Uses for Power Line network plugs

Many people complain the top speed of the "Power Line" style network adapters are slow but I've found a few ways and places that these can be useful.

If you don't know the Power Line adapters plug into the wall and use your existing wiring to transmit data.  This works because the current going through the lines is a wave an if you remember back to high school science waves have periods where they are at "0".  During these "0" times, the adapter can send information.

1. I've used one of the newer NetGear Power Lines to access internet content on my Xbox 360.  I normally use it to download patches, updates, and watch NetFlix (I'm normally able to get full picture quality with no lag).  I'm not sure how good this would be for gaming but for my purposes it works great.

2. I keep one always connected to my router and the wall so that I can have a floating hard-wired connection in the house as needed.  Sometimes my household wireless has trouble in some spots and the speed is not good enough for what I'm trying to do (like watching a streaming video on Netflix on my Netbook) so having the ability to plug in a connection anywhere is ideal.

3. Network printing.  I couldn't find a spot in my office for the printer so I put it in a closet and used a Power Line for connectivity to it.

4. WAPs.  Another solution to problem 2 is to use a Power Line plug to provide a Wireless Access Point a connection to the router.  This way you can go wireless but have extended range or test your WAP's range and performance before running CAT5.

5. IP Phones.  Allows a connection for IP phones virtually anywhere in your house or your VoIP router.