Netgear’s XAVB1004 kit plugs straight into your mains electricity wiring to network up to four devices using the Homeplug AV technology.

The package contains a single grey Homeplug AV adapter (model number XAV101), a small black Homeplug AV switch (XAV1004), two network cables and a mains lead for the switch.

The kit is simple to set up. Plug the single adapter into a mains socket (extension sockets can disrupt the network) and connect the network cable to a spare port on your router.

Plug the switch into another mains socket, wait a few seconds and that’s it. You can connect up to four devices – computers, consoles, printers and more – to the switch so they can be accessed over the network.

It’s a great alternative to using a wireless network. The 200Mbits/sec connection, shared between four network ports on the switch, is fast enough to stream high-definition video.

Available speeds depend on the kind of devices you have plugged and how many there are. Wiring quality and electrical interference will also affect performance.

The ports are colour-coded to prioritise certain devices. The two green ports are used to connect high-speed devices such as games consoles and the yellow ports are used for slower devices such as printers.

You do not need to configure the device and a software utility is included in the package for troubleshooting and changing advanced network settings, although this is probably best left to experts.

If you don't like blinking lights, the status LEDs on the adapters can be switched off and the network is automatically encrypted to prevent unauthorised access.

More adapters can be added as needed, but watch out for two rival standards - Homeplug and UPA. Netgear sells both types, so if you already have another adapter, check first that it’s a Homeplug one.

The XAVB1004 kit is great if your wireless connections don’t work well or you don’t want to run network cables around your house.