- Do Powerline Adapters Need to Be on the Same Circuit?
- Powerline vs. Alternatives
- Use Cases for Powerline Adapters
- Pros and Cons of Powerline
- MoCA vs. Powerline
- Are Powerline Adapters Good for Gaming?
- Recommended Powerline Adapters
- How to Set Up Powerline Adapters
- Will a Powerline Adapter Work With an Ethernet Switch?
- Will the Powerline Network Be Slower With an Ethernet Switch?
- Recommended Ethernet Switch: TP-Link TL-SG108
- Building Your Network
- More Powerline Articles
Do Powerline Adapters Need to Be on the Same Circuit?
Powerline adapters require that each arranger be on the same circuit. They can be on one or more circuit breakers, but they need to be using the like cable from your might party ‘s transformer .
technically, you may be able to get Powerline adapters to communicate across multiple phases. however, the performance impact will be considerable. The connection may be intermittent if it works at all. Communication across phases is one cause of slower than expected speeds.
This prerequisite means that in some cases, you may only be able to use powerline adapters between finical rooms, depending on your home ‘s wire .
many homes in the US have a split lap panel with a 120-volt racing circuit down each english. A two-pole disconnected lap panel will effectively partition your rooms into two circuits. These circuits are sometimes referred to as having different or multiple phases .
More specifically, many homes in the US digest higher-powered 240-volt outlets by combining two 120-volt hot leads in a two-pole circuit breaker. Each of the 120-volt run has a wire going to the power company ‘s transformer. The 120-volt breakers that go to diverse rooms will alternate between the two poles in the electric panel. For model, the odd-numbered breakers may connect to one perch, while the even-numbered breakers may connect to the early. Only rooms on the same pole will communicate at high speed via Powerline.
united states homes without 240-volt outlets, such as apartments with a gas stave and no laundry appliances, might use a single-pole surf. In this case, all rooms will be on the lapp circuit .
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Powerline vs. Alternatives
Ethernet Cable & Alternatives | Setup Complexity | Supported Speeds | Supported Distance | Latency | Reliability |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ethernet Cable |
Excellent | Excellent | Good | Excellent | Excellent |
Powerline |
Excellent | Fair | Good | Fair | Poor |
MoCA |
Good | Good | Good | Good | Good |
Wi-Fi – Wireless | Good | Fair | Fair | Poor | Fair |
Learn more about MoCA adapters in my article, Ethernet Over Coax ? ! A Complete Guide to MoCA Adapters .
Use Cases for Powerline Adapters
- Use existing home wiring as a replacement for Ethernet cables.
- Extend wireless coverage.
- Backhaul for a Mesh Wi-Fi System (i.e., a wired backbone for the Wi-Fi satellites).
- Get Internet access into hard-to-reach places in your home.
- Use wired connections to avoid Wi-Fi interference from neighbors.
- Avoid the latency of Wi-Fi while playing games on consoles and computers.
- A secure alternative to Wi-Fi.
Pros and Cons of Powerline
Pros :
- Easy wiring using existing power outlets (connect an Ethernet cable)
- Low cost (compared to MoCA adapters)
- Encrypted (some products)
- Up to a 300-meter range
- Some models have built-in Wi-Fi
- Plug and play setup (no configuration required)
Cons :
- Often a lower connection speed of around 150-350 Mbps compared to the advertised 1-2 Gbps
- Powerline devices need to be on the same electrical circuit
- May cause noticeable electromagnetic interference with some devices such as speakers (static sound)
- Power strip, GFCI outlets, and AFCI circuit breakers may degrade Powerline network signals
- Some models block an outlet when connecting directly into a wall outlet
MoCA vs. Powerline
Suppose you ‘re looking for an alternate to Ethernet cables and Wi-Fi. In that casing, we believe that MoCA ( Ethernet over Coax ) is the clear achiever compared to Powerline due to the fast speeds and better bespeak choice. however, there are placid some use cases where Powerline may be the best solution. Powerline is a little easier to set up than MoCA. MoCA adapters require wheedle cable in your rooms, which may not exist in your case .
Learn more about MoCA adapters in my article, Ethernet Over Coax ? ! A Complete Guide to MoCA Adapters .
Suppose your Internet speed is less than 200 Mbps or your devices on the network do not support gigabit Ethernet. In these cases, Powerline adapters may be the best of the two options for you, as they offer a lower price point .
On the other hand, MoCA adapters are a better option when you want to in full utilize a higher-speed Internet connection and have existing wheedle cabling between rooms .
You could besides consider using both ! For example, MoCA adapters might work bang-up for connecting an upstairs and downstairs via coaxial cable. At the same meter, Powerline adapters would be capital for getting Internet to a garage that has no wheedle line available .
For even more alternatives, check out my article, The 6 Best Ethernet Cable Alternatives for Home Networks .
Are Powerline Adapters Good for Gaming?
Powerline adapters will work for providing high-speed Internet to your gaming calculator or cabinet, but they are not your best option .
Powerline adapters have lower reaction time than Wi-Fi, which is good. however, they do not have the lapp dependability or accelerate compared to their alternatives .
Suppose you have coax cabling in your home. In that case, MoCA adapters are a better option, as they provide faster speeds and better dependability .
ethernet cables ( for example, Cat 6a cable ) will constantly provide the fastest, most reliable, and lowest reaction time solution .
Recommended Powerline Adapters
Recommended Powerline Adapter: NETGEAR PLP2000 Powerline 2000 Mbps Adapter
How to Set Up Powerline Adapters
Powerline adapters can be very simple to set up. conceptually, you can think of a copulate of Powerline adapters as an annex for an Ethernet cable. More than two Powerline adapters behave like an Ethernet hub combined with Ethernet cables .
Most Powerline adapters are configured similarly .
To set up Powerline adapters :
- Plug one Powerline adapter into a power outlet and connect it to your Internet router via an Ethernet cable.
- Plug one or more additional Powerline adapters into power outlets in rooms where you want Internet access. Connect them to computers or other network devices via Ethernet cables.
- Pair the Powerline adapters by holding down the button on each adapter for a few seconds.
That ‘s it ! Your devices should now be on the network and have Internet entree .
Will a Powerline Adapter Work With an Ethernet Switch?
A Powerline adapter will work with an Ethernet switch. Using an Ethernet switch, you can connect as many devices as you want to your home network .
Ethernet switches, besides called net switches, connect multiple devices via Ethernet cables . Ethernet switches are different from routers. An Ethernet switch connects multiple devices within your local sphere network. In contrast, a router connects your local area network ( LAN ) to the internet ‘s wide area network ( WAN ). Routers with multiple ports or Wi-Fi support are logically three separate devices : a router, a switch, and a Wi-Fi access compass point
.
Will the Powerline Network Be Slower With an Ethernet Switch?
Suppose you use an Ethernet throw at least a fast as the Powerline adapter and the rest of your network arranger speeds. In that case, adding an Ethernet switch will not reduce the overall network speed. Using a 1 Gbps switch should be adequate for most function cases .
Recommended Ethernet Switch: TP-Link TL-SG108
- The TL-SG108 is a well-known and reliable network switch.
- I own this exact switch model and have been using it without any problems for many years.
- It supports Ethernet speeds of up to 1 Gbps.
- Due to the fanless design, it is silent.
- It uses solid capacitors, which means that it should last a long time.
- It’s an unmanaged switch, meaning that it’s plug and play, and no configuration is required.
TP-Link TL-SG108 – 8 Port Gigabit Unmanaged Ethernet Network Switch
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Building Your Network
If you want to learn more about internet equipment, networking, wiring, or troubleshooting, check out these articles :
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