Podcast #1164: Are Gigabit Powerline Ethernet Adapters Worth it?

On this week’s show  we discuss a couple of solutions to Chuck’s Ethernet problem including a  revisit of Powerline Ethernet Adapters. We also read your emails and take a look at the week’s news.

News:

Venu Sports Faces Very Real Prospect of Preliminary Injunction NHL's Florida Panthers Sign ViewLift to Take Them DTC More FAST Viewers Are Dropping Subscription Streaming Services

Other:

The Ultimate CEDIA 2024 VIP Experience Giveaway! FAQnatics YouTube Nexuslink Gigabit Powerline Adapter

A few weeks ago one of our listeners asked us for help trying to run Ethernet data over an HDMI cable. Today, in our email segment, we discussed a novel approach to his problem by just using the HDMI cable as an Ethernet cable by simply removing the connectors and using the existing wires.

There is another approach, one that we have discussed many many years ago, using Powerline Adapters. Back in the day, we were happy getting one or two Mbps via these cables and for what we were doing back then it was good enough. However, streaming companies increased their data rates to improve quality and suddenly this approach was dead. If it weren’t for listening to a podcast recently I would have never thought to consider this approach.

The podcast made the claim that Powerline adapters have gotten much better. To the point where they can reach gigabit speeds. Very skeptical, I went on Amazon and bought the cheapest adapters I could find, the Nexuslinlk G.HN 1200 Wave 1 Powerline Adapter Kit (GPL-1200-KIT) for $40.

Features:

Includes everything you need in order to turn your electrical outlets into an ultra fast network. Expand your internet anywhere in the home with up to 16 devices in one network. Enhance your network performance for streaming and gaming. Reduces Lag and dropped frames using LDPC/FEC (Forward Error Correction) technology. Designed for high density environments (eg. Apartments, business offices, condos, hotels, etc.) using NDIM Signal Segregation Technology. Delivers better real world performance with unique G.hn algorithms that improve upon older powerline standards. Technology like MIMO Dual Phase Technology delivers a faster and more reliable connection and LDPC to reliably cross phases Installing Ethernet Cable can be expensive and troublesome. Get a strong, direct internet connection without the trouble.

Setup:

Plug one device into a wall socket and connect the provided Ethernet into your router. It is important that the device is plugged directly into the wall. We tested with extension cables and socket expanders and found they degrade the speed. We also found that wiring into a switch slows the signal down a bit. But to be honest we don’t know if that was because we plugged into a switch or that particular wall socket was noisier than the rest. 

The second adapter can be plugged in anywhere you need a network connection. In our test we chose a socket on the kitchen island and then wired into a laptop. The entire process took about ten minutes.

Performance:

To measure performance we ran a speed test. We did multiple tests.The fastest time were:

Ping 16ms Down 64.13Mbs Up 51.34

Typical speeds were off by three or four Mbps both up and down. For comparison. Using wifi at that location saw:

Ping 116ms Down 272.56Mbs Up 109.23

Which is significantly faster! 

So is it worth it? 

The speeds we got in our test were nowhere near what was advertised in the product literature. Your results may vary so keep that in mind. However, if you have a spot where your wifi can’t reach and you don’t want to run Ethernet cables, this solution is recommended without hesitation. At 40 dollars getting 60Mbps to your entertainment system will more than allow you to stream 4K!