Over the past decade internet ready devices have moved out of the study and into the lounge, kitchen and bedrooms. It would seem almost any new device you purchase has the potential to offer more functionality if you are able to connect it with your home network and the internet itself. Sadly your typical house does not have an Ethernet socket in every room to allow you the freedom to plug the devices in.

Even more distressing is that most of these devices come standard with a hardwired Ethernet option rather than a wireless option. If you want wireless connectivity you can sometimes purchase an additional adaptor. If the device supports the wireless option you may run into problems streaming high definition content, which can lead to frustrating stuttering in the video. Likewise, if you enjoy being as competitive as possible whilst playing online games with your PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 gaming console, wireless internet connections are not recommended.

Diamond Multimedia’s HP200AV offers an innovative way to get the benefits of a wired Ethernet connection whilst avoiding the challenges of running unsightly cables through you home. I was very surprised with how compact the adaptors are and how quick it is to get up and running. Quite literally all you have to do is plug one of the HP200AV adaptors into a power outlet near your internet modem and connect the two devices with an Ethernet cable. Then you plug the second HP200AV adaptor in a power outlet near the other devices you want to connect on your home network. Once again connect the adaptor to the device with a Ethernet cable. You are done. There are no drivers to be installed or handyman drilling to be done.

The adaptors themselves are incredibly compact, measuring 45mm at the front, 65mm deep and 90mm in height. They are sturdy with a solid, rugged plastic finish and feel like they are going to survive the occasional bump from the vacuum cleaner. The devices support up to 200 meters range between them at a speed of 200 Mbps, which is more than sufficient for streaming media and online gaming within the home environment. If you are concerned with the security of the solution then all you need to do is press the only button on the adaptor and it applies 128-bit AES encryption to the communications.

My only minor annoyance was with the two supplied one meter Ethernet cables that were too short to be of any use to me. Fortunately I had spare Ethernet cables to allow me to connect the devices. If you purchase be mindful of how much cable you will need to reach from your nearest power outlet to the device you are connecting to and purchase Ethernet cables accordingly.

Selling around the $80 mark, the Diamond Multimedia 200AV solution offers an affordable, fast and secure way to get all your internet ready devices connected, without having to run standard Ethernet cabling throughout your home. It is extremely simple to connect, the performance is reliable and the connection fast. If you want a stable, quick connection and don’t fancy climbing around your roof pulling Ethernet cables then this is the product for you.