Have powerline adapters improved?

Clem_Dye

I used to use a couple of TP-Link powerline adapters to get Ethernet to my TV and A/V kit. Things generally worked well apart from Netflix, which would always buffer. In the end, I replaced the kit with cables. Anyway, I want to plonk a new 4K TV in my bedroom. Wi-fi coverage is so-so so I wondered if powerline adapters had improved since I last used them about 5 years ago. I want to stream 4K/DV stuff from the TV’s in-built Netflix and Amazon Video apps., along with stuff from the low-rent NowTV. Are powerline Ethernet adapters up to the job? If so, what to buy? I don’t want to spend the earth, and only looking for a point-to-point solution. Incoming connection is a VM200 link, and all my other kit is 100MBit Ethernet TV, NowTV box, etc.) so I guess it will depend on just what speed I can get. For 4K streaming I recall that a steady 25Mbit/sec is the minimum.

Any advice or suggestions greatly appreciated.

Cheers, Clem

NatTheGooner

I speedtested a family members plugs on his Apple TV and they we’re excellent - compared to my phone the ping was a bit better than Wi-Fi and the speed was a bit faster and more consistent too. Another family member has a pair connecting her TV to her router to use the smart apps, they had been working for about three years without a single hiccup - I had forgotten that it was me that had set them up - they were very dusty. You can get them on eBay quite cheap as they come with BT TV and people don’t need them, very underrated tech in my opinion.

NatTheGooner

they would handle 4K easy, probably 8k too whenever that arrives.

Sloppy Bob

While powerline adapters may have improved, the biggest factor is the quality and layout of your house wiring.

I have some adapters in my house, I use them to stream 4K content with no issues to 2 media streamers. The third one I had to hardwire, the adapters weren't having it.

I take the same adapters to my friends house as he wants to do the same thing. He can't even stream full bitrate 1080p with them.

In short, buy them from a retailer with a decent returns policy.

In pure Scots terms.

Maybe's I
Maybe'a Naw

I use these and they're stable and quick enough for me -
                                                https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01FFBN4MO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1               

Clem_Dye

Yes, house wiring is certainly a consideration. As I recall, everything that I want to connect is on the same mains ring, and yes, buying from somewhere where I can easily return them is a must.

Clem

mickevh

It's not just the wring itself - the "other" things connected to the mains can also have an effect if they are injecting noise onto the line. Dimmer switches are notorious and frequently mentioned as causing issues.

Clem_Dye

Yes, of course. Electrically noisy appliances are certainly another consideration. I’ve read umpteen reviews on Amazon UK, and for every good review there’s a bad one. I had TP-Link devices in the past, and they worked well streaming, Netflix aside. That would just buffer. TP-Link support seems to be a bit iffy too. Be it TP-Link, Devolo or BT it’s very much a mixed bag, it seems. Some are better than others, or offer more features. I just need something basic. I’m drawn to BT adapters for no other reason than I use their network switches, and they work a treat. It’s a good enough place to start as any, I think.

Clem

Clem_Dye

Well, I took the plunge and grabbed a BT Flex 1000 kit from Amazon. In testing, I got some odd results. To my knowledge, the household ring that I'm using from router end to bedroom is the same. The first place that I tried was a double switched socket next to my bed. I chose this location as the extender would be out of view and I planned on using a 15M ethernet cable to my TV. According to SpeedTest, the upload speed was ~20Mbit/sec, matching what I see elsewhere. However, the download speed varied from ~6Mbit to ~85Mbit, way too variable to be of any use. However, moving the adapter to a single switched socket nearer the TV gave more consistent results, still ~20Mbit upload, but download speeds between ~75 and ~95Mbit/second, and these were more consistent. I have no idea why the disparity, given that the sockets are less than 10m apart on the same ring. Could have been a noisy appliance somewhere, but then I would have expected the upload speed to vary too, which it didn't.

The documentation is sparse, but I don't get the idea of the adapters having two ethernet sockets, because there's no mention of any switching capability in the documentation, so I'm only going to use one port on each device.

At face value, it looks like things will work, but I'll only know once my new TV arrives (today, hopefully). I still have a nagging doubt about these devices though, in terms of their possible failure. Not the fact that they'll fail at some point, but more the fact that in any failure situation mains power will find its way up the ethernet cable connected to it and fry my TV or router. I know that that's probably not sounding at all rational, but any thoughts on that point would be appreciated.

Cheers, Clem

Greg Hook

The adaptors with more than one ethernet port work like any switch. I've got some with three ports and all used and work fine.

Clem_Dye

The LG TV that was delivered today managed a firmware update using them without any obvious problems, so all good so far. Time will tell when I try and stream something.

Clem