Devolo dLAN 200 AVplus Starter Kit review

Powerline networking allows you to make a network connection using your home's electrical wiring. This way you don't have to run Ethernet cables around your home or rely on wireless, which can have trouble with thick walls and is prone to interference.

A starter kit like this one from Devolo is a good choice if you're having trouble with wireless networking. A pair of adaptors is provided, and you can add extra adaptors if required (for around £55 each), if you want to connect up more locations around your home. You can always add a simple network switch to one if you have multiple devices in a single location.

Powerline adaptors don't work when connected to a multiway plug adaptor, but like many designs, these ones eliminate the problem by having a mains power pass-through. If you're looking keep things neat-and-tidy then consider Solwise's Piggy6 adaptor, which has multiple power pass-through sockets and a built-in 3-port Ethernet switch.

The dLAN 200 AVplus adaptors use push-button encryption – all you have to do is press a button at the base of each adaptor to immediately create a secure network connection using 128-bit AES encryption. Although Homeplug signals can't travel beyond your electricity meter, this extra level of security is worth having. This particularly applies if you live in a building with shared wiring, as other residents could stumble upon your network if they also use Homeplug.

The accompanying CD includes a helpful configuration tool, for Windows, Linux and Mac OS X. You can use it to associate the adaptors with any compatible Homeplug 200 AV product, even those without push-button encryption, by entering each device's 16-digit code and defining a shared password for all of them. The configuration tool also allows you to rename your adaptor and monitor its status.

The dLAN 200 AVplus adaptors did well in our throughput tests, achieving a speed of 66.3Mbit/s – identical to Solwise's Piggy6. Only D-Link's DHP-303, has scored faster, with a transfer rate of 74.1Mbit/s. This device uses the alternative Universal Powerline Association standard.

Devolo's dLAN 200 AVplus Starter Kit is a decent product. It has fast transfer speeds and makes it easy to connect devices to your network from anywhere around your home. However, at £110 for two adaptors, it costs significantly more than similar products from Solwise, whose 200Mbps Home Plug AV adaptors cost £46 each (from Solwise directly).

If you don't need the power socket pass-through or compatibility with existing Homeplug AV equipment, D-Link's inexpensive DHP-303 kit is still the best deal around at £70. The only point on which Devolo has a clear advantage is its three-year return to base warranty, compared to just one year from Solwise and two from D-Link.

Author: Kat Orphanides