Compare Powerline and mesh Wi-Fi options for achieving gigabit speeds.
Compare Powerline and mesh Wi-Fi options for achieving gigabit speeds.
I’m fortunate to reside in an area getting gigabit internet soon (likely within two to three months). My home is a 1960s-style house, and I currently rely on powerline for my router connection. The Wi-Fi offered by my ISP is quite poor, though the powerline adapters sometimes work inconsistently—speeding down to around 2 Mbps in either direction. While that’s not ideal, it’s something I can fix with a reset. I’m open to purchasing better adapters or setting up a mesh network if needed. What do you think is the best path forward? Since I don’t play much, I’m okay with a bit of lag but still want reliable performance for large file transfers. Thanks!
You're unlikely to achieve gigabit speeds either way. I recommend opting for a wired connection.
Powerline isn't capable of delivering gigabit speeds, just like Wi-Fi. The best choice available is a reliable wired connection.
I rely on powerline adapters but only achieve about 40 Mbps in my second-floor office. My house is roughly 1500 square feet and 20 years old, so the wiring is decent. Through Wi-Fi, I get around 100 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band, though the signal wasn’t always reliable. Wi-Fi works best when your router covers the area well, but you won’t reach gigabit speeds everywhere. I’d strongly consider installing CAT6 cabling for a more stable connection.
Powerline adapters work differently because of many reasons such as your distance from the sun, whether it’s raining outside, if you’re using your phone, how drunk your great aunt mary is in another room, if your fridge is actually running, whether your little brother is making chicken nuggets in the microwave, if your FBI agent is watching through a webcam, if both ends of your house share the same wiring circuit, how old your home is (the only factor that doesn’t really matter is your great aunt mary unless she’s on the phone), and other similar conditions. In the most ideal situation, "gigabit" adapters could deliver 50Mb/s when connected directly. They’re generally poor performers, and pairing them by chance is usually just luck. A wifi mesh system is better but still not ideal—just stick with Cat6 cables if you can.
It's what it stands for. These are affordable options for those unwilling or unable to install CAT6 wiring throughout their residence yet require a dependable, fairly quick link across all levels (provided the electrical setup is solid). In our situation, Wi-Fi barely extends beyond the second floor, and I believe this presents a superior alternative to deploying a Wi-Fi extender. Setting up Ethernet cables between floors would be quite complicated in our home. While not terrible, it's important to maintain realistic expectations. A speed range of 25-50 Mbps is generally acceptable under optimal circumstances.
They should achieve at least 75% of their advertised speed when connected to a nearby power source (though it's unclear if this applies to the same issues as WiFi interference). If using WiFi, speeds can drop significantly—up to 620Mbit on a 866Mbit link near the access point, which is acceptable given the added overheads.
The ads usually mention speeds like 'up to xxxx mbps,' but I understand. Ethernet and Wi-Fi tend to perform better. However, in a medium to large home with several floors, Wi-Fi often struggles to cover well. I’ve had my connection drop frequently upstairs. Powerline is slower, but it’s very reliable for connections in my setup.