I work in hi-tech public relations and get to see a lot of great products and services and every so often it hits me that some of these products would be really useful in the reefing hobby. One company I work with, Actiontec Electronics, made a Valentine’s Day announcement about their MegaPlug AV Powerline networking adapters as a gift for your sweetie and a way to connect their home theater, DVR, extend a PC network, a video game console, etc. The light bulb went on and I knew this would be great for all you reefers with Ethernet-enabled aquarium controllers.

Not too many reefers I know have a pristine setup with every little wire, hose or controller hidden from view. Let’s face it our better halves deal with this, buckets and hosing laying around, test kits out, various equipment on a table or stand waiting to be put away or put to use, so why not eliminate that Ethernet cable you have stretched throughout your house just so you can connect you controller to the Internet and monitor it all from work?

Actiontec’s MegaPlug AVs use your home existing power lines to create a broadband connection. The MegaPlug AV have been rated at 200 MBPS, so enough power to give you seamless online gamine experiences, allow you to watch video on demand, share big files and stream video on your PC and hook up your controller to your PC.

Not everyone has Ethernet outlets in each room and chances are the PC is far away from the aquarium. With the MegaPlug AV you just plug one adapter into any power outlet by your display tank and connect to your controller with an Ethernet cable. Take the other adapter in an outlet near your PC and connect to your computer with an Ethernet cord and you have an instant hi-speed Internet connection! Just as simple as plugging in a powerhead.

This is particularly useful for those of you with remote fish rooms in the garage, basement or other parts of the house. You can monitor your DT and your sump and refugium parameters–all you need is an outlet and the MegaPlug AV.

The MegaPlug AVs have an MSRP of $169.99 for a starter kit of two and can be purchased online at Actiontec’s Online Store or from major e-tailers like Amazon.com, Buy.com and BestBuy.com. They are also available from your local Best Buy, Fry’s and Walmart.

(Disclaimer: I work for FutureWorks PR as the agency of record for Actiontec Electronics as the Account Manager. I have used the MegaPlug AVs and can personally attest to all claims made about these products)