There is a wide range of HomePlugs
available, and some come with extra features to help you get more from your
network, such as pass-through sockets, Wi-Fi hotspots and extra Ethernet ports.
However, the Devolo dLAN 500 AV Wireless+ is the first HomePlug we’ve seen that
combines all of these extras in a single unit.
Devolo
dLAN 500 AV Wireless+
This makes it a great option for your
living room, where you might want to connect several different devices to your
network. Plug in the Wireless+ behind your entertainment center and you’ve got
Ethernet ports to wire up there devices (smart TV, set-top box and games
console, for example), along with a Wi-Fi hotspot for your wireless gadgets.
It’s also a great option if your router is
on the other side of the house from your home office. The Wireless+ will solve
the problem of a weak Wi-Fi signal and can be used to connect your laptop and
phone to your broadband.
As well as integrating these useful
features into a HomePlug, Devolo has also redesigned its casting so it slots
into the wall socket upside down. This means that the device no longer hangs
down from your socket, but sticks up instead. If you’ve been prevented from
using pass-through HomePlugs because your sockets are too close to your
skirting boards and the plugs won’t fit all the way in, this design tweak sorts
out the problem. The downside is that Ethernet cables shoot out messily from
the top of the device, rather than neatly dropping down from the bottom.
Software and set-up
Devolo’s products are unique in that they
come with software to help you keep an eye on your network. There’s a Cockpit
tool that provides a useful overview (as long as all your HomePlugs are from
Devolo), but you don’t have to install it if you don’t want to.
Ethernet
cables plug into the top of the HomePlug
Like all HomePlugs, the Wireless+ is simple
to install using its default settings. However, because it includes Wi-Fi, it
works like a mini router, so you can also use the software or your browser to
change its defaults, such as turning the Wi-Fi off or on, and configuring
parental controls so limit how long devices are allowed to connect to the Wi-Fi
network. It’s not the best interface for controlling this, but it’s functional
and does the job well.
Performance
We tested the Wireless+ in an average
detached house and compared its performance to two alternative scenarios. In
the first, we placed a standard router provided by an ISP at the telephone
line’s point of entry in one corner of the house. The Wi-Fi signal strength
dropped of rapidly as you moved through the house away from the router.
In the second scenario, we placed a more
powerful Wi-Fi router in the center of the same house. This provided better
coverage across the property, as you would get in a smaller home or from an
upgraded router.
Devolo
Cockpit shows the status of all the Devolo devices on your network
We ran the Advanced Network Test tool of
PassMark’s Performance Test benchmarking software (www.passmark.com) to measure the network
speed in each of the two scenarios. The performance of both set-ups was tested
in the same room, then in a distant room (up a floor and in the opposite corner
of the house to the ISP router).
We then plugged in the Wireless+ device,
testing the speed of both its Wi-Fi and Ethernet networks, and comparing them
with the two Wi-Fi routers from the scenario set-ups.
The Wi-Fi results offered little surprise.
The standard ISP router was reasonably fast when operating in the same room as
the device it was connected to, but there was a significant drop-off as we
moved across the house. There was less of difference with the more powerful
router, which was actually slightly slower at close range than the ISP router,
but barely dropped off at all when moving around the house, because of its
central location. Using the Wi-Fi on the Devolo HomePlug saw a slight reduction
in network speed over both the Wi-Fi routers when used in the same room. We’d
expect that, since the HomePlug must send the signal through an extra section
of wire before getting to the router, whereas both routers were communicating
directly with the PC’s network adapter. When used in a distant room, the
HomePlug’s Wi-Fi network was faster than the ISP’s router across the distance,
but slower than the upgraded router, because it was so well positioned in the
center of the house.
Performance
However, as we’ve seen before with
HomePlugs, it’s when you take advantage of the Ethernet ports that things
really make a difference. Plugging our computer directly into the Wireless+ saw
speeds almost double when compared with even the fastest of the Wi-Fi
alternatives, which is a phenomenal improvement in speed.
§ Our
verdict: 5/5
§ Features:
5/5
§ Performance:
5/5
§ Ease
of use: 5/5
§ Value
for money: 4/5
The dLAN 500 AV wireless+ can fix a lot of
network swoop. With its three Ethernet ports, Wi-Fi hotspot and pass-through
socket, it’s crammed with options and is the only HomePlug device we’ve seen
that will do all these things.
The Wireless+ performed impressively in our
test, with the Ethernet option almost doubling the network speed of our
existing Wi-Fi equipment.
If you want to get faster networking around
your house, connecting your devices using HomePlugs and Ethernet cables is the
best way. However, if you don’t need the built-in Wi-Fi hotspot, you might be
just as well off with Develo’s cheaper dLAN 500 AVtriple+ and AVplus devices,
which are equipped with there and one Ethernet ports, respectively.
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Product info
§ Develop
dLAN 500 AV wireless+
§ Price:
$134.99 each or $194.99 for starter pack (includes a dLAN 500 AVplus)
For
§ The
most feature-packed HomePlug we’ve ever seen
§ Great
performance over Ethernet
Against
§ Expensive
if you don’t need all its features in one HomePlug
§ Wi-Fi
hotspot proved weakest link in our tests
Specifications
§ 802.11n
Wi-Fi
§ 3
x Ethernet ports
§ Pass-through
socket
§ Buttons
for turning off Wi-Fi and setting up security (WPS and HomePlug)
§ WEP/WPA/WPA2
Wi-Fi security
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