Thoughts
As we've made clear from the off, we're very impressed with devolo's MicroLink dLAN Highspeed Starter Kit. It offers a hassle-free alternative to installing Ethernet cables around the home and is far simpler to set up and get working than a WiFi network often turns out to be.
We note, though, that some makers of WiFi kit - notably LinkSys - are now doing some very clever stuff not just to allow users to get home WiFi networks working more easily but to get them working securely as well.
That trend is only likely to increase and, in our view, means that makers of HomePlug kit, such as devolo, really do need to get their acts together. They should be shouting about HomePlug from the rooftops so that many more people realise it's available and understand what it offers. More than that, though, devolo and other makers of HomePlug hardware need to bring down the prices which, in our view, remain rather too high.
Without raising HomePlug's profile and without making the kit more affordable, HomePlug hardware is not going to enjoy the volume of sales that the underlying easy-to-use technology deserves.
If you fancy mains-borne networking but don't currently see the need to be punting much media around the home, then devolo sells lower-cost adaptors that offer lower data rates. The headline figure is 14Mbps but we'd reckon they do about 1.5Mbps and that's plenty right now for sharing internet connections and printers. These adaptors also have one advantage over the kit we've been reviewing - the PCs you use them with don't have to Ethernet ports because the adaptors can connect to a PC by USB or by Ethernet.
With ADSL-2 just around the corner, though, along with the prospect of high-def TV over IP, it could be argued that even the Highspeed devolo kit will soon be too slow. And that, of course, is why members of the HomePlug Alliance, including devolo, will be launching a faster variant later this year - HomePlug AV, nominally rated at 200Mbps.
We'll be checking out HomePlug AV as soon as we can but hope before then to get down and dirty with some competing (and non-compatible) 200Mbps hardware that's already available - Corinex's AV200 system. However, a quick glance through a downloadable PDF manual suggests to us that the Corinex might not be a total no-brainer to set up the way that the devolo Highspeed kit was.
And, truth is, for a lot of people - especially those considering going the WiFi route - devolo's MicroLink dLAN Highspeed Starter Kit could turn out to be the perfect alternative.
