INTRODUCTION

   We all knew that wireless technology would eventually become mainstream and surpass the classic wired one in terms of popularity but judging by the number of WiFi compatible products that come out each day the time it actually took for that to happen was quite faster than what we'd imagined. Personally i admit that wireless freedom can't be compared to wires but at the same time the exact opposite can be said about security since wireless signals can be hacked much easier compared to wired connectivity. Of course most people use WiFi for everyday tasks that don't really involve sensitive information but the few people that do need to take extra security measures that regular consumers simply can't afford or just don't have access to. That being said today on our test bench we have a very useful product that combines the best of both worlds (Wired and Wireless connectivity) the dLAN 500 WiFi Powerline Network Kit by devolo.

   devolo AG is the leading European company on the market in Powerline communication solutions. The company's core product is dLAN®, a technology that allows flexible networks over existing wiring such as electrical and coaxial lines. Powerline solutions are employed in private households as well as commercial environments and they lead the way in future-oriented energy data distribution and home automation. devolo invests its development resources into improving dLAN® technology through its own patented solutions. The globally operating company has been the world market leader in the Powerline segment since 2009. Numerous top-product test reviews and awards, not to mention over 20 million sold adapters, demonstrate devolo's success. Through sustainable market practices, devolo upholds its responsibility to customers, employees and the environment.

   devolo decided to provide everything consumers would ever need to expand their wireless networks to effectively cover a very large area so unlike previous starter kits their dLAN 500 WiFi network kit includes three powerline adapters, one dLAN 500 Duo (acts like the source by injecting the signal it gets from the router into the electrical wiring) and two dLAN 500 WiFi ones (they receive and broadcast the signal). The dLAN 500 WiFi powerline adapter can output the received signal both wired (Rj45 LAN Port) and wirelessly (802.11/b/g/n - 2.4GHz/Single Antenna) but unfortunately unlike the AVPlus adapter due to size restrictions (this adapter is one of the smallest ones we've ever seen) it just doesn't offer the a power outlet and so you can't use the power socket you plug it into with another device. Now as many of you know it's been a while since we last tested a powerline adapter so we're all quite interested to see if anything has changed for the best (or not).