Product Reviews

If you have more than one PC, networking them allows them to share files, printers, and even an Internet connection. But if you want a wired network, you'll need to trail cables all over your house. With a Wi-Fi wireless networks you'll need to set up encryption and security measures to make sure your network is safe. If this sounds too complicated, Packard Bell has the product for you: a networking kit that uses your home's electrical mains system.

The kit itself is very simple, consisting simply of two plug-in modules and two extra-long USB cables. Setup is easy: just plug both adapters into the wall, attach them to their respective PCs - the USB drivers were detected and installed without a hitch in our tests - then run Windows' own Network Connection Wizard to get the two PCs talking to each other. Packard Bell's installation disc walks you through the process.

The maximum rated

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speed of the net2plug system is 14 megabits a second; faster than the 11Mb/s of the old 802.11b wireless networking standard, but not up to the 54Mb/s maximum of newer 802.11g networks. In practice, you'll almost never get a wireless network to go that fast, but you can certainly exceed 40Mb/sec - nearly four times the speed of net2plug.

Like wireless, the net2plug system rarely gets up to its full speed. Connection quality depends on the distance between the two mains points, as well as how 'clean' your electricity supply is. The best we managed was connection at 10Mb/sec, with the two adapters plugged in right next to each other. Transferring an MP3 album of 12 tracks totalling 82MB took 2 mins 17 seconds - pretty respectable. But connection speed dropped to 2Mb/s with things set up in a more realistic environment, one adapter being plugged into a bedroom socket and one in a living room. The same album took almost 10 minutes to transfer.

But the net2plug connection never dropped out in the way that wireless can, and its security is better. You can encrypt your data via the net2plug software, but there's no way that a snooper standing outside your home could hack the network anyway.

The net2plug is a bit slow, but it's easier to set up than other types of network, and is more secure than a wireless network.

If you want a hassle-free setup, this is the product for you. Even so, it's expensive for what it is - which is why we can't give it a higher score.