Powerline vs Wi-Fi adapter?

Forums › LAN (ethernet/Wifi/routers/Bluetooth) › Powerline vs Wi-Fi adapter?

CrashAndBurn

654 posts

Ultimate Geek

#277376 12-Oct-2020 06:31

I have just moved into an apartment and due to the layout am unable to connect my HTPC via ethernet cable. I was initially thinking of buying a Wi-Fi adapter (USB or PCI-E) but then thought of Powerline adapters. 5 years ago, powerline adapters were a hit and miss based on reviews so was wondering if anyone has recent experience and recommendation? Hopefully, someone who used them in a multi-unit dwelling as I live in an apartment and have no clue if the circuit will play nice with it. I am looking at the 2 options below.

https://www.pbtech.co.nz/product/NETTPL48033/TP-Link-TL-PA8033PKIT-AV1300-Powerline-Kit-with-AC

https://www.pbtech.co.nz/product/NETAS0168/ASUS-USB-AC68-Dual-Band-AC1900-USB-Wireless-Adapte

sbiddle

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#2582807 12-Oct-2020 07:26

I've installed several of the TP-Link adapters and found them to work well. They're on the pricier side because they also have an AP at the client end - do you actually need this or just the EOP adapter with Ethernet out?

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dklong

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#2582816 12-Oct-2020 08:02

I recommended a similar TP-Link unit for a mate with an office at the far end of the house at the start of the first lockdown when he had to work from home. Has worked really well for him. He uses a mix of wired and wireless devices in the office so this gave him good flexibility and was very easy to set up. As @sbiddle commented, you are paying for a Wi-Fi AP that you may not need so perhaps consider one of the cheaper options.

CrashAndBurn

654 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2583147 12-Oct-2020 15:12

I don't mind the Wi-Fi AP. I tried searching for ethernet only but could not find one with multiple ports on one end e.g. most are 1 to 1 config. 3 ports will be enough but if any have other recommendations please let me know.

CYaBro

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#2583180 12-Oct-2020 16:08

CrashAndBurn:

I have just moved into an apartment and due to the layout am unable to connect my HTPC via ethernet cable. I was initially thinking of buying a Wi-Fi adapter (USB or PCI-E) but then thought of Powerline adapters. 5 years ago, powerline adapters were a hit and miss based on reviews so was wondering if anyone has recent experience and recommendation? Hopefully, someone who used them in a multi-unit dwelling as I live in an apartment and have no clue if the circuit will play nice with it. I am looking at the 2 options below.

https://www.pbtech.co.nz/product/NETTPL48033/TP-Link-TL-PA8033PKIT-AV1300-Powerline-Kit-with-AC

https://www.pbtech.co.nz/product/NETAS0168/ASUS-USB-AC68-Dual-Band-AC1900-USB-Wireless-Adapte

FYI that TP-Link product you've linked to does not include wifi, it's ethernet only.

Opinions are my own and not the views of my employer.

myopinion

938 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2583183 12-Oct-2020 16:15

I use this ethernet/wifi over power at home, purchased at the beginning of the lockdown and it works great.

NETGEAR Homeplug AV2 PLW1000 1000Mbps Dual Kit with Dual-band Wireless-AC600 HotSpot

https://www.pbtech.co.nz/product/NETNGRPL1001/NETGEAR-Homeplug-AV2-PLW1000-1000Mbps-Dual-Kit-wit

nztim

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#2583189 12-Oct-2020 16:22

myopinion:

I use this ethernet/wifi over power at home, purchased at the beginning of the lockdown and it works great.

NETGEAR Homeplug AV2 PLW1000 1000Mbps Dual Kit with Dual-band Wireless-AC600 HotSpot

https://www.pbtech.co.nz/product/NETNGRPL1001/NETGEAR-Homeplug-AV2-PLW1000-1000Mbps-Dual-Kit-wit

+1 for these

Any views expressed on these forums are my own and don't necessarily reflect those of my employer.

dukester

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#2583290 12-Oct-2020 18:36

I was using two power line adapters, Dlink ones, I had one in the garage so I could remote access my security camera system and one in out side sleepout running the streaming vodafone tv box. Worked flawlessly.

raytaylor

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#2583935 13-Oct-2020 21:16

I highly recommend the TP-Link TL-WPA4220 kit

We have over 100+ deployed in customer homes and they work well.

In an apartment they would be perfect - some of the worst wifi environments are apartment buildings so the goal is to get as much traffic as possible onto a hardline and out of the air.

Powerline in single dwelling units can be either really good or really bad - I find its not the age of the wiring but the distance of the circuits. Eg. The total distance between powerline units, via the fuse board.

However in multi dwelling units, the size of the apartment is generally smaller so the distance will often be shorter and more reliable. Modern apartments are fitted with better star topology wiring too so the signal path is more direct.

If you use the tp-link windows app and plug directly into one of the units with an ethernet cable, it can tell you the wire-rate at which the units are talking together. If its below 50mbps it will be unreliable, but anything over 50mbps will be pretty good.

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nztim

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#2584006 13-Oct-2020 22:17

raytaylor:

In an apartment they would be perfect - some of the worst wifi environments are apartment buildings so the goal is to get as much traffic as possible onto a hardline and out of the air.

Prime example of these is The Peak Apartments in Taranaki Street Wellington almost impossible to get any wifi working and your customers "expect" it to work

IMHO they should have installed a proper managed wireless solution in those apartments and have broadband as part of the bodycorp - But that is a whole other subject

Any views expressed on these forums are my own and don't necessarily reflect those of my employer.

MarkM536

304 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2584253 14-Oct-2020 11:39

I bought one of these EoP (ethernet over powerline adaptors and they work.

However, many devices in my home don't like the interference. Speakers got a loud pulsating hum and old stereos that rely on 50Hz cycle for timing went off track.

I've since run wires through the walls.

I hate both WiFi and these EoP adaptors. If I had to chose I'd actually got for WiFI. But it depends on your home appliances, if you've got no devices affected then they are better than WiFI.