Your current performance is being restricted by the system's maximum speed limit.
Your current performance is being restricted by the system's maximum speed limit.
Hi everyone, I just moved into a new place and signed up for a 1GB internet plan from a different ISP. When connecting everything via Wi-Fi, my phone gets about 500-600Mbps, which works fine with the Wi-Fi 5 router they gave me. The problem appears on my desktop when using a wired connection. My setup is: ONT → ISP router → power line (TP-Link TL-PA717 supports 1GB) → my PC. I’ve tried resetting everything except the ONT, used CAT-7 cables, and the powerline app shows around 600-700Mbps. Still, my browsing speeds drop to 150-170Mbps during tests. Any advice? Thanks!
Start by verifying performance without the powerline kit. It seems technically capable at 1Gbps, but depends on home wiring, wire length, and interference. If you achieve those speeds directly, the kit becomes the main constraint. There aren't many options to fix this since it hinges on your house's setup. Important points: Cat 7 isn't a TIA-approved standard; your cables likely don’t meet IEC Cat 7 requirements because they’d need special connectors like TERA or GG45. Be cautious with anything labeled Cat 7—it probably doesn’t follow standards properly. It’s safer to choose Cat 6 or 6a, which are genuine TIA-compliant options. Mixing different units can cause confusion; remember, 1GB and 1Gbps aren’t the same—1GB equals about 8Gbps. Networking metrics are usually expressed in bits.
Overall performance is quite limited—Powerline rarely delivers 1gbps. The last time it worked was 100mbps, and we managed only 25 even over short ranges.
Powerline behaves differently than expected, providing consistent performance of 80-150 Mbps. I switched to bridge mode with an ASUS AC86U router and connected a hardline Ethernet cable to the upstairs AC86U for backhaul. Setting it up as a mesh network allows free movement while maintaining connectivity. Devices can be placed near the closest router for optimal Wi-Fi signal. Note that recent browser issues have caused poor speeds across all platforms—speed tests via Ookla show download latencies spiking to 5000 ms or more, dropping to 90-150 Mbps. Latest Edge, Chrome, and Firefox versions on Windows 10 PC are working well.
Brief update on the Cat 7 cables. Other users are right about the connection ends and similar stuff. When you find places listing Cat 7 cables, they’re probably just a mix of Cat 6a with added Cat 7 shielding—thicker with full protection. They definitely have more shielding than standard cables. Note that your powerline supports 1000Gbps, which is about 125MB/s. Make sure your browser shows the correct speed, not 125Mbps (which is 14MB/s). If it’s showing 125Mbps, that’s a big discrepancy. Updated September 22, 2022 by Hoffer69
It seems the powerline kit isn’t delivering the speeds you expect. You might need a shorter Ethernet cable since your new apartment is only about 10 meters away from the router. The small living room setup makes long cables less practical. Switching to a mesh Wi-Fi 6 router like Eero could improve coverage. Your older Asus router at your parents’ place worked fine but didn’t have many advanced features, so manual updates were necessary. For reaching at least 1Gb, Wi-Fi 6 or 6E should help, depending on the environment.