Devolo dLAN 500AVtriple+ review

The Devolo dLAN 500 AVtriple+ kit consists of two 500Mbit/s HomePlug adaptors, which are quick enough to stream high definition video over your home network’s cabling. The 500AVtriple+ is different to most HomePlug kits, though, in that one adaptor has a single Gigabit Ethernet connector and the other has three. This means you can attach the single-plug HomePlug adaptor to your router, media PC or NAS drive and the triple-port HomePlug adaptor to your smart TV, Blu-ray player and Sky HD box, for example, without having to buy an Ethernet switch.

The plugs’ casing protrudes around 3in downwards from the socket, which means you might have problems plugging them in to sockets above skirting boards or desks. The plugs do have pass-through plug sockets, however, so you can use them without taking up a plug socket. This is handy if you’re using them to deliver data to your home cinema or media centre setup.

Setup is straightforward. You plug the devices into a mains socket, wait for them to power on and then press the encryption buttons on each device to secure the network. Once the devices have detected each other and are secured, you can unplug them and place them wherever you like. As long as they’re within range, they’ll connect to each other automatically.