Networking company devolo have launched the Magic 2 WiFi next adapters. Combining 2Gbps powerline networking with mesh wifi, Magic 2 WiFi next promises to “bring your home internet to the next level”. Powerline networking allows an access point in any room with a power socket. On top of this, technology from mesh wifi ensures the best possible connection in any location.
Meet the devolo Magic 2 WiFi next
Powerline Networking
As many are stuck working from home, getting a good wifi connection is more important than ever. However, some buildings are difficult for a single router to cover.
One solution is to get ethernet run through the house. An electrician can put ethernet cables through the walls and provide ports at points in the walls. However this only really works for wired devices, and isn’t cheap. Plus, it’s never convinient having to get building work done.
Powerline networking does the same thing, but without expensive and inconvinient building work. Rather than using dedicated wires, powerline networking uses the same wires as your mains electricity. Special adapters can send and receive weak signals without disrupting or being disrupted by normal mains use. The modern “G.hn” standard used by the devolo Magic 2 WiFi next can do this at speeds up to 2Gbps.
Powerline signals don’t pass through fuse or breaker boxes very easily, however security still matters. The “G.hn” standard used by devolo includes 128-bit AES encryption to keep your data private even if it leaks into the wider mains.
Mesh Networking
Mesh networking, when it comes to wifi, is where access points work together to provide seamless coverage. Normally it entails access points connecting to each other – such as the Mercusys Halo S12 system that launched in June.
When it comes to the devolo Magic 2 WiFi next, things seem to be a little different. As far as we can tell, the access points don’t talk to one another over wifi. However, they don’t really need to – that’s what the powerline connection is for. No doubt devolo feel it’s better to leave the airwaves free for your devices.
So, where’s the mesh? Well, the Magic 2 WiFi next still uses a lot of the supporting technologies for mesh networking. Fast roaming and access point steering allow a seamless experience throughout a building covered by multiple access points. The difference is that the access points themselves communicate over the mains, not the air.
Putting this all together, devolo hope to cure weak wifi with a system that keeps every access point fast.
Availability and Pricing
devolo Magic 2 WiFi next products are available now from Amazon UK. A £169.99 starter kit offers a single access point, plus the Magic 2 LAN adapter to plug into your existing router. A £269.99 whole home wifi kit offers two access points to get the benefit of the mesh-related technology. Finally, if you just need an extra access point to go with your existing devolo Magic 2 setup, that can be had for £109.99.
