This topic

Powerline adapter capping at 100mbps down

aaronf — Fri, 14 Jan 2022 10:43:28 GMT

I have the TP-LINK 2000Mbps TL-PA9020PKIT. For the past few years I have only been getting about 70mbps down and 20 up on FTTC and the powerline adapters where as fast as if I was plugged into my network switch directly. But we have just had installed FTTP 1000Mbps down and 130mbps up. The powerline adapter to my PC is capping around 120mbps down and 90up. What is the reason for this? I have read on other forums people with the same adapters getting the speed they paid for on Virgin and BT. I have never seen gigabit but people with internet of like 350-500mbps seem to be achieving the speeds.

Re: Powerline adapter capping at 100mbps down

Keith_Beddoe — Fri, 14 Jan 2022 11:03:46 GMT

@aaronf

Are you now using a different BT Home Hub, or are you still using your original Smart Hub 2 in the FTTP mode?

Re: Powerline adapter capping at 100mbps down

TimCurtis — Fri, 14 Jan 2022 11:19:55 GMT

@aaronf

The speed you get is totally dependent on your mains circuitry so you can't compare to other users really.

I believe that the TP-Links can be adjusted for interference which can improve things, think @Keith_Beddoe know a lot more about this.

Re: Powerline adapter capping at 100mbps down

aaronf — Fri, 14 Jan 2022 11:23:34 GMT

I am using the smart hub 2 I already had and the engineer put it into FTTP and setup the digital voice. I did want to use my own router but digital voice is a pain. Weird one, yesterday I was only getting 40mbps download connected directly via ethernet and about 380mbps down on wireless. I will have a look again today and see if it has improved.

Is there an issue with me using the Smart hub 2 I had in FTTC and now FTTP.

Re: Powerline adapter capping at 100mbps down

stevebrass — Fri, 14 Jan 2022 12:33:36 GMT

if you have your own router - you could try using that temporarily in lieu of the BT Hub and checking speeds with that.

As others have said so, power line adapters are subject to the vagaries of your domestic wiring.

Re: Powerline adapter capping at 100mbps down

Keith_Beddoe — Fri, 14 Jan 2022 14:09:38 GMT

@TimCurtis wrote:

@aaronf

The speed you get is totally dependent on your mains circuitry so you can't compare to other users really.

I believe that the TP-Links can be adjusted for interference which can improve things, think @Keith_Beddoe know a lot more about this.

That would only affect FTTC, not FTTP. Its more likely that there is an issue with the adapters negotiating the wrong speed with the router. A very common issue.

Re: Powerline adapter capping at 100mbps down

aaronf — Fri, 14 Jan 2022 14:31:05 GMT

How would I resolve that? Just turning them both off and back on again?

Re: Powerline adapter capping at 100mbps down

Keith_Beddoe — Fri, 14 Jan 2022 14:32:23 GMT

@aaronf wrote:

How would I resolve that? Just turning them both off and back on again?

Which router are you using at the moment, is it the Smart Hub 2?

Re: Powerline adapter capping at 100mbps down

aaronf — Fri, 14 Jan 2022 14:34:10 GMT

Yes I am. I would like to use my own router but with the Digital voice that isn't possible. At the moment the old phone line is still receiving and making calls. But the openreach enginner told me that BT would turn it off in a few days. I was wondering if it would be possible for BT to cancel that change?

Re: Powerline adapter capping at 100mbps down

Keith_Beddoe — Fri, 14 Jan 2022 14:50:26 GMT

There seems to be a common issue with the Smart Hub 2 where it fails to auto-negotiate the correct speed and duplex mode with certain hardware devices.

Its an issue between mismatched Ethernet interfaces, especially at high speeds, where the Ethernet link pulse is very short.

Look up Duplex Mismatch on Google.

Do you have a spare gigabit Ethernet switch that you can connect between the home hub and the Powerline adapter Ethernet ports, as that normally sorts it out?

Re: Powerline adapter capping at 100mbps down

aaronf — Fri, 14 Jan 2022 15:30:50 GMT

Yes I do I'll plug that in and see how it goes. Thanks

Re: Powerline adapter capping at 100mbps down

aaronf — Sun, 16 Jan 2022 14:22:59 GMT

Just tried the gigabit switch and still 100mbps.

Re: Powerline adapter capping at 100mbps down

Keith_Beddoe — Sun, 16 Jan 2022 14:59:33 GMT

@aaronf wrote:

Just tried the gigabit switch and still 100mbps.

Are you sure that the powerline adapters have a 1Gb interface? Are you connecting them using a fully wired Ethernet patch cable, at the home hub end? It could be that the cable does not support 1Gb, which is why it only works at 100Mb.

It looks to me that the adapters are only auto-negotiating to 100Mb maximum. It should be possible to access the adapter`s management, and see what speed the Ethernet port is working at, both ends of the link.

Have you made sure that Smart Setup is disabled on the home hub?

Re: Powerline adapter capping at 100mbps down

aaronf — Sun, 16 Jan 2022 15:12:17 GMT

I have swapped the ethernet cables and disabled smart setup and I am still getting the same results 100-140

Re: Powerline adapter capping at 100mbps down

Keith_Beddoe — Sun, 16 Jan 2022 15:22:13 GMT

@aaronf wrote:

I have swapped the ethernet cables and disabled smart setup and I am still getting the same results 100-140

Then look at the powerline management page and see what Ethernet speed its connected at.

See if anyone else has any suggestions.