套件(ASUS PL-AC56 kit)的过程包括几个步骤。首先(First)，您将ASUS PL-E56P 适配器(ASUS PL-E56P adapter)连接到您的无线路由器并将(wireless router and plug)其插入电源线。然后，拿起华硕PL-AC56扩展器(ASUS PL-AC56 extender)，将其插入电源线，等待它启动，然后将其与华硕PL-E56P适配器配对(ASUS PL-E56P adapter)。完成后，您连接到由ASUS PL-AC56 扩展器(ASUS PL-AC56 extender)广播的网络并开始从网络浏览器(web browser)进行配置。正如您在下面看到的，设置向导(setup wizard)很容易遵循。
您可以更改用于管理设备的默认用户名和密码(default username and password)、设置其IP 地址(IP address)、如何连接到DNS服务器以及设置它广播的无线网络。我们发现的一个错误是华硕 PL-AC56(ASUS PL-AC56)倾向于使用与所有华硕无线(ASUS wireless)路由器相同的IP 地址。(IP address)因此，如果您拥有多个ASUS 网络设备，您的网络上可能会出现(ASUS networking)IP 地址(IP address)冲突，您最好手动将 ASUS PL-AC56 套件的IP地址(ASUS PL-AC56 kit)设置为(IP address)默认地址(default address)以外的其他地址。
用于管理设备的用户界面是(user interface)华硕(ASUS)用于其所有网络设备的经典界面，非常棒。这意味着用户界面(user interface)看起来不错，组织良好，文档齐全且易于使用。
此外，您还可以访问大量高级设置，以便您可以详细配置设备的工作方式。知识渊博的用户会非常欣赏这一点。
用户界面(user interface)中一个不错的特点是它提供了两个状态图(status graphs)，显示处理器和RAM 使用情况(RAM usage)。如下所示，华硕 PL-AC56 套件(ASUS PL-AC56 kit)具有 60 MB 的RAM和未知的单核处理器(one-core processor)。
非英语用户将欣赏华硕(ASUS)提供的非常好的多语言支持。您可以在下面看到一个包含 18 种语言的列表，其中用户界面(user interface)可用于此电力线适配器套件(powerline adapter kit)。
完成设置后，您会发现使用华硕 PL-AC56 套件(ASUS PL-AC56 kit)非常简单。我们将无线和有线设备连接到它没有问题。此外，在我们希望以更好的覆盖范围和速度(coverage and speed)扩展网络的房间中，我们没有遇到稳定性或性能问题(stability or performance issues)。但有关此套件提供的性能的更多信息，请参见本评论的第 2 页(page 2)。
ASUS PL-AC56 review - The powerline adapter kit that "hits like a brick"
Did you еver use a powerline adapter kіt to extend the сoverage of your netwоrk? Have you ever considered this idea? Personally, after tеsting all kinds of networking devices, I prefer a powerful powerline adapter kit to a range extender. It's more elegant and it tends to work better. And the kit that we are reviewing today (ASUS PL-AC56), got me sold on this concept for good: "Forget about range extenders! Powerline adapter kits are the way!" Read this review аnd learn why we think this way:
Unboxing the ASUS PL-AC56 1200Mbps AV2 1200 Wi-Fi powerline adapter kit
The packaging used by ASUS for the PL-AC56 powerline adapter kit follows the lines of all its networking devices: it's a simple black box with the picture of the device on the front, as well as a list of its most important specifications.
On the back of the box you will find information about how this device works and how to set it up. When you unpack everything, you will find the following items: the two devices that make up the powerline kit (the ASUS PL-E56P adapter and the PL-AC56 extender), two Ethernet cables, the external antennas for the ASUS PL-AC56 extender, the quick start guide, the warranty and other leaflets.
Now that you know about the unboxing experience, let's take a look at what this kit has to offer in terms of specifications and design.
Hardware specifications and design
Unfortunately, the specifications offered by ASUS for this kit are not very detailed. First of all, we have two devices that make up the kit: the ASUS PL-E56P adapter and the PL-AC56 extender.
The ASUS PL-E56P adapter is the device that you connect to your wireless router and then you plug into the powerline. Its job is to intermediate the network connection between the router and the ASUS PL-AC56 extender. On the ASUS PL-E56P adapter you will find three LEDs (for Power, Ethernet and the Powerline connection), the Ethernet port for connecting it to the router, the Reset button and the Pair button.
The ASUS PL-AC56 extender has two external antennas that you must connect to it in order for it to broadcast its wireless signal. On its front you will find five LEDs (one for each wireless network that it broadcasts, one for the Powerline connection, one for the Ethernet connection and one for Power) and the Clone button which you can use to connect it to your router using WPS and have it clone your router's wireless settings. On the sides of this device you will also find three Ethernet ports which you can use to connect up to three devices, the Reset button, the Power switch and the Pair button.
In terms of size, both devices are quite large and heavy: the ASUS PL-E56P adapter has a size of 4.7 x 2.3 x 1.5 inches (12 x 6 x 4 cm) in length x width x height and it weighs 0.9 pounds or 423 grams, while the ASUS PL-AC56 extender has a size of 5.9 x 3.14 x 1.69 inches (15 x 8 x 4.3 cm) and it weighs 1.73 pounds or 787 grams, with the two antennas mounted on it.
The ASUS PL-AC56 extender is a dual-band device , meaning that it broadcasts two wireless networks: one using the 2.4 GHz frequency and one using the 5 GHz frequency. The maximum total theoretical bandwidth is of 1200 Mps, split as follows: 300 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz frequency and 867 Mbps on the 5 GHz frequency (that's a total of 1167 Mbps, if you do the math). The ASUS PL-AC56 kit supports the modern wireless networking standards: 802.11n and 802.11ac. I t also offers support for all the modern wireless encryption standards, including WPA2.
You can find its official specifications here: ASUS PL-AC56 Kit - Specifications.
Setting up and using the ASUS PL-AC56 powerline adapter kit
The procedure for setting up the ASUS PL-AC56 kit involves several steps. First, you connect the ASUS PL-E56P adapter to your wireless router and plug it into the powerline. Then, you take ASUS PL-AC56 extender, you plug it into the powerline, wait for it to start and then pair it with the ASUS PL-E56P adapter. Once that is done, you connect to the network that is broadcast by the ASUS PL-AC56 extender and start configuring it from a web browser. As you can see below, the setup wizard is quite easy to follow.
You get to change the default username and password for administering the device, set its IP address, how it connects to DNS servers and set the wireless networks that it broadcasts. One bug that we found is that the ASUS PL-AC56 tends to use the same IP address as all ASUS wireless routers do. Therefore, if you have more than one ASUS networking device, you might get conflicting IP addresses on your network and it is best that you manually set the IP address of the ASUS PL-AC56 kit to be something else than the default address.
The user interface for administering the device is the classic used by ASUS for all its networking devices, which is great. This means that the user interface looks good, it is well organized, well documented and easy to use.
Also, you get access to plenty of advanced settings, so that you can configure in detail how the device works. Knowledgeable users will appreciate this a lot.
One nice touch in the user interface is the fact that it offers two status graphs which show you the processor and the RAM usage. As you can see below, the ASUS PL-AC56 kit has 60 MB of RAM and an unknown one-core processor.
Non-E nglish speaking users will appreciate the very good multilingual support that is offered by ASUS. Below you can see a list with the 18 languages in which the user interface is available for this powerline adapter kit.
Once the setup is out of the way, you will find that using the ASUS PL-AC56 kit is very easy. We had no issues in connecting both wireless and wired devices to it. Also, in the room where we wanted to extend the network with better coverage and speed, we had no stability or performance issues. But more about the performance offered by this kit, on page 2 of this review.
