200mps or 500mps Homeplugs

This thread is in response to another but I don't want to keep bumping others threads. On a slow FTTC connection 11mps, is there any benifit in having 500mps homeplugs vs 200mps? Only three computers at max on at any time. What if online tv was thrown into the mix?

I wouldn't think so. Let's see what people using homeplugs say. (I'm thinking of getting a couple actually, though a better router/WAP may be a better idea for me for other reasons).

The benefit would be minimal with a speed like that to be honest unless your transferring massive files PC to PC 200 mbps would be fine.

I have multiple NAS drives and transfer a lot so have some TP - Link 500 mbps homeplugs and they are fantastic. The 200 mbps versions that they do I have also used and they are very good.

Hope this helps.

At 11Mbps I think there's little advantage of home plugs vs wireless. WiFi can easily give 11Mbps usually and it's likely to be much cheaper (assuming the router you currently have has wireless N). If it's out of range I would use home plugs only where they are needed e.g. where WiFi doesn't get too. Even then I would probably setup a 2nd access point. Food for thought?

That said get the 200 Mbps ones.

I'm using the Devolo 200 range.

In my house I have 2 independent Ring-Main ccts. Interconnection between devices on the same Ring significantly exceeds 100M (anything up to 130M), whereas interconnection between devices on the different Rings gives a connection exceeding 80M.

I'm on a ADSL2+ connection of 19M, hence these connections are virtually transparent.

Even if I was to upgrade to an 80M Fibre, I'm not certain that I would think it necessary to upgrade these to the Devolo 500 type!

http://www.thinkbroadband.com/hardware/reviews/70-de...

Compares 200 and 500 meg units for you all

Reading all the other replies, it is obvious really.

The only difference you will get will be on your local (home) network if all devices have a GB network card/device to get speeds of 500mps - but having said that, in real life you wouldn't really notice the difference anyway as it is all so fast even on 100mps.

And Internet is 11? Well, even here a 50 would be OTT (if they exist).

Nick

In reply to a post by Lethe:

The only difference you will get will be on your local (home) network if all devices have a GB network card/device to get speeds of 500mps - but having said that, in real life you wouldn't really notice the difference anyway as it is all so fast even on 100mps.

True, if you get 500megabit/sec. HomePlug is not comparable to Ethernet, its speeds are similar to 802.11 WiFi.

On G wifi which has an advertised speed of 54megabit/sec, you can in perfect conditions get around 22megabit/sec data transfer rate. ie, nowhere near 54. Same is true for Homeplug.

Many HomePlug 500 devices have only a 100megabit ethernet interface port, so will never achieve any faster throughput than 100megabit of 'ethernet' speed.

However the 500 protocol is better over the mains wiring when you have to cross between ring mains, e.g. between floors, than the 200 and the earlier standards. So I would always recommend 500 protocol, even if the LAN interface is 100megabit. You're more likely to get higher throughput.

As always test yourself, and don't rely on benchmarks, even on the same ring main.

500 devices can also act as repeaters, so a single 500 device in the front room connected to a games console or Sky+HD box can improve the connection from the office (where the broadband router is) through to upstairs - in at least two installations I'm aware of.

Thanks for all the replies. I do currently use 200mps Tp-link homeplugs with little to no drop from wired line to router. That in itself probably answers my own question but as I was going to get a second set for tv & another computer I'd thought I ask.

What about mixing. eg x2 500mps with x2 200mps homeplugs. If a 500mps was attached to the router would this help boost the 200mps at the other end?

In reply to a post by Speedchaser:

What about mixing. eg x2 500mps with x2 200mps homeplugs. If a 500mps was attached to the router would this help boost the 200mps at the other end?

Sadly no, they all run at the speed of the slowest.

You can see this happening and the speeds they're getting on the PC application that comes on the CD with the plugs.

the 200av devices I had worked to 23M
the 500av devices I now have work at 40M (may be faster but I do not have faster FTTC)

The homeplug speed is the maximum theoretical throughput on the network between them. So in an ideal world, for example, if you were using 500AV plugs and downloading and uploading at the same time the maximum speed either way would be 250Mbps.

Add two more plugs and this would drop to 125Mpbs

In reply to a post by simon194:

The homeplug speed is the maximum theoretical throughput on the network between them. So in an ideal world, for example, if you were using 500AV plugs and downloading and uploading at the same time the maximum speed either way would be 250Mbps. Add two more plugs and this would drop to 125Mpbs

Yep, I thought I was saying that. The third only slows the other two down if you're using it of course, many people just want connectivity in all rooms, not using them in all the rooms at the same time.

I'm using TP Link 200Mbps with my current 30Mbps Virgin connection and i get throughput over 30-35mbps no problem

hay... your electrical wiring is better than mine

I could not get more then 20->23M from the AV200 devolo's I had, no matter what I did