Belkin Share Powerline AV 3 Port review

The problem with standard HomePlug adaptors is that they have only one Ethernet port, which means you can connect only one device. This means huge expense if you need several powerline adapters, and plenty of free wall sockets, since the adaptors don’t generally appreciate being plugged into multi-way sockets.

If you have several network devices in close proximity, Belkin’s new 3 Port kit could solve the problem. In the box are two HomePlug AV adaptors, one with a single Ethernet port – for connection to your router – and a second with three ports. This could be ideal for your home entertainment system where your TV, a PVR and a games console need a connection to the internet, but are in a different room from your router.

There’s push-button encryption on both adaptors, and security is enabled by default. As a network cable is already attached to each adaptor in the box, installation is extremely easy. At this price, it’s a shame Belkin doesn’t provide three cables for the three-port adaptor though.

Throughput was exactly what we expected at 60Mbit/s, and this is a decent result for HomePlug AV devices. Others we’ve seen were around 10Mbit/s or more slower than this, but Solwise’s NET-PL-200AV-3PE managed 59Mbit/s and costs just £44.

Of course, this is only a single adaptor, but is a better choice if you already have other HomePlug AV adaptors. If you don’t, the Devolo dLAN 200AV Wireless N Starter Kit costs around £90 and is almost identical to Belkin’s, but the three-port adaptor also includes 802.11n Wi-Fi. Transfer speeds weren’t quite as fast at 52Mbit/s, but given the benefit of Wi-Fi, the kit is better value for most people.

The final annoyance about Belkin’s kit is that it doesn’t include pass-through power sockets like Solwise’s PL-200AV-PIGGY_MK2 adaptors. These are useful as it means the adaptor doesn’t use up a valuable wall socket as another device can still be plugged in.