Yes,
it is magic.
'Hang
on,' says the sharp-eyed reader. 'I recognise that title. They've
reviewed this before!' And, dear keen on-looker, you would be right.
And also very wrong. That is because earlier in the year we reviewed
the Devolo dLAN 550 WiFi Powerline adaptor, which is a very good way
of getting a stronger WiFi signal into the parts of your home that
suffer from a lack thereof. Now, however, Devolo have added a '+',
and we find out why. Let's check out the Devolo dLAN 550+ WiFi
Powerline Kit.
For
those who don't know, a powerline kit uses your house's existing
electricity cables to transmit the internet. You plug your router
into one, plug that into a wall socket, then use a receiver unit to
pick up the data from another socket anywhere in your home. In most
cases this is then transmitted over a separate WiFi signal, so you
can connect wirelessly with ease in a room that typically has bad
WiFi.
And
Devolo's dLAN 550 range of kits do that very well indeed. Seriously,
check out our review of the 550 WiFi Powerline adaptor and you'll
discover all the benefits of having a system like that in your home.
What
the 550+ offers on top of all that, is even more convenience for you.
That is because both the base unit and the receiver feature a
pass-through plug socket, meaning the devices won't take up your
vital sockets, letting you plug things into them to receive power.
Apart from that, this is essentially the same device as the 550, and will transmit data up to a maximum of 500mbps, although – just like it's +less brother – those speeds are all dependant on your internet service and how far the receiver is placed from the base unit.
In
use, the 550+ is just as easy to set up as other powerline kits we've
reviewed are, using a simply plug 'n' go mentality. The resulting
WiFi signal from the receiver unit was strong and reliable, and all
our devices connected to which ever was strongest in that particular
part of the house. There is no need to chop and change which network
your phone connects to, as it is essentially the same network, being
broadcast from two different locations.
And
because of the pass-through plug sockets on each unit, it's almost
like they aren't there. This means that if you're placing the
receiver high up in your home, in a smaller bedroom that might not
have as many plug sockets as a more frequented room, you won't lose
the socket. A very handy upgrade.
Around
£90
