Game Rant's Anthony Taormina reviews the HP200AV Powerline Internet AV Kit

As any competitive player of Call of Duty or Battlefield will tell you: it’s all about the stability of your internet connection. While most consoles these day support Wi-Fi, if you can’t get the maximum number of green bars going you are at a serious disadvantage. It’s the same reason that developers push for dedicated servers, and it’s a main detractor for those who want to play a match from beginning to end with no hassle.

To help combat the issue of a spotty Wi-Fi connection comes the HP200AV Powerline Internet AV Kit from Diamond Multimedia. Essentially what the kit is meant to do is bridge your router from one room to the other through your power outlets. No more dropped Wi-Fi signal, and no struggling with your 100’ Ethernet cord, because AV Kit brings wired Internet to any room in your house. It's a simple idea but can something that seems so impossible truly deliver wired internet to any room in your house? Read on to find out.

Having tried similar products like this before, I was very receptive to the idea of the HP200AV, and found it to do exactly what it claims. Set-up is a cinch — simply plug one adapter (which is connected to a router via Ethernet) into an outlet and plug the other into your desired room -- and leaves you with a solid Internet connection in the far reaches of your house.

So far I have encountered no problems with the kit since installation; the connection has always been there - even when I switch from my PS3 to my Wii to my laptop.

Obviously the HP200AV will appeal most to competitive online gamers, but it also works perfectly for anyone in need of a stronger, wired Internet connection. The HP200AV delivers a much faster speed than Wi-Fi -- making browsing with your laptop or accessing Netflix Watch Instantly much more reliable. It doesn’t seem like an idea that would make much sense, but don’t think about it too much, it simply works.

Retailing at around $80, the HP200AV isn’t going to be for everybody — especially with consoles that support Wi-Fi — but it does deliver a solid signal from one room to the other without any hassle. If you’ve ever found yourself struggling with a dropped connection, or feeling like a wired connection might alleviate your woes, the HP200AV is the perfect solution. It keeps the connection problems far away and leaves you to your most important task: the gaming.

Could you benefit from the addition of the HP200AV Powerline Internet AV Kit to your home? Would you be interested in a product like this?