Belkin Gigabit Powerline HD

Belkin Gigabit Powerline HD Starter Kit

This kit is twice as fast as Belkin's higher-priced AV+ Starter Kit, but lacks that model's useful 3-port ethernet adapter and desktop mounting option. I had high hopes for Belkin's new Gigabit Powerline HD Starter Kit. Having recently reviewed Belkin's Powerline AV+ Starter Kit, which performed well and had great features, I was expecting to find more of the same, plus faster performance in the Gigabit product. However, the results made me wish that Belkin had forgone the use of the word Gigabit. Powerline networking kits are a great way to connect setups that may be in one part of your house (like your home entertainment center) to your home network, which may be in another. They connect to your router and a power outlet on one end and to another power outlet elsewhere in the house at the other, essentially turning power outlets into ethernet ports, without the hassle and expense of running cables. And they can provide the stable high-speed connections required for HD video streaming, unlike most Wi-Fi options.