TP-Link boasts AV500
Powerline kits keep evolving. The latest
performance level is now being adopted by all, and so TP-Link claims the
500Mbps speeds that come with the latest developments. Of course, such speeds
need the standard Mbps to MB/s rationalisation. There are eight bits to a byte,
so dividing 500Mbps by eight gives us 62.5MB/s. That's the upper limit of what
this TP-Link kit is capable of, and in real terms is fast enough for all but
the most speed needy home users, if fulfilled.
As is the case with all Powerline kits,
setup is a cinch. One plug goes into the wall by your router and connects via
an Ethernet cable. The other goes into the device you'd like connected and
another spare plug socket in close proximity. The TP-Link set features a 'pair'
button on each unit, and once paired they're good for use.
But what of that maximum 62.5MB/S speed? Is
it achievable? Well, not for me. Testing the kit in what I consider a fair
home-use scenario, I replaced my Devolo dLAN 500 AVMini kit and loaded up the
Powerline Utility included on a mini CD. I live in a two-floor semi-detached
house, and the router is in the front room. My computer is a floor up. This
seems a fairly usual setup to me, and in regular monitoring the best speeds I
achieved with the TP-Link kit were around 35MB/s. That's 280Mbps - just over
half the quoted 500MBps speeds.
On average, though, speeds were more mid to
late 20s. Granted, the house is what I would consider 'busy' in terms of
electrical interference, but the alternative is to test at night... when I
don't use the internet.
However, as we know by now, any fault is
with the speed claims and not with a manufacturer seeking to be honest and lose
potential sales. Indeed, as tests proved, the speeds achieved are more than
adequate for gaming, streaming multiple HD videos, general media streaming from
NAS devices, and most general use networking. Of course, with Virgin raising
the baseline speeds of its broadband to 30Mbps, you might experience a slight
loss, but that's assuming you get 30Mbps to begin with; reports suggest not
every customer will.
None of this is the TL-PA511 KIT's fault,
though. For its price the kit does a sterling job and is in fine company. If
I'm being picky, its units are larger than the Devolo units I currently use,
but that's a purely aesthetic point. The performance is near identical, and the
kit shares a fondness for power-saving when not in use and passwords for added
security. Essentially, it should be welcome in aiding most home-use networking
setups, and comes recommended.
Details
Price: $92.99
Manufacturer: TP-Link
Website: www.lambda-tek.com
Model number: TL-PA511KIT
Required spec: Plug sockets, router,
internet connection
