Best Powerline Adaptors & Powerline Mesh Wi-Fi systems for 2021 – Use your home wiring as an alternative to Wi-Fi and Cat5a/6 Gigabit Ethernet
Powerline Wi-Fi extenders
TP-Link TL-WPA8630PKIT V2 Powerline Wi-Fi Extender – Best performing Powerline Wi-Fi extender
- Ultra-fast Powerline Speed - HomePlug AV2 standard compliant, high-speed data transfer rate of up to 1350 Mbps, supports all your online needs
- AC1350 - Dual band 802.11ac WiFi extends up to 2.4 GHz (450 Mbps) + 5 GHz (867 Mbps) WiFi speeds to every room of your house
- MIMO Technology - Line-neutral/line-ground 2 x 2 MIMO with beamforming ensures fast and stable connection. Range: Up to 300 meters/1000 feet over existing electrical wiring
- Gigabit Ethernet Port - 3*Gigabit Ethernet port provides reliable high-speed wired connections for gaming or streaming
- WiFi auto-sync - Instantly configures additional extenders to your powerline network by uniformly syncing settings such as SSID, password, WiFi schedule and LED schedule across all network devices
This is basically the 3-gigabit port AV1300 from above, but with Wi-Fi built in too. It is reasonably priced and will likely offer better Wi-Fi performance than a cheap mesh system, just without the convenience of a single roaming Wi-Fi SSID.
TP-link TL-WPA7617 KIT – Sweet spot for performance / price
- Easily Extend Fast, Reliable Wi-Fi to Every Room- The AV1000 Gigabit Powerline ac Wi-Fi Kit brings internet to any area with a power outlet using your home’s electrical wiring.System Requirements:Windows 10/8.1/8/7/Vista/XP, Mac OS, Linux
- HomePlug AV2 Standard Compliant- Provides users with stable, high-speed data transfer rates of up to 1000 Mbps on a line length of up to 300 meters
- One-Touch Wi-Fi Configuration- With just a tap, copy your router’s wireless settings onto the extender to share the same SSID and password
- Gigabit Ethernet for Reliable Connections- Provide warp-speed wired connections for 4K HD streaming, lag-free gaming, and more
- Easy Setup and Management- Quickly set up a secured Powerline network with Plug & Play and easily manage it via the tpPLC app, Utility, and/or Web Interface
This could be the sweet spot for the Powerlink Wi-Fi extenders, offering decent performance at a low price point.
The Wi-Fi extender part lacks a plug passthrough, so you will lose a socket, which is a little annoying
I am not recommending the devolo Magic 2 Wi-Fi starter Kit, because, for £20 more, you can get the twin pack mesh Wi-Fi kit.
Powerline Mesh Wi-Fi systems
TP-Link Deco P9 – Best value for money
- Wireless Class: AC1200 + HomePlug AV1000 whole home mesh Wi-Fi
- Wi-fi + plc Hybrid mesh: Hybrid network boosts bandwidth effectively
- Powerful processing: Qualcomm quad-core CPU
- Simple and smart: easily setup and manage your network with the Deco app
- Maximized range: Wi-Fi coverage up to 6, 000 ft2/ 560 M2 (3-Pack)
I like the TP-Link Deco P9 a lot. It performed well, and it is extremely affordable for a 3-pack system. It is actually cheaper than the TP-Link Deco M5 dual-band mesh system. In theory, thanks to the powerline backhaul, it should offer significantly better performance.
This is only rated at HomePlug AV1000, so some of the Wi-Fi extenders may offer better performance, such as the TL-WPA8631P, but at a much lower price (if you only need a single Wi-Fi extender). Also, if you want to physically wire a device up, such as PC or console, one of the higher-rated models would be a better solution.
Devolo Mesh Wi-Fi 2 – Best overall performance
- high-speed mesh performance: the 3 wi-fi adapters provide for a high-performance wi-fi network at speeds up to 1200 mbps in every corner of your home. Supported operating systems: Windows 7, Ubuntu-Linux 14.04 and Mac OS X 10.9
- the fastest tri-band system of its class: to let you enjoy perfect wi-fi everywhere, the mesh adapters also connect via powerline. this ensures that the internet signal is distributed over the home's electrical wiring and sent to the adapters at lightning speed.
- for unimpaired performance: connect one adapter to your router and switch off the router wi-fi. then the adapters form a pure devolo mesh network. the result: you benefit from a solid boost in performance, because your state-of-the-art end devices are no longer throttled by the old router wi-fi.
- expand your mesh network: devolo mesh wifi adapters are compatible with all wi-fi routers, devolo magic adapters and wi-fi-capable devices. dlan adapters and other homeplug av products, including the devolo outdoor wifi powerline adapter, are not supported.
- package contents: mesh wifi 2 set with three mesh adapters (with a total of 6x gigabit ethernet ports), wifi 5
The Devolo Mesh Wi-Fi 2 is, on paper, a superior system to the TP-Link Deco P9 thanks to its use of G.hn, however I didn’t find that much of a difference in Wi-Fi performance, yet there is a significant gap in price.
This did offer a superior range and generally better Wi-Fi speeds. It should also offer significantly better speeds for devices plugged directly into the adaptors thanks to the 2400 Mbit/s rating from the G.hn technology.
While this may not be quite as cheap as the Deco P9, it is cheaper than most tri-band mesh systems, and it is probably the best all-around powerline option on the market.
I am James, a UK-based tech enthusiast and the Editor and Owner of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Passionate about all things technology, my expertise spans from computers and networking to mobile, wearables, and smart home devices.
As a fitness fanatic who loves running and cycling, I also have a keen interest in fitness-related technology, and I take every opportunity to cover this niche on my blog. My diverse interests allow me to bring a unique perspective to tech blogging, merging lifestyle, fitness, and the latest tech trends.
In my academic pursuits, I earned a BSc in Information Systems Design from UCLAN, before advancing my learning with a Master’s Degree in Computing.
I’m proud to share that Vuelio has consistently ranked Mighty Gadget as one of the top technology blogs in the UK. With my dedication to technology and drive to share my insights, I aim to continue providing my readers with engaging and informative content.
I work directly with the companies he reviews products for or their chosen PR agency.
For Social Media, you can find me on:
