Devolo Microlink dLAN Highspeed Starter Kit

The Microlink dLAN Highspeed Starter Kit lets you create a computer network using the electrical wiring in your home. This latest, high-speed version of the product works in the same way as its predecessor and other devices that comply with the International Homeplug standard.

Just plug the two supplied Ethernet adapters into any vacant electrical sockets and connect them to your PC's Ethernet ports using the supplied network cables. Then install the accompanying software, assign a password to the newly created network and that's about it.

In practice, the kit works well. Whereas its predecessor was limited to a maximum theoretical transfer speed of 14Mbit/s (8Mbit/s in real-world tests), the latest version has a maximum theoretical data transfer speed of 85Mbit/s.

In tests, we managed to transfer a 60Mb file between two PCs in 33 seconds, the equivalent of 16Mbit/s.This is some way off dLAN's claimed transfer rate but it is comparable with the speeds you would expect to achieve with a wireless 802.11g network connection and is sufficient for most practical purposes.

As well as transferring files, we were able to use devices such as a printer across the network, share a high-speed internet connection and even send instant messages between PCs using the accompanying Devolo software.

The kit is expensive compared with other methods of networking. A pair of ordinary wireless networking adapters can be bought for a fraction of its cost. The kit, however, has some distinct advantages.

It reduces cable clutter, and is unaffected by thick walls and floors which can interfere with wireless connections.

It is extremely easy to use: we took just five minutes to get it going. Security is also not a major issue, as would-be hackers need access to the electrical ports before they can access your network.

If you are new to networking, or want to avoid the clutter of cables, this product will provide a home network.