Vito Cassisi – Tech Blog Delving into technology

19Nov/0918

TP-Link TL-PA201 Ethernet Over Power Kit Review

Need a wired connection without additional cables? Read on.

TP-Link


Website: http://www.tp-link.com/
Price: $147 - http://www.megaware.com.au/ (at time of review)




Ethernet or wireless? To some, this question is trivial. Ethernet is by far the most secure and speedy connection to a modem or router, and thus, it trumps a wireless connection. But what if the router is inaccessible via an Ethernet connection? In this case there are two options. Either make it work by installing a connection through walls or under carpet, or, to use the aforementioned wireless. But what if both of those options are unsuitable? Perhaps getting cables laid is not an option, and wireless is unsuitable due to bad signal or a fetish for competitive online game play? There's a solution! One that a surprising amount of people never consider. It's a technology called Ethernet over power (EoP), also known as 'power line' communication. The technology is by no means new, however it has only recently become reliable enough for high speed connections. It begs the question, is EoP a viable replacement for a typical Ethernet connection? I have with me a 'TP-Link TL-PA201' kit ready to test just that.

What is Ethernet over power?
EoP is a technology which uses the power infrastructure within your home to communicate data. It does this via orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing, or OFDM. In layman's terms, the data is sent at several frequencies between 2MHz and 28MHz. Interference in one or more of the designated carrier frequencies does not hinder reliability, the device simply switches to another frequency. The speed at which data is transferred depends on the quality of the wiring in the house, the distance between EoP units, and the hardware limitations of the EoP units themselves. The TP-Link TL-PA201 kit is based on the HomePlug AV specification.

How does it work?
EoP units generally work by having two or more units connected directly to a mains socket,  just like any other electronic gear you may have.  These units should be plugged in close to the equipment that you wish to network, e.g. one near your router, and another near your PC. More than two units can be used at one time depending on the number of systems you wish to connect. Generally, one EoP unit will service one piece of equipment via a single Ethernet connection, unless of course this connection is connected to another router.

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  • dextras

    How much did you pay for it? Very good. A question though, can this be used in any house?

  • http://www.cyb3rglitch.com Vito Cassisi

    I paid $147. It can be used in pretty much any house, even across different phases.

  • dextras

    phases?

  • http://www.cyb3rglitch.com Vito Cassisi
  • http://lalor.net Lalor McMahon

    Great write up on the TP Link kit and EoP in general.

  • http://www.sparky13.co.cc dextras

    I was doing work experience in Harvey Norman over the past week and I saw one EoP lol. only 1 :(

  • http://www.cyb3rglitch.com Vito Cassisi

    Harvey Norman aren’t exactly known to stock decent computing gear. And they’re expensive! :)

  • http://www.sparky13.co.cc dextras

    Well they’re expensive until you bargin with them. Though they have an awesome wii bundle at the moment. It’s below cost :) So they will try to sell warranties and such with it :)

  • http://www.cyb3rglitch.com Vito Cassisi

    The Wii is overpriced to start with. :P

    I guess they have their own little niche, so they can charge whatever they want.

  • Elio

    Its not explained as a feature in the manuals but I found that if plugging the adaptor directly into a power point is a problem because of its size, you can remove the power connection….its modular, as its designed to be interchanged with UK and US plugs.

    Just press the plastic catch below the plug and then slide the two prong attachment upwards (toward the top of the adaptor). Once removed, you will see a standard 2 pin power connection.

    You can use a standard 2 prong power cable to plug into the adaptor, giving you the freedom to use it on double power points without obstruction.

    Some people might suggest that this will degrade performance because of the added cable, but if you think that adding another 1 meter or so to the total cable length of maybe 10 – 50 metres of cable that is contained in your house’s wiring then I think you are kidding yourself.

  • http://www.cyb3rglitch.com Vito Cassisi

    Nice tip! Cheers. :)

  • Elio

    has anyone had problems with recently purchased PA 201′s not working with earlier PA 201′s?

    I’ve just purchased a third pa201 to add to the pair of adaptors purchased 3 months ago.

    The new adaptor is suffering random dropouts. The configuration utility frequently doesn’t see the new adaptor and at times I’ve have to leave the unit unplugged for an hour or more before being able to successfully use it.

    I returned the first adaptor to the retailer for an exchange. Got another new one in a sealed box but it behaves exactly the same way.

    What I have discovered from the diagnostic log is that the new adaptor has a much later firmware revision than my original two adaptors.

    The original adaptors are dated firmware: 20070816-FINAL-BL-C

    The new adaptor has firmware dated: 20090501-FINAL-C

    I’ve also noticed that the Ethernet light on the new adaptor is RED and the original adaptors its RED.

    It looks as though the adaptors have gone through some recent updates and don’t play well with the older revisions.

    Any care to offer some input or experience with this problem?

  • http://www.cyb3rglitch.com Vito Cassisi

    Interesting. Unfortunately I don’t think there’s a way to update the firmware. Have you tried contacting TP-Link for assistance?

  • Elio

    Spoken with TP Link support. They don’t have an answer to the probem and indicated that they have not had any similar problems reported.

    They claim they will look into the issue and give me a response at some point in the future. In the mean time, I can’t use this adaptor. The retailer is not going to keep changing adaptors and I’m concerned that if I want to buy more adaptors in future to expand my network that I’m going to have compatibility issues.

    Just to be clear. I’ve tried all possible fault finding, including swapping the PA201′s between electrical outlets where they have been working perfectly however, the problem always follows the new adpator every time.

    Maybe I’ve just been unlucky enough to get a couple of dud adpators.

    Tech support claimed that they don’t have any firware updates available for the PA201′s at the point in time.

  • Vimal Chandra

    Hi Vito,

    Having a problem with my TP-Link TL-PA201 Powerline Adapter.

    The PowerLine LED isn’t lighting up when connected to the electrical outlet.

    Any idea what the problem is?

    Thanks,

    Vimal

  • http://www.vitocassisi.com Vito Cassisi

    Have you tried connecting both units close to each other?

  • Scroob

    Thanks so much for this review! I searched everywhere for this kind of information, so glad I found it!.. I ended up buying the Netcomm np201av set, they’re fantastic. I highly recommend them for anyone like me, who dislikes the instability of wireless (especially in FPS games) but can’t go running ethernet around the house. The wiring in my house is reasonably old (15-20yrs) and according to the np201av, I have a low speed connection (shown by a red light, rather than amber or green) But it’s still hitting a consistent 20Mbps which is absolutely fine for my 6Mbps broadband connection. Best of all the connection is stable! 3-7ms range rather than 1-2000ms given by wireless. Thanks again for this informative review!

    TL;DR. EoP is great for gamers who hate wireless but can’t run ethernet cables to the computer.

  • Info

    hello i have the same problem…have you find a solution ?

    thanks
    christopher

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