TRENDnet Ships 500Mbps Powerline Networking Adapter Kit

There may not seem like an immediate connection is there, but we suspect that last week's Android @ Home announcement could help to restart, or kickstart, home automation and powerline networking. Powerline utilities have been kicking around for years now, but they never have truly taken off in any serious fashion. Outside of a few hardcore home tinkerers, powerline gear has yet to grab the attention of the mainstream, but TRENDnet may be looking to change that with their newest gear. The company has just launched the first 500Mbps Powerline Adapter with a bonus outlet, making it even more simple to integrate a powerline setup into your home.

The TPL-402E2K kit arrives with two 500Mbps adapters that feature a built in electrical outlet and embedded power saving technology, and it creates a secure high speed building-wide network from any electrical outlet. Connect one adapter to your network, and plug the second adapter into any outlet on your electrical system for instant high speed network access. Connect adapters quickly using the convenient one-touch connect button. Users can install up to sixteen Powerline adapters in different rooms for building-wide networking.


Of course, the major problem here remains: price. This kit is $179.99, which is certainly not cheap by any means. Is it worth nearly $200 to ditch spotty wireless connections and go wired via your power network? That's a call you'll have to make, but we're guessing the pricing still isn't at a place where the mass market will look fondly upon this.