INTRODUCTION

   Thanks to its wide use in homes, offices, cafeterias, hotels, restaurants and pretty much every business out there wireless connectivity has become part of our daily lives so its really understandable that people don't look past it. Personally I’ve mentioned many times in the past that although i do consider Wi-Fi to be extremely useful when not at home or at the office (even in those places when it comes to smartphones and tablets) i always prefer to use wired connections when available to enjoy increased performance and security levels. This is also why i don't understand why powerline adapters haven't "earned" a spot in most homes and offices yet since in most cases they offer better connection speeds and are far more stable compared to Wi-Fi. Still recent numbers do show that powerline adapters have increased in popularity so it only makes sense that we keep testing all the latest models and so today with us we have the brand new TPL-421E2K Powerline 1200 AV2 Adapter Kit by TRENDnet.

   Founded in Torrance, California, TRENDnet has grown to become a leading global networking hardware brand. From the network core to the periphery, TRENDnet's expansive product portfolio includes Wireless, Wired, Surveillance, Connectivity, and Peripheral device categories. An emphasis on continual improvement and our ISO 9001:2008 quality management certification (click here to view certificate) is an essential component of TRENDnet’s success. The TRENDnet brand is consistently recognized for exceptional quality, superior performance, and responsive support. TRENDnet's vision is to build innovative, easy to use, and reliable Networks People Trust™. TRENDnet solutions network the countless devices which enable your connected lifestyle and workplace. Building award winning networking solutions since 1990, TRENDnet connects you with what you value most.

   Just like the Devolo DLAN1200+ the TPL-421E2K is yet another HomePlug AV2 compatible powerline adapter kit capable of data transfer speeds of up to 1200Mbps (in reality the built-in RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet Port only supports 1000Mbps max) by using the local electrical wiring. The adapters also feature a built-in electrical socket/outlet (type depends on the region), MIMO with beamforming (supported products use all three wires of the power cable for data transmission), power save feature (reduces consumption up to 80%), noise filter (for more stable signal) and 128-Bit AES encryption. Once again this is "typical" powerline adapter set in the sense that it doesn't feature Wi-Fi connectivity but since i have to admit that wired performance is what we look mostly when testing such devices that's exactly what we're about to check.