How to improve the Wi-Fi quality of your home
Many times there are walls or obstacles in our homes that prevent the Wi-Fi signal from reaching all the rooms and devices that we have connected completely or completely clean. To help us expand that connection, we present Powerline adapters.
1 Powerline Adapter Benefits
- Speed. Without a doubt this is the great quality of Powerline adapters (PLC). The electrical wiring connections on which these adapters are based are much more stable and faster than WI-FI. They have a latency almost as low as direct connections to the Router via Ethernet. But keep in mind that Powerline adapters will not be as effective as direct connections to the router, because there are many factors that attenuate the quality of the signal. But with all this it will still be a better option than the WI-Fi signal, without a doubt.
- Wi-Fi hotspot. Some Powerline adapters have Wi-Fi functionality, so you can benefit from both an Ethernet and Wi-Fi connection. Additionally, many adapters have more than one Ethernet port, so you could connect multiple devices to it.
- Taking step. Most adapters include a pass-through power socket, meaning you can still connect other devices through the Powerline adapter in case you don't have enough outlets.
- Power saving mode. If no data transmission or reception occurs for a certain period of time, some adapters will automatically go into sleep mode, reducing power usage by more than 85%.
- Security. Powerline technology is also more secure than a wireless network. However, many manufacturers have added an extra layer of protection by including a security feature that will ensure end-to-end data encryption.
2 Recommendations
- 500Mbps, 600Mbps or 1200Mbps. There are many models of Powerline adapters that we can get on the market, but if we want to decide on one or the other, it is best to look at the use we are going to give it. For non-extensive use, we normally recommend an adapter between 500Mbps - 600Mbps, they are the most common and have the best quality-price performance, brands like TP-link or Devolo are good options. On the other hand, if you are one of the demanding ones and you intend to use it more extensively, such as connecting consoles, TV, computers and other devices at the same time and you also want to take advantage of the 100, 300 or 600MB of fiber optics on your line We advise you to go for a slightly more powerful adapter such as the 1200Mbps Powerline adapters, these are more expensive, but it may well be worth paying extra for it.
- Built-in sockets. If there are few plugs in the installation you want to make, it is best to opt for a Powerline adapter with a pass-through plug, this way you will not lose the power outlet when connecting the adapter.
- Powerline adapter with Wi-Fi. We can find adapters with Wi-Fi and without it. I am in favor of purchasing them with WI-Fi, after all, the Ethernet ports that the adapter has are limited and the more devices we can connect the better.
- Number of Ethernet connections. The number of Ethernet connections that the Powerline adapter has is one of the most relevant aspects that we must take into account when purchasing one. Generally we can get adapters with between 1 and 3 Ethernet connections. If you are looking to connect the console, TV and computer via Ethernet, obviously, we will look for the adapter to have at least 3 Ethernet inputs. On the contrary, if what we are looking for is to connect all our devices via Wi-Fi, an Ethernet input will be enough.
- Type of Ethernet ports. It is something that is not mentioned much, but it is really important if we want to make a connection through the adapter's Ethernet. To take advantage of the speed that the adapter provides us, we must check that the device we want to connect has a Gigabit Ethernet port, or in other words, that it supports speeds of up to 1000Mb.
- Ethernet Adapters. In the case of Mac laptops, Apple laptops are not characterized by having plenty of ports, much less Ethernet ports, so we end up buying adapters that make up for that lack. Therefore, it is important to check that the adapters we purchase have this type of connection (Gigabit Ethernet) because, even if the laptop supports that transfer rate, if the adapter does not, it will not be able to transmit that speed.
