Final thoughts and rating
We've said it before but it's worth repeating; if you have the option to run Ethernet cables from room to room, don't waste time looking for alternatives. The cabled route will deliver the best performance, and by some distance.
But where hard-wiring just isn't an option, Powerline networking makes a lot of sense. Simple to install and seamless in use, these adapters fit well in many situations and deliver second-best performance that's well suited to common tasks such as multimedia streaming and online gaming.
The £80 price tag makes Netgear's Powerline Nano 500 Set an expensive prospect - slower 200Mbps sets are widely available for around £30 - but if you need the extra speed, Netgear's high-performance kit is the quickest Powerline solution we've tested and well capable of delivering strong, stable performance to those pesky areas that wireless just won't reach.
The Good
Strong, stable performance
Very simple installation
Compact design
The Bad
Not a patch on Cat 5 cable
HEXUS Rating
Netgear Powerline Nano 500 Set
(XAVB5101)
HEXUS Awards
Netgear Powerline Nano 500 Set
(XAVB5101)
HEXUS Where2Buy
The Netgear Powerline Nano 500 Set can be purchased from Scan Computers*.
HEXUS Right2Reply
At HEXUS, we invite the companies whose products we test to comment on our articles. If any company representatives for the products reviewed choose to respond, we'll publish their commentary here verbatim.
*UK-based HEXUS community members are eligible for free delivery and priority customer service through the SCAN.care@HEXUS forum.
