Powerline technology can revolutionise your home, bringing speedy downloads and fast Internet access to the farthest corners of your house. Here we explain the speedy home-network technology and list the Best Powerline Adapters of 2018.
See also: 5 BEST Cheapest Powerline Adapters 2018.
Best Powerline Adapters with Wifi
Not all powerline adapters come with Wifi. Some just add an Ethernet connection to another room. However, the best powerlines offer an Ethernet connection alongside Wifi. Below you’ll find a table of our favourite Powerline Adapters with both Wifi and Ethernet support.
6 BEST Powerline Adapters under £100
Below is a list of the six best powerline adapters you can buy in 2018. We’ve ranked this list based on performance, features and price. However, we suggest you pay attention to the bulleted specs lists and decide what’s important to you. Not sure about some of the jargon? Don’t worry, at the bottom of the page you’ll find a comprehensive buyer’s guide which takes you through everything you need to know about buying a powerline adapter.
1. TP-Link AC1350
Price: £139.99
- Speed: 1,350Mbps
- Wifi: Yes
- Pass-Through socket: Yes, on both adapters
- Ethernet: 1 x Gigabit Ethernet on the base adapter; 3 x Gigabit Ethernet on second
Ok, so this isn’t under £100. But it’s very close. And its such a good powerline adapter we feel duty-bound to bring it to your attention.
This starter kit has everything you could want from a Powerline adapter. It’s even got a third Gigabit Ethernet port on the second adapter, which is rare, although just the one on the base unit. This arrangement is fine though, as the second room is usually where you need multiple Ethernet ports.
In terms of performance, it’s the best product in its price range by far, with theoretical Ethernet data speeds of 1,350 Mbps. Its wireless performance is equally impressive, boasting dual-band 802.11ac Wifi. The theoretical speeds the two bands can reach are 450 Mbps at a frequency of 2.4 GHz or 867 Mbps at 5 GHz.
Managing this powerline adapter kit is simple too. It features ‘Wifi Auto-Sync’ which automatically clones your Wifi network and password at the press of a button. There’s also a bespoke Android and iOS app that provides access to your Powerline settings on your phone or tablet. This app lets you personalise your Wifi, monitor your network, check connection speeds and more.
If you’ve got the money to spend, this is the best (and fastest) Powerline Adapter you can buy.
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2. Netgear PLW1200
Price: £44.99
- Speed: 1,200Mbps
- Wifi: Yes
- Pass-Through socket: Yes, on each adapter
- Ethernet: 1 x Gigabit Ethernet per adapter
This is the new generation of faster 1,200Mbps Powerlines, and you get pass-through sockets on both adapters. It is restricted a bit by having just one Ethernet port per adapter but you can add an Ethernet Switch to create more ports if you need them. There’s no added Wifi functionality, but if that doesn’t bother you this is a bargain set.
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3. TP-Link AV750
Price: £84.99
- Speed: 1,000Mbps
- Wifi: Yes
- Pass-Through socket: No
- Ethernet: 2 x Gigabit Ethernet per adapter
This is a great option if you’re looking to extend internet coverage in multiple rooms. It offers 2x ethernet ports plus wireless connectivity on each receiving unit, and it’s fast enough to stream lag-free HD TV. Installing this Powerline Starter Pack is simple, it’s designed to be plug and play, meaning setting it up should take less than two minutes.
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4. ZyXel 1800Mbps
Price: £84.99
- Speed: 1,800Mbps
- Wifi: No
- Pass-Through socket: Yes
- Ethernet: 1 x Gigabit Ethernet per adapter
It’s basic in features. There’s no extra Wifi, but there are pass-through sockets and two Ethernet ports per adapter. However, it achieved more than respectable speeds in our real-world tests. The ports are Gigabit Ethernet, too, which means potential speeds aren’t limited by the older 10/100 Ethernet standard.
The adapters are dinky little things too, so you’ll hardly notice them.
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5. TrendNet 500AV2
Price: £68.99
- Speed: 500Mbps
- Wifi: Optional
- Pass-Through socket: No
- Ethernet: 1 x Gigabit Ethernet per adapter
The TrendNet Powerline AV2 Adapter Kit (TPL-408E2K) comes with the two standard adapters – each of which has one Gigabit Ethernet port. The TrendNet Powerline 500 Wireless Kit (TPL-410APK), however, boasts not just an extra Wifi hotspot but two Ethernet ports on the second-room adapter (although of the slower 10/100 variety of Ethernet). The non-Wifi model was super-fast wired, even rivalling some of the 1,200-rated Powerlines we tested. This is a very speedy set of Powerline adapters for a bargain price. At the time of writing the Wifi model was actually cheaper than the one without!
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6. TP-Link AV500
Price: £69.99
- Speed: 500Mbps
- Wifi: Yes
- Pass-Through socket: Yes, on each adapter
- Ethernet: 2 x 10/100 Ethernet on the base adapter, 3 x 10/100 Ethernet ports on the second adapter
This budget 500Mbps starter kit has all the Powerline bells and whistles: multiple Ethernet ports, the ability to create a new Wifi hotspot in your home, and pass-through sockets on both adapters. The TL-WPA4230P KIT is actually two separate adapters boxed as a starter kit. The base unit, which you plug into your internet router, is the TL-PA4020P, with two Ethernet ports. The second adapter, which sits near your TV, Sky box etc, is the TL-WPA4230P, with three Ethernet ports and the Wifi hotspot.
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5 FASTEST Powerline adapters 2018
If money is no object in your buying decision and all you care about is speed, you’re in the right place. Here we’ve collated the five fastest powerline adapters you can buy in 2018. We’ve included a mix of wired and wireless devices, so make sure you pay attention to the bulleted specs lists below.
1. TP-Link AC1350
Price: £139.99
- Speed: 1,350Mbps
- Wifi: Yes
- Pass-Through socket: Yes, on both adapters
- Ethernet: 1 x Gigabit Ethernet on the base adapter; 3 x Gigabit Ethernet on second
Topping both our Best Powerlines Under £100 (ish) chart and this Faster Powerline Adapters roundup. The TP-Link AC13750 is a born winner. This starter kit has everything you could want from a Powerline adapter. It’s also got a third Gigabit Ethernet port on the second adapter, which is rare, although just the one on the base unit. This arrangement is ok, though, as the second room is usually where you need multiple Ethernet ports.
If you’ve got the money to spend, this is the best (and fastest) powerline Adapter you can buy.
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2. TP-Link AV2000
Price: £109.99
- Speed: 1,200Mbps
- Wifi: No
- Pass-Through socket: Yes, on both adapters
- Ethernet: 2 x Gigabit Ethernet per adapter
This Powerline starter kit claims it’s even faster than the latest 1,200Mbps standard, achieved by some clever tech tricks. We’re not absolutely sure about that but we do know that it performed very well in our tests – indeed was the fastest we’ve tried out. The two Gigabit Ethernet ports and pass-through sockets per adapter are handy, although there’s no extra Wifi hotspot created using these adapters.
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3. Solwise SmartLink 1200AV2
Price: £44.99
- Speed: 1,200Mbps
- Wifi: No
- Pass-Through socket: Yes, on both adapters
- Ethernet: 2 x Gigabit Ethernet per adapter
You need to buy two of these Powerline adapters as there’s no starter kit available, so watch out for that if buying online. It’s not the best in looks but matches and beats some of the other 1,200Mbps-rated Powerlines in performance. The two Gigabit Ethernet ports and pass-through sockets per adapter are a plus, but there’s no extra Wifi hotspot. Buy two (or more) and the price is one of the best available.
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4. Devolo 1200+ WiFi ac Powerline Starter Kit
Price: £159.99
- Speed: 1,200Mbps
- Wifi: Yes
- Pass-Through socket: Yes, on both adapters
- Ethernet: 2 x Gigabit Ethernet per adapter
This Powerline starter kit has it all: two Gigabit Ethernet adapters and pass-through sockets on both adapters, plus the ability to create a new, strong Wifi hotspot in the second room. There’s a cheaper version with just one Gigabit Ethernet port and no Wifi but we like the fully featured version for the bells and whistles.
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5. TrendNet 500AV2
Price: £68.99
- Speed: 500Mbps
- Wifi: Optional
- Pass-Through socket: No
- Ethernet: 1 x Gigabit Ethernet per adapter
Although rated at only 500Mbps the TrendNet Powerline AV2 Adapter Kit (TPL-408E2K) rivalled some of the 1,200-rated Powerlines we tested, and so gets in both our Best Budget Powerlines and Best Fast Powerlines listings. It comes with the two standard adapters – each of which has one Gigabit Ethernet port. The TrendNet Powerline 500 Wireless Kit (TPL-410APK) boasts not just an extra Wifi hotspot but two Ethernet ports on the second-room adapter but uses the slower 10/100 variety of Ethernet so is not as fast as the fully wired model.
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Best Powerline adapters 2018: The problems Powerline solves
Many houses these days have more than just their laptop or PC crying out for Internet access. Smart TVs connect to catch-up TV and movie-download services, games consoles are the gateway to multi-player action, and all sorts of smart-home devices need to be linked to your home network and mobile devices.
Yet most homes boast just one lonely wireless Internet router, whose job it is to pump out data to all these devices, often located rooms away from its position tied to the telephone line and modem.
Wifi is great but even at relatively short distances, it starts to wane in its powers to shift data around where it’s most needed. When you’re trying to download a high-definition movie or keep up with the action in a multi-player game (or worse, both) a fading Wifi signal is not helping you maintain an even mood.
Wired access to the Internet is what you need, but no one wants to snake metres of Ethernet cable around their house. That coil of cables near your router is ugly enough, and power and HDMI cables already lurk behind your TV.
The answer is Powerline, an amazingly simple yet effective means of creating a near-invisible yet speedy home network.
Powerline, as the name suggests, uses the power lines/cables that already exist in your house. If you have more than one wall-mounted power socket you can use Powerline to solve your data-distribution problems.
How do Powerline adapters work? Simple plug-&-play set up
Powerline uses the mains wiring in your home as proxy Ethernet cables, taking the data from your Internet router into rooms any distance away from your modem/router without losing signal strength to the same degree as Wifi.
Data (that movie / web page / streaming music / gameplay you’re downloading) runs from the router not just to the connected computer but also to the base Powerline adapter that you simply plug into a nearby wall power socket and connect via Ethernet cable to the router.
Now take the second Powerline adapter and plug it into a wall socket near the devices that require fast Internet access. You then connect this second adapter to those devices via the supplied Ethernet cable, and you’ve got yourself a fast home network.
Powerline set up is as easy as that. Plug in the adapters and connect one to the router and the other to your TV, etc. It really is Plug & Play. Any power outlet becomes a potential Internet connection. You can add multiple Powerline adapters around your house, but two will be plenty for most of us.
Powerline adapters explained: What’s in the box?
You need a Powerline Starter Kit, to begin with. This will include at least two Powerline adapters: one base adapter for the room where you keep your Internet router, and the other for the room where you need the fast wired Ethernet access for TV, Sky box, Tivo DVR, games console, laptop, and so on.
These adapters are often exactly the same. Sometimes the base unit has fewer Ethernet ports as you only really need one here to connect the Powerline to the router.
Each starter kit should also include two Ethernet cables. If you want to connect more than one Internet-hungry device you may need to buy more cables.
Powerline Ethernet ports: Consider how many Ethernet ports you need at either end of your Powerline set up. If you want to connect more than one device (smart TV, Sky/Tivo, games console, etc) then having more than one Ethernet port is important. It’s not essential, though, as you can add an Ethernet Switch (such as the xx) that operates as a hub with multiple Ethernet ports, and may well save you money on the pricier multi-port Powerlines. But if you need just two or three then having that number on the second adapter is your easiest solution.
Ethernet comes in different flavours and strengths. 10/100 Ethernet is the most common but will limit any speed to 100Mbps. Stronger Gigabit Ethernet removes that limit and is a must-have for faster 1,200Mbps and faster Powerline sets. Thankfully, all these faster Powerline starter kits we tested do include Gigabit Ethernet ports and cables.
Powerline Wifi: The second unit may also offer wireless functionality – the ability to add a new Wifi hotspot in a different part of your house. This is handy if your wireless connection is particularly weak in your house away from the wireless router. It creates a new Wifi hotspot, using the strong signal from the Powerline rather than merely “extending” the weak signal as you get with so-called Wifi extenders.
The best Powerlines allow you to “clone” the wireless signals so both appear to be from the same source – meaning you use just the one password.
Powerline pass-through sockets: Look out for adapters that feature a pass-through socket; that is, a power socket on the front so that the adapter doesn’t use up one of your valuable wall sockets. There is also some evidence that a pass-through socket will shield the adapter from electrical noise that could weaken a signal.
Don’t try to cut corners by plugging the Powerline adapter into a power strip, as that will reduce its performance.
Best Powerline adapters 2018: Powerline manufacturers
There are many makes of Powerline adapter. The most respected are from Devolo, TP-Link, Linksys, Netgear, D-Link, TrendNet, Solwise, and Zyxel. Some are branded by broadband providers. For example, BT has a range of Powerline adapters.
All adapters that are certified to the HomePlug standard are compatible and work together, regardless of manufacturer.
Best Powerline adapters 2018: Powerline speed reality and myth
Powerline starter kits are available in a range of speeds. The original 200Mbps Powerlines were superseded by 500Mbps kits, so this should be your minimum speed for a Powerline. Later, faster 1,200Mbps-rated Powerlines will further increase your network speed.
But, and this is an important point, you will not get 1,200Mbps from one of those Powerline set ups, and you won’t get 500Mbps from a 500Mbps-rated Powerline.
These rated speeds are theoretical maximum speeds only. All sorts of environmental factors will pull back Powerline performance; distance, the state and age of your home’s electrical wiring, other electric devices in your house, and much more.
In our testing environment (a three-storey Victorian house) we struggled to get over 70Mbps on many Powerlines, but you may get faster (or slower) performance depending on your house and its wiring.
Don’t despair, though, as 70-100Mbps is going to be a marked improvement on using a weak Wifi signal to download movies, play games, etc.
Read next: The 7 BEST Powerlines for gaming 2018.
I feel killing my old rounter, its D link!