TP Link 1200 powerline - no good for me :-(

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I bought a pair of TP Link 1200 powerline adapters to test. Streaming HD TV / Films works fine, but file transfers between the two windows machines are awful. I get 10mbps in same room, 7mbps one floor apart and 5mbps two floors apart.

I will need 5 or 6 of these devices to complete the home network set up, and I can't (don't want to) live with those speeds.

I have now ordered a pair of ethernet over coax (MOCA) adapters to also test, and am planning on returning the TP Link's.

Before I do though, just wondered if there is some magic setting that I have missed that will give the file transfers a speed boost?

Many thanks
 
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I've never had the pleasure of powerline adapters... got away with ethernet cables running up and down stairs and around skirting boards so far.

So, based solely on hearsay... it's my understanding that these powerline adapters work best if both devices are on the same ring so they can communicate without having to go via the fusebox and that other devices on the ring can cause significant interference. If you've not already done so, is it possible to put two adapters on the same ring, unplug every other device and test the speed. If it's acceptable then add other devices one at a time until you find what's causing the problem.
 
Thanks Navvie.

That sounds like good advice, but.. I can't see that being a long term solution,

I'll see how the ethernet over coax adapters perform..
 
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The moca adapters should work just fine - I've used them several times and not had any problems (even on some very large properties). I only use the wired-only adapters as I've found the units with wifi too limiting, so I just add my own choice of wifi access point after the moca adapter and all is good :). Just note that if you need to connect an adapter to the main aerial feed then you will need to bridge the cabling to a spare output on your aerial distribution amplifier as the filtered input will remove the moca signal.
 
Thanks neilball - good to hear that you have had positive experiences with MOCA, they seem to be a bit 'underground' compared to powerline adapters. I have ordered two non wifi echoboxes, the wifi from the router that I have seems to be reaching the whole house so far!

I have read that last sentence you wrote several times, and I have to admit, I don't understand it, sorry o_O

The set up in this new house is that the aerial feed goes to an aerial distribution amplifier in the cupboard under the stairs (no loft here). From there each outlet from that amplifier feeds a cable that is buried in the walls and ends in a faceplate in each of the bedrooms, and in the lounge and dining room. I was hoping to attach the echoboxes to these faceplates, and then use the passthru capabilities of the echobox to then go on and feed TV tuners as necessary.

Should that work okay?
 
Thanks Navvie.

That sounds like good advice, but.. I can't see that being a long term solution, because we need to live here as a normal family and if the home network is going to crash every time someone put the washing machine on (for example), that is no good!

Agreed. If it turned out to just be a phone charger or a trailing socket or the pump for the fishtank, it might be possible to move or replace the offending item with relative ease. If it turned out to be the washing machine then homeplugs are probably a non starter.

I did have ethernet cables routed through my last house (15 years ago), but I was hoping that technology had moved on and would allow for a 'cleaner' look in this one.

I'll see how the ethernet over coax adapters perform..

It's all about finding the right solution to use the wiring you already have.

Edit: typos...
 
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Thanks neilball - good to hear that you have had positive experiences with MOCA, they seem to be a bit 'underground' compared to powerline adapters. I have ordered two non wifi echoboxes, the wifi from the router that I have seems to be reaching the whole house so far!

I have read that last sentence you wrote several times, and I have to admit, I don't understand it, sorry o_O

The set up in this new house is that the aerial feed goes to an aerial distribution amplifier in the cupboard under the stairs (no loft here). From there each outlet from that amplifier feeds a cable that is buried in the walls and ends in a faceplate in each of the bedrooms, and in the lounge and dining room. I was hoping to attach the echoboxes to these faceplates, and then use the passthru capabilities of the echobox to then go on and feed TV tuners as necessary.

Should that work okay?

Your approach will be fine as your echobox adapters are all going to be on room output connections, not on the main aerial feed - in some houses the aerial feed might go straight to a local Sky box before feeding back to the aerial input on the distribution amplifier. If you fitted an echobox on this connection (so the input to the DA) then the filters in the DA (to reject tetra interference etc) would filter out the moca signal too so it could not connect to any other adapters on the outputs from the DA. So don't worry about how to create the link to work around this as you do not need this in your case.
 
So, a quick update, to say that initial impressions on MOCA are good. I am getting 30mbps one way, and 60mbps the other. Bit odd that they are so different, but a massive improvement over 5mbps!

This is just two machines connected, two floors apart, no routers or switches in the mix at the moment, as still waiting for OpenReach to put a landline in, grrr.

Have ordered more echoboxes though, as I'm happy to proceed with those speeds, even if 30mbps is as good as it gets, I can live with that!
 

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