Billion BiPAC 2071

Billion's first HomePlug AV adapters - the BiPAC 2071s - did well. Performance was almost as quick at distance as it was up close with a differential of under 6Mbits/sec between throughput to our garden office and speeds in the house. In fact our tests showed it to be on a par with the impressive ZyXEL PLA401, with an overall average of 34.1Mbits/sec compared to the ZyXEL's 34Mbits/sec speed.

What tips things in the BiPACs' favour, however, is their intelligent design. Not only are these devices certified, but they also boast easily accessible buttons on the front for both resetting and setting up encrypted networks.

But the really clever bit is at the business end: the Billions come with alternative three-pronged plug parts, which enable the body of each homeplug to be arranged either vertically or horizontally.

It might not sound like much, but if you have plug sockets close to the floor or particularly thick skirting boards, it means you don't have to use an extension to fit them in. This, and their all-round speed, means they're our favourites in this group.

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Author: Jonathan Bray