Lower speeds with Ethernet over Power compared to wireless

Discussion in 'Network questions and troubleshooting' started by stilli1988, Jul 22, 2016.

  1. stilli1988

    stilli1988 Guest

    Messages:
    13
    Likes Received:
    0
    GPU:
    MSI GTX 1070 Gaming X
    Hi all. I've recently installed a couple of Ethernet over Power connectors in the house here and have noticed the speeds of the EoP are slower than my wireless connection. Is it supposed to be this way or have I done something wrong?
    Note: they are NOT on the same switch in the powerbox. i.e. i can switch power off to one powerpoint and the other will stay on.

    TIA for your replies, Steven
     
  2. stilli1988

    stilli1988 Guest

    Messages:
    13
    Likes Received:
    0
    GPU:
    MSI GTX 1070 Gaming X
  3. stilli1988

    stilli1988 Guest

    Messages:
    13
    Likes Received:
    0
    GPU:
    MSI GTX 1070 Gaming X
  4. Dch48

    Dch48 Guest

    Messages:
    1,821
    Likes Received:
    1
    GPU:
    Sapphire Nitro+ RX 470 4g
    Do you mean Ethernet through your electrical outlets? I have seen those adapters but never tried them. It wouldn't surprise me however if they were slower than a good wireless connection. The newer models of those adapters are supposed to be pretty fast and support over 100mbs speeds.
     
    Last edited: Jul 24, 2016

  5. stilli1988

    stilli1988 Guest

    Messages:
    13
    Likes Received:
    0
    GPU:
    MSI GTX 1070 Gaming X
    yes. we have 25/5 and it's usually under 5Mb/s.
    I think i may have to much load on the powerpoint. i'll try a different powerpoint
     
  6. sykozis

    sykozis Ancient Guru

    Messages:
    22,492
    Likes Received:
    1,537
    GPU:
    Asus RX6700XT
    There are a lot of factors that can affect the performance of powerline networking. There's very little we can do to help troubleshoot performance issues. It is recommended that all adapters be on the same power circuit though.
     
  7. stilli1988

    stilli1988 Guest

    Messages:
    13
    Likes Received:
    0
    GPU:
    MSI GTX 1070 Gaming X
    I'm not sure if they are on the same circuit or not. All I really know is I can switch power off to one in the power box and the other will not go out.
     
  8. sykozis

    sykozis Ancient Guru

    Messages:
    22,492
    Likes Received:
    1,537
    GPU:
    Asus RX6700XT
    That would typically indicate 2 different circuits. Circuits are separated by circuit breakers or fuses. If the same circuit breaker or fuse doesn't cut power to both adapters, they are on different circuits.
     
  9. Kolt

    Kolt Ancient Guru

    Messages:
    1,657
    Likes Received:
    509
    GPU:
    RTX 2080 OC
    I have had a very similar experience. I bought a powerline ethernet adapter pair a while back and had better speeds and reliability with a USB wifi adapter. I figured it was because I was on a separate circuit as well. Bummer and a waste of ~$75, but I figure it could come in handy in the future.
     
  10. Corrupt^

    Corrupt^ Ancient Guru

    Messages:
    7,270
    Likes Received:
    600
    GPU:
    Geforce RTX 3090 FE
    Yep.

    Doesn't hurt to go overkill if need be with some models. The odds of actually getting 500 mbit with a 1Gbit powerline are higher then a 500 mbit powerline in real world scenario's.

    A pair of quality powerlines should be better then wireless, provided your electricity wiring is in order.
     

  11. A2Razor

    A2Razor Guest

    Messages:
    543
    Likes Received:
    110
    GPU:
    6800XT, XFX Merc319
    @stilli1988:

    Another thing to keep in mind with powerline kits is that they will pretty much always lose in latency to WIFI. They may yield a more reliable link in a congested area or through walls (if the outlets are on the same phase, and if you're far away from heavy duty appliances -- washer & drier) ... but they operate similar to a CableModem and incur a similar delay, imo.

    EDIT: Almost forgot to mention another HUGE part of powerline kits. Powerline Ethernet does not work well through GFCI breakers. What this means is that if you want to use it in a bedroom for example, that has a connected bathroom on the same breaker, odds are you won't get good speeds in there.


    Without knowing the situation that you're setting up in, it's hard to say, yet usually a strong directional wireless bridge does just as good if not better than powerline kits (for gaming). Check out something like a pair of Ubiquiti Nanostations.

    900mhz or 2.4ghz if for indoor use. Lower frequencies tend to have better penetration around objects. Personal experience is that 2.4 is best unless you're in a densely populated area.
     
    Last edited: Nov 21, 2016

Share This Page