TP-Link TL-PA511KIT

TP-Link TL-PA511KIT review

TP-Link may not be a company that jumps into your head as quickly as some of the more traditional network companies, but if you're searching for powerline networking on a budget, then you'll soon find its kit popping up in your searches. The AV500 Gigabit Powerline Adaptor Starter Kit, which goes by the code of TL-PA511KIT, boasts a pair of identical 500Mbps units that can be used to extend your network to the more out of reach areas of your home.The package itself packs a pair of TL-PA511 adaptors, two Ethernet cables, an installation guide and a CD that's home to a couple of utilities that make checking and managing your connections straightforward. TP-Link makes no claims to supporting the IEEE1901 standard to up the performance of its hardware to support 500Mbps connections, but it does still claim that the units are backwards compatible with all HomePlug AV kit running at 200Mbps.The adaptors themselves aren't the classiest we've ever seen, with the dark sides and white fascia sure to catch your eye due to their high contrast rather than striking good looks. The units are fairly compact, although not quite in the same league as the Netgear XAVB5101 or Devolo dLAN 500 AVmini.