Love the powerline kit

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linw

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#265337 17-Jan-2020 08:39

After moving house I had to use a wifi connection to my wife's Dell Optiplex 780 that was positioned around a corner in the conservatory. Bought a PCI wifi card with aerials attached, installed it, then found the 780 can't cope with the display port as well as a PCI card!! Darn, didn't see that coming.

Next was a USB 2.4Gb doofer. It was coping with browsing but I was finding macrium backups were VERY slow and usually failed.

Now I have a D-Link AV2 1000. Wow, instant success with 104/25 off my 100/20 connection. Even came with the two connecting cables.

Problem solved!

Now wonder why I didn't get it to start with.

snnet

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#2400394 17-Jan-2020 09:13

So many people on here say these are horrible things that don't work but I've never ever had an issue with them. Even using third, fourth, fifth ones to make a powerline network.

timmmay

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#2400395 17-Jan-2020 09:29

I tried one about 5-7 years ago. They weren't great in my pretty old house with an old power board, I think I got about 2Mbps across the powerline. I think they work better in modern houses.

SirHumphreyAppleby

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#2400398 17-Jan-2020 09:37

No issues in our mid-'80s home. I have one permanently installed behind my rack and a few units I can plugin around the house as required. I use them much more frequently than I would wireless. I even use them hanging off power strips and they seem to work just fine.

timmmay

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#2400434 17-Jan-2020 09:45

80's is almost new! My house is like 20s, with the electrics a bit more modern.

1024kb

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#2400437 17-Jan-2020 09:50

I'm in with you guys, Powerline kit is yet to let me down.

If laying Cat 6 cable is not appropriate then Powerline is a solid solution. Often cost-effective too, comparing time invested in shoving cables through impossible areas vs the simple plug & play of Powerline.

The usual consumerland solution to increasing WiFi coverage is one of those horrid WiFi extenders - just an awful way to do things. Cheap & nasty. A Powerline kit kicks that into touch. Yeah, sure, there's often more effective solutions available, but they cost more than a quick Powerline install.

Pro tip: Powerline kit is often sold on TradeMe. I buy latest-gen, new in the box at substantially less than retail then hold til my next client requires it.

Megabyte - so geek it megahertz

nitro

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#2400472 17-Jan-2020 10:15

i think the story with powerline ethernet is a bunch of IFs.

IF:

it's too expensive to retrofit an Ethernet cable
your house wiring allows it to work as designed
you understand its limitations, e.g. not really expecting what's written on the tin (or box)

For those who cannot lay a CAT6 from their router to their entertainment centre, this is a good solution. I wouldn't really use it for the whole house, e.g. to every bedroom.

I actually bought a TL-PA9020P kit just to run it through a proper throughput test, so I know its limits (best case under 200 Mbps). Gave it to my father-in-law afterwards and he was over the moon having it replace his 4020 kit.

Dell

Shop now for Dell laptops and other devices (affiliate link).

Tracer

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#2401016 17-Jan-2020 23:52

Powerline is a reasonable solution if you're renting, and will give you 50 Mbps+ if you're lucky. I had issues with TP-Link (needed rebooted every few weeks), but once I got some Netcomm ones they were more solid than the underground electricity supply. It's cheaper to run a cable if you can DIY in your own home though and you'll never be limited by bandwidth.