Getting a stable wired connection to a device one floor above your home router is a challenge, and I know the pain all too well. My current residence is a rental and as a result I have very few options for cabling. I could run away too long Ethernet cable between floors and underlays, but it’s a bit of an eyesore. The other option was a power line adapter, something I rejected for years after trying one at a previous home. I assumed that mine dangerous practice it was just the norm for adapters and they were more of a last resort, but I couldn’t have been more wrong.
My first experience with Powerline Ethernet was not encouraging
First impressions were poor
This was probably a worst case scenario, but my first experience with Ethernet powerline was terrible. I had a similar need for wired in a different part of my house, and when I tried to use it, the connection was super spotty, speeds were all over the place, and worse than the Wi-Fi connection in said room, which was already terrible.
This is only because of how well the signal is isolated through your walls. Powerline Ethernet uses existing electrical wiring in the home to carry Internet data between two points, so instead of running a dedicated Ethernet cable through walls or relying on Wi-Fi signals, powerline adapters convert network data into a signal that travels through the copper wires already inside your walls. This house was particularly old, so it was no surprise that it wasn’t doing well.
My new home was more suited to that
Powerline allowed me to get a solid connection
My new rental house is a two-story townhouse. The router is located at the bottom, near the front of the device. Unfortunately for me, the fiber to the house connection could not be installed upstairs, resulting in my current predicament. My desk is upstairs behind the unit, which puts it as far away from the router as possible while technically being in the same building.
I decided to give the power line adapters one more try as I didn’t have much to lose before using Wi-Fi in the near future. I put them together and braced myself for disappointment, but I was pleasantly surprised. Speeds fell within acceptable limits from what I got on the router itself, which is enough for everything I need. Then the game was more or less fine, I didn’t notice any difference from direct connection.
Powerline Ethernet is still missing
There are physical limitations
Even when power line adapters work, they have functional quirks and limitations that affect everyday use. For example, if someone turns on the microwave downstairs, my connection speed drops significantly and my online gaming lag increases. This is a pretty common occurrence when using these adapters: anything that draws a ton of power can cause interference and affect connection quality if it’s on the same circuit. The quality of the signal will depend on the quality of the adapter and wiring in your home. Some adapters filter out electrical noise better than others, but there will always be some interfering elements to contend with. The gap between best and worst performance with a powerline is really wide, and there’s no way to know which side of the gap you’re on without trying it yourself.
If Wi-Fi is a non-starter, the trade-offs may be worth it
Wireless connections can be worse
In some scenarios, dealing with power line warts may be more valuable than dealing with wireless connectivity issues, especially if you can’t properly connect access points or a complete network system. The audience for Powerline Ethernet is not people who have other good options. This is for renters, people in older homes, anyone who looks at a floor plan and decides that running a cable isn’t realistic. They are relatively inexpensive and can be a good stopgap measure. In my case, it’s better than running a long cable.
I was wrong about powerline adapters
Powerline adapters it’s cheap, widely available, and doesn’t require any more complicated installation than bolting something to the wall. I thought they were rubbish, but giving them a second chance was worthwhile. If it doesn’t work for your house wiring, you’ve lost the afternoon and return shipping label. If it works (and it will in many modern homes) you’ve solved the network problem without it dig a single hole.
