power line adapter 2 ports generate a network loop
power line adapter 2 ports generate a network loop
I possess two TP-link AV1000 devices each with two gigabit ports. This configuration allows me to connect my PC and NAS at a faster speed while keeping the NAS in its current location. Previously, using multiple cables on the router didn’t provide a stable connection for either device. After some investigation, I suspect the issue stems from a network loop caused by the router not supporting Spanning Tree Protocol. Since I already have a standard router from my provider, I’m wondering if there’s a way to fix both ports without additional costs.
It's not just STP, it's about bonding—sometimes called an etherchannel or whatever the vendors are naming it this week. You connect two Ethernet ports under a single interface, assigning it a master role, then pick a bonding protocol to combine links for full bandwidth. Instead of using real devices, you get one IP address on that dummy interface. The challenge is that many switches don’t support LACP or similar features, but you might bypass it by adjusting settings in the TP-Link manager. You won’t truly get double the speed, but you could approximate it, like sending two files at once each at 1 gigabit, using a load-balancing protocol on the NAS. The switch could get confused by its ARP table and behave unpredictably.