If we have difficulty covering all corners of the house with the Wi-Fi signal and the devices are too far from the router to be able to lay and hide an Ethernet cable, we can take advantage of the electrical network to connect a computer or any other cable device to the Internet, using the technology called Powerline. On the more advanced models it is also possible to create a dedicated Wi-Fi hotspot network on the outlet of the Powerline, so as to connect a smartphone or tablet even if it is very far from the modem or from the home Wi-Fi router. In this guide we will show you how to get Internet on electrical outlets with Powerline, showing you both the classic models via Ethernet cable and the models that can provide Wi-Fi connectivity in rooms too far away.
How to have Internet on electrical outlets with Powerline
Below we will explain what Powerline is, how to use it at home and which devices to buy according to our needs and the size of the house to be covered.What is Powerline
A Powerline network uses normal household electrical outlets to provide a secure and encrypted Internet connection, without removing the main functionality of the outlet (normal electrical current will always be available, together with a new modulated electrical signal that transmits information).
A Powerline network can work in this simple way: a first adapter connects to the electrical outlet and to the modem / router via cable. At home or in the office you can therefore attach as many other adapters as you want, they are not only bought in pairs but also individually and they are all the same and exchangeable. They will be able to "see" the powerline adapter connected to the router and thus receive the internet connection. If then one of these adapters is also a Wifi card, you can bring the signal for the wireless connection as far as you want, in an environment covered by the same electrical circuit. An adapter, with this system, can also be connected to an electrical outlet in the garage or in the cellar or in the attic or on every floor of a hotel.
What is surprising about this network system is its performance.
Powerline networks work like standard wired networks in terms of security and also speed .
Since the entire network is routed through cables there is no possibility that the internet connection can be stolen from the outside or used in an unauthorized way. The internet speed with Powerline adapters is almost the same as a direct connection with ethernet cable, with a theoretical maximum speed even up to 500 Mbps. The most winning feature of these adapters, however, is the ease of configuration.
Practically it is possible to create a computer network even complex and also full of elements connected to the same network by attaching as many powerline adapters to the electrical outlets as needed, on the same network, without them necessarily having to be of the same brand or models.
In fact, Powerline adapters behave like "modems": the main adapter (where we connect the real home modem) converts the Ethernet cable signal into a specific electrical signal, available on the entire home electrical network; the output adapter (where we connect the PC or the device to be reached) will carry out the reverse operation, converting the specific electrical signal into the normal Ethernet signal. Obviously the signal is bidirectional and therefore allows to obtain a download signal and an upload signal, as if we were really connected directly to the modem / router.
The simpler adapters occupy the electrical outlet and it is not possible to reuse it for other devices; the more expensive models in turn provide an electrical outlet, so that they can be used to supply simple electricity ( Powerline Passthrough ).
On more complex Powerline networks there may be multiple secondary adapters, so as to connect multiple different devices, and Wi-Fi adapters, capable of exploiting the specific electrical signal to generate a Wi-Fi hotspot to which to connect mobile devices.
To learn more about the connection speed of the Powerlines and the technologies used, we recommend you read our in-depth study How the Powerline works, secrets and limits .
How to connect Powerline
Connecting two Powerline adapters (the most common configuration) is really very simple: they are already associated by default, so all we have to do is connect the main adapter to the home modem via Ethernet cable (using one of the LAN ports available on the back of the itself) and plug it into a nearby electrical outlet; then take the second Powerline adapter, connect it via Ethernet cable to the PC, Smart TV or any other device we want to connect and insert it into a nearby power outlet.
After a few minutes the control lights will turn green, an evident sign that the connection has been successful: now we will be able to surf the Internet even in the room where, until a few seconds before, it was not possible to connect.
If the adapter lights do not turn green, the connection is not available or we need to connect new Powerline devices to enlarge the network, press the Pair button on the adapter near the router, then simultaneously press the Pair button on the adapters to be connected (obviously already inserted in electrical outlets). In a few minutes the association of all the devices will take place, which will begin to exchange data as if we were on a single large network.
If the secondary adapter is also equipped with Wi-Fi, simply access the control panel of the same (usually via a downloadable program on a PC or by turning on the free network created at the first start) to choose the name of the wireless network and the password of the 'access.
NOTE: for convenience we advise you to purchase and connect only Powerline from the same manufacturer, in order to obtain a quick and fast association.
The best cable Powerline models
If we want to use the classic Powerline adapters, below we have collected the best models available (both simple and passthrough):- TP-Link TL-PA4010 Powerline Kit, AV600 (€ 31)
- TP-Link TL-PA7010 Powerline Kit, AV1000 (€ 36)
- Netgear PL1000-100PES (37 €)
- TP-Link TL-PA4010P KIT AV600 Nano with through socket (41 €)
- AVM FRITZ! Powerline 510E Kit of 2 Adapters (44 €)
The best Wi-Fi Powerline models
If instead we want to bring Wi-Fi connectivity by exploiting the potential of the Powerline, we will have to focus on the models listed below:- TP-Link TL-WPA4220 Powerline WiFi Kit, AV600 (€ 48)
- Netgear PLW1000-100PES AV1000 Wi-Fi Powerline Adapters (69 €)
- AVM FRITZ! Powerline 540E WLAN Set (70 €)
- TP-Link TL-WPA7510 WiFi Powerline Kit, AV1000 (72 €)
- TP-Link TL-WPA4220T Kit of 3 WiFi Powerline, AV600 (88 €)
If the home router / modem Wi-Fi signal is still available, we can avoid using the Powerline Wi-Fi adapters and rely on a Wi-Fi repeater, as described in our guide on How the wifi repeater works or "Range Extender "and which one to buy .
Conclusions
Powerline is a good technology to expand our network capabilities, but it needs good electrical cables in order to effectively replace the simple direct Ethernet cable connection. It is still worth trying, considering that Amazon provides very easy returns in case of problems with the signal or always low speeds.If we have two routers, we can combine them together to increase Internet coverage in the home, as described in our guide on how to connect two wireless routers to increase WiFi range . If, on the other hand, we are looking for other valid suggestions to extend the coverage of Wi-Fi, we can continue reading on our in-depth study Amplify the Wi-Fi at home and extend the wireless reception .
