Belkin boosts Powerline HD networking to 1Gbit/s

Belkin's Powerline HD kits allow networking over electrical wiring

Networking equipment firm Belkin has bolstered the speed of it Powerline HD kits to allow data transfers of up to 1Gbit/s, up from the current rate of 200Mbit/s.

The kit allows networking over electrical wiring, and removes the need to run additional cabling throughout the home or office.

The growing adoption of hosted applications, and the demand for ever greater amounts of online media, mean that the need for faster networks is spreading out from the network core of large companies out to end users.

Some 84 per cent of surfers are watching more internet video now than ever before, according to 2008 figures from analyst firm IDC, and the number of online videos viewed in the US grew tenfold from around 10 billion in 2005 to 100 billion in 2007.

Belkin's Powerline HD kit embeds Gigle Semiconductor's Mediaxtream chip to help users get a secure and stable networking signal anywhere on the local circuit, thereby reducing latency and ensuring that high-quality transmission of multiple video streams are not hindered.

The kit consists of two adaptors which plug into any available wall socket. Standard RJ45 network cables are then connected to each of the adaptors and to the router and PC or other network-enabled device.

The Belkin Gigabit Powerline HD Starter Kit is available now in North America for $149.99 (£90), and is due to hit Europe in early August. Local pricing has yet to be confirmed.