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Devolo MicroLink DLAN Starter Kit

£100 inc VAT

Manufacturer: Devolo

Our Rating: We rate this 3.5 out of 5

By | 04 August 05

While the benefit of networks - being able to share files and resources between one machine and another - is great, the hassle of actually setting one up can be offputting. Wired networks are reliable, but can require lots of drilling and cable. A wireless network alleviates the cable problems, but can be limited in speed and range.

While the benefit of networks - being able to share files and resources between one machine and another - is great, the hassle of actually setting one up can be offputting. Wired networks are reliable, but can require lots of drilling and cable. A wireless network alleviates the cable problems, but can be limited in speed and range.

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Devolo's MicroLink DLAN Starter Kit aims to offer an alternative, using the mains wiring already present in your home. The £100 kit consists of two DLAN ethernet adapters. Plug them into electricity sockets and they'll create an ethernet connection between the two points - useful if your internet connection is in one room and your PC lives in another.

You can add additional adapters, though at around £55 each, it's a costly way to expand your network.

One area where the DLAN kit can't compete with existing networks, however, is speed. It is only capable of a maximum of 14Mbps (megabits per second) versus 100Mbps for wired ethernet. 802.11g wireless networking may never reach its claimed 54Mbps maximum, but with a good signal should be able to surpass 14Mbps.

Copying a single 516MB file over our wired network took just one minute and eight seconds. Over the DLAN, this jumped to a whopping 13 minutes and 17 seconds.

MicroLink DLAN Starter Kit Expert Verdict »
Post Review
2x DLAN ethernet adapters
max speed 14Mbps
2x ethernet cables included
maximum range 200m
secure encryption
Windows 98/Me/2000/XP
Linux and Mac OS supported
62x75x75mm
  • Build Quality: We give this item 8 of 10 for build quality
  • Features: We give this item 7 of 10 for features
  • Value for Money: We give this item 6 of 10 for value for money
  • Overall: We give this item 7 of 10 overall

If you want to remove the hassle of installing a wired network or need to connect areas that a wireless network can't reach, Devolo's DLAN starter kit will do the job. But it's an expensive solution, and only really suitable for sharing an internet connection - if you're planning on moving lots of data, you'll quickly find the speed limitation annoying.

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