[section_title title=”Closer Look”]Closer Look
Taking a look at the packaging, the Netgear Powerline 200 Mini twin pack comes in a rather small box and features an illustration of the adapters themselves on the front. It has information regarding the model number, some of the features and it mentions the phrase simple connection; I will see if that is the case during the performance testing. The overall colour scheme is lime green and white with the Netgear logo in indigo.
On the rear, the theme remains the same as the front but it gives you a comparison guide to compare the 200 Mini against the 200 Nano and the 500 Nano which Netgear also produce. The Powerline 200 Mini is the basic version although this should be better than a Wi-Fi connection. There is also a diagram depicting how the Powerlines are connected into a standard network etc.
Bundled with the Netgear Powerline 200 Mini twin pack is 2 x white RJ45 (Ethernet) cables which are required to connect 1 plug to your router and the other to the device you want to give internet too. No instruction manual is included and even though they seem very simple to use, Netgear can’t assume everyone knows what they are doing.
Looking at the Powerline 200 Mini adapters themselves, this particular sample is a twin pack so it allows you to connect 1 additional PC/games console to the internet. If you require more than 1 device connected, you will need to buy additional adapters. They are very crisp white and tend to blend in well and look aesthetically pleasing when placed in a white plug socket; certainly not as intrusive as a darker colour would have been.
There are 3 LED notification lights on the front, 1st is for power, 2nd is for connection to a network and the 3rd is Netgear’s personal touch which is called Pick-A-Plug. This indicates whether the plug is the best one to use and if it is it’ll light up green. However if it thinks you have made a bad choice, it will light up red and you might lose some capability in the connection due to this.
On the bottom of each adapter is a factory reset switch which can be pushed in by using something like a paperclip or skewer. There is also a security switch which secures the connection between the adapter and your network. Finally we have the RJ45 (Ethernet) port required to connect each powerline adapter to your device; one goes in the modem/router and the other directly into the device so PC, games console etc.
The flip side includes 3 pins for connecting into a regular UK 3 pin mains socket. It also includes a sticker on each one which details the model number, brand and security information etc.
