Review: Devolo dLAN 200 AVdesk networking

Streaming video and music around the house is a great concept, however Wifi can be incredibly fickle and, in its current state, doesn't like shifting large files such as high-definition video.

So, what's the solution? Running myriad network cables between devices just isn't practical and could have your house looking like the inside of a telephone exchange box.

A better method is to invest in a relatively new type of home networking that uses the electricity cables inside your walls to carry data.

Using these existing cables, the Devolo dLAN 200 AVdesk can transfer data at speeds of up to 200Mbits/sec, which is easily fast enough for a couple of simultaneous HD streams and a lot faster in real life that what today's wireless standards can actually handle.

It's very easy to set up too. Just attach one AVdesk to your broadband router with a network cable and plug it into the mains. In another room plug the other AVdesk into the wall and attach an network cable to whatever device you want to stream media, or the internet, to (another computer or an Xbox 360, for example). And that's it. No installing software, no configuring security (this is done automatically) and no digging up the carpet. Brilliant.

In practice, the AVdesk handled a number of concurrent streaming activities quite comfortably, including a HD movie stream from a network attached hard disk, iTunes music playback from another computer and a Slingbox TV stream. To say we were impressed would be an understatement.

What's more, anything that sports a network socket can be plugged into the AVdesk. So, you could extend the reach of your Wifi connection by attaching a wireless adapter, or set up a networked home security camera. It certainly has a lot of potential and will undoubtedly resolve a lot of problems for anyone that finds their wireless home network just too flakey.

While the Devolo AVdesk is undeniably a great product, it's expensive. A starter pack of two AVdesk adaptors will set you back a cool £180, with each additional adapter costing £100. It also means losing a power socket for each adaptor you connect. However, the AVdesk will run off a gang-plug and is compatible with other Homeplug Powerline adaptors.

Improvements we would like to see in the next version would be more network sockets on the adaptor for connecting more than one device. We're told this could feature in the future.

Also consider
Panasonic BL-PA100KT
Networking over the mains made easy, but they're not Homeplug compatible

Netgear HDX101
Can Netgear's latest Powerline product live up to their 200Mbit/sec label?

SMC EZ-Connect Turbo Powerline adapter
A pricey but simple way to avoid installing Ethernet cable - but the 85Mbits/sec rating is optimistic

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