PLC (Power line communication) technology has long been used in the power grid for high-speed information exchange. Despite the fact that it has been known to the scientific world for quite some time, some users still do not know about it. This technology, through PowerLine adapters, makes it possible to organize a local network using electrical wiring. You can also provide access to the Internet through an outlet in the house for computers, gaming devices, Smart TVs and other network devices.

What is the advantage of organizing such a local network and transmitting the Internet over electrical wires, if you can create a wireless network using a Wi-Fi router? Let's look at a few basic situations where using PowerLine adapters would be the best solution.

Firstly, when organizing a home local network providing devices with access to the Internet via wireless Wi-Fi, many users are faced with the fact that the TV, computer or other device is outside the range of reliable Wi-Fi reception. For example, this can happen due to an incorrectly selected location for the Wi-Fi router. However, the outgoing radio signal from an optimally located router may encounter physical obstacles in the form of solid walls and partitions for the receiving device.

Secondly, for comfortable viewing of high-definition movies on a TV or media player, file playback must be smooth without jerks or delays. To do this, it is necessary to provide the device with a stable data transmission channel. Although new wireless standards have made a step towards users, the range of Wi-Fi does not yet solve the problem with distance. In addition, not all devices support the mentioned standards, but this is most likely a matter of the future.

It is a well-known fact that Wi-Fi speed depends not only on the simultaneous load of tasks on the network, but also on interference in the radio channel. Especially often, residents of multi-storey buildings encounter mutual interference in the radio channel, where the wireless network can overlap with the Wi-Fi channel of neighbors or household appliances such as a microwave oven, if they operate on the same 2.4 GHz frequency. I have already described earlier.

On the front panel of the adapter there is a light indication consisting of three LEDs. The first informs about the presence of power, the second indicates the presence of communication for data transmission over the electrical network, and the third reports about the exchange of information between connected devices. Below the indicators there is a button that is used to establish communication between devices. After the connection occurs, the data will be transmitted in encrypted form.

If you press the button for a long time, the connection between the devices will be interrupted and the PLC adapter will reboot. Also, using this button, you can connect additional Powerline adapters to the local network. These devices have independent memory and if you decide to plug the device into another outlet, you will not need to establish the connection again.

Setting up a PLC adapter using the example of a model from TP-LINK.

Let me start with the fact that PLC adapters should be connected directly to the outlet, bypassing various extension cords (surge protectors) and uninterruptible power supplies. If you use one of the mentioned devices, the data transfer speed may be greatly reduced.

So, connect one Powerline adapter to the LAN port of the router using a patch cord and plug it into a power outlet. Second, connect the adapter with a patch cord to a TV or computer and also plug it into the outlet. As soon as the connection occurs, all these devices need to be connected to each other. To do this, just press the “Pair” button on the adapter connected to the router, and then within a few minutes press one single button on the second adapter.

After this action, all three indicators on the adapters should light up green within a few seconds. Now you can safely access the Internet from your connected device through the electrical wiring in your house. If the PLC adapter is connected to a computer, then using a specialized utility you can see the current connection speed.

If you use more than two adapters, then in order to combine them into one network, each adapter connected in series must be synchronized with the first one, without needing to remove it from the network. For example, you inserted a PLC adapter into the socket and clicked “Pair”, and then performed the same actions on the second adapter. Now you should remove the second adapter from the socket and insert the third adapter and configure the PLC network with the first. The remaining adapters should be configured in the same sequence. This model allows you to connect no more than eight PLC adapters with each other.

When testing this model, the information transfer speed reached 170 Mbit/s. These small boxes allow you to get high-speed Internet access and provide high-quality video streaming. Bye!

Additional equipment PLC adapters

PLC adapters are the optimal solution that will allow you to connect Home TV without laying additional wires and enjoy watching TV channels and videos in digital and HD quality in any convenient place in your apartment.

“PLC adapters do not require special settings and have a number of significant advantages - quick connection of services, no installation work and ease of use.

The kit includes two PLC adapters for transmitting data over a regular 220 V power supply network, which allow you to organize a local network at speeds of up to 200 Mbit/s, maintain signal quality and use one socket for both the adapter and an optical router or TV.

Thanks to the simple installation, the connection can be carried out without the help of a specialist. The connection configuration can be changed “on the fly” by the user simply by rearranging the adapters within the apartment.

Advantages of PLC adapters for IP-TV

Possibility of connecting a TV anywhere in an apartment or house without laying a cable:

• no need to run additional wires to the TV set-top box;
• simplicity and reduced connection and switching time.

Connecting and setting up a PLC adapter for IP-TV is quite simple:

• connect the transmitting PLC adapter to the ONT device or ADSL modem/WiFi router;
• connect the receiving PLC adapter to the TV decoder;
• The Power Line (PLC/ACT) LED on both adapters should turn red, orange, or green (standard/good/excellent connection speed). PLC adapters are ready for use;
• if the Power Line (PLC/ACT) indicator does not light up, there are buttons on each adapter that must be held in turn for 5-9 seconds; after which the indicator on both adapters should start blinking (device search mode), then light up continuously. PLC adapters are ready for use.

Cost of equipment

Rent:
Purchase:

* An additional PLC adapter is connected additionally to the Kit to expand the existing PLC network or installed to replace a failed Kit Adapter.

You can purchase PLC adapters at any Sales and Service Center.

When purchasing a device, the buyer will receive:

• technical description of the device;
• manual;
• warranty card;
• sales receipt.

Appearance and indication table

1. Built-in 16A 250V socket allows you to connect other devices to the adapter. At the same time, the adapter filters interference from the connected device, which may interfere with its operation;

2. Power Line (PLC/ACT) – shows the presence and status of the PLC connection;

3. Ethernet (ETH/ACT) – shows the presence of an Ethernet connection;

4. Power (PWR) – shows the presence of power in the network;

5. Ethernet 10/100BASE-TX – port;

6. SECURITY – used to create an autonomous PLC network between two or more PLC adapters;

7. RESET – button to reset the device to factory settings;

8. Size 90x60, weight 61 g;

9. Operation from 0°C……. up to 40°C.

Indicator	Color	Mode	Description
Power Line (PLC/ACT)	green	lit	Great connection
	orange	lit	Good connection
	red	lit	Bad connection
	grey	does not burn	PLC connection not established
Ethernet (ETH/ACT)	green	lit	Ethernet connection established
	grey	does not burn	Ethernet connection not established
Power(PWR) Power supply	green	lit	Power included
	green	flashing	Adapter in sleep mode
	grey	does not burn	Power off

Note:

If the Power Line (PLC/ACT) indicator is red, it means your connection speed will not exceed 40 Mbps.

If the Power Line (PLC/ACT) indicator is orange, it means there is slight interference on the network and your connection speed will be between 40 and 70 Mbps.

If the Power Line (PLC/ACT) indicator is green, it means there is no interference on the network and your connection speed is above 70 Mbps.

Powerline technology can become a panacea for problems with poor Wi-Fi signal or eliminate the need to run wires into a distant room. Data transmission via an electrical network is an excellent solution for apartments, private houses, and large offices. No complicated settings, no tangled cables - just plug it in and use it.

Fly in the ointment in technology

To avoid this being a laudatory article, let’s immediately talk about the disadvantages of the technology, although they are already quite obvious. The most modern standard today HomePlug AV2 reaches speed up to 500 megabit/s. But this figure is a theoretical maximum. Even if the quality of the electrical wiring is excellent, there are no transformers and you are in the same phase of the electrical system, you are unlikely to see such numbers. In practice, the data transfer speed may differ markedly from the numbers on the box. Buy 500Mbps or 600Mbps Powerline if you can. You should get twice the speed you would get with a 200Mbps Powerline

What is Powerline and why do I need it?

Powerline technology allows you to use electrical wiring to transmit data over an ethernet network. Each kit contains at least two adapters and ethernet cables. All you need is to plug the adapters into a 220V socket in your apartment. Powerline will allow your devices in another room to easily access the Internet - you can connect a laptop, router, TV, console, anything.

Powerline VS Wi-Fi

The technology of data transmission via an electrical network has an advantage over Wi-Fi technology, because... Data transfer speeds in remote areas vary significantly! Moreover, Poweline can also act as a repeater (many kits can “clone” a home Wi-Fi network).

In addition, the “range” of the Powerline W-Fi adapter is undoubtedly further than that of Wi-Fi access points - this becomes possible because for Wi-Fi the presence of walls and background “noise” in the radio air is very critical, while while network adapters can operate up to 300 meters (theoretical speed).

FAQ:

What if there is only one outlet in the room?

Many adapters are equipped with a regular power outlet, so you don’t lose the ability to plug a lamp or other electrical device into the mains.

Is a local network created between adapters and devices connected to them?

Yes it is possible. A network via Poweline is no different from a regular LAN. There are two ways to configure a network based on a power line, the first method is using the utility TP - LINK, the other - with the help pairing buttons. This section will discuss how to use the pairing button to set up such a network.

General setup diagram

My network voltage is jumping, is there any point in buying Powerline adapters?

There is a point - the fact is that they can operate in the range from ~120 to ~240 V, so they can easily withstand fluctuations in the network, but this, of course, will affect the data transfer speed.

Low network speed. What could be the problem?

Maximum network speed through electrical wiring cannot be achieved if:

1. The distance is too large. Too great a distance can greatly degrade the signal quality and speed as a result. Theoretically, the speed in technology can reach 300 meters, but in conditions where the wiring in houses is not in the best condition, it is better to stick to the figure of 100 meters

2. Charging for your phone or laptop in the house is connected. Huge interference in power lines is caused by chargers for tablets, smartphones, etc. Moreover, regardless of which socket and how far from the adapter they are connected. Especially concerning various Chinese chargers

The best for 2017-2018

The kit always includes at least two adapters. To create a Powerline network, at least two adapters are required. When making a purchase online, make sure that the price is for the set and not for one adapter. The rule of good form is to include at least one ethernet cable in the kit.

TP-Link AV2000 2-Port Gigabit Passthrough Powerline

Price: ~ 6800 rubles
Wifi: No

Two (!) Gigabit ports on each adapter allow AV2000 achieve the best speed among our current adapters! Tests in one room showed the result 430 Mbit/s! At a distance of two walls and 30 meters the result was 110 Mbit/s - and this is also the best result in the tests. The only serious omission in the AV2000, in our opinion, is the lack of a Wi-Fi module.

RESULT: Only because of Wi-Fi, this model did not receive the Editors' Choice award. Only Gigabit Ethernet, only hardcore!

TrendNet Powerline 500AV2 Adapter Kit

Price: ~ 3400 rubles
Wi-Fi: With a separate device - yes

It also has a Gigabit-Ethernet port on board, which is a huge plus considering the low cost of the kit. The downside is that one adapter in another room may not be enough (Smart TV, Game console, Laptop) and so on. But for this, fortunately, TrendNet has a Wi-Fi adapter, which, however, has a bar of only 100 Mbit/s, but even this result is better than a regular Wi-Fi connection in an apartment. In order to. Speed ​​was tested in rooms between floors and was quite good ~150 Mbit/s. The speed via Wi-Fi was also a pleasant surprise - 60 Mbit/s. Please note that to use Wi-Fi you need to buy a separate device - TrendNet Powerline 500 AV Wireless Access Point

BT Wi-Fi Home Hotspot 500 Kit

Price: ~ 3400 rubles
Wi-Fi: yes

Well, if 100-megabit ethernet ports BT Wi-Fi Home Hotspot 500 Kit may disappoint you, lovers of stylish gadgets will definitely like it. It produces average speeds. With a standard set of electrical appliances on the network (TV, microwave, lighting lamps), the adapter gave 95 Mbit/s on another floor of the apartment. Not bad? Considering the state of the wiring in the tested house - very much so. But the Wi-Fi was great - 54 Mbit/s. Can you achieve this speed with a standard router across one floor?

Devolo dLAN 550 Wifi

Price: ~ 7350 rubles
Wi-Fi: yes

This kit has a slightly strange layout - the main adapter has two ethernet ports (10/100, forget about gigabit, it’s in the older model). And for some reason there is only one Wi-Fi access point (additional module). Although it can be assumed that in a remote room, on the contrary, more cable connections will be required. Devolo dLAN 550 Wifi can clone your home Wi-Fi network - just enter the same username and password as on your router. Cable speeds are not impressive - the test showed a modest 80 megabits, but Wi-Fi speeds are already excellent 72 Mbit/s . RESULT: It becomes obvious that, first of all, the kit is worth buying for those who want to use exclusively wireless technologies in the home. Strong Wi-Fi module

Netgear Powerline PLP1200

Price: ~ 4560 rubles
Wi-Fi: no

They have a built-in socket, but are poor in other interfaces: only 1 ethernet port (though gigabit) and the absence of a Wi-Fi module. Don't be confused - the PL1200 version does not have a built-in socket (PLP only). Doesn't shine with speed - pretty standard 95 Mbit/s via cable across the floor. The adapters have LED indicators that show the signal strength. “Red” - average, speed less than 50 megabits. Green means good connection (60-80 Mbps). RESULT: For this price I would like more.

Asus PL-AC56 AV2 1200 Wi-Fi Powerline Extender

Price: ~ 9000 rubles
Wi-Fi: yes

The coolest and most expensive kit: Built-in socket, 3(!) Gigabit Ethernet ports, Wi-Fi module with external antennas. Everything tells us that this is a real monster. Wi-Fi can operate in both the 2.4 Ghz and 5 Ghz bands—the only one in the review. Naturally, “cloning” a home Wi-Fi network also works. In one room the adapters show very high speed - 345 Mbit/s. At a distance of two (!) floors, the test showed 109 Mbit/s- the result that other sets show with a difference of only one floor. But when testing Wi-Fi, the result was at the level of other participants - ~50-60 Mbit/s. Why then these two antennas? Obviously, they allow you to significantly expand the range, but this does not greatly affect the speed. RESULT: If you don't mind the money, then this Kit is a definite Must Have

Our company offers services for diagnostics, repair, connection, and configuration of a PLC adapter for a home computer network, organized by transmitting data through electrical wires using PLC technology in places inaccessible to wired or wireless communications.

Electrical data networks PLC

The term PLC means the transmission of information over an electrical network, which uses a special one. This technology uses splitting the data stream into several, transmitting them at their own carrier frequency and further summing them.
When transmitting signals in the electrical networks of apartment buildings, strong transmission attenuation may occur at certain frequencies, which can lead to data loss. To eliminate this, the signal attenuation is constantly monitored and if it exceeds a threshold value, it switches to another frequency range with the best characteristics and the data is sent in another range.

To organize a network you need buy plc adapter and install it at the end user. This powerline adapter communicates with the converter installed in the switchboard, through which access to the Internet occurs. The estimated distance over which encoded data can be transmitted via electrical wires is just over 1 km. In practice, today a sufficient signal can propagate over a distance of about 300 m. Based on this, it makes sense to install data transmission equipment at the transformer substation of an apartment building or holiday village, to which over a thousand apartments can be connected. Received practical distribution PLC adapter, which allow you to connect to a computer network premises whose connection to the access point is impossible using standard wired and wireless communication methods. The apartment has been renovated in European style and there is no desire to drill holes in the walls for laying cables; reinforced reinforcement in the walls and ceilings of monolithic buildings, preventing the penetration of Wi-Fi radio waves, these are the reasons for using technology using powerline adapter. Then the ordinary electrical wiring of the apartment will be used as a computer local network.

PLC computer network adapter D-Link DHP-306AV

PLC adapter can be used in the following cases:
The apartment has recently been renovated and running the cable externally is not advisable.
The room is well shielded - iron fittings prevent the penetration of wireless radio waves.
In such a situation, the way out is the Internet through an electrical outlet using a plc adapter. The transfer of information will occur through normal home electrical wiring. The most common technology that connects an electrical outlet to a computer's Ethernet port is the HomePlugAV standard. The D-Link DHP-306AV adapter is inserted into an electrical outlet, one near the router to which it is connected with a standard cable, the other near the connected device. On the front panel there are three indicators of the PLC adapter operation: Connection to the electrical network, connection to the Power Line network and connection to Ethernet.

Powerline adapter TP Link

Powerline adapter TP Link campaign has a wide range of devices that allow you to connect the global Internet anywhere there is an electrical outlet. You can buy it in specialized stores.
Modem parameters are summarized in a comparative table of characteristics. Currently, powerline adapter models TL-PA 2010, 2220, 4010, 4020,4220 are produced, which replaced discontinued ones.

Table: Powerline adapter TP Link

PLC adapter TP Link	Interface	Buttons	Light diodes	Speed transfer Mb/s	Energy consumption W	Far m
TL-PA2010	1X Ethernet	1	3	200	2,0	300
TL-PA2220	2X Ethernet	3	4	200	6,0	300
TL-PA4010	1X Ethernet	1	3	500	2,2	300
TL-PA4020	2X Ethernet	1	3	500	3,0	300
TL-PA4220	2X Ethernet	3	4	500	6,0	300

PLC adapter TP Link	Interface	Buttons	Light diodes	Speed transfer Mb/s	Energy consumption W	Far m
TL-PA101	1X Ethernet	-	3	85	4,0	200
TL-PA111	1X Ethernet	-	3	85	4,0	200
TL-PA201	1X Ethernet	2	3	200	4,0	300
TL-PA4030	3X Ethernet	1	3	500	3,8	300
TL-PA411	1X Ethernet	1	3	500	2,1	300
TL-PA511	1X Ethernet	1	3	500	6,0	300
TL-PA551	1X Ethernet	1	3	500	6,0	300
TL-PA6010	1X Ethernet	1	3	600	3,0	300
TL-WPA271	1X Ethernet	1	4	200	6,0	300
TL-WPA281	1X Ethernet	1	4	200	6,0	300

Models of powerline adapters containing the letter P in the name, as well as the TL-PA551 model, have a built-in pass-through power socket.
Models TL-PA2220, TLP-4220, TL-WPA271, TL-WPA281 have the function of enhancing the Wi-Fi wireless signal coverage area.
Adapter models TL-PA511, TL-PA551, TL-PA6010 have a Gigabit Ethernet port.

Setting up a PLC modem

does not have any web interface. Control is performed by two buttons located on the side panel: Reset - press and hold for more than 1 second to reset and install factory settings; Secure - secures the synchronization of two devices. The label directly on the modem indicates the so-called “PLC PWD” - a unique password required to configure the adapter.
A special utility, D-Link PowerLine AV Utility, is available for download on the manufacturer’s website, which allows you to check the quality of the plc modem connection.