Powerline Help

[thunderfire123]

I am looking to get a gigabit powerline. What specs matter and what should i keep in mind when looking for one? Also whats makes a powerline better than another?

 

EDIT: I am not looking for gigabit speeds, as my internet plan does not support that fast. Just up to 400 mbps.

 

Also does AV2 matter?

[Goodman2265]

A Ethernet cable is always best option but a Power-line adapter is another option but it isn't the best, Just buy a standard 1 Gigabit Power-line adapter from TP-Link or Netgear and you should be fine.

[manikyath]

gigabit powerline is a joke.

 

the best i've ever got out of a powerline (best case scenario) was 40Mbit out of a 300Mbit pair.

 

 

if you want gigabit, try and getting a cable.

[yannickverc]

Make sure you buy a powerline adapter like this. If you plug it into a box with multiple plugs you'll lose a shitload of speed. I had that happen to me

[Oshino Shinobu]

If you need gigabit speeds, don't go for powerline. It will depend on the wiring in the house, which most likely isn't up to constant gigabit speeds. Hardwire is your best option for gigabit. 

[thunderfire123]

Make sure you buy a powerline adapter like this. If you plug it into a box with multiple plugs you'll lose a shitload of speed. I had that happen to me

Do I have to plug 4 Ethernet cables on both ends?

[cwhite92]

In my experience, gigabit powerline adapters are a marketing ploy and none of them actually achieve gigabit speeds.

 

The one I bought suffered from disconnections quite frequently, so I got a pair of 200Mbit TP-Link ones and they're brilliant.

 

But, if you absolutely need gigabit, you're going to have to fork out for some CAT5.

[yannickverc]

Do I have to plug 4 Ethernet cables on both ends?

Nono, this is just an adapter with 4 LAN slots. You can buy adapters with just 1 slot np.

[thunderfire123]

If you need gigabit speeds, don't go for powerline. It will depend on the wiring in the house, which most likely isn't up to constant gigabit speeds. Hardwire is your best option for gigabit. 

does av2 matter?

[Oshino Shinobu]

does av2 matter?

Not really. They always quote "up to" gigabit speeds, but if it's below gigabit, the NIC should drop to 100 BASE, so you'll be limited by that. 

 

Really, for gigabit, powerline is not up to the task. 

[manikyath]

Not really. They always quote "up to" gigabit speeds, but if it's below gigabit, the NIC should drop to 100 BASE, so you'll be limited by that. 

 

Really, for gigabit, powerline is not up to the task. 

how about 300Mbit powerlans with 100Mbit ports?

 

powerlines are even bigger snake oil than cheap wifi...

[Oshino Shinobu]

how about 300Mbit powerlans with 100Mbit ports?

 

powerlines are even bigger snake oil than cheap wifi...

Well, I've got a set of 300Mbps powerline adapters that I tested to see what their speed was. 

 

I had them in the same room, so the wiring in the house (house is less than 3 years old) wouldn't be an issue. Used CAT6 cable to be sure. When I transferred a file from my PC to my laptop, it capped out at about 11MB/s, which is just shy of 100Mbps. If you try to change the NIC to 1Gbps Full Duplex, it just says that a cable is not connected, both on my desktop and laptop. I now have everything hardwired around the house, with my laptop and desktop on the same gigabit switch and they're working fine. I've seen speeds of around 120MB/s (960Mbps). 

 

Powerline is definitely a good alternative to poor WiFi, but it doesn't hold a candle to hardwire. If you need speed for local transfers, hardwire is the best way to go. 

[thunderfire123]

Well, I've got a set of 300Mbps powerline adapters that I tested to see what their speed was. 

 

I had them in the same room, so the wiring in the house (house is less than 3 years old) wouldn't be an issue. Used CAT6 cable to be sure. When I transferred a file from my PC to my laptop, it capped out at about 11MB/s, which is just shy of 100Mbps. If you try to change the NIC to 1Gbps Full Duplex, it just says that a cable is not connected, both on my desktop and laptop. I now have everything hardwired around the house, with my laptop and desktop on the same gigabit switch and they're working fine. I've seen speeds of around 120MB/s (960Mbps). 

 

Powerline is definitely a good alternative to poor WiFi, but it doesn't hold a candle to hardwire. If you need speed for local transfers, hardwire is the best way to go. 

Do the types of Ethernet cables matter?

[Oshino Shinobu]

Do the types of Ethernet cables matter?

Well, CAT5e supports Gigabit speeds, but it's limited by length. CAT6 should be enough for most home uses. 

[thunderfire123]

Well, CAT5e supports Gigabit speeds, but it's limited by length. CAT6 should be enough for most home uses. 

How many types are there?

[Oshino Shinobu]

How many types are there?

CAT5e is the most common right now. CAT6 is what I'd advise using, and CAT6a for very long cable runs. 

[Columbo]

Nobody is arguing the superiority between standard Ethernet (hardwire) vs. powerline. For those who have a small living space on one floor powerline makes no sense. Wifi works good enough. If you are a gamer you obviously want a hardline connection to the router/switch. Most people do not have gigabit switches either independent switches or on their router. Obviously in forums such as Linus Tech Tips, the numbers of gigabit switch users is much higher than mainstream computer users.

 

What powerline gives you is an always on connection that is not dependent on wireless transmissions that are diluted by walls and distance. The gigabit switch powerline connections mated with a gigabit switch port are faster than the kits with 100mbps Ethernet switches. I have the latter and I get downloads of 8.5mb which is around 70mbps best case scenario. I don't sling files from computer to computer and measure my speed in download speed from my cable modem. Typically I get 5-7mb downloads from Steam which is between 40mbps-70mbps. My cable modem speed goes as high as 165mbps down and as low as the mid 60's mbps during peak times.

 

The benefits of powerline is an always on connection that is not spotty like wifi can sometimes be. It's basically a hardline Ethernet connection with slower speeds than a true hardline connection. For big downloads I have a 100ft Cat 6 cable that I string down several flights of stairs to my computer listed in my signature.

 

For laptops I use wifi connections.

 

Ethernet>Powerline>Wifi that is how they rank. People often forget powerline is an always on connection not relying on wireless radio waves like wifi. It's not for everyone but I am sure some of you people have a friend or two who strings cat 5 or 6 cables throughout their homes from room to room. I am talking about the people who have cables exposed and not professionally done in the walls and with wall plates. Consider those types and powerline is an excellent technology.

[skywake]

Yes the speeds they put on the box aren't anywhere near the speeds you will get in use. Not unlike WiFi. However that doesn't mean that it doesn't have a place. Powerline isn't better than WiFi at short distances but it will keep on going for longer distances than WiFi will. And Ethernet is obviously king, I think we all know that. The issue is that going to the trouble of running Ethernet through your walls is always a bit of a leap and sometimes it isn't practical. But FFS, nobody answered the actual questions....

 

I am looking to get a gigabit powerline. What specs matter and what should i keep in mind when looking for one? Also whats makes a powerline better than another?

 

EDIT: I am not looking for gigabit speeds, as my internet plan does not support that fast. Just up to 400 mbps.

 

Also does AV2 matter?

1. Pretty much all powerline of the same spec perform about the same

2. You won't get 400Mbps but you should be able to get ~200Mbps if you go with AV2. Depending on your wiring

3. Yes, AV2 matters. AV200 runs at about 40Mbps, AV500 runs at about 80Mbps. 

[techguru]

I am looking to get a gigabit powerline. What specs matter and what should i keep in mind when looking for one? Also whats makes a powerline better than another?

 

EDIT: I am not looking for gigabit speeds, as my internet plan does not support that fast. Just up to 400 mbps.

 

Also does AV2 matter?

http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-powerline-networking-kit/#tested

[Spev]

Make sure you buy a powerline adapter like this. If you plug it into a box with multiple plugs you'll lose a shitload of speed. I had that happen to me

Yeah, you're never supposed to plug a powerline adapter into a power strip or UPS. It's always supposed to have it's own plug on the wall.