Powerline adaptors, those often overlooked gadgets that use
your home's electrical wiring to transfer the internet, are great at getting
high speed data to wired devices like smart TVs and game consoles.
Unfortunately WiFi enabled devices like phones and tablets tend to miss out on
this convenience... until now. We test the Devolo dLAN 1200+ WiFi Powerline
Adaptors.
We've played around with powerline adaptors in the past and always found them useful. Simply put, you plug one into a plug socket, connect to your router, and then the signal is transferred around your house along the electrical writing, until it pops out the other end where you've plugged in a second adaptor. This is then wired to whatever needs the internet, traditionally fixed units like desktop computers and consoles. But now Devolo have stepped up their game by producing the 1200+ WiFi Powerline Adaptors, catering for our mobile life.
Just a like standard adaptor kits, here you get two units - one for a plug socket by the router (which connects via the lone Gigabit LAN port), and the other for a plug socket in the room you want the internet. You can then connect this unit to your fixed devices (via the two Gigabit LAN ports) but also broadcast a WiFi signal. This means you now have a wireless internet connection in any room - even that little awkward one in the attic that seems to be three miles from the router.
So far pretty awesome, and as the pack features plug-and-play usability, it was a simple case of plugging in, connecting to the router, and then waiting a short time while the two units found each other. But it is the speed of the data connection that is truly noteworthy here. The Devolo dLAN 1200+ WiFi Powerline Adaptors are the fastest we've ever tested. As the name suggests, they can reach as fast as 1200 Mbit/s, while other powerline adaptors tend to top out at 500.
And that speed was certainly evident. Although the connection slowed the further from the base plug socket you placed the other one, even two floors up and several rooms over, the speed was plenty quick enough to stream Netflix without lagging, and play online games - both wired and wireless.
Some people might be put off by the price, but to get a
decent WiFi range extender to cover problems areas of your home could cost just
as much, if not more. The Devolo dLAN 1200+ WiFi Powerline Adaptors actually
utilise something you already have - a good and reliable wired network in the
form of your house electrics - and do so unobtrusively and flexibly. Thumbs up
here.
£129.99
