Belkin Share Powerline AV 3 Port Homeplug networking kit

The idea of running a computer network through your home's mains wiring isn't new.

We've looked at lots of such products before, and Belkin's Share Powerline AV 3 Port device uses the same Homeplug AV standard as most modern adapters. Sometimes such adapters are troubled by the power spikes created when devices such as fridges cut in and out but this one was untroubled by spikes. It can still be thwarted by the surge filter in a multi-way power adapter, so it's best to plug it straight into the wall.

The best thing about any Powerline network is how simple it is to set up. The kit consists of two adapters that look like large, plug-in power supplies. Each has a short network cable connected - too short, if your router is positioned above desk height. One device has a single network port: this connects to your home's router. The second plug unit has three network sockets on it and goes elsewhere in the house. Into it go up to three devices, such as computers, consoles, set-top-boxes or internet-enabled TVs.

There are no drivers to install and when the connection is made the devices see everything as though it were a normal network. Pressing the button on each unit secures the connection though you don't need to memorise a password – the devices handle security themselves.

The worst thing about the device is its performance. We transferred 1GB of mixed files between two PCs in the same room, using the Belkin kit as our network connection, which took just under nine minutes, equivalent to an average transfer speed of 15mbits/sec.

Plugging the two adapters into the same mains block reduced the time to under four minutes, or around 37mbits/sec, which is pretty much the best case. When we repeated the test using a standard network cable it took only two minutes at a much faster 61mbits/sec. It was fine for general use, though: we were able to play a video file across the network flawlessly.

Overall, the Belkin Share Powerline AV 3 Port does make for networking with ease, but it's not as fast as a direct cable connection.