Nexus Link GPL-2000PT Powerline Kit Review: A Slow Cord-cutting Time Saver

The Nexus Link GPL-2000PT-KIT is a testament that Powerline is still relevant today.

Sure, I’ve been recommending folks to run network cables of late. That’s the only way to truly get the best home network in this age of Wi-Fi 6 and 5G. But for certain homes with a modest broadband speed, Powerline adapters can still be a viable, time-saving alternative.

For a cost of around $110 for a kit of two (or $60 for a single unit), this new adapter sure will conveniently extend your wired network to a place you can’t run a network cable or out of your router’s Wi-Fi range.

And it’ll do that in (close to) an instant. All you have to do is plug it in. So it will work out. It’s just a matter of how well. And in that sense, don’t expect the world.

Nexus Link GPL-2000PT: A slow performer in a convenient, albeit bulky, design

The Nexus Link GPL-2000PT is a large straightforward snap-on plug, measuring 5.50 x 2.75 x 1.54 in (140 x 70 x 39 mm) when you don’t count the prongs. The good news is when plugged into the wall, and you’ll note right away that there’s a passthrough socket on top. So you can reuse the receptacles it occupies.

The adapter is so thick, though, you’ll still have a hard time finding a good place for it, especially in a tight corner. And if you have a multi-outlet wallplate, be prepared to lose at least one adjacent socket. However, that’s the case with most powerline adapters.

Nexus Link GPL-2000PT: Hardware specifications

Technically, the Nexus Link GPL-2000PT features the latest Powerline standard with up to 2000Mbps of networking speeds between adapters. However, that number doesn’t mean much, considering it has a 1Gbps network port, which is the cap of its networking output.

But even then, considering the nature of Powerline, it’s safe to say you won’t get even close to 1Gbps. At best, you’ll get only half of that—more below.

Full Name	GPL-2000PT G.hn 2000 Powerline adapter
Model	GPL-2000PT (single adapter)/ GPL-2000PT-KIT (kit of two)
Dimensions (with Plug)	5.50 x 2.75 x 2.36 in  (140 x 70 x 60 mm)
Dimensions (without Plug)	5.50 x 2.75 x 1.54 in (140 x 70 x 39 mm)
Weight	7.2 oz (204 g)
Powerline specs	G.hn Powerline, Wave 2, Up to 2000 Mbps
US Socket	US outlet (15A Max. 110V) Type B (NEMA 5-15)/Type B (NEMA 5-15)/TW
Power source	100-240 VAC 50Hz/60Hz
Network ports	One Gigabit Network port
Ceiling network speed	1Gbps
Ethernet Standard	10/100/1000Mbps BaseT Ethernet Port,  Auto Rate and Duplex Negotiation MDI/MDX Support,  Standard IEEE 802.3ab, Standard IEEE 802.3u
Max distance	1640 feet (500 meters)
Encryption	AES 128 Bits Encryption Ensures Total Data Security,  Configuration Button for Factory Reset,  One Button Security Set-up

Some oddities

Out of the package, I noted right away that the adapters look different from the picture shown on the box itself. Specifically, there’s no Nexus Link logo on the front. The adapters themselves look polished and feel solid, however.

Another thing is Nexus Link says you can manage the adapter via “web interface” but there was none I could find, nor was there any software or manual to download.

By the way, the package only includes a Quick Install Guide poster, and Nexus Link (formerly Comtrend)’s support website is just a contact page. So don’t expect any help. Chances are, though, you won’t need any.

Instant plug-n-play

The GPL-2000PT comes in a kit of two (model GPL-2000PT-KIT). That’s because you need at least two adapters to form the first Powerline connection.

All you have to do is plug them both into a wall socket, then connect the first one to your router (via a network cable). Now connect your wired device to the other, and you’re all set. In fact, the time you spent reading this paragraph is about all it’d take to get your network extended.

Indeed, in my testing, the two adapters worked almost instantly when I plugged them in. So if you want to move the far adapter from one power socket to another, that’d take just a second or two for the connection to be re-established.

So with the kit, there’s nothing to setting it up at all. However, if you get an additional adapter, you’ll need to sync them up. And in this case, there’s a security button on the right side that helps link them securely via AES 128 bits encryption.

Nexus Link GPL-2000PT: Detail photos

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Convenient design

Powerline is tricky in terms of how far you can place the adapters from each other. That’s because we don’t know how the wiring is behind the walls. To help with this, the GPL-2000PT has a bunch of LED status lights on top, including:

• Power: This shows the power status, it’s solid green when the adapter is plugged in.
• Connection: The network link status on quality between the adapter via the electrical wiring. Green means you have a fast connection (supposedly 40Mbps or faster). Orange: between 5Mbps and 40Mbps. Red: below 5Mbps. Off: There’s no link.
• Security: Green: All is good. Blinking green: Sync is being established. Off: The link between adapters is not encrypted.
• Ethernet: Green: Connection established. Flashing green: Data activities.

And in my testing, these lights worked as intended. You can count on them to figure out what’s going on. Well, almost.

Nexus Link GPL-2000PT: Comparatively slow performance

The Connection light proved to be a bit of an exaggeration. During my testing, it showed solid green almost all the time, and I could never get a sustained speed between the two of 40Mbps. So this adapter kit is quite slow, for its specs, that is.

Like all Powerline adapters, the GPL-2000PT-KIT’s performance fluctuated depending on where I placed the 2nd adapter around my home. There are things with the wiring behind the walls that you can’t see.

But the kit sure worked, and I never got a speed lower than 5Mbps, either, which was quite impressive considering I have an old house with several junction boxes—some kits I’ve tested didn’t work at all at certain locations.

By the way, generally, you need to plug a Powerline adapter directly into a wall socket. I tried the GPL-2000PT with powerstrips, and it worked, but in this case, the connection speed was cut in half.

On the other side of the speed spectrum, when I use the adapters within my newly wired office purposely to get the best performance out of it, the GPL-2000PT-KIT didn’t wow me. The sustained speed was always lower than 40Mbps (or 320Mbps).

That’s not super-slow but slower than many other kits I’ve tested, including those of lesser Powerline specs, as you can see on the chart above. Throughput speeds aside, though, I used the kit for more than a week with no problems—it’s reliable. And that’s something.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for a convenient way to extend your wired network for a modest broadband connection, the Nexus Link GPL-2000PT-KIT will work out well. Its ease of use and convenient design alone will make the investment worthwhile.

Considering the slow sustained speeds, though, use it only when you don’t need a high-performing network. And even then, don’t get more than one kit, even though you can use a dozen adapters or so to form a Powerline network, per the G.hn standard.