Powerline adapters - 500Mbps vs 1000/1200Mbps

Legend · 14 Mar 2016 at 10:37

Is there going to be any real noticeable difference between a 500Mbps vs 1000/1200Mbps adapter in a home environment? I will be using with Virgin Vivid 200, although not sure what my actual speeds are as not moving in until next week. Is paying more for a 'faster' adapter worth it?? I came across the below tests someone did and it would suggest 1000/1200 is a waste of money?

http://www.techpowerup.com/forums/t...-n-vs-wireless-ac-vs-gigabit-ethernet.212628/

bledd · 14 Mar 2016 at 11:06

Is it a new build? Put ethernet in.

ant1298 · 14 Mar 2016 at 11:08

Check the ports they come with. I think only the 1000/1200 Mbps plugs come with gig ports.

Makes all the difference then.

bremen1874 · 14 Mar 2016 at 12:23

That article is far too limited to draw any conclusions.

If you want to have any chance of getting anyway near 200Mbps you're going to need the 1000/1200 adapters.

If you actually want the full speed then find a way to run a cable.

For me the point of having a 200Mbps service is to properly support a number of different simultaneous clients, not just to provide a single machine with a fast connection. If getting the full speed at a particular device is important then be prepared to install some cables.

gazujii · 14 Mar 2016 at 13:28

I posted a thread over the weekend about something similar .. and just a word of advice which I have learnt make sure whatever plugs you go with that they support the gigabit ethernet ports. otherwise you will have no chance of reaching the speeds

TheVoice · 14 Mar 2016 at 16:52

Ideally, go for the fastest adapters you can afford. You won't ever see the speeds they're rated at, but you'll still get better results than you would with a lower-rated set.

Rozzy85 · 14 Mar 2016 at 18:05

Build quality and chipset will matter most just like with wireless adapters. So an expensive 500Mbps set may work better than a cheap 1200Mbps set. Powerline modulates and transmits data much in the same way as wireless, only using the electrical wiring as a medium this time, and suffers from the same environmental noise issues that can hinder connection quality.

Legend · 14 Mar 2016 at 19:37

Not a new build unfortunately, about 20 years old, so no chance of putting new cable in. I was looking at the Solwise AV2 1200, seems to be one of the better adapters out there. I would chance it with wi-fi, but it's a solid house with thick brick walls so not ideal in that sense.

bledd · 14 Mar 2016 at 21:38

Ask an electrician for help to run the cat5e.

MG42Maniac · 15 Mar 2016 at 13:26

I've used the following over the past few years and these are the results I've had when using LAN:

2.4GHz wireless n (VM SH2) - 3MB/sec
5GHz wireless n (VM SH2) - 5MB/sec
.ac wireless (AC87U) - 35MB/sec
500MB powerline - 8.5MB/sec
1gbps ethernet - 112MB/sec

a1ex2001 · 15 Mar 2016 at 16:00

bledd. said:
Is it a new build? Put ethernet in.

bledd. said:
Ask an electrician for help to run the cat5e.

Bledd as you can see doesn't like powerline

I have a few 500's around the house and they work flawlessly yes I could get a faster connection with cat5 but the cost and hassle of install really isn't worth it to me at the minute.

bledd · 15 Mar 2016 at 20:53

Network connectivity is something that should never drop, it's unacceptable.

Powerline increases the chance of this, big time.

TheVoice · 15 Mar 2016 at 22:47

bledd. said:
Powerline increases the chance of this, big time.

So does WiFi, do you propose people abandon that too?

bremen1874 · 16 Mar 2016 at 01:39

You can always replace a Powerline connection with a real cable (given enough effort).

You can't always replace a Wi-Fi connection with a cable.

bledd · 16 Mar 2016 at 06:12

TheVoice said:
So does WiFi, do you propose people abandon that too?

No.

Wifi should be used for light browsing on mobile devices.

Werewolf · 16 Mar 2016 at 12:01

TheVoice said:
So does WiFi, do you propose people abandon that too?

Wifi is for mobile devices and things that don't rely on a network connection to work (it doesn't really matter if your BD player loses it's internet - although if it happens when watching GOT via it's Netflix app you may disagree).

Anything fixed that needs connectivity is far better off with wired.

I've given up on homeplugs, and even wireless annoys me for anything that it's not the only option for.
I've wasted far too much of my time trying to get them to work, and found that Homeplugs simply aren't worth the time/effort of trying to get them to work in houses with older wiring (<10mb/s)

Nismo · 16 Mar 2016 at 12:13

My Xbox One streaming 1080p content from Plex on wireless AC, not to mention all the other media streaming services I use, says hi. Oh, and it also maxes out my Vivid 200Mbps connection according to the network test...

Wireless AC and/or Powerline are fine for most people, folks should stop forcing the panacea of wired home networks onto anyone who asks for advice as it's simply unnecessary. Nice and the ideal yes, but unnecessary. Most don't want the disruption of lifting floorboards or channeling walls to run CAT5e when other options are perfectly adequate.

OspreyO · 16 Mar 2016 at 13:29

My powerline work fine on 100/10 port. The bottleneck for me is almost always the website. Not my network.

Minstadave · 16 Mar 2016 at 13:37

I've got 500mbps adaptors round the house, not lost the connection once in 2 years, top out at 20MB/s (they've got gigabit ports).

Not as good as ethernet but more than good enough.

ScoTTyBEEE · 16 Mar 2016 at 16:44

I've got 5 powerlines dotted around the house (for 3 AP's). It would require an inordinate amount of work to run cat5 around instead.

You know what, I've never had a problem with any of them either. As for their speed, well they max out the 4mb internet connection and that's all that matters.