Powerline or Alternative Recommendations

kai · 20 Apr 2023 at 15:08

I am currently running a TL-WPA4220 TKIT powerline adaptor kit (AV600); its used by plugging into a SkyQ router and with a powerline adapter plugged in an outside office around (10m) from the SkyQ box. The speed in the house is around 60-70mb. The office; the adapter is plugged in and directly into a desktop PC (but also has a new wifi card if needed); plus there is also a laptop that needs to connect that adaptor/extender WIFI (as the signal is too weak to reach the house connection without it)

The speed in the office is around 10mb internet speed. The admin portal on TP-Link is showing: RX: 35mb TX 27mb

With the product being a few years old; is there any recommendations i can purchase that would allow for both the main PC being plugged into a powerline; but also have the wifi of the laptop connect with increased speeds?

Firegod · 20 Apr 2023 at 16:07

Some more knowledable folk will probably help more than me, but, it is odd that only 10m from main router that it is giving you such a weak signal and forcing you to use powerline adapters. They serve a purpose but will never be ideal. But why I say it is odd, I use the Asus XT12 mesh nodes for my WiFi. I have 2.4Ghz band set to just middle power level (which I think Asus class as "fair"). I can then be out the house, down the back into the shed and still pickup 2.4Ghz perfectly fine. 5Ghz is a barely registering (even with the node in the house set to full power for 5Ghz band). I think from that location the Node in the house, has to be about 15m away.

The easiest solution here for you might be to just invest in a more powerful WiFi router (and ditch the SkyQ one)

With regards to your current powerline kit, just make sure you haven't got any plugged into surge / 4-way gang protectors as that is a no no and will kill your transfer speeds. You could try newer powerline adapters - maybes the TL-WPA8631P KIT for example looks to be about £85. You're gaining 2x2 MIMO and Gigabit LAN ports.

Ta.

kai · 20 Apr 2023 at 16:38

Thank you for this helpful information. There is no 4-way gang protectors, its a simple wall to wall connection. I just spoke with Sky, and they are going to send out a SkyQ Wifi Booster. I will try dropping the powerline adapters and see if can use wifi on both PC and Laptop.

If that fails; i can try the TP product you recommended.

If that fails' the house is having a massive reonovation; i guess i could run Cat5 in the office.

Firegod · 20 Apr 2023 at 16:40

kai said:
Thank you for this helpful information. There is no 4-way gang protectors, its a simple wall to wall connection. I just spoke with Sky, and they are going to send out a SkyQ Wifi Booster. I will try dropping the powerline adapters and see if can use wifi on both PC and Laptop.

If that fails; i can try the TP product you recommended.

If that fails' the house is having a massive reonovation; i guess i could run Cat5 in the office.

Cool. Good luck! May as well run Cat6 if you're having some renovation works done. It's pretty flexible and easy to route. But until that happens you should be able to improve your current situation for little outlay.

Disco_P · 21 Apr 2023 at 10:03

Might be that your powerline adaptors are plugged into different ring mains for your house so the signal has to travel further and past other noisy wires.

At my parents the garage is down the bottom of the garden but gets higher bandwidth on powerline adapters than the floor above the router cause of how the floors are wired.

Personally if I could hardwire it, I would. Especially if you are doing renovations anyway. Buy decent cables and run 2 if you can.

bob9oc · 21 Apr 2023 at 12:34

I had TP link 1200 powerline adaptors and changed to a wifi mesh instead, as it wasnt maxing out by broadband.
My pc is on the first floor above the router, on a seperate ring main but directly below the fuse board which is near the router.

I used to get lots of drop outs with the TP Link powerline adapators, but the wifi solution is a lot better and gets much closer to the broadband speed coming in. Powerlines are ok, but wifi technology is getting better fast, but run hard wired network cables if you are refurbishing, its the most stable solution.