The Trendnet WiFi Everywhere Powerline 1200 AV2 combines the best of two worlds, that of powerlines and that of WiFi networks. The result is an ability to blanket your property in WiFi and wired coverage no matter its size or layout.
While the basic setup will let you piggyback your power lines to extend WiFi, you can add up to eight units, meaning the range is massive. That makes this a competitor to the likes of the more recently popular mesh WiFi networks, only without the high price.
This made it onto our list of the best WiFi boosters as the only powerline product there, making this one of the best in its class.
But before you buy any kind of WiFi booster you should consider whether that's really the best solution to your problems. If you're having internet connection issues, it could be an problem with your wireless router, or you might not be with the best internet provider.
But once you've ruled those issues out and decided you need one, is this the best WiFi extender for you? Read on to find out everything you need to know about the Trendnet WiFi Everywhere Powerline 1200 AV2.
Trendnet WiFi Everywhere Powerline 1200 AV2 review: Design and build
The Trendnet WiFi Everywhere Powerline 1200 AV2 isn't the best looking bit of kit, we'll be honest. But working a power socket into the front of any gadget is always going to look odd. That said it's a worthy addition that means you get your extender and don't even have to sacrifice your wall socket.
The design is minimal with a white finish that helps this blend into the background where there would be a white socket anyway.
This is a two part set, with one end plugging into the main router and the wall, to send out the signal and the other end boosting it as WiFi at the other point. The sending-end features a Gigabit Ethernet adapter meaning you will get every last bit of speed the router has to offer.
At the WiFi boosting end there are three LAN ports meaning this can be used as an access point to avoid WiFi altogether and offer maximum bandwidth.
Both units feature sync buttons which need to be pressed initially to pair the units. Once that is done they should work without you needing to touch them again.
The WiFi booster end features dual antennas that are able to churn out dual-band WiFi to an 802.11ac standard.
WiFi rating: AC1200
WiFi spec: 802.11ac dual-band
Antennas: Two external
Ports: One Single/triple Gigabit Ethernet
Range: 984 feet over power lines
Trendnet WiFi Everywhere Powerline 1200 AV2 review: Features
The Trendnet WiFi Everywhere Powerline 1200 AV2 features a through power adapter at the router end. That means it can connect to the router and offer it power without taking up another wall socket. Even the Ethernet cable to connect the two is also included.
The ability to clone the SSID and password from your main router is a nice addition. This means that the extended signal will appear to be on the same network. That means devices currently using the network won't need to be changed. It also means that when moving between connection areas the transition to the better WiFi will be seamless.
This extender uses both MIMO and beamforming tech. The result is that even when there are lots of devices using the system it will intelligently distribute the bandwidth. It will also focus direct data delivery on devices so that they receive the maximum speeds possible.
The 802.11ac Wi-Fi is dual band across 2.4GHz and 5GHz and offers up to 866Mbps over the air. Everything is pre-encrypted so that your data should remain secure within the network.
Trendnet WiFi Everywhere Powerline 1200 AV2 review: Performance
The Trendnet WiFi Everywhere Powerline 1200 AV2 is built to offer up to 1,200Mbps over the powerlines for up to 984 feet. Of course the real world results are never going to be that fast because of a number of factors. These include the type of wiring in your property, interference, and distance to cover.
In our testing we found that in the same room as the extender we got up to 400Mbps with a low of 300Mbps, so not low at all then. Go further, between floors, and that dropped to a still very respectable 150Mbps. Move even further away and the signal dropped to the 100Mbps mark.
So, all in all, performance was excellent but this was tested on a fairly modern wiring setup in a home that apparently supports powerline tech well. The only two issues are likely to be the top and bottom floor being on separate power rings and something like an industrial winch motor being connected to the circuit to create interference. Not got those? You'll likely be enjoying decent speeds then.
Setup is super simple with that clone button to extend the current WiFi setup so no fiddling with new device setups is needed. The linking between base and extender is also super simple by pressing a sync button and waiting a few seconds.
Should You buy the Trendnet WiFi Everywhere Powerline 1200 AV2?
The Trendnet WiFi Everywhere Powerline 1200 AV2 is a superb option for anyone wishing to get very high-speeds across their property without shelling out for a mesh network setup. This is easy to setup, runs fast and can extend to eight units for very wide coverage.
This is one of the best WiFi extenders in our best WiFi boosters list but if you prefer the idea of a mesh network and don't mind the expense then there are lot of options available.
