ZyXEL Communications, a leading provider of secure broadband networking, Internet access, connected home and routing products, today announced its new and first to market gigabit speed powerline adapter, the PLA5206, as well as 1.2 gigabit per second (Gbps) MIMO powerline adapter, the PLA5405. Both adapters bring plug-n-play gigabit connectivity to the demanding, HD media streaming digital homes of today.

Video consumption has skyrocketed in recent years and most content being streamed today is HD quality or higher. Increasing consumer demand for faster downloads and faster broadband services are driving the need for high throughput home networking solutions. ZyXEL's new powerline adapters address this growing demand. The PLA5206 boasts speeds of up to 1 Gbps, while the 1.2 Gbps PLA5405 features Line-Natural / Line-Ground MIMO1 smart-antenna technology, which allows the PLA5405 to send data simultaneously over different wires in the home for faster throughput and extended coverage."ZyXEL continues to push the envelope, launching better, faster and simpler home networking solutions," said Steven Joe, executive vice president for channel business for Americas at ZyXEL. "Our new powerline adapters will offer consumers more choices in plug-n-play, gigabit home networking technology."

Both, the PLA5206 and ZyXEL's PLA5405 utilize the HomePlug AV2 standard with QoS that is optimized to transmit multiple HD video streams simultaneously. The new adapters also include 128-bit AES encryption for security, multicolor LEDs to indicate powerline network quality and auto power-saving mode for green operation.

Price and availability
The PLA5206 will be sold in pairs (PLA5206KIT -- MSRP $160) and will be available starting September 1st from all authorized ZyXEL resellers.

The PLA5405 will be available in October.