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Trendnet shrinks its Powerline AV 500 adapter

Trendnet announces what's arguably the world's smallest Powerline AV 500Mbps adapter, which will make its debut at CES 2012.

Dong Ngo SF Labs Manager, Editor / Reviews
CNET editor Dong Ngo has been involved with technology since 2000, starting with testing gadgets and writing code for CNET Labs' benchmarks. He now manages CNET San Francisco Labs, reviews 3D printers, networking/storage devices, and also writes about other topics from online security to new gadgets and how technology impacts the life of people around the world.
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The new TPL-406E Powerline AV 500 adapter from Trendnet.
The new TPL-406E Powerline AV 500 adapter from Trendnet. Trendnet

If you're hesitating to upgrade to the 500Mbps Powerline AV networking standard due to the size of its adapters (like the colossal Netgear XAV5501), well I have some good news.

Trendnet announced today what it's claiming is the world's smallest Powerline AV 500 adapter: the 500 Mbps Compact Powerline AV Adapter TPL-406E. The company says that it will be demoing this unit at CES 2012.

Judging from the photo that shows how the new adapter fits right in your palm, it's indeed the smallest Powerline AV 500 adapter I've ever seen. Trendnet says the TPL-406E comes with a power-saving feature that allows the unit to consume 70 percent less energy in standby mode.

Despite the compact size, the adapter is capable of turning your home's electrical wiring into a computer network with a data rate of up to 500Mbps, five times that of a regular Ethernet connection. You'll need at least two adapters to form the first power-line connection. For this reason, the TPL-406E comes both as a single unit or in a kit of two units, model TPL-4062K.

The new tiny 500Mbps Powerline AV adapter is compatible with other Powerline AV and HomePlug AV adapters and will be available for purchase by April this year with an estimated price of $40 each.