GEAR REVIEW
Belkin Powerline AV+
By Shaun Hatton - February 5th, 2009
Belkin has some truly bizarre products under its name, and we’ve featured a few of them on this site as “ODD PRODS.” However, the Belkin Powerline AV+ may just take the case as one of the strangest devices we’ve seen.
Simply put, the Powerline AV+ and other products in its line route your Internet connection from one point in your home to another – through your home’s power line. There have been products like this in the past. For instance, years ago I remember seeing an advertisement promising amplified signal strength for television antennae by transforming the electrical wiring of a house into a giant antenna. And even more similarly, products that routed home telephone signals through power outlets were available in the days before multi-jack households and cordless telephones.
So how does it all work? For starters, everything you need is in the box. The AV+ set includes a transmitter, a receiver, two short Ethernet cables, and two styles of power plug for each unit: you can either choose to plug the unit directly into the wall (if clearance allows) or if you want to place it in another location, choose to use the extended power cable. Neither option will result in greater signal strength, but for aesthetic purposes, it’s nice that the option exists.
On that note, the Powerline AV+ was obviously designed with looks in mind. The transmitter and receiver are sleek and shiny black and have a slim form factor. The shininess is somewhat detrimental, however, as it is more susceptible to attract dust and scratches. But hopefully people aren’t buying this just for the looks. It’s all about how well the thing works.
My apartment is relatively small. Its layout, however, makes it impossible for me to connect my Xbox 360 to the Internet without having to resort to running a long network cable across my living room floor, from my router to my console. My solution to this was a literal “plug and play” in that I’d have to plug in the cable any time I wanted to play. While reviewing the Powerline AV+, I was able to forgo this and use a nearby unused power outlet to connect my Xbox to the Internet without having to worry about people tripping over the cord across the floor. The connection speed was the same as if the cord was connected directly.
(On this note, why do Xbox owners have to pay up to $100 more just for a wireless network adapter?)
The setup is quick and easy. Simply plug in the transmitter, and then the receiver. Next, connect the “live” net connection to the transmitter. Then, connect a cable to the receiver and plug it into whichever device you want to take online. And that’s about it!
The AV+ can also share its net connection with up to three wired devices. While I didn’t have three to test, I did test out two of its ports at once and everything worked well. The only time I experienced any sort of connection slowdown was when I connected the receiver to a power strip (something the set-up instructions warn you not to do – but hey, I had to try it). As it turns out, power strips and extension cords can degrade the signal of the connection, resulting in lag galore and packet loss (nerd talk, sorry). This really isn’t a problem if you’ve got an open power outlet nearby. But then again, with the amount of devices most gamers have, finding an open power outlet – let alone one at the source – can be a bit of a game in itself.
Now time for the hard questions: Why would you even need this if you’ve got a router? As I mentioned earlier, it’s a great way to keep cables from getting in the way of your daily life. But is that worth the $200 price tag? I suppose it depends on the person. Another use for the Powerline AV+ is to get an Internet signal in an area where a wireless router would not reach. Let’s say your router and modem are on the top floor of your house, but your entertainment system is set up in the basement. In this case, your wireless signal may be too weak to be of any use to you, and therefore something like the Powerline series would be beneficial. Gamers can think of it this way: It costs $100 to get the wireless adapter, which you can only use with your Xbox. For twice the price, you can upgrade to a much more versatile device, or you can opt for one of the more frugally priced Powerline products (the basic model is around $100).
One thing is certain: going back to running a cable across the floor is not my idea of fun!
Subscribe to this page's RSS feed to be notified when someone chimes in.
3 responses so far:Subscribe to the Toronto Thumbs RSS feed to be notified when new articles are published.
I have been looking fo a solution to my current networking problem…I think this is it. Thanks for the review.
Nice review, and a cool concept. If I do end up needing one of these at my entertainment set-up, though, I may be in a bit of trouble. I get that power bars would degrade the signal, but what about those 6-in-1-type power blocks, where you plug the splitter directly into both outlets and it makes six outlets available? Any insight?
Reay: That would still result in a less-than-ideal signal. The nice thing, however, is that you can just get a longer ethernet cord and run that along the baseboard or whatever. That’s what I ended up doing, and it wasn’t noticeable.