Powerline adapters knocking out Internet connection

I posted this thread on Wednesday but further investigation has revealed something very strange going on. It now seems that it is my Powerline adapters that are knocking out the Internet connection from the router. Whenever I switch on the adapter that is connected to my computer (via a switch, but that's another story) then attempt to pair it with one of the remote adapters, it initially (sometimes) seems to work but after a short while (a minute or so) the Internet connection from the router is lost and I have to switch the adapters off or sometimes reboot the router to get it back. At first I thought this was a fluke but it is completely repeatable now. This is a setup that has been working perfectly for years and nothing has changed. I have a mixture of TP-Link 600Mbps and 200Mbps adapters and have tried both types in the master socket. What is going on?

I mentioned that the connections was via a switch (an 8-port TP-link Gigabit switch). Well, on Wednesday this seemed to have failed as well, in the that I could only get a connection when I bypassed it, so I replaced it with a couple of old 4-port switches I had lying around and it all worked again. However, I very much doubt there's anything wrong with the switch as I just tested it and it seems to work. This could be a complete red herring and nothing to do with it but it's odd that everything happened on the same day.

I used the Powerline network to get wireless and wired connection throughout the house using remote routers. This all worked very well for a long time. The main router is a Plusnet Technicolor TG582n, connected to an Openreach HG612 modem (which has remained in sync the whole time). There is also a Samknows box in there by I don't think that's relevant.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Edited by kasg (Fri 26-Oct-18 11:14:30)

A decade or so ago when i used to have an el-cheapo Argos treadmill, i remember my adsl line always losing sync whenever my treadmill was switched on. This was somehow affecting the adsl line by creating excessive noise on the power circuit and the only solution was to stop using the damn treadmill. So it seems you have a similar sort of issue as vdsl2 is even more noise sensitive than adsl. A few things you can try:

1) Reset the powerline adaptors to factory settings and start again from scratch to see if the issue persists.

2) If still under warranty, return the adaptors as faulty and ask for replacements.

3) Buy a new set of powerline adaptors.

4) As a last resort you may want to bin the powerline adaprors altogether and setup a wifi mesh network in your home/premises. Something like the Netgear Orbi or Linksys Velop works very well and can give you almost wired like performance, provided you setup the network correctly. On my 330 Mbps FTTP line, i'm getting > 250 Mbps on every wifi client in my home with no ethernet cable or powerline adaptor in sight

Edited by deleted (Fri 26-Oct-18 11:50:03)

Thanks for your reply. As I said in my post, I have not lost sync at any point, it is just the ISP connection that is going down. I have tried resetting the adapter connected to the computer but that made no difference. Bearing in mind the different vintage of the adapters that are affected, I don't think it is a problem with the adapters themselves - after all they have been working perfectly up until Wednesday. I am not going to buy new ones (two of them are fairly new anyway) only to have the same problem.

I have seriously considered a mesh network, although they are a lot more expensive and would only give me wireless, whereas I am using the current setup to extend the wired connection as well.

A painfully time consuming suggestion, but ...

Unplug EVERYTHING... and then switch on/ connect up everything one at a time allowing a good 5 minutes after switch on to ensure that the issue hasn�t returned, prior to switching back on the next bit of kit, etc, etc.

Have located two similar issues doing this, one in a large shop, the other in a property, both these culprits were found to be computers running Windows which had recently updated. One caused crawling slow web based applications everywhere on the LAN, the other gave no web pages anywhere at all.

The next possibility is ...

There is also a chance that something is kicking out REIN at your end, something like a transformer in the power supply of a pice of kit, these can take a while to start kicking out RF. again after they have been powered off and on again.

Got a portable MW radio to help you hunt ? The same technique described above might identify the culprit.

Good luck.

Thanks Zarjaz. You are probably right about the powering everything off thing and I will do some more testing at an opportune time. I'm not sure of the relevance of the Windows thing - this clearly has nothing to do with that as it is the entire connection that goes down, not just the ability to access it from Windows. As for the transformer suggestion, why does it only happen when I connect the Powerline adapters (any of them)?

Yep, you are probably right, but it�s weirdness you have, and weirdness I saw being caused by an update.

I suppose it could be anything connected via the same fuse board, so maybe start with everything up to and including the fuse board off .... then it�s just the specific fuse/trip for the modem and router sockets, but with all else physically disconnected.

It is my guess that some other random device is borked within your home, and is somehow transmitting �iffyness� through the same cabling the powerline adaptors are using.

The other enormously slim chance I have seen once was two properties a couple of doors apart both using the same make and model of powerline adaptors, these were knocking one another out ..... no idea of the technicalities, (employed for my looks innit ) summat to do with every third house on the run sharing a common earth or some such .... but changing the make of powerline adaptors at one property fixed both.

Happy hunting, looking forward to hearing the outcome.

Somewhat off-topic.

summat to do with every third house on the run sharing a common earth or some such ....

I think you meant to say every third house is on the same same phase there being three phases with most domestic properties having a single phase supply

Oh yeah. That seems to ring a bell ....

.. as I said, I�m employed for my looks

Powerline adaptors use the same range of frequencies as VDSL (up to 18MHz or so) and are well know to radiate this depending on the balance of the mains wiring in your house - just Google PLT interference (although most of the stuff on the web is from a few years ago). It is quite conceivable that you have done some changes (new mains wiring, new devices plugged into the mains) OR that your VDSL line has become unbalanced and is now picking up more interference. Whatever this is a clear indication that interference from PLT and interference to (and from) VDSL happens. You are on to a difficult path to prove it to your isp and Openreach, especially since it is within your home. Easiest solution is to ditch the powerlines and do it all via ethernet or wireless.

Why does he have to prove it to Openreach or his ISP ??

He mentions that his modem isn�t losing sync, and sync speeds are OK, so why would he bother either of the above ? Nothing they can do about it.