Solwise HomePlug AV

One of the most common problems encountered with HomePlug networks – the networking system that utilises your existing electrical wiring to transfer computer data from one part of your house to another – is a shortage of wall sockets. The hardware manufacturers advise you not to use extension cables, because the wiring can be low quality and devices like surge protectors can reduce the performance of their hardware. Yet, for most people, any available power sockets housed near a computer are all needed for other electrical equipment – printers, monitors and various other peripherals – and can’t be spared purely for the purposes of networking.

Features:
The solution offered by Solwise is a 200Mbps HomePlug networking system that operates using a pass-through plug. In other words, it has its own socket on the front into which you can plug a further device. Insert the Solwise HomePlug into your wall socket as normal, allowing the unit to network with other HomePlug devices, and the socket is still available to power an electrical device – possibly the one you’re networking. This is nothing short of brilliant, as it raises the HomePlug device from a good idea that struggles to be completely practical, to the perfect home-networking option.

Performance:
To compare the performance of the Solwise HomePlug units to Wi-Fi, we used both systems to stream video from a PC on the first floor of a house to a PC on the ground floor. Wi-Fi is surprisingly competent at this, even at 802.11g speeds, so long as you’re limiting yourself to, at best, MPEG-2 type video – basically, standard DVD quality. But once we upped the quality level to high definition, the Wi-Fi started to struggle. Plug in the HomePlug units, though, and, bar the occasional but relatively rare glitch, the streaming was excellent, even in HD. For most internet-based activities, the system is more than proficient.

Ease of use:
Since their inception, HomePlug devices have become increasingly easy to use. This one has in-built security measures, like most of the latest models of its type, so you can’t just stick another HomePlug unit into a wall socket and access the network. What it does have, however, is a Simple Connect Button, which lets you connect other Solwise devices to your network by pressing buttons on compatible units within two minutes of one another. This might make it unsuitable to use for a private network in a shared house or office, but it does mean you can set it up in 30 seconds if you trust everyone with access to your wall sockets. Once the device is set up, the standard Ethernet connections on the units mean that networking is as simple as plugging in a cable.

Value for money:
The device’s extra features – 200Mbps, pass-through power socket and Simple Connect button – are above and beyond the norm for HomePlug units, which is why it’s priced a little more expensively. So unless your walls are riddled with electrical sockets, it makes a lot of sense to use a device that maximises access to them. After all, an electrician is bound to cost more.