Introduction

The Corinex GameNet system is a HomePlug-compliant powerline networking bridge. It can connect a host—Corinex markets it for game consoles—to a switch or router via an existing electrical system. Corinex claims a four-fold speed increase against wireless connections with apparently zero configuration required. However, it's not as easy and quick as we'd hoped. Read on for the BIOS LEVEL review.

Company background

Corinex is an 18-year-old privately-held Canadian company which manufactures networking products which take advantage of existing wiring—coaxial and electrical.

It is a member of the HomePlug Powerline Alliance and founding member of the Universal Powerline Association, Home Gateway Initiative, and IEEE 1901 Powerline standards working group.

Features & Specifications

• 200 Mbps bandwidth via powerline networking
• Sufficient bandwidth to support 1080p HD content
• Guarantee stable connection
• Zero configuration, two minute installation
• Guaranteed compatibility with Xbox, Xbox 360, Wii, PS2, and PS3

Packaging

The Corinex GameNet comes in a majorly white box which clearly outlines the major features of the system: 200 Mbps speeds faster than wireless, quick installation, and a stable, secure connection.

The images on the back try to let the potential user see a difference between gaming with wireless and gaming with GameNet. I hardly doubt that the digitization is quite that bad. I think Corinex would be better off plugging the features of the GameNet again or offering an explanation of the security of the system.

The box includes an installation CD, a quick start manual, two Ethernet cables, and two, matching AV 200 Powerline Wallmount units.

First Look

The AV 200 units which comprise the Corinex GameNet system are white and look similar to an AC adapter. There are three LEDs on the front: power, physical link (powerline), and data link (Ethernet). It has a dimpled body, probably for ventilation. The rear has a label with its certifications and the serial number/MAC address.

Each has an RJ-45 jack on the bottom.

Installation

Installation was seemed fairly straightforward. I connected one AV 200 adapter to the wall outlet in my room and the other in the office on the other corner of the house. These rooms are on separate circuits and even different ages of wiring. The wiring in my room was installed in 2001; the wiring in the office was installed in the mid-seventies.

I plugged the office unit into a Windows-based computer in there and the one in my room to my Dell gigabit switch.

However, the units did not immediately connect. There are not surge suppressors or power strips in the mix, as I know that Powerline networking has issues with these devices. I guess installation is not just a plug-and-go process, as least for computers.

I resorted to the documentaton on the installation CD. I apparently have to visit an internal IP address in order to configure the adapter connected to the computer. This increases the amount of work required to set it up for computers, but I wonder if console users would have to do this, as well. Setup took me almost an hour.

I had to setup each unit manually by enabling DHCP and setting a network identifier. To do this, I had to manually change the IP address of my computer to something in the 10.10.0.0/16 address range (10.10.0.0 to 10.10.255.255) and then connect to the unit at http://10.10.1.69 via a web browser.