INTRODUCTION

   Sometimes when you don't use a specific product in your daily life you can fail to see its importance and in a way up until recently i did exactly that in regard to Powerline network adapters since i wasn't aware of just how many people out there actually use them to fill the gap between normal wired and wireless connections. That's also the reason as to why for the past couple of months I’ve been trying to test as many Powerline adapter sets as i can get my hands on so everyone who uses such devices can know exactly what each of those solutions has to offer. So following the quite good PL-550D 500Mbit/s Powerline adapter set by RaidSonic we had the chance to test roughly 2 weeks ago today we will be testing the latest TPL-402E2K 500Mbps Powerline AV Adapter Kit by TRENDnet.

   TRENDnet is a global provider of award winning networking solutions to small and medium size business and home users. Building networking solutions since 1990, TRENDnet enables users to share broadband access, multimedia content and networked peripherals for true anywhere connectivity. TRENDnet's diverse product line includes Wireless, Fiber, Switch, Gigabit, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), Keyboard/Video/Mouse (KVM), Internet Camera, Print Server, Powerline, Bluetooth, Storage Server, Power over Ethernet (PoE), and Multimedia Accessories. Based in Torrance, California, TRENDnet maintains branch offices in Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Central America, South America, and Asia. TRENDnet’s management system is ISO 9001:2008 certified (click here to view certificate). TRENDnet emphasizes continual improvement as an essential component of its quality management system. This ensures rigorous process standards across the entire organization with respect product development, product quality and all other pertinent enterprise functions. TRENDnet's 250-plus product portfolio is distributed in over 125 countries. The TRENDnet brand is consistently recognized for high quality, exceptional performance and professional support.

   Just like the previously reviewed RaidSonic PL-550D set the TPL-402E2K Powerline set features an bonus outlet and follows the latest 500Mbps standard which allows for far superior speeds compared to both the previous 200Mbps models and of course Wi-Fi. However as we've mentioned in the past there are two negative things about Powerline adapters, first of all they are directly affected by the quality of the electrical grid/cabling so when used in old structures chances are that you will not achieve the same speeds as when used in new ones (still don't expect to hit the 500Mbps mark). Second issue is that if your house/office has a triple phase electrical grid then you also need to make certain that both Powerline adapters are plugged in outlets using the same phase otherwise they simply won't connect. That aside however there's no doubt that Powerline adapters offer faster, more reliable speeds compared to Wi-Fi connections and in the end that's all that matters to most people. So time to see just what the TPL-402E2K 500Mbps Powerline AV Adapter Kit by TRENDnet has to offer.